LUKE 8:4-13 -
4
While a large crowd was gathering and
people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:
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“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.
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Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
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Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
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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.”
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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.’
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“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
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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 become
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, thus
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 thus by persevering it in their soul produce a crop.
The first type of person Jesus describes is
someone who doesn't understand God's Word (Mt. 13:19). Before God's Word
can penetrate your heart, but you must have to understand (not comprehend) what
it's saying. If the Word isn't understood, then it will be like seed
scattered on top of hard-packed ground (the wayside). The birds will eat
the seed and there will be no fruit.
Mark 4:15 and Luke 8:12, make it clear that these birds represent Satan, and Mark says the devil comes immediately to steal away the Word.
Satan did not have direct access to the Word in any of the other heart-types which Jesus described.
Satan cannot steal the Word from us if we will hide it in our hearts (Ps. 119:11).
11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
This first type of person simply heard the Word but didn't receive it.
He never applied it to his life, so he lost it. Easy come easy go....
Notice that Luke links belief and salvation with the Word being sown in our hearts in the same way as Romans 10:14-17. -
Luke's use of the word "saved" could include, but is not necessarily limited to, forgiveness of sins. Salvation includes much more than forgiveness of sins. This verse could describe a person who didn't receive the Word and, therefore, was eternally damned.
It could also be describing a Christian who simply doesn't receive the Word in a certain area of his life and therefore doesn't experience the victory that Jesus provided for him.
Are you experiencing His victory in your life?
Mark 4:15 and Luke 8:12, make it clear that these birds represent Satan, and Mark says the devil comes immediately to steal away the Word.
Satan did not have direct access to the Word in any of the other heart-types which Jesus described.
Satan cannot steal the Word from us if we will hide it in our hearts (Ps. 119:11).
11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
This first type of person simply heard the Word but didn't receive it.
He never applied it to his life, so he lost it. Easy come easy go....
Notice that Luke links belief and salvation with the Word being sown in our hearts in the same way as Romans 10:14-17. -
14 But
how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are
they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they
to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And
how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
17So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
*** If there is no Word, there
cannot be any belief or salvation (I Pet. 1:23).
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again
As they were of God, according to his abundant mercy, by the resurrection of Christ, to a lively hope of a glorious inheritance; as in ( 1 Peter 1:3 ) and therefore seeing they were brethren in a spiritual relation, they ought to love as brethren; being children of the same Father, belonging to the same family and household, having the same spirit, and the same nature and disposition, and being members one of another, and heirs of the same grace and glory; and not only so, but were taught of God their Father, in regeneration, to love one another: it became them highly, therefore, to exercise that grace, and particularly since they were born,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.
the Spirit of God, which is seed pure and incorruptible, having no mixture or taint of sin, nor any degree of pollution in it, and which remains so; nor can it be corrupted by all the wickedness there is in man's heart; nor by all the pollutions of the world, or temptations of Satan; and this seed is conveyed into the heart by the Spirit of God, in regeneration, and it contains all grace in it; by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever; but of water, and of the Spirit, of the grace of
for the incorruptible seed, and the ever living and abiding word, are two distinct things; though interpreters generally confound them: and by "the word of God" is either meant the essential Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; who is concerned in regeneration as well as the Father and the Spirit; by whose resurrection, and in consequence of it, the elect of God are begotten again.
Who, as the Word, is able to build up all the sanctified ones, and give them the inheritance they are born heirs unto: or the Gospel, the word of truth, which is made use of as a means of begetting souls again; and the rather, since it seems to be so interpreted.
The phrases, "which liveth and abideth forever", may be either read in connection only with "God", and as descriptive of him, who is the living God, is from everlasting to everlasting, in distinction from idols; and here added, to show that he can give power and efficacy to his word, to regenerate and quicken, and will continue to preserve and make it useful to all his saving purposes!
As they were of God, according to his abundant mercy, by the resurrection of Christ, to a lively hope of a glorious inheritance; as in ( 1 Peter 1:3 ) and therefore seeing they were brethren in a spiritual relation, they ought to love as brethren; being children of the same Father, belonging to the same family and household, having the same spirit, and the same nature and disposition, and being members one of another, and heirs of the same grace and glory; and not only so, but were taught of God their Father, in regeneration, to love one another: it became them highly, therefore, to exercise that grace, and particularly since they were born,
not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.
the Spirit of God, which is seed pure and incorruptible, having no mixture or taint of sin, nor any degree of pollution in it, and which remains so; nor can it be corrupted by all the wickedness there is in man's heart; nor by all the pollutions of the world, or temptations of Satan; and this seed is conveyed into the heart by the Spirit of God, in regeneration, and it contains all grace in it; by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever; but of water, and of the Spirit, of the grace of
for the incorruptible seed, and the ever living and abiding word, are two distinct things; though interpreters generally confound them: and by "the word of God" is either meant the essential Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; who is concerned in regeneration as well as the Father and the Spirit; by whose resurrection, and in consequence of it, the elect of God are begotten again.
Who, as the Word, is able to build up all the sanctified ones, and give them the inheritance they are born heirs unto: or the Gospel, the word of truth, which is made use of as a means of begetting souls again; and the rather, since it seems to be so interpreted.
The phrases, "which liveth and abideth forever", may be either read in connection only with "God", and as descriptive of him, who is the living God, is from everlasting to everlasting, in distinction from idols; and here added, to show that he can give power and efficacy to his word, to regenerate and quicken, and will continue to preserve and make it useful to all his saving purposes!
We must preach the Word
- not just morality or social issues.
Luke's use of the word "saved" could include, but is not necessarily limited to, forgiveness of sins. Salvation includes much more than forgiveness of sins. This verse could describe a person who didn't receive the Word and, therefore, was eternally damned.
It could also be describing a Christian who simply doesn't receive the Word in a certain area of his life and therefore doesn't experience the victory that Jesus provided for him.
Are you experiencing His victory in your life?
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