"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run...

[yallerdawg]

there's still time to change the road you're on."

[MineralMan]

1. Ah, but there are far more than two available paths.

Regardless of the one you start out on, you'll find many, many forks in the road as you travel. In fact, sometimes the road you're on will split into multiple roads at the same place.

The farther you get from your normal place, the more options you'll encounter. It's far less simple than some binary choice of directions.

It's probably best to find a map, plan your route, and stick to your travel plans, I think.

[Mariana]

3. Sure there are.

But there is only one right path. All the rest are wrong, and they all lead to the same unpleasant destination, so there's no need to consider each of them individually.

[guillaumeb]

2. Sometimes seed is thrown on stony ground.

And that seed never sprouts.

[MineralMan]

4. That's the second time you're referred to that verse

from a parable. Smart people choose good places to sow their seeds, Guillaume. Only idiots try to plant seeds in rocky soil. The man in the parable was not a careful farmer. He did not take care with his sowing.

Matthew 13 is interesting, but only if read with open eyes and a brain that can understand it. The parable is actually about the man doing the sowing. He was not careful, but scattered the seeds with no concern as to where they fell. In doing so, he reduced the yield from his field.

And actually, the seed sown on rocky ground did sprout, but did not have enough soil to thrive, so it soon withered and died. Also, the rocky ground thing had nothing to do with the mustard seed. That was in another parable, which illustrates the point that even the smallest of seeds can produce a robust plant all out of proportion of the size of the seed. Jesus is reported to have said other things about mustard seeds. Perhaps you can find those, as well, for misinterpretation.

Wasting time by attempting to sow your seeds where they cannot thrive is not good farming. One needs to carefully survey the land to determine which areas will provide ideal conditions and yield a good return at harvest.

The second parable in that chapter touches on other issues about bad people sowing weeds in a farmer's field. You should read that one, too, along with what Jesus purportedly said elsewhere about stumbling blocks.

There are other parables in that chapter, as well. Each has its own story to tell. And each story is often misunderstood. So it goes, Guillaume. So it goes.

[yallerdawg]

5. I think gb got it right.

It's about the Word, and the heart.

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, of course it is. The seeds are clearly metaphors for

the message.

There's a lot of weeds out there, and seeds scattered randomly. It's good to recognize them when you see them.

Sometimes the weeds and withered plants show up in the strangest places, too. They grow heavily in some churches, actually.

[yallerdawg]

7. The parable is also about how...

we close our eyes, turn a deaf ear, fail to open our hearts to that seed.

Back to a big one: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

And what was said to Thomas? "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."


The whole idea is, it's never too late to open our hearts, to see and hear.

[guillaumeb]

10. Yet more evidence of your well known tolerance for different beliefs.

Amazing how a person can construct an elaborate self-image, and then tear down that same image when actually posting, is it not?

Now there is an apparent claim to being the definitive source of interpretation. Can a claim of infallibility be far behind?

[MineralMan]

12. I see I'm making inroads here. Good.

I claim nothing, Guy. I have opinions, and interpretations that are my own. You apparently have different opinions and interpretations. You're welcome to them. I'm not intolerant of them. I just disagree with them. Disagreement is not intolerance. It is simply disagreement.

I don't claim to be a definitive source of anything, except my own opinions. I didn't write Matthew. I'm quite familiar with it, though. As a 14 year old, I memorized the entire book for a contest. I could no longer recite it, verbatim, of course, but I'm still familiar with it.

And yes, I have interpretations of every chapter and groups of verses. You might not agree with my interpretations, but there are many interpretations. I'm sure you have your own. Good for you. We can both post ours here.

Happy Christmas to you. I'm still celebrating the Solstice. We added two minutes of daylight today where I am. Renewal is coming.

[guillaumeb]

15. 2 minutes of daylight means more time to walk outdoors.

8 miles yesterday, 4 with our son today.

Appropriate seasonal wishes to you as well.

[Voltaire2]

8. لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلله مُحَمَّدٌ

you chose the wrong path. But its not too late!

[yallerdawg]

9. It's never too late!

[MineralMan]

13. Yes, Allah willing...

we'll all survive all of this, Inshallah.

[guillaumeb]

11. Intolerant of differnt paths?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[MineralMan]

14. No, just accepting that there are different paths, Guy...

[guillaumeb]

16. I was actually asking Voltaire.

But yes, there are many valid paths.

[Voltaire2]

18. take it up with the op.

[guillaumeb]

19. Have you forgotten what you posted?

If so, here it is:

you chose the wrong path. But its not too late!

I am always happy to help.

[Voltaire2]

20. take it up with the op.

He obviously took the wrong path as that phrase claims to be the one true path and it ain't the path the op is on, or perhaps there are more than two paths, or perhaps all these alleged "true paths" are left over bullshit from a bygone era.

[yallerdawg]

21. The two divergent paths are not what you are parsing.

[Voltaire2]

17. wtf? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[guillaumeb]

22. I copyrighted hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Your version has more m's so it is allowable.

[edhopper]

23. Is it time to celebrate

The May Queen and all the fairie folk. The Piper's calling you to join him.