By Gerald Gates
Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude who came to him from every city, as we read in Luke 8:4-8 (NKJV): “‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.’ When He said these things He cried, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” Notice how the Lord, Jesus, calls on the people to listen to understand His teaching. Later He explained the parable to his disciples, who had asked Him what it meant, (verse 9) that they might clearly understand.
Jesus told them Luke 8:11-15 (NKJV): “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”
As we are focusing on the theme from Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV), “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”, let each of us consider how we respond to His teaching from the word of God, the Bible.
Do I hear what God’s word tells me? Am I seeking to understand what He wants me to know? Am I giving my heart to know and do what is right in the eyes of my God? Do I patiently do what God has instructed me, like good ground producing fruit, with a heart rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith, abounding in thanksgiving?
Does my heart waver depending on what others around me say and do, or by the cares, riches, and pleasures of life? If so, then I need an anchor for my soul so that I will not be tossed back and forth in distress (Hebrews 6:19).
Do I have a proud, unyielding heart that holds fast to its own ways and feelings? “I know better than you, who are you to tell me what is right?” (Heb 3:12).
Do I have a humble and contrite heart, knowing that I am only one person of the many whom God has created for His glory? And that He has spoken to us in these last days by His Son, Christ Jesus, who died for us that our sins may be forgiven? (Hebrews 1:2-3). If so, do I look to God and His word for what I can do to walk in His favor and glorify Him?
Jesus said, “He who has ears… let him hear! Let each of us make the effort to hear His words and to understand what God is instructing us to know and to live by, bearing fruit with patience.
May every one of us have an honest and good heart that will allow God to move us by His word, rooted in mercy and truth, built up and established in the faith of God and of His Son who died for our sins, Christ Jesus. Remember that God loves every one of us, He delivered His word to us that we may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). And may we always remember to love one another as our Lord Jesus loves us, He who died on the cross to make the sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.