Luke 8:1-15
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After some pressure from his family a man finally went to see a doctor about his poor hearing. After a lengthy examination, the doctor identifies the problem and prescribes the solution. A month later he had a follow-up visit to recheck the man’s hearing. The doctor announced, “You're hearing is perfect. Your family must be delighted.” To which the man replied, “Oh, I haven't told them yet, I just sit around the house listening to them. So far I’ve changed my will three times.”
Three old men, hard of hearing, were waiting at a bus stop one winter’s day. Freezing, the first man says, “Brrrr, it’s windy!” The second one responds “It’s not Wednesday, it’s Thursday.” And the third man says “I’m thirsty too, let’s go grab something to drink.”
I remember a joke my fifth grade teach Mr. Harmon told my class. It’s one of the oldest jokes I remember.
Two men were having dinner when the older asked the younger, “Would you like some more beans?” “No,” the young man replied, “I’ve had sufficient.” “You went fishing? How about some more beans?” “No thank you, I’ve had enough.” “You say it was rough? How about some more beans?” “I’ve had plenty.” “You caught twenty? How about some more beans?”
I think you have noticed the common thread in those jokes, hard hearing. If you haven’t already done so, turn to Luke 8. In our passage Jesus is going to tell a parable. When he finishes he will call on those who are following him to hear him. When Jesus instructs his followers to hear him he means that we should seek to understand so that we might also obey.
Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. (Luke 8:8b, NLT)
It’s possible for us to listen without hearing, to hear without understanding, or even to understand and refuse to obey. We must do all three: hear, understand, and obey.
Before we get to the parable though, Luke gives us an interesting side note about some women who also traveled with Jesus.
1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. (Luke 8:1-3)
Three women are mentioned by name. The first is Mary Magdalene. While this Mary is mentioned several times in the gospels, more than many of the disciples, we really don’t know much about her. This reference from Luke says more about her than anyone else. Magdalene tells us that she was from the town of Magdala. It also tells us that she had cured of an evil spirit. That story is not found in any of the gospels. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that tradition says she was a prostitute but there is nothing in the gospels to support that idea. For some reason, she is often equated with the sinful woman in Luke 7. However, that woman was from Capernaum and this Mary was from Magdala which was located more than six miles south of Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee. Mary is mentioned among the women who were at the crucifixion and who went to the tomb the Sunday Jesus rose from the dead. She is the first person mentioned as having seen Jesus after his resurrection.
Next, Luke mentions Joanna. Joanna’s husband Chuza was the steward of Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. That her husband is mentioned by name would tell us that he was fairly well known. Joanna is also mentioned among the women who saw Jesus after his resurrection.
Third, we read about Susanna. This is the only time she is mentioned in the scriptures.
And last, Luke says there were many others – not just others but many others who are not identified by name – who also traveled with Jesus and his apostles. In some way, whether great or small, these women helped to support Jesus’ ministry. I think it would be safe to assume there were men who contributed but only these women are said to have done so. Jesus and the apostles had to eat. That money didn’t just miraculously appear as the coin did in the fish’s mouth to pay the temple tax for Jesus and Peter. Nor do we read about Jesus taking a meal for one person and turning it into a meal for all his disciples every time they ate. The expenses Jesus had were paid for by money given to him by people like these women.
Now we come to the parable
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Luke 8:4-8)
This is one of the few parables that finds its way into the first three gospels. All three mention a large crowd but Matthew and Mark also say that the crowd had become so large that Jesus got into a boat in order to gain some distance between himself and the crowd.
We’re familiar with this parable. We’ve heard it many times before. I’ve preached on it several times. In the following verses Jesus will give an explanation for the parable. What we need to pay attention to in this telling of it is the last phrase:
Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. (Luke 8:8b)
Those who hear are the one’s paying attention. They receive Jesus’ teaching because they understand its importance. Think about those who received the teachings of John the Baptist and those who didn’t. We talked about this a couple of weeks ago. In chapter 7 Luke wrote:
29 All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. (Luke 7:29-30)
Those that received John’s message and were baptized by him were the same ones who welcomed the teachings of Jesus. But the ones who ignored John’s message also ignored Jesus. They had ears, they just weren’t listening.
The disciples didn’t understand what it meant so they asked Jesus to explain it. Aren’t we glad they did? However, before he gives the explanation, Jesus tells why he told so many parables.
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ ” (Luke 8:9-10)
For those not really interested in learning anything from Jesus the parable was just a story though it may have been interesting and held their attention. But for those who wanted to learn from Jesus, his parables taught them truths about God’s kingdom. To them, the parables of Jesus contain the secrets or mysteries of the kingdom. Remember, when the New Testament talks about mysteries it is not referring to something that is unknown but something that was unknown but has now been revealed. There were truths about the kingdom that were unknown to the prophets of the Old Testament that Jesus is now revealing. But the only ones who are receiving it are the ones paying attention. Everyone has ears but not everyone was listening.
Let’s get to the explanation Jesus gives for the soils.
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:11-15)
Jesus explains that the seed is God’s word. It is God’s word that had been shared and people have received it in four distinct ways which are illustrated by the path, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil. The seed then is not the focus but the soils or the way the seed is received. In the parable, Jesus described four kinds of soils which represent four kinds of hearers. While we may be able to identify with one particular kind of soil we are have probably been all four of them at one time or another depending of the teaching.
The first type of hearer is represented the path. Matthew adds that Jesus said the path represents those who hear the word but don’t understand it.
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. (Matthew 13:19)
Because they don’t understand God’s word they won’t accept it and take it into their lives. Eventually, the devil comes and takes the word from them.
Do you know anyone like that? In order for them to accept God’s word or the gospel they think they have to understand everything about it. If they can’t wrap their brains around it, it must not be true. That doesn’t work with anything else so why do they think it should work with God? How many understand the way an aspirin helps relieve pain? But we take aspirins without think about it. Can you explain how a combustion engine makes your care go? But we drive around town and fill up our gas tanks and never think twice about it. There’s so much in life we don’t understand and that even the brightest minds in science don’t understand. God is even greater so why do people think they should be able to know and understand everything there is about him? God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying:
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
We should not expect to understand God. If we could, we’d be greater than God. There are truths taught in the Bible we will never understand in this life. I cannot explain the trinity to you. There are more than a dozen verses in which we find all three persons of the Godhead mentioned. Here are just two.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)
How can God be three and one at the same time? I don’t know. I can’t understand or explain it. All I can do is trust what the Bible says. I accept it as true not because I understand it but simply because the Bible teaches it. However, there are some who will not accept the gospel because they can’t wrap their heads around everything in it. What do you mean God became a man? How could Jesus die for our sins? Why is there evil in the world? If we are only going to believe what we can understand we are in deep trouble. There are some things we must simply accept on faith. The first type of hearers will only accept what they can understand. The first type of hearer is represented the rocky soil.
The second type of hearer is represented the rocky soil. Unlike the seed sown on the path, the seed sown on the rocky soil began to grow. It was received and produced a plant with roots and leaves. When the heat of summer comes and there’s not as much rain deep roots are needed to continue to provide moisture for the plant. However, the rocky soil prevents the roots from growing deep so the plant withers in the sun before it is able to produce any fruit.
I understand that. There are a couple of places in my yard where the dirt is less than two inches deep. Below it is nothing but a solid rock. I’ve tried to dig it up but it’s too big. In the spring the grass is green and you wouldn’t know the dirt is so shallow. But as the summer wears on the grass in those spots starts turning brown because it can’t get enough water.
People who are like this rocky soil are those who have not only heard the gospel but had reacted to it. They believed it and received it but Jesus says the rocks which represent difficulties in life prevent them from growing deep roots. Because they can’t understand life’s hardships they allow them to come between them and God.
There are some who reject God because God doesn’t do what he wants them to do. If God doesn’t bless me, if God doesn’t make my life easy, then I’ll just turn my back on him.
If there’s anyone who should have turned his back on God it was Job. Job did everything right. Even God admitted that.
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8)
Yet God still allowed Job to suffer tremendous trials. I don’t understand that. I’ve read the Book of Job. I’ve studied it. In my Doctor of Ministry I took a class on Job. I still don’t understand and God tells us a whole lot more than he told Job about the reason for his suffering. But Job never turned his back on God. He questioned and complained but he always trusted. As a result he is held up to us as an example to follow.
As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)
The rocky soil represents those who will only continue to follow God when things go well for them and when things are easy. They weren’t easy for Jesus, why would we expect them to be easy for us? We are continually warned throughout the New Testament that difficulties may come.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas were finishing up their first missionary journey. They had traveled as far from home as they were going to go and prepared to return him.
21 They preached the gospel in that city [Derbe] and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. SLIDE 20 “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. (Acts 14:21-22)
One preacher commented that this is probably not a verse you’ve got hanging on your refrigerator. Who wants this verse hanging on their walls? We’d rather hear things like, “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” However, the truth is we will all face difficulties. We can’t allow our circumstances to dictate our faith. We cannot allow our circumstances to come between us and God.
The third type of hearer is represented the thorny soil. Like with the rocky soil the seed sown among the thorns is received and a plant soon begins to grow. It also has roots and leaves and like the plant that grows among the rocks it does not live long enough to produce fruit.
Have you ever seen a plant get choked out by weeds? That’s why you try to get all the weeds out of a garden. They tend to grow faster and taller than the plants you want. Why does it work like that? Why can’t the plants you want choke out the weeds? Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the weeds. But reality is the weeds tend to takeover.
I remember my mother wanting to plant some morning glories. I highly discouraged her from planting the seeds where she did but she didn’t follow my advice. A year later she regretted it. They were taking over and choking out some plants she wanted but by then the morning glories were firmly established and she had difficulty getting rid of them.
Jesus said that there are people who are like that thorny or weedy soil. It’s not that God’s word doesn’t grow in them but that there are other things growing too. As a result, the word of God is not allowed to mature and produce fruit.
Jesus defines those other things as the cares of the world: life’s worries, riches and pleasures. If we pay more attention to the things of this world they will drown out the voice of God and his truth. Jesus warned:
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
You can’t listen to and obey both God and the riches of this world. At some point a decision will have to be made between the two and it will become clear which one matters more. Those who listen to the world will eventually turn their backs on God and ignore the things of God. The truth is we have all been there at one time or another. We’ve allowed the business and concerns of our day to crowd out our response to God. I know I’ve allowed my schedule to become more important than my Bible reading and prayer. If you were to ask me which was more important – God or my activities for the day – I would tell you time spent with God. But if you could look back on my life you would see way too many times when I chose those activities over God. We can’t have both. Only one can be more important. If we are going to allow the word of God to grow in us and produce fruit in our lives we must choose it first. God will not make us choose him. He allows us to make the decision and then he allows us to live with the consequences of that decision. It is a constant struggle to pull those weeds from our lives that would choke out our relationship with God.
The fourth and final type of hearer is represented the good soil. This is something else I can’t understand. I can’t understand how a small seen can produce a large plant that then produces hundreds if not thousands of more seeds. You plant only a cup of seeds and harvest bushels of fruit. That is what good soil will do. Soil that has the right moisture, nutrients, and sun can produce thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown. Jesus says this soil is like the hearer who receives God’s word and allows it to grow in their life.
You may have noticed that Jesus said this soil represents those with “a noble and good heart.” I don’t know about you but I’m not sure I would use those words to describe myself. If good soil requires a noble and good heart and that’s not me, how can I ever produce the fruit God desires? That’s the point, we can’t but God can. A good and noble heart is one that recognizes its weakness and confesses them to God.
Do you know the difference between soil and us? We have a choice as to what soil we will be. The path didn’t choose to be a path any more than the rocky soil chose be rocky or the thorny ground chose to be thorny or the good soil chose to be good. But we can choose. We can choose to accept God’s word even when we don’t understand it. We can choose to remain faithful even when we don’t understand the trials we are going through. We can choose to not allow the distractions of the day to become more important to us than our time with God. And we can choose to allow God to work in us to produce fruit for his glory. The one who hears God’s word and patiently clings to it will produce a large harvest.
Does anyone have an ear? I’m guessing you have two. Jesus says to those with ears to listen, to receive, and to put into practice this message.
