4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8: 4-15 ESV
Luke 8: 4-15
And when a great crowd was gathering - People are being drawn to Him for the most part because of the miracles. It is a great way to intro this teaching of the parable of the sower and the seed. Many hearts are in the vicinity of Jesus, hearing Him speak, yet not all are understanding what they hear. He puts the gospel out there none the less; He preaches the kingdom regardless, much as He gives the mandate to us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
…10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. 12You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.… Isaiah 55: 10-12
A sower went out to sow his seed - In a similar parable in Matthew 13:37 the parable of the weeds, the sower is described as the one who sowed the good seed, the Son of Man. This parable in Luke looks more at the soils, like the Parable of the Sower in the first part of Matthew 13, and in verses 13: 19-21, we come to see that the seed is the message of the Kingdom, the gospel, the word which some receive and also the same word which some receive and later reject because of persecution on account of the Word. The sower in Luke is anyone who has believed the gospel, and this is their response, that they start to cast seed. Christ is still the original sower, for it is His message that Christians cast not knowing the exact outcome, but knowing that it will accomplish all it was intended to. There is a settling of much anxiety knowing this, that the seed does not change, that I must cast it and no other seed, that Jesus did the same, but not everyone who heard His preaching understood, or even listened, and most never penetrated the heart. I and everyone who would share the gospel is responsible for keeping it pure, not substituting it, not trying to create some new hybrid strain. Here is the relief, I am not responsible for the outcome, that is the work of the Holy Spirit.
…6Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!” 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, together they shout for joy. For every eye will see when the LORD returns to Zion.… Isaiah 52: 6-8
…7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!… Galatians 1: 7-9
…2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily.… 2 Corinthians 11: 2-4
Some fell along the path - A foot path is hard packed, resistant, as some who hear the word also are hardened against it, they will not and cannot receive the gospel. They hear it, but it is all surface, it never penetrates into the heart where it must be believed. The birds, the means of the devil, as we see in verse 12, take it away. They can see the sower casting from a far off, and this seed on the tampered surface stays quite visible, an easy meal, simple to take away. Note that the seed never changes throughout the parable, only the soils, and this is one type.
THOUGHT - Many (most?) of us were "hard soil" until God got our attention and plowed our heart with adversity or affliction (as was the case in my late conversion at age 39). God is the ultimate Husbandman and He knows how to cultivate the conditions of the soil of His elect in order that they receive the Word implanted which is able to save their soul! And not only that but in Jeremiah, God reminds us about the power of His Word asking "Is not My Word like fire? And like a hammer which breaks the rock?" (Jer 23:29). So dear sower who has been frustrated by failure of results in a dear friend or loved one whose "soil" seems so hard for so long, for God is able to break the soil of their heart and penetrate it with His Gospel which has His inherent power (dunamis) (Ro 1:16+). So keep praying for the soil of their soul and keep sowing the Gospel seed as God's Spirit gives you opportunity to do so. My father prayed for me literally for 20 years before God's adversity plowed deep furrows in my heart for His Gospel seed (My Testimony to God's Grace). And then I prayed 20 years for my youngest son who was ensnared in opioid addiction almost to the point of death and God's Gospel penetrated his hard heart and saved him from addiction and gave him a new life in Christ. As Paul writes in Galatians "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Gal 6:9-10+) So pray and sow, pray and sow, pray and sow! - Precept Austin
Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
…23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, 24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.… James 1: 23-25
And some fell on the rock - In verse 13 these are described to the disciples as the ones who hear the word and receive it with joy. It goes on to say that they fall away for lack of moisture and no root. These are often confused for the born again, because a plant starts to form, but quickly faints and withers under the heat of temptation. I have gone to dig up a poppy before and was amazed at how shallow the soil was where they grew. A larger plant, a fruit bearing plant, would never survive here, and the poppies themselves are only there for a season. They are short lived weeds with a pretty flower, and in their season they are able to grow up, put forth a flower, all on top of soil that is only millimeters deep, on top of a great boulder shelf. I was that little weed when I was young. I responded quickly to the gospel, believed that God was real and the story of Christ was true, but as I met the temptations of my adolescent years, and on through much of my adult life, I quickly turned away from the things of God, sold out for passing, trivial pursuits.
18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us. 20You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.… 1 John 2: 18-20
…24By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. 26He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.… Hebrews 11: 24-26
And some fell among thorns - We live in the world but we are not to be of the world, and I remind myself often that I work in Babylon. I am to love the people, but not embrace the spirit of the age to which they subscribe. These weeds of thought must not dominate our garden, and we must pray that the Lord, by the power of His spirit will work in us to remove them.
…9Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.… 1 Timothy 6: 9-11
1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.… Romans 12: 1-3
And their fruit does not mature - It is the lesson of the fig tree and the insurmountable argument against the "carnal" Christian. It is the idea of faith without works, and here the little plant has allowed for the nurture of all that would choke it out. The cares of this world, it's vanity, it's pride, riches, greed, this outweighed, in the heart of the plant among the thorns, that which can't even be measured.
15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.… Matthew 7: 15-17
And some fell in good soil - In this soil the plant thrived, and only in this soil. There were four soils, though the seed was the same and sower was the same. Listen, there is never a problem with the word of God, God never changes and so neither does His word. It is the gospel truth, and the true gospel remains intact. Even a drunken fool could receive a tract that meant nothing to him, not even open it to read the gospel message inside, but he throws it down in a toilet stall where a junky reads it while he's sweating and struggling to go. He reads the gospel, and he just asks a simple thing, "if this is true then help me, God help me to believe, change my heart, save me." God can use the hands and mouth of someone who doesn't really know Him, who doesn't truly honor or serve Him willingly, as He used Cyrus against Babylon, Babylon against a rebellious Judah. He used Balaam to prophesy good over Israel though Balaam would have sold them out for money in a second. The constant is the seed, and the thing that needs to change is the ground, it needs to be softened, prepared to receive the truth, watered and nurtured to produce fruit, weeded to prevent it from being anemic and choked out. And listen, like fertilizer, the gospel is not a one time thing. Even after we are born again, the depths of our root are founded in the gospel, studying the word of God, praying in the Spirit of God, fellowshipping with the saints, growing and producing more and more fruit.
…2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” 3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”… John 3: 2-4
…62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)… John 6: 62-64
…5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’… John 3: 5-7
…9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.… Psalm 51: 9-11
…25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’ 26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father— the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father— He will testify about Me. 27And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.… John 15: 25-27
…26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. 28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.… Ezekiel 36: 26-28
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