The Parable of the Sower – Part 4

"Growing Seeds Cannot Be Hidden for Long"

Here’s the summary of the thoughts that impacted me from the first 3 parts of this series on the Parable of the Sower:

1. The Parable of the Sower is NOT about evangelism.
2. The Seed is the Word of God.
3. The Sower is God, NOT us.
4. There are 4 types of soil: The Path, The Rocky, The Thorny
   & The Good.
5. The “Hearing” Verses Make 3 Passages One Story (vs 8, 18, 21)

Last time, I promised to discuss verses 16 through 21 (though due to length we're only looking at verses 16-18 today) and how they impact our lives. Remember that we have at least 3 “hearing” verses in this section of Luke 8 that tie passages that I historically viewed as separate passages.

Reading verses 16-21 in context with the Parable of the Sower changed my perspective on this passage tremendously.

First, I always looked at verses 16-18 from a negative view. Maybe you have always done that as well. Here’s a reminder of that passage:
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16}"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. ¹⁸Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
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Just as I was always reading the Parable of the Sower as a parable describing evangelism (see Part One), when I read this section of Scripture - I always felt guilty for not letting my lamp shine a little brighter – I should have witnessed more – I should not have been hiding my light in a jar or under my bed. Maybe I should have been handing out more tracts, wearing more Christian T-shirts, inviting people to church.

Second, the passage about “hidden” things being disclosed always worried me because of hypocrisy in my own life. If I had “concealed” sin (oh, and I did!), it will be brought out into the open – at some point, at some place! What a scary passage! So, now I wasn’t witnessing enough AND my hidden sins would be revealed – ugh, why don’t we just forget reading the Bible and go play a video game or something?!

But, what if your perspective is changed?

What if you read verses 16-18 in light of the Parable of the Sower?

I started to see the possibility that Jesus could just be using the picture of a lamp (vs 16) to further illustrate how the seed will come to life and produce a crop.

Can you see it?

Just like everyone can see a lamp that is shining, everyone can see a crop when it grows – just look out in a field of corn or wheat. It is easy to see that there’s a crop growing and anyone around it can see it. It's like a lamp on a stand. It is not something that we do; it is just something that happens naturally to us when we allow the seed of the word of God to grow in our lives.

AND, what happens to seed – it is hidden away in the ground when planted; it is concealed (vs 17). Could it be that Jesus is simply saying that the seed is buried for time, but that it will always come out of the ground and be seen by everyone?

This is not a negative view, but rather a positive view - your light will shine when the seed of the Word of God is growing in your heart. This radically changed the meaning of this passage for me!

So, maybe this passage isn’t about having concealed sin, but rather it could be about the natural processes that cause a seed to grow into a plant that bears fruit. AND, even the seed in the rocky and thorny ground could be seen because some growth happened. Those seeds grew for a time and could be seen, but they just didn't produce fruit.

Then, verse 18 warns us to be careful how we listen because who ever HAS will be given more, but he that does not have – even what he THINKS he has will be taken from him.

Thinking again in light of the parable of the Sower, if we have seed that grows and matures - then we will be given more when the crop multiplies itself and gives us its fruit.

This is a natural process that we are all aware of – If you plant apple seed, you’ll get a young sapling, then a small tree maturing into a fruit-bearing tree that will produce apples with a bunch of seeds.

Here’s a challenge: Think of the one “who thinks he has” with the perspective of the parable of the Sower - even what he has is taken from him. It takes on a different light. It sounds a lot like the rocky and weedy soils to me! They are seeds that grew into a plants (that we can see like a lamp on a stand) and we anticipate maturity and fruit, but it never comes – it is taken away as the plants struggle to live and then finally die due to lack of roots or weeds.

Verse 18 tells us to be careful how we listen. So, how do we do that?

Well, I submit that we continue to read this passage in context, remember? So, read the next few verses in light of the Parable of the Sower and this passage. We’ll discuss what impacted me in Part 5 of our series coming on Thursday, January 14.

Thoughts that impacted me:

6. A seed growing into a plant is like a lamp on a stand - it can be clearly seen by everyone!
7. The seed may be concealed for a time, but it will be brought out into the open as it grows!
8. We are to be careful how we listen - for it determines the destiny of our seed!