Mark 4:18-19 (NKJV) 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Last time we began looking at the third type of thorny ground in Mark 4. Remember, the seed is the Word of God and therefore is always good. The variable in this parable is the ground. If the seed finds good ground it grows and produces fruit. If it falls in bad ground it will not produce fruit. Thorny ground is ground where the seed takes root and produces a plant capable of fruit, but because it is growing among thorns, or we might say weeds, the life is drained away, so none useful develops. I believe this is where most faithful Christian people find themselves too often.
The first type of thorns Jesus speaks about are the cares of this world. We all face cares in life. Life is full of challenges, trials and disappointments. If we let them overwhelm us, they will choke the plant that the seed of the Word of God has produced in us. What should we do to keep the cares of this world from choking the Word? We take those cares to Jesus. We read what his Word says about God’s care for us. Matthew 6 is an excellent chapter to read when the cares of life start to overwhelm you. I especially like verses 31 and 32. Look at them again.
The second type of thorn we encounter is the deceitfulness of riches. One of the most complicated things for Christians to balance is the need for money. We all need it. We can think of it as a fleshly thing but if we are going to provide for our families, have enough for ourselves to live and preach the Gospel to the world, we need money. Jesus never says that having money is wrong. In Matthew chapter 6 before he tells us that God cares for us and will provide, he reveals one of the things we must not do if we are going to see that happen.
Matthew 6:24-25 (NKJV) 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Jesus is pointing to the same thorns that he says choke the Word in Mark 4. He tells us we cannot serve both God and mammon. Mammon is an interesting word. It carries two meanings. It means wealth personified and greed deified. When wealth becomes our identity or our goal in life, we are serving mammon and not God. When we make greed or the acquisition of wealth at any expense, a god we are serving mammon and not God. When we do either we are deceived by riches and that deception will choke the fruit of the Word of God in us.
How do riches deceive us? 1 Timothy chapter 6 is full of good counsel concerning our relationship with money or riches. It is here that Paul warns his son in the faith that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. One of the ways money deceives us is by making itself so important that we will compromise to get it. We think of the love of money as it applies to greedy, often wealthy people. We need to understand that any of us can be deceived in this way.
Financial pressure is one of the most powerful we face in life. That pressure can cause us to justify compromise or even sin when it comes to getting money we need. That kind of thinking will choke the fruit that God is trying to produce through the Word. As soon as this deception rises in your mind, repent. Cut it off and rebuke the devil and even your own flesh. Doing that will break this evil deception. Then go back to Matthew six and remind yourself that almighty God knows your need and he has promised to take care of you.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NKJV) 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
This is the second way wealth deceives the believer. Paul tells Timothy to remind those that have money not to be proud and not to trust in “uncertain riches.” The world system, the devil and our own flesh tell us that riches will solve all our problems. The truth is that riches are always uncertain. All kinds of things can cause them to fail. Even millionaires and billionaires have been known to lose all their wealth and end up penniless. No matter what it looks like you cannot trust wealth to solve your problems.
The uncertainty of wealth manifests in other ways as well. You may have all the money in the world, only to find that the best medical treatment money can by will not heal you. You may have everything you could ever want and feel empty and be friendless. You find that wealth cannot buy you true love, true friends or the peace and joy promised by Jesus. The only “sure thing” in terms of a joyful and fulfilled life is a current and growing relationship with the Lord.
I read a quote by one of the richest men in the world some years ago. He grew up poor and worked hard. In his middle age he became very wealthy. Someone asked him how it felt to come from having nothing to having anything money could buy. His answer was, “Anyone who thinks money will make them happy has never had money.” What a powerful statement from someone many of us would like to be. That typifies the deceitfulness of riches.
God has so much more for you than what money or wealth can give you. Riches will deceive you into thinking that they will solve all your problems. They will not. It is uncertain what they will really do and how long they will last. One thing is not uncertain. Jesus and the Father both love you and they will meet the real needs of life.
Paul tells Timothy what to tell those that are rich in this world. I tend to think his advice applies to all of us. Especially those blessed enough to live in a place like the United States. He tells us to put away any kind of pride about what we have. We are no better than anyone else. The poorest pauper has the same access to God by faith as the wealthiest among us. We must trust in God for he is the one who gives us the power to obtain wealth in the first place. It is not our gifts, talents or any natural thing that brings wealth to us. God may use those things, but true wealth comes only from him (Deuteronomy 8:18.)
Then he gives us some practical things we can do to keep from being deceived by riches. We must be rich in good works. Sometimes when we have money, we think our giving alone is sufficient. It is not. We must get involved in the work of the Kingdom. We must be willing to “get our hands dirty” as it were. We need to give of ourselves and our time not just our money. This helps us understand the love God has for others and reminds us that “but for his grace” we would be in the same condition.
That said, if we have some money, we must be willing to give and ready to share. This does not apply only to those who have a great deal of money. It applies to all of us. There is nothing that breaks the deceitfulness of riches like giving. This is especially true when we give sacrificially. If we cultivate these things, riches will become a tool with which we can provide for our needs and our families. We will be able to use some of it to bring blessing and enjoyment to our lives without being confused by their true role in the heart of a believer. Finally, we will open a flood gate of provision for the building of the kingdom of God (Luke 6:38.)
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