Today we will be looking at Luke 8:1-15 where the question is asked. What is the condition of my heart? It is good for us to be in the audience when God’s Word is being spoken. However, even more important than being able to hear the Word of God is to be ready to receive it. Our heart is even more important than our ears. If a person is deaf then we can work around that obstacle to help them know God’s Word. But we are in trouble when our hearts do not want to hear what God is saying.
Have you ever wondered why churches often worship in song before hearing the Word? Music has a way of clearing our mind of everything but what is being sung about. It is a way of preparing our heart to be in the right condition to receive God’s Word. This is the issue in the parable we will see today. Let’s look at these verses.
When Jesus first began ministering, he was by himself. But, he quickly drew together 12 disciples who would go with him wherever he went. It was at this point that our text tells us Jesus purposefully set out to visit each city and village in Israel. Whether in the synagogue or outside the city on its hills, Jesus went throughout all of Israel to share the good news that God’s Kingdom was at hand. Jesus did heal people and cast out evil spirits. But, his main objective was to call people to join the Kingdom of God that had arrived. God had promised to send to Israel His Anointed King who would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed.
Luke points out that this group of disciples was more than just the Twelve. There were some women who also followed Jesus and three of them are mentioned by name. Mary Magdalene is the most famous person on the list due to the great amount of speculation about her. Jesus had cast out 7 evil spirits from Mary. Apparently she was a woman of means because it is mentioned that she and the other two ladies supported Jesus and the Twelve from their finances. Thus these three women are apparently significant donors. Now let me just point out that the money is not used to build Jesus a big house or a fancy, beautiful horse, or simply living like a king. Jesus and the Twelve were able to travel throughout all the cities of Israel without working a job because of the thankful giving of people like these three women. This money would be used to help feed and shelter them all. We are told that Judas, who was the treasurer, was dipping into the money. However, he did so at the expense of his own soul. To misappropriate finances that are donated to the Lord’s work is to bring judgment upon your own head. It is at this point that Luke introduces this parable.
The parable is sometimes called the Parable of the Sower, but it is really about the soils more. Thus this Parable of the Soils is about a sower who is casting seed. It falls on 4 different types of soil. In the end it will only be fruitful in the good soil.
We are not told where exactly Jesus is. However, it is likely that he taught this parable many times throughout Israel. So it is less important where he is. When Jesus would tell a parable it was not obvious to the disciples and those listening what he was talking about. Thus we have the disciples asking for better understanding. Notice that Jesus tells them that it had been given to them to understand the parables; given to them by God. Those who had left all to follow Jesus and who fully believed that he was the Anointed One would be the ones who were given understanding. However, those who stayed a part of the crowd and did not truly believe would not understand. They are not truly learners of Jesus. They may hear him, but their hearts are not in the right place. Jesus even quotes from Isaiah 6 a passage in which God is asking for someone to go speak to Israel for Him. Of course, Isaiah responds, “Here am I, send me.” What was the message? God was going to pour out judgment upon Israel, yet He would keep a remnant. The Word of God is sent to help the remnant to remain faithful and enter into God’s blessing. Yet at the same time it is sent to be a testimony against those who do not believe. The fact that they don’t understand it testifies that their heart is not in the right place. These are spiritual matters that are explained when Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice.” He doesn’t mean literally, but rather spiritually.
Jesus ends the parable with the phrase, “He who has ears to hear let him hear.” The book of Revelation has a similar statement in chapters 2 and 3 that are also given by Jesus. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Notice in those chapters there are those who are to hear the message and be saved. But there are also some who will hear it and continue on to judgment. These were supposed to all be Christians. It is good to be a part of God’s Church physically. However, if your heart is not right, it still won’t do you any good.
The Spirit of God is always trying to teach us and open our understanding to what God is doing. But I can be deaf and blind to it, not because I lack intelligence or the physical capabilities, but simply because I am not hungry for what God is trying to give me.
Jesus first explains that the seed being sown is the Word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 says that we have been born again, “not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God, which abides forever.” A seed contains the information to make something. The thing made is directly related to the seed. Thus God’s Word is the information and understanding to become a matured son of God. Just as a seed is powerful and has life in it, so God’s Word is living and active. It is the power of transforming a person. Do I receive God’s Word like that? Now, it is very common to critique speakers; and rightly so. However, Jesus turns the tables on his hearers. In critiquing speakers we fail to critique ourselves as hearers. No matter how imperfect were those who spoke God’s Word to you, you will not have a valid excuse when you stand before God. No matter how perfect the speaker, if your heart isn’t in the right place, you won’t receive what they have to say and most likely you will use all manner of excuses why you didn’t listen to them. God’s Word is a seed. The power is in the information rather than in the person giving it.
Jesus then explains that that the different types of soil are representative of the hearts of men. It is not just about ear and brain, but also heart condition. I can look fine on the outside, but inside I may not be as good of soil as I need to be. Now the truth is not that 25% of us are good soil, but that our heart can be any one of these soils and probably has been all of them at sometime in our life. But what am I right now? Let’s look at these heart conditions.
The Soil by the Road- This soil by the road has two problems. One is that people keep trampling it so that it cannot grow and then the birds eat it. Thus our two enemies in life are our negative interactions with people and the devil himself. The actions of people can stomp out our ability to keep holding on to God’s Word. It sounds nice until somebody stomps on your heart and then it is impractical. The spiritual side is that the devil and his spirits are working to get that seed out of your life. He may not remove it completely from your brain, but he can remove it from your heart. He can even get you to so insulate your heart that it will never access the Word of God in faith ever again. Such seed never grows because it is never given opportunity or time to grow.
Rocky Soil- This is not just about rocks on the surface. Many places have a thin layer of dirt but is mainly rocks and boulders underneath. Thus Jesus says these hearts have enough dirt to cause quick growth but the ground cannot hold enough moisture to keep it growing. The hot sun and lack of water will eventually kill the little growth. It cannot grow enough roots to keep itself alive. These are people who are not completely hard hearted. But yet, they are not soft enough and the Word of God will never grow to maturity. Instead it will die and never produce fruit.
The Thorny Soil- Here the problem is not depth of soil. But there are other things growing in the soil. To our thinking, God’s Word should be the strongest of all plants and choke out everything else. But that is not how it is. Jesus warns that the cares of this life can choke out what God cares about. These cares are literally distractions whether trivial (entertainments) or serious (my job, finances, feeding the family). My life purpose can be so fixated on the things of the flesh that spiritual concerns are choked out. I never have any time for them. Or, they aren’t as fun to do. Either way, there may be some growth, but the cares of this world keep God’s Word from bringing forth fruit in our life. We never become what God wants for us to become and do what He has for us to do.
The Good Soil- Though it doesn’t need much explanation, by definition the good soil doesn’t have the problems of the other three. We have fenced off the field so people don’t travel through it anymore. We have removed the rocks and increased the soil depth. We have taken the time to weed out those things that keep the good seed from growing. Thus good soil is such because of the purposeful work of the owner of that soil. What am I doing to prepare my heart to be good soil for the Word of God? There are many pitfalls in this. Notice that we often protect ourselves from people by walling ourselves off from them. But the truth is we need to guard the Word of God in our heart, not our hurt and anger against them. We need to actively resist the work of the enemy to steal God’s Word out of our heart. Thus the good soil is the heart that is honest (about my own failings) and good (wanting to have God’s Word grow to maturity). We remove the thorn bushes by actively letting go of the cares of this world and making God’s work the main pursuit of my life. It is not easy to go from being all about what I want to do and experience in this life, to being about asking God, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”
Jesus said, “The ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the Word with an honest and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” Notice that he points out 3 things. The condition of the heart is that it is honest and good. But then we must “keep it.” Keeping the Word is to literally “hold it down.” How tightly do you hold to the Word of God? The enemy wants to knock it out of your heart. He does so in many schemes that involve other people, bad circumstances, and difficulty of life. But, through it all we have to hold tightly to God’s Word. Lastly, Jesus uses the word “patiently.” We have to let God’s Word do its work over the long period of our life. The human crop takes longer to grow than the plants of this world. But if we trust God’s Word and hold it firmly, it will accomplish that for which it was sent. So what soil are you today? Take time to seriously work through these things. Our lives depend upon it.