A Study In Luke - Day 23

DAY 23 - Luke 8:4-15
 
4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
   When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Crowds seem to play an important role in the book of Luke. While the leaders of Israel may have rejected and crucified Jesus, the crowds loved him! And he did not disappoint. He continued to stir their interest with a parable. The meaning of the parable has tested the abilities of the best Bible students over the years. It is possible that we have tried too hard to find just one central meaning rather than letting the parable open a vast new understanding of the nature of God’s Kingdom and the ministry of Jesus.

The story itself is a simple lesson from everyday life. You don’t need to be an expert on Palestinian farming to understand it on its surface. All the seeds thrown out by hand do not hit the target, nor is every seed left alone to enjoy its home in the warm, sun-baked soil. Much of the seed never germinates. But the seed in good soil brings abundance.
 
The parable indicates that if we hear God’s Word, believe, and hold fast to it, we can be “good soil” in which the Word of God multiplies and bears fruit abundantly. So we should make sure that we are “Good Ground.”

Now, the disciples, listening as they might, simply didn’t understand. I mean, they were not farmers, but fishermen, so maybe they didn’t get the nuances of sowing seeds. But I think it is something more. They were the closest to Jesus, and still missed the point.
 
Sometimes, what we think will be easy to understand is difficult for us to catch. Even if we are close with Jesus. We have to allow time in our lives for Jesus to continually speak to us, to explain it to us, and to make sure that we are able to understand all that he is teaching us.

1. Have you heard this parable before? I am sure you have. Do you understand it? 
2. Why do you think it was so difficult for the disciples to understand? 
3. Have you ever been so close to something that you don’t have a great perspective on it? Maybe that is what was going on with the disciples.