This past Sunday we looked at Luke 8:4-15 where Jesus told the parable of the sower (soils). We saw that all of life is how we respond (soil) to the gospel (Seed). By the grace of God, our hard soil (hearts) can be softened and tilled so that we can know God and bear fruit. It was profound to see that Jesus actually took thorns on his brow and was buried with rocks so that when we, as Christians who trust Jesus, stand before God, God won’t see our thorny, rocky heart he will see Jesus’ pure heart. That’s the great exchange. That is the gospel and it’s amazing!
Our calling as Christians is to continue to respond to the gospel every day and also to become a sower of the gospel seed every day. As the Palestinian farmer broadcast the seeds liberally over the land so we too are to broadcast the gospel liberally in word and deed. I pray that we would continue to become a people who understand how good God is to us by giving us grace and subsequently showering our neighbors, friends, family and co-workers with that grace.
4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotation information.
Tim Gaydos
Luke 8:4–15
Ballard Campus
June 06, 2010
Federal Way Campus
June 06, 2010
Lake City Campus
June 06, 2010
Downtown Seattle Campus
June 06, 2010
Shoreline Campus
June 06, 2010
