The Parable of the Sower – Part 5

“What It Means To Listen”

Through 4 posts over the last week or so, I have had the following thoughts on the Parable of the Sower and the passages that follow it:

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)
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!

As we read about in Part 4, verse 18 of Luke 8 tells us to be careful how we listen. So, how do we do that?

Well, a good deal of my whole argument hinges on the fact that we should read this passage in context, remember?

So, let’s continue on and look at the next few verses in Luke 8:18-21.

^{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
18}Therefore 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."

¹⁹Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
²¹He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
^{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}

So, Jesus’ mother and brothers want to see him, but for some reason – instead of just letting them in or telling them to wait - Jesus simply says that his family is those that “hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

If we say that we’re in “God’s family” simply because we prayed a prayer at 5 because we wanted to avoid hell, we might want to rethink that. If we were raised in a Christian home going to church every Sunday and because of that, we think that we’re a Christian – we need to hear God’s Word on the subject.

As I started studying the New Testament, I would read the words of Jesus in the Gospel and see how I wasn’t acting like Him at all. My attitudes were all wrong to go along with actions that were selfish. Then, I would read what Paul and Peter say in the epistles and I would shake my head because my life did not line up with what they were saying the Christian life should look like. I was constantly coming up this mirror of the Word of God, and seeing where I failed.

I have been studying the word of God diligently the past few months (after years of struggling to do a “quiet time) and I have come to the conclusion over and over as I read the Bible that I need to repent. For too long I have had hidden sin (it’s never hidden from God by the way – only from men) and frankly my desire was not for God but rather for the things of this world. I didn’t always desire God, but I always desired to look like I desired Him. So, I would go to church and tried to look good (as good as I can!) but inside I knew that my heart was wicked and dark.

In fact, my repentance towards God has nearly been daily of late as God’s word (the seed) has challenged my long-held religious views about life and God. (I grew up in church, remember?) My perspective has changed in that I am no longer focused on what OTHERS do with the Word of God. In other words, I am no longer focused on what types of soil THEY are. Also, the struggle to study the Word of God dissipates as I think about it being a “seed” that will be planted in the soil of my heart – I want to plant that seed a lot and see it grow.

No, I am now focused on what I do with the Word of God. I am focused on what type of soil I am. I am focused on allowing the Sower to sow as much seed as He wants in my life. It is about how I put the Word of God into practice in my own life and has NOTHING to do with what other people and what they do. That is how I know if I am truly listening and hearing what God is saying to me in His Word – When I Obey It.

Does that makes sense? If not, come back for Part 6 on Monday, January 18th, as I try to flesh out these thoughts by going back to the Parable of the Sower.

Thoughts that Impacted Me Today:
9. Careful Listening = Obedience

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:
^{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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."
^{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}

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!

The Parable of the Sower – Part 3

“Introducing the ‘Hearing’ Verses”

During the first 2 parts of our series, I had 4 main thoughts that impacted my life:

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.

At the end of Part 2 my challenge to the reader was simple…continue reading. It is my argument that Luke wanted the reader to read Luke 8:1-21 as one passage and NOT 3 separate passages. I believe that because most of us consistently stop reading with the Parable of the Sower at verse 15 and we treat them as separate passages, we have a very shallow view of Christ’s meaning for us in this parable.

Here’s the next passages that I want you to read in context with Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower.
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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."

¹⁹Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
²¹He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And so you might be saying,
“Anthony, what does that have to do with a Sower and seed?
How are lamps, jars, beds, mothers and brothers related to the Parable of the Sower?”
Or maybe you’re just falling asleep reading me ramble on and on and…?
Or maybe you know right where I’m heading with this!

If you are struggling to see a connection between these passages, fear not – as I never saw a connection before either. No pastor or teacher had ever mentioned a connection to me (at least not sufficiently for me to remember it!).

But Jesus’ words in verse 8 hung in the air around me as I read on past the parable of the sower –

“he who has ears to hear, let him hear”.

How does that fit into what he’s saying there? Why does Jesus say that to us at that part of the parable? Don’t people with ears generally hear?

But, then, as I read verse 18,

“Therefore, consider carefully how you listen”

a bell began to go off in my head.

AND, AGAIN, in verse 21, the alarm sounded,

“My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word…”

Hmmm…All these passages deal with hearing – how we listen, how we hear.

So, I began to consider how I was hearing these passages as I read them. Was there more to them than what I initially saw as I read them? And I began to read the Parable of the Sower in context with the passages around it.

Thoughts that impacted me:

5. The “Hearing” Verses Make 3 Passages One Story (vs 8, 18, 21)

In Part 4, we’ll review the passage from verse 16 through verse 21 to see what we learn about hearing and listening. Look for Part 4 to be posted on Monday, January 11.

The Parable of the Sower – Part 2

“There Are All Types of Soil Out There”

Last time, we introduced the parable of the Sower and had these 3 impactful thoughts:

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.

Feel free to go back to Part 1 and read the text again or have your Bible open to Luke 8 as we continue.

Let’s switch gears… Where does this seed land?

Again, it’s like déjà vu. I have heard this part before (I’m surprised there’s not a little song from children’s church describing all the soils!) I’m not going to stray too far from Jesus’ original explanation of the parable that we read in Part 1, but I want to be sure that we have a preliminary understanding of the 4 types of soils as it will be very important to our discussion later.
Ok, here we go!

Soil #1 – THE PATH – Some of the seed that God was tossing out landed on a path where Satan quickly steals the seed away right when they hear the word of God. From Jesus’ explanation, Satan is like the birds of the air that prevent this soil from allowing the seed to be planted in their hearts. The people represented by this soil don’t believe the Word of God and are therefore not saved. They miss it because Satan was able to steal away the seed like a bird before the seed gets planted.

Soil #2 – ROCKY SOIL – Next, some of God’s seed fell on soil that is filled with rocks. What is this rocky soil? Jesus tells us in verse 13 – it is a place where the word of God cannot grow healthy roots in a person’s heart. The seed is not allowed to grow deep and when a time of testing comes, the seed withers away and dies.

Soil #3 – THORNY SOIL – The third place Christ talks about is soil that is full of thorny weeds. What are the thorns that are ruining this heart’s soil? According to Jesus, they are life's worries, riches and pleasures. The seed begins to grow and even has some roots, but life gets in the way. The seed grows for a while but never matures and never bears any fruit.

Soil #4 – GOOD SOIL – This last bit of dirt is where we all WANT to be. Jesus talks about how some seed landed in good soil. What is this good soil? What is it made up of? Based on Jesus’ explanation, it stands for those with a noble and good heart. It stands for those who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Thoughts that impacted me:

4. There are 4 types of soil: The Path, The Rocky, The Thorny & The Good.

We will return to discuss each of these types of soil in detail, but my challenge to you in the meantime is to keep reading. We have introduced the parable of the sower, but now read verse 4 through verse 21 as one passage and not 3 separate stories. We’ll deal with how the next two passages impacts this parable and our lives next time.

Look for Part 3 of the Parable of the Sower on Friday, January 8th.

The Parable of the Sower – Part 1

“The Parable of the Sower has NOTHING
to do with Evangelism”
“Therefore consider carefully how you listen…” Luke 8:18a

This series of posts are my thoughts after studying the Gospel of Luke in August and have continued to guide me as I study the rest of the Scriptures. So challenge them, criticize them, and ask questions about them! I would love to hear if what was revealed to me in this passage resonates with you as well or if you think that I am completely off my rocker!

I was really challenged recently by the parable of the Sower from Luke 8. I would encourage you read Luke 8:1-21 as one passage disregarding the headings and breaks in your Bible.

Growing up in a family that went to church every Sunday, I always thought of the Parable of the Sower just in terms of salvation. We as Christians were to be tossing out the seed (witnessing on street corners and with our friends). Then, maybe one fourth of the people that heard the gospel would actually become followers of Christ because they were good soil. I’m pretty sure that it was always explained to me generally the same way by pastors and teachers with not too much variety in the teaching – it was about the salvation of the lost and some people are good soil, but really most people aren’t.

But as I studied the Gospel of Luke, this parable hit me like a ton of bricks – it didn’t really seem to be at all that much about salvation and it seemed that the stories following the parable really amplified the point of the parable to a deafening roar in my heart as I applied it to my own life.

So, let’s get started. Here’s the parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Luke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 8 (starting in verse 4)

⁴While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵"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 of the air ate it up. ⁶Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸Still 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, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t you wish that Jesus would just sometimes explain himself? He’s always talking in these parables with hidden meanings and we’re always left to wonder what he’s meaning!

Oh, wait – in this one he actually explains it for us… I’ll just shut up now and let Jesus continue his story as requested by the disciples…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
⁹His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰He 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.'

¹¹"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹²Those 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 be saved. ¹³Those on the rock 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. ¹⁴The 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, and they do not mature. ¹⁵But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So Jesus explains himself here – he talks in parables so that some of those listening wouldn’t truly understand what he was speaking about but Jesus said that he had revealed the secrets of the kingdom of God to the disciples (and to us since we get to watch from our present day thanks to the writing of Luke!).

Today, we’ll just start where Jesus starts his explanation – the seed. And what does the Parable of the Sower teach us about the seed? Luke 8:11 – The seed is the word of God. So we see that the seed is the word of God being tossed out on different types of soil.

Now, this part I recognize because it sounds very much like the teachings I heard in Sunday School and from the pulpit – We, as good Christians, are to throw out the seed of the word of God on the soils of people’s hearts – right?

Wait…who’s throwing out seed?

Using Jesus’ explanation in Luke 8:11-15, God is the farmer that sowing the seed. This passage and this parable doesn’t talk about the Christian tossing out seed but rather God himself tossing it out.

In fact, according to this parable, it seems that we have little to do with the sowing of this seed of the word of God. It is God’s job according to Jesus. Well, that sure seems different than a Christian standing on a street corner witnessing to the lost about the gospel…According to Luke 8, it is God that is out there sowing, not us.

Thoughts that impacted me:

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.

Agree? Disagree? Did I miss an important part of the text? There is a lot more posts coming in the new few weeks... Please leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to respond to your thoughts and questions.

A lot more on the parable of the Sower is coming in the next few posts. Look for Part 2 coming on Wednesday, January 6.

What’s Up With The Name?

For about the last 6 months, the Parable of the Sower has been a consistent theme in my life. I’ve thought about it, wrote about it, talked about it and now I’m blogging about it.

I started to email my thoughts on the Parable of the Sower to about 100 of my prayer supporters a few months back but the email grew to about 7 pages long. But I shelved that idea because it was the wrong forum to share my thoughts on this parable of Jesus.

As I have shared my thoughts with others concerning this parable, they have generally given me positive feedback on my thoughts concerning this parable’s implications for our lives. I have not yet had the opportunity to expose these ideas to the masses with all the criticism that come with doing that.

However, as a seeker of the Truth, I want my thoughts to be challenged and criticized as I seek to have my perceptions of Christ purified. I am so often near-sighted and blinded to my own faults in reasoning and I need to hear from others to ensure that my logic works. So please leave comments with feedback (whether good or bad) so that we can work together to apply the truth of Scripture to our lives.

So, this blog will be my forum to share what I hear God speaking to my heart through my study of the Bible. No, I don’t have a theology degree – I’m a certified public accountant working at a small firm. And, I won’t be referencing commentaries on passages of Scripture to see what others have said about a certain Scripture - It will be my raw thoughts and perceptions written online for the world to see. I hope to be challenged and refined through this process – and I hope to be entertaining and challenging to the reader.

So, what’s up with the name? Seed Musing.

Well, the seed is the Word of God as you’ll see in our first series of posts concerning the Parable of the Sower.

Musing is thinking or meditating on something.

Seed Musing is where my thoughts on the Word of God are placed to be refined and challenged. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

We’ll start where this all started. The Parable of the Sower as found in Luke 8. This first series of posts will begin on January 4, 2010.