PREPARE THE SOIL Read Luke 8:9-15. Jesus continued on through the villages, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. People from town after town came to Him. When he saw the large crowd He told them a parable. Many were following Jesus. Out of those who would listen, Jesus described how the seed, His word, would fall on four different kinds of hearts: Some fell along the path. And some fell on the rock. And some fell among thorns. And some fell unto good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. Jesus then called out to all of them saying: He who has ears to hear let him hear. Only those with one type of heart could truly hear. Clearly there are those who dont listen at all. But of those who would listen, few would truly hear. J.C. Ryle comments, it is a parable of universal application. The things it relates to are continually going on in every congregation wherever the gospel is preached. The four kinds of hearts that it describes are to be found in every assembly that hears the word. These factors should make us read the parable very carefully. We should say to ourselves, as we read it, This concerns me. My heart is seen in this parable. I, too, am here. He who has ears to hear let him hear. Our heart is represented in one of these. Ask the Lord this week to help you see the condition of your heart. Praise God for bringing His word to you. Confess your need for His Spirit to reveal the true condition of your heart. Thank God for drawing you close to Him. Ask God to help your heart be humble and ready to receive His truth. Luke 8:11-15 NLT “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 12:03:42 +0000
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