INSANITY (Mathew 13:19)

Matthew 13:19 says, "When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands (it) not, then comes the wicked (one), and catches away that which was sown in his heart..."

TITLES

Three different words are used to describe the devil, in the three different accounts of the parable of the seed and the soils. [ The Wicked One (Matt.13:19); Satan (Mk. 4:15); and the Devil (Lk. 8:12) ].

THE WICKED ONE

This first reference to Satan, as the Wicked One, or more properly, the Evil One, is derived from very interesting origins.

Originally, this word referred to "toil" or "labor", or the constant labor of work. There is not an  inference that working at a job, or something constructive is "evil", but the derivative of the word speaks more to a certain type of work, or more specifically a certain condition of those laboring. 

SLAVE LABOR

The word expressed a division in society between those who found themselves in the favored position of title and wealth, through heritage or birth, and those who occupied the most undesirable status of slave laborers. Those who were slaves, were assigned to basically the same tasks, day after day, but had absolutely no hope, that their efforts would produce any change to their status or position in life.

This condition, of constant labor, with no change of status; position; lifestyle; or wealth, was the word rendered "evil".

SICKNESS AND DISEASE

Due to the fact that this type of work, was often very  demanding, producing physical pain and suffering, the word also developed as a general term for sickness and disease. In fact, there are parchments of "medical prescriptions" where this word is translated as "sickness" or "disease".

One other usage that is significant, is that because  this word came to mean everything that is "evil", or harmful, to a person or people, this word also was applied, to  those individuals who were an enemy, or destructive to the state; country; society; etc.

PERSONIFICATION OF SATAN

In the NT, this word came to be the very personification of Satan himself, having it's root or origin in him.

SUMMARY

1) Satan is definitely the enemy of Christian existence, being at war with God and all those who seek to follow Him. 

2) Sickness and disease is termed as "evil", the source and origin of which is Satan himself. In fact, to imply or infer, in any way, that sickness or disease is somehow connected to God, our Father, is to say that He is the origin, and therefore, the personification, of what the scriptures call "evil".

3) Perhaps the most profound revelation, concerning this word, is that  constant, painful labor at anything, that is not producing positive, measurable increase, and change in status; position; lifestyle; wealth; etc., is what the scriptures, and therefore God, calls  "evil".

APPLICATION

This has far reaching applications to every area of our lives:

What are the implications for those of us, who labor at a job that is not producing the measurable positive change of increase for our families?

What about church bodies, that year after year see no significant growth in maturing members or new converts? 

What about relationships that are not bearing positive discernable fruit, that is mutually beneficial to all?

SUCCESS

Jobs are not evil; the church is definitely not evil; and relationships are not evil; but anything that originates from God, is marked by success and increase. He calls  "evil", what is not marked by His success, and therefore originating from the "Evil One". 

On a related note, Einstein is attributed to having said, that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

We need to change, to involve ourselves with those things that are marked by God's success, not what He calls "evil".

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours.