“The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”
Luke 8:5-15 NASB
Grace Perspective:
Seeds are tiny kernels that contain the life of a plant. A seed needs soil to sprout roots that grow downward so that it receives water and nutrients to develop enough to break through the surface of the dirt. The type of soil it falls into determines whether the roots will go deep enough to support the fruit the seed was designed to bear. In this passage of Scripture, the picture of a seed is used to describe the word of God, which has the power to bring life when planted in suitable soil.
The soil Jesus describes in Luke 8:5-15 is a picture of different hearts. This first soil represents a heart that Satan comes and snatches the seed from so that it has no chance of settling in to take root. The second soil depicts a shallow heart, so the seed has just enough dirt to sprout roots, but rocks lurking below the surface prevent the roots from getting water, so it quickly dies. The third soil portrays a heart filled with thorns, or the cares of life, that crowd out the good seed. The last heart soil Christ describes is good, so the seed grows deep roots that support healthy fruit. In this soil, the gracious seed of salvation can bring life that will bear fruit that will last forever.
A Touch of Grace:
What kind of soil is in your heart?
What kind of fruit are you producing?
Grace Application:
Spring is in the air, so it’s time to prepare the soil for planting new veggies and herbs. As I got ready to dig into the dirt, I started to think of the different types of soil Jesus describes in Scripture, which is a picture of our hearts. The Lord patiently unpacks the parable for His disciples so that they and we understand His meaning.
The four different soils represent hearts that hear the Word of God. Three types reject the seed; either right away or later, it withers and dies because the soil can’t support the seed’s life. The last soil is good so that it readily receives the seed and can produce good fruit. It is a picture of those who receive the gift of salvation because they believe the Word or those who reject it.
This parable has value to those in Christ as it helps us examine our heart soil condition. I recently asked the Lord to search my heart (Psalm 139:23) to see what type of soil was there. While I know that God has graciously planted the seed of salvation in my heart (see Ephesians 2:8-10), I realize that my heart soil isn’t always what it should be. Sometimes, I allow my heart to become hard through bitterness, resentment, and anger. God, in His mercy, breaks through the hard-packed soil by helping me realize that my sin prevents His word take root in my heart.
During other seasons, I don’t take time to nourish my heart’s soil with the Word, so it becomes brittle, and my faith weakens. During the drought, doubt and fear rule my thoughts instead of truth. Once I realize I’m parched because I don’t spend time in God’s word, I open the Bible to draw near to God. He graciously waters my soul with the truth.
There are seasons in my life where thorny chaos reigns, and busyness consumes my time and mind leaving me weak and weary. Fortunately, when I seek the Lord, He restores my strength and helps me turn away from the things that are choking the life out of me.
The last soil is one I want richly cultivated in my heart. I need the Lord to water the soil deeply with His truth so the seed is nourished. I want Him to remove all the rocks that prevent the water from penetrating deeply into my heart. I want Him to yank out by the roots any bitter thorns, weeds of selfishness, anything that will not produce fruit that bears His gracious seed. And you know what, my friend? He is patiently waiting for me and you to ask Him to prepare our hearts’ soil to bear good fruit that will last for all eternity. Are you ready for the gardening to begin?
Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to You in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, thankful for the Word You have planted in my heart. Prepare the soil of my heart Lord and remove anything that prevents it from bearing fruit that grows to maturity. Keep my heart free from the poison of bitterness that kills fruit. Holy Spirit, please continue to work in my heart so that the seed of truth grows deep roots that bring forth the gracious gifts of joy, love, and peace. Amen.
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**