“Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:12)
Looking at this verse again this morning I noticed what seems like a contradiction. The Lord Jesus Christ talking to his disciples separately after telling the parable of the Sower to the crowd remarked that to them (disciples) has been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, then he went on making the statement we read in Matthew 13:12.
The seeming contradiction is in the second part of the verse: “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” I could not help asking the following question: How could someone who “does not have” have something that could be taken away from him. How is it possible to have and not have at the same time?
I decided to pray over the verse as I pondered it. I could not escape the twofold conclusion that (1) the verse is dealing with a significant principle pertaining to the kingdom of heaven and (2) it contains a warning. I hear the word reminding me that when it comes to the kingdom of heaven (heaven on earth) anyone claiming allegiance to it must know that he/she has something from God, a seed that contains a harvest. And, God’s will is to increase the harvest in abundance. Abundance is the result of God adding to the fruit of one’s labour, or planting the seed (investing the grace of God).
Obviously, anyone who has the seed, but chooses not to use it (plant, invest) will have no harvest. In other words, he will have nothing. He has the seed and in the same time he has nothing, or whilst having the seed, he has nothing (no harvest). The warning in such case is that the seed -that is, “even what he has”- will be taken away from him (spiritual bankruptcy).
The same principle is revealed in John 15:1, 2 (The Vine and the Branches): Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” See, every branch that is in the Vine (Jesus) has the potential to bear fruit, but unfortunately some do not bear fruit. Yet, bearing fruit is the very purpose of the branch being in the Vine. In other words, not bearing fruit defeat this very purpose, hence the gardener has no choice but to cut off the unfruitful branches….
Likewise, “whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” It is about being fruitful or productive by making use of God’s investment in us – word, gift(s), blessings or grace in many forms (seed).
Lord help us know/see what we have and stir our hearts to use it so that we can reap a harvest that the Father (God) will make abundant for his glory!
