God, because we turn away from God, to our thorns, whatever they
are, whether they be riches, cares of this world, sensual pleasures,
our pride, our fear, ambition. There are hundreds of ways that a
man can turn away from Christ, even though he appears to be a
Christian.
are the same as thorns. The tares are growing up right by the
wheat, and except to a man who has extreme discretion and
knowledge, and of course, the God-man, Jesus Christ, such people
are sometimes indistinguishable to true Christians. They go to
church, they have families, they may give alms, and they do
everything externally just like everybody else, except they donÁ-?t
have any life within them. Where their treasure is, so their heart is,
and their treasure is not Christ, so Christ is not with them. Those
people who are amidst the thorns have not Christ, even though they
would call themselves Christians.
good ground. And it sprang up and bear fruit. St. Luke says a
hundred fold, and St. Matthew also recounts this story and shows
that the Lord gave other information. Some sprang up thirty, some
sixty, and some a hundred fold, because not all the Saints are the
same. Not everyone follows the word of God to the same degree,
or the same amount. I guess that is good news to me, because I
donÁ-?t at this moment think that I can become like the Saints. I
shouldnÁ-?t think this way, because God can change a man, if he
only gives himself to Him. However, if none of us lives with the
LOFTY righteousness of the Saints, God has a place for us in His
mansion, since there are many rooms, if we make an effort to live
according to His commandments.