In one of his most famous parables, Jesus compared the words of God to seeds sown by a farmer.

In Jesus’s time, farmers didn’t have gigantic farm equipment to plant their seeds. The farmers walked through their fields, scattering seeds by hand.

In his parable, Jesus compared the different kinds of ground where the word of God was scattered.

Jesus compared one kind of ground to thorny soil. The thorns “grew up and choked the plants so that they did not bear grain.” (Mark 4:7).

Jesus explained to his disciples: Some people “hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19). These people “hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14).

In the United States today, these kinds of “thorns” are huge problems for anyone who tries to love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength and with all their mind; and for anyone who tries to do for others what they would want done for themselves. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; 22:35-40).

Sales and marketing schemes galore tempt us to want treasures on earth—riches and pleasures.

Many of us struggle with depression because we worry that we aren’t storing up treasures on earth fast enough.

Many of us struggle with worries and depression because we fear we’re falling behind in the rat race to feed our insatiable appetites for more and more money, power and sex.

The Powers of Money, the Powers of Religion, and the Powers of the Kingdoms of the World create fake reasons (such as nationalism, racism and bigotry) in order to make us even more worried and depressed.

The Powers of Money, the Powers of Religion, and the Powers of the Kingdoms of the World create fake reasons (such as nationalism, racism and bigotry) so that bad shepherds can feed their insatiable appetites for money, power and sex.

These bad shepherds sneer that anyone is a sucker and a loser if they seek treasures in heaven.

These bad shepherds sneer that anyone is a sucker and a loser if they do for others what they would want done for themselves.

In contrast, Jesus commanded us in his Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20).

Why?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21).

If your heart, your life, and your civilization are not devoted to following every word that comes from the mouth of God, then your heart, your life, and your civilization are devoted to storing up “treasures on earth” such as the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World.

There is no middle ground. There is no room for lukewarm followers of the Way of Jesus. (Revelation 3:14-18).

As Jesus told us in his Sermon on the Mount:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).

For that matter, you cannot serve both God and “treasures on earth” such as the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World.

You cannot serve both God and “treasures on earth” such as your insatiable appetites for more and more money, power and sex.

Jesus explained that, if we are devoted to storing up treasures in heaven because we love God alone, then there is no reason why we should be worrying about storing up treasures on earth.

Jesus reassured us:

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what will you wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25).

Furthermore, even during this Pandemic, we can trust God to take care of us.

As Jesus reminded us in his Sermon on the Mount:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sew or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:28-29).

What is the Way of Jesus to overcome these thorns of worries and of the deceitfulness of riches and pleasures?

What is the way to stop worrying about treasures on earth such as the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World?

What is the Way of Jesus to become a mature believer—someone who hears the words of God and does not let the words become unfruitful due to life’s worries, riches and pleasures (Luke 8:14)?

Do not seek treasures on earth. Despise the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World. Despise the lust for more and more money, power and sex.

Seek treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-20).

Love the LORD our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself—doing for others what you would want them to do for you. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; 22:35-40).

Fulfill the ideals of the Law of Moses and the Prophets! (Matthew 5:17).

Follow the Way of Jesus!

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To learn more about the Parable of the Sower that is the basis for this blog, please read my blogs “Good Soil”, “Hardened Soil Along a Footpath”, and “Shallow Soil in Rocky Places”; and the chapters “Despite His Family’s Wishes, Jesus Continues His Work”, “Jesus Tells the Parable of the Sower”, and “Jesus Feeds Five Thousand People” in my book Hoping in the LORD (which draws upon all the Gospels), at pages 123-148.

To learn more about how Jesus overcame the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of the Kingdoms of the World, please read my blogs  “Beware the Power of Money”, “Beware the Power of Religion”, “Beware the Power of the Kingdoms of the World”, “Do Not Live on ‘Bread’ Alone”, “Do Not Jump Off the Temple”, “Do Not Seek the Kingdoms of the World and Their Authority”, and “Jesus Climbed the Temple Mount”.

To learn more about “bad shepherds”, please read my blog “Timothy: A Good Shepherd”.

To learn more about the evils of nationalism (as manifest in the violent assault on the Capitol instigated by President Trump to intimidate and disrupt the Congress as it finalized the presidential election) and the virtues of patriotism (as manifest in peaceful protests for Black Lives Matter), please read my 2019 blog “Nationalism is Patriotism Gone Astray”.