By Pastor Wayne Chu

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. Mark 4:7-8

I have many friends who love gardening and planting fruit trees. When we plant, we want to see them blossom and bear fruits. Jesus presents this picture to show us the life He gives us, it is joyful and meaningful, just like receiving fruits from our garden. However, that requires a lot of work. Now, Spring is here. It is time to clean up the weeds. Similarly, there are the worries of the earthly matters, such as our health, our job, our financial situation, and our relationships. These can take up all our minds and energy much like how a weed will take up the nutrients necessary for plants to flourish. Moreover, Jesus talks about worldly desires, indeed, we are very materialistic. We get tempted to spend money to “enjoy more” easily. Unfortunately, our desires make us keep chasing what seems to be “better” and in doing so we pursue a path where there is no end. As a result of this mindset, we cannot enjoy what we already have and are unable to find contentment in our everyday lives.

Jesus reminds us to focus on “Life in Him”. Living a life in Jesus is a worthy endeavor that allows us to pursue a happier and healthier life. If we turn our eyes to Him, our worries and desires will go away. We will be able to spend our time with others and enjoy their company. We will be able to see the needs of the others who are near us. We can offer love, care, and help to those we love. A meaningful, happy, and healthy life is the fruit Jesus wants us to bear.

Riverside Christian Alliance Church meets every Sunday at 10:30am for Worship. They are located at 9640 Jurupa Road, Jurupa Valley CA 92509. They can be reached at 951-360-0113. You can also visit them at https://www.riversidecma.org/