Purpose of Luke 8:1-15: To help us rightly approach God’s Word so that we can bear a rich crop. We are not focusing on the four categories as much as seeking to understand our own responses towards God’s Word and have a heart described to rightly receive God’s Word even as the good soil received the seed.
C) An Explanation of the Kingdom of God (Luke 8:11-15)(Continued)
11 Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:9-15 nasb)
The Word of God is the seed (8:11)
The Word of God is likened to the seed, “The seed is the word of God.” The gospel, the key to understanding God’s Word, is used five times in the Book of Luke, but here it is expanded to the Word of God, those words that come from God to direct us to Himself and life. Perhaps it would help to differentiate God’s Word with what people are saying in the news or social media. What people say or could say becomes endless chatter, some of it is interesting, much we do not care about. Does it really matter? Jesus’ insights, however, can make a significant difference in our lives. The fact is that the seed is being distributed everywhere.
Today, for example, we are all receiving the seed, the Word of God. We have heard these words from Jesus. The words are seed. God is trying to communicate with us. Seeds are designed to grow and express themselves. If you read the scriptures this morning then it is the same, the Word of God, like seed, is being sown in your heart which offer much potential if combined with faith. This brings us to the second point.
The ground or soil is our hearts (8:12-15)
The ground or soil is likened to our hearts. The way our hearts respond to the Word is directly linked to the way the Word of God influences our lives. The condition of our hearts, or soil, is our response to God. It gauges our eagerness to respond to the Lord. Did you note that everyone received the same good seed but the effect greatly differed. The issue is not the seed, but our responses as described by the different grounds the seed fell. The parable is largely composed of these four different responses. The same seed was sown, but it did not sprout up as it should. The sower, of course, wanted all the seed to grow up but not all of it did. Jesus begins to speak very directly to our hearts here. With a mirror we can see our physical appearance, but spiritually we need the Word of God to help us see. There are four kinds of land or soil that the seed landed in:
#1 By the roadside (Lu 8:12). “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.
#2 On the rocky soil (8:13). “And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
#3 Among the thorns (8:14). “And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
#4 In the good soil (8:15). “And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
This ends Jesus’ explanation in verse 15. The heart and its response to the Word of God is like the way the seed is welcomed in different kinds of environments. Again, we all know what the farmer wants–he wants the seed to grow and multiply. None of us would doubt that or want anything different from that farmer. We should assume this is God’s hope for all of us, to be able to hear and respond to the Word of God. The goal is the same, “grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great” (8:8). Why do people want a big crop? It speaks of food, filled stomachs, sharing, prosperity and strengthening the foundation of a society. Spiritually, this is true too. What the Word of God brings us is life everlasting. The truth of God’s Word helps us in every aspect of life and becomes the foundation of a whole person.
Next => A sad illustration due to disregard of the Word of God - injustice and fatherlessness
Luke 8:1-3 Intro | 8:4-8 Insights | 8:4-8 Gardening | 8:9-10 | 8:9-15 Explanation | Fatherlessness | Good crop
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