The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - What If Jesus Told Stories About You? (Part Two)

Episode Date: October 8, 2021

Jeff continues walking us through more of Jesus' parables today, and invites us to reflect on the ways Jesus is challenging us to listen more closely to the Word of God, and to let it shape the way we treat others. Snippet from the Show How often do you hear the Word of God without letting it take root in your heart? Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail]. Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

You're listening to the Jeff Kaven Show episode 240. What if Jesus told stories about you, part two? Hey, I'm Jeff Kavans. How do you simplify your life? How do you study the Bible? All the way from motorcycle trips to raising kids, we're going to talk about the faith and life in general. It's the Jeff Kaven show.

And my friend, thank you so much for joining me again, this week. Indeed, I am back out into the deep woods of Minnesota here and the trees are turning, getting that fall look. It's coming on and that tells us that winter is right around the corner. A lot of people will be going south. I'll be staying here. I like winter. I like the cold. It doesn't bother me so much. In fact, I like all four of the seasons. That's one of the beautiful things about living in Minnesota and especially out by the lakes is that it always seems to change. There's always something, always something new. Hey, I'm going to be talking to you again this week about this theme of, what if Jesus told stories about you? Now, if you joined me

last week, you understood that what I was talking about were the parables. And the parables are what Jesus uses as a literary device to bring people into the content, the heart of what he's trying to get across. And the parables are a wonderful, wonderful tool because, you know, people like stories. And when you are sitting in a group of maybe seven, eight, nine people, and you say, I've got a story that I want to share with you, everybody starts on equal ground. It's like a level playing field and say, yeah, tell me a story. And some of the people will say, well, you know, at the end, that was a good story. And then other people will think, wow, that was a good story. I sure wish my brother was here to hear that one. Or I wish my boss was here, my cousin or whoever,

my wife. And those are the people that are not really listening for themselves. And then some people will say, Lord, were you talking about me? In fact, it might seem so obvious to you that he was talking about you, that you're wondering if everybody else knows that he was talking about you. So what if Jesus told stories about you? Would you respond? Would you admit it and say, that story was about me and now I need to make some changes in my life? So, you know, when you go to church, whether it's every day or you go on Sunday or you're listening on an app, about the gospel of the day, whatever it might be, are you aware that the Sunday readings are a sowing of God's word into your heart?

It's not just a reading that kind of, hey, everybody, think about this, but it's literally the sower, who is the Lord, sewing his word into your heart. But it doesn't always take. Do you hear God's word and just, you don't understand it, so you kind of move on, you forget about it and never think about it again? Or do you allow the worries of life or the deceitfulness of riches or persecution or difficult times to steal what God is trying to say to you?

How many times I have felt in church, you know, where I heard something, I thought I heard the word of God. But a minute later, I couldn't tell you what it was if my life depended upon it. And that's because I was worried about something else or, you know, and I was thinking about business or, you know, whatever it might be. Well, I want to talk a little bit about that to you. Before I get into this issue of more parables where Jesus may be talking about you, I want to let you know of something that has just come out from Ascension Press.

Father Mike Schmitz and I put together a new journal for this. very purpose, and that is keeping track of the insights, the gold, the treasures, those pearls in your life that you want to remember and maybe even pass on to your kids or your grandkids. We developed it. It's called The Insight Journal. I'll put information in the show notes for you, and if you don't get the show notes, just text my name, Jeff Kaven's one word, and you can text it to.

3377.77, yes, 33777. And anyway, this inside journal is just a really super tool for writing down your favorite quotes, the meaningful insights, according to your vocation, your favorite saints, your prayer intentions, in your life. It's a place to keep all of this together. Now, I have one, Emily has one, and people are starting to get these now, and I actually have three other ones. Why? Because I'm creating an Insight Journal for my grandchildren. So for these, you know, 15 to 20 years as they're growing up, I'm praying for them. I'm keeping track of bits of wisdom, insight, gold that I can put down in their Insight Journal. And when they get to be 18, 20, whenever you want, 22, 25 years old, You can hand it to them. I can hand this to my grandchildren and say, honey, I love you and I've been praying for you all these years. And I've been saving some insights for living that are really valuable. And I want to give this to you. And yes, I can see that it's worn. I've been carrying it

around through these years. I had it on some business trips. I was thinking of you. It's an insight journal. And I want to encourage you to get yours. And for the things we talk about here on the show, hopefully some of it will make its way into your Insight Journal. Okay, so the first parable that I'd like to share with you is the parable of the sower. Some people consider this kind of the big one, the granddaddy, you know, of all the parables. It's the parable of the sower, and it's in Matthew chapter 13, and I'll include all of these in the show notes for you. now he tells them a lot of things in parables and on this one he said jesus said a farmer went out to sow his seed as he was scattering the seed some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up some fell on rocky

places where it did not have much soil it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow because the the soil was shallow, but when the sun came, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still, other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop, a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear. So he tells him that parable, and in privacy, Jesus would often disclose the meaning of these parables to the disciples if it wasn't readily apparent when he was telling it. And so in this one, he talks about four different instances where the word of God is what the sower is sowing, where the word of God was sown,

or at least attempted to be sown in the human heart. Three of the instances, it doesn't take. and he gives reasons for it. And then on one case, it does take. Now, the question is, is he telling a story about you? Or is he telling a story about me? Well, if I were to be honest, I would have to say, yes. At times, he is telling a story about me, but I have to resist listening for other people,

especially my loved ones, right? And I got to listen for myself, and I have to respond myself. So what Jesus said is, he said, listen. Listen then to what the parable of the sower means. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. He says, this is the seed sewn along the path. So that's one instance there where, say, on Sunday morning, you hear the seed, you hear the message about the kingdom. there is an attempt to plant this in your heart, in the soil of your heart, but you don't

understand it. And for one reason or another, you don't understand it. But what is implied here is that you didn't do anything about it. You just didn't understand it. And your thoughts moved on to other things, maybe stuff at work or things at home, or maybe you have an upset stomach or you're going to go out to eat after mass. Either way, you just, you didn't understand. understand it, and that's it. Well, the evil one has a way of snatching that seed away from you if you don't understand it. We can do something about not understanding it, right? We can make a point of, I want to understand that better. I want to be the type of hearer that doesn't just say I don't understand, but, Lord, help me understand this. Maybe I need to ask questions, do a little

bit of study, ask my family on the way home. What did you get out of that? But make some attempt to understand it. Then he goes on to the next one and says the seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. This is the seed falling on rocky ground. Does that fit you? Boy, it has with me, you know, at different times where I will hear the word of God, and I'm really excited about it, but I don't allow it to grow roots. I don't allow it to stay with me for a while and take hold. It's like a fleeting gem of gold, you know, a wonderful little insight there

that isn't worth putting in the journal, even though I think it is, but I'm not going to give it that kind of time. I'm not going to let it take root. just lasts for a little short time. And then you know what happens? Troubles come. Persecution comes. Why? Because of that word that was sewn in your heart. See, the enemy doesn't want you to give a good fruitful grounding for that seed. And it's gone. And then there's the seed falling among the thorns, and it refers to someone who hears the word. But get this, but the worries of this life. the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. Now, what would that look like during Mass, for example?

If the word of God is going to be sewn into your heart, the word about the kingdom of God, and you hear it, but immediately your mind switches over to a different lane where you start to worry about those bills that have to be paid this week. Or you are worried about whether you're going to get that raise or that promotion. at work, or you're going to worry about your son going to a party after the football game on Friday, and you're completely consumed with this. You're worried about this life, or you've got your mind on simply making money. How are you going to increase that bottom line at work? What are you going to do with your budget? How are you going to make room for that trip?

But you see what I'm saying is that the word of God was just given to you. But the worries of the life and the deceitfulness of wealth, what did they do? They choked the word, making it unfruitful. Now, for us to say that has never happened in our life, we'd be fooling ourselves if we said that. What we need to be aware of is that God wants to speak to you, but we must cultivate and till the soil of our heart to give it a chance. well the fourth one apparently they did give it a chance because the fourth one says but the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it this is the one who

produces a crop in other words they planted it they didn't allow the worries of this life or the deceitfulness of riches or the troubles or the persecutions or their ignorance to steal it they tended to it they did something about it and this is the one who produces a crop, yielding 160 and 30 times what was sown. Pretty good, huh? Pretty good. The second one that I want to share with you is also from Matthew Chapter 13, and it's the weeds among the wheat. This is a quicker one here, but I think it's worth asking ourselves, is Jesus telling a story about you here? He told them this parable. He said, the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went

away. When the wheat sprouted, 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ chose corrupt, broken, imperfect, sinful men to be the foundation of his church. And because he's broken and perfect, and because he's broken, imperfect, men chose to remain in relationship with Jesus, they became saints, and they were used by Jesus to transform hearts and minds 2,000 years later. I invite you to check out my book, Broken and Blessed, where you'll find practical tools to overcome habitual sin, to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to walk with an imperfect church toward a perfect God who is calling all of us perfection over time. To order the paperback book or audio book,

Broken and Blessed, visit ascensionpress.com or Amazon. That is causing the trouble, right? And maybe it's someone you don't like. You'd rather they not be around you. interpret them as weeds. That's what you, you interpret them as weeds. And so maybe you would go to the pastor and say, you want me to take care of that? I mean, pastor, I've got an authentic, certified weed-wacking ministry. I can take care of this problem. And if we take care of that family, then we'll be back to being a superb parish. No. You know why? Get this. In Jesus' day, you know what wheat looks like.

looked pretty much the same as back then. But there is another plant called a Darnel plant, and the Darnel plant is a noxious weed. And you know what? When it's in its infancy, it looks just like wheat. It's not until it reaches maturity that you can tell the difference between the noxious weed and the wheat. So in the infant stages, if you were to go about trying to discern and pull up the weeds, no doubt you would pull up the wheat. Now, think back for a moment. You got people like St. Augustine. When he was a young man, he was quite a fella. You know, I mean, he got into a lot of trouble, a lot of sin. And I'm sure that people in town probably said, you know, that son of monicas, you talk about a noxious weed. You talk about a bad fellow.

You talk about a loser, right? We've got to take you. We've got to take you. You know, him out. You know, this is really causing problems in the local church. Well, it isn't until later when Augustine is older that you suddenly realize he wasn't a weed. He was a saint in the making wheat. So this idea of us taking care of business, that's above our pay scale. We're apt to make a mistake. That is the job of Jesus. Our job is what? To plant and water. nurture and courage. That's our job. If it doesn't look like that plant's going to work out, that is not for us to determine. That is for the Lord. We know what our marching orders are. I've got more for you, and we're going to see in this next story that Jesus just might be telling

another story about you. You're listening to the Jeff Kaven show. 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ chose corrupt, broken, imperfect, sinful men to be the foundation of his church. And because these broken and perfect men chose to remain in relationship with Jesus, they became saints. And they were used by Jesus to transform hearts and minds 2,000 years later. I invite you to check out my book, Broken and Blessed, where you'll find practical tools to overcome habitual sin, to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to walk with an imperfect church toward a perfect God

who is calling all of us to perfection over time. To order the paperback book or audiobook, Broken and Blessed, visit ascensionpress.com or Amazon. All right. We're having fun today. We are looking at the parables. The parable is a unique literary tool that brings you the unsuspecting character into the story. Kind of a trap in a way, isn't it? You tell a story and then all of a sudden you realize he's talking about me. The question is, does everybody else know that? Well, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't because it's all in the confines of your own heart. mind. Nevertheless, the Lord knows how to speak to you, and he does so often in parables during mass, or you're reading the Bible, or watching a show about the Gospels on television. It could be anywhere. The next one I want to share with you is the persistent widow, and I love this one. It's in Luke chapter 18. This is the lady who she completely keeps going after this justice. She wants

justice, grant me justice. She needs to pray. And so I would ask you before I look at this, is there something that you really want to see in your children? Are you praying for some result in your children or your grandchildren or your spouse or a friend at work? Is there someone you know that is hoping and praying for a healing? Are you asking God to help in an addiction? in your own life, in your spouse's life, in your children, an addiction that is throwing the whole family off the rails? Well, listen to the persistent widow because Jesus is telling this story, and it may be a story about you. He told them this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said that there was, in a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared

God, nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, grant me justice against my adversary. Now, for some time, this judge refused. But finally, he said to himself, even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually come and attack me and the Lord said listen to what the unjust judge says and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night will he keep putting them off I tell you he will see that they get justice and quickly however when the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth. So there's another example right there where you hear that and you might just think generically

about prayer rather than, Lord, are you telling a story about me? Are you telling me to have that kind of persistence? I've been on both sides of this parable. I've been on the side of I need to continually pray and seek God for whatever need there is might be in my life or my children. but I've also had people who were consistently asking me for something and I finally did it because I was tired of evading it. I just got it out of the way. I just did it there. Fine. So maybe you've been on both sides of it as well. But is Jesus telling a story about you? Another great one is the rich man in Lazarus. That's in Luke 16. You might know this one, the guy that was very rich and he died and he was going through basically hell,

and he had ignored this guy called Lazarus while he was on Earth, and now Lazarus is living relatively well now after life here on Earth. And I'd ask you this, do you treat anyone like the rich man treated Lazarus? Are you being treated like Lazarus by a rich man? Are you listening to Moses and the prophets?

What am I talking about? Well, listen to this. There was a rich man. man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day at his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's hands in his table right even the dogs came and lick the wounds of this this poor poor poor diseased man the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and he saw Abraham far away

with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire. But Abraham replied, son remember that in your lifetime you received your good things while lazarus received bad things but now he is comforted here and you you are in agony and besides all this between us and you a great chasm has been set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot nor can anyone cross over from there to us He answered, then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so that they will not also come to this place of torment. And Abraham replied, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. No, Father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. And he said to him, if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced. even if someone rises from the dead. So, good question, huh? Is Jesus talking about you?

Is he telling a story about you? Maybe it is the way you treat people. As I asked a moment ago, are you being treated like Lazarus by a rich man right now in your life? Or are you treating anyone like the rich man treated Lazarus? It goes both ways. And then what about Moses and the prophets? Are you listening to them? Are you heeding what the prophets say and what Moses said

and what the Word of God as a whole says? Because even if someone came back from the dead and talked to you, according to Jesus, probably not going to make that big of a difference. And so when I hear that story, I am reminded automatically. I need to listen to. I need to listen to the Word of God. and hear it as for me and respond to it today. Wow. Boy, there's so many, you know. I'm looking now at Luke 18, the Pharisee and the tax collector. Remember that one? Where the Pharisee, he was all pompous

and proud of himself, and he says, I thank God that I'm not like the other people, you know, like the robbers and evildoers and adulterers or even like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up into heaven, but he beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And Jesus said,

what did he say? He says, I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God. And so there's another story. Is he talking about you? Are you the Pharisee? Or are you the tax collector? Place yourself in the story.

Hey, my friends, we've got something really big. We want to invite you to. I want to invite those of you who are couples, especially those of you with children, grandchildren, or godchildren to join a virtual event date night this October. My wife, Emily, and I will be joining Mike and Alicia Hernan, good friends, and they are of the Messy Family Project. I like that name. the messy family project, for an evening all about passing the faith, particularly a love of

scripture, onto our children. Now, the idea of a virtual date night is that you join from the comfort of your home. You can have your favorite beverage or your favorite dessert. Emily and I will be joining you with the Hernans, and who, by the way, they have 10 children themselves. Some parts of the country, that's called a parish. They have 10 children themselves. They have 10 children's themselves, and they'll be talking to us about taking steps in guiding our children into a loving relationship with the Lord in His Word. Now, in the second part of the evening, you'll be able to ask questions of Emily or myself. So if you have particular questions about how to engage your kids with Scripture, we'll talk about that as well. So you can learn more about

the event and the evening and how to sign up at Messy. family project.com. That's www.messyfamilyproject.com. And the link will be in the show notes. Well, it's been good to talk to you again this week. And I so enjoy it. I really do. I love this relationship with you to share the good things from the Lord. Give me a shout out. Get some comments. What do you think of the show? How's it helping you? If you have questions, send them on back in our wonderful staff will take care of that, get those questions to me. Ideas for shows, love to hear from you. Let me pray for you, my dear friend, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, God, we love you today. And we know, Lord, you're telling stories about us. We know it. Help us to listen.

Help us to respond in faithfulness. Help us to be the good stewards and the faithful sons and daughters. Thank you for this. And we pray in the mighty. name of Jesus, Yeshua, Hamashiak, the Messiah. Amen. Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Have a great week.