What Kind Of Soil Are You?
Series: Parables - Small Stories, Big Truths
Brad Bailey – July 25, 2021
Intro
Today we are continuing our summer focus on the Parables of Jesus. As we’ve noted, parables are short stories or illustrations drawing upon what is familiar to capture great spiritual truth. And Jesus used parables to explain how the kingdom of God was now coming into the world.
The idea of a kingdom can sound a little foreign to some of us.
If you had the opportunity to study history even a little... you may recall how most of the world was ruled by different empires at different times.
If you had lived in nearly any part of the world... that little space belonged to some region...and that region may have been under one empire...one kingdom...for an extended time. But if defeated at its central hub...then the whole region came under the rule of another.
And it helps us understand that a kingdom was less about a defined national border...and more about who reigned and ruled...and the extent and extending of that rule.
A new king may now be ruling over the land... but that rule would still be working itself out...as to bringing its influence to bear.
It is into this backdrop of Kingdoms...that Jesus comes declaring and demonstrating that the Kingdom of God was now at hand.
And this raises some interesting questions.
Did it mean that everyone was subject to the new king? Well... it meant the new king was ruling over all...but each individual would ultimately choose whether they honor the king and actually embrace their kingdom.
If such a change in who ruled took place... was it bad news or good news? Well... it could be bad news of the previous reign had treated the people well and the new king was a tyrant. But it could be good news if the previous king had exploited the people ...and a new king brought justice and mercy. That is the type of good news that Jesus brought...on a cosmic scale.
And how quickly did a kingdom bring change? Well... if the conditions were bad... never quick enough. If one is under constant oppression and threat... they begin to hope for some instant change in regime that will somehow reach their local experience immediately.
Now the people of Israel had known days of flourishing under earthly Kings...most notably King David. Now they were under the reign of Caesar... and the Roman empire. So the people had developed a hope that God would send a conquering king to simply defeat Roman rule and give the nation of Israel some freedom. They could only imagine a warrior king bringing some swift force and political change.
With this in mind, let's read from the eighth chapter of Luke.
Luke 8:1-3?After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
In these words that lead towards the parable… we see Jesus is on the move… “travelling from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” He is breaking powers of evil.
And this breaking the powers of evil includes that of the social structures that divide people. We see this in who is with him.
His twelve core disciples are with him… they are not those who this world would give public authority to...but Jesus has made them those who will learn and lead in this new kingdom.
And who else? Women...including one “who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.” [1a] This defied the way the world understood power. This inclusion of women is offensive. Adult co-education was not the order of the day in Jesus’ time. Having these women following Jesus around with men…reflected a freedom to women never allowed. [1b]
But Jesus treated them with a dignity...And what is perhaps even more striking is that Jesus doesn’t care what others think. He is treating them with respect… at the expense of his own reputation.
I hope every woman in this room…listening online… can take a moment and take that in. > Jesus… as the very representation of God’s very nature… will defy all the social powers of this world…to love you like you should be loved. No wonder these women were following Jesus.
Luke continues…
Luke 8:4-8
4 While 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. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still 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."
What’s at hand? Well…there’s a large crowd gathering… people coming from every nearby town. His core team must have thought… “Look at how everyone is responding.”
And it’s in such a moment of fans arriving that Jesus is prompted to help them understand. Why? Well... what seems clear is that Jesus knows that they assume that the crowds represent commitment.
It’s at this point that Jesus wants to help them understand. He wants to help us understand... that the initial interest of the crowd... does not represent what will always lead to commitment.
I believe that Jesus is sharing this parable out of care for his disciples. It’s vital that they have the right expectation. [1c]
A sustainable and satisfying commitment is rooted in one thing more than any other. And that one thing is expectations.
Our experience is defined by our expectations. A sustainable and satisfying commitment is rooted in understanding what to expect.
How many times have people seen a commitment to something come to an end.... and said something to the effect of “I thought it would be different.”
In some cases they may even wish that someone had told them what to expect... had prepared them for what was going to actually happen.
I think Jesus is helping them in that very way.
This is a let’s define the expectations talk.
Perhaps it’s my own age speaking…. But it seems timely… for Jesus was now 30 years of age….and believed to have likely been older than his disciples. They were well beyond their youth...especially in their cultural time...but they may still have been idealistic as we often are when younger... they may have been so swooped up by the notoriety of being with Jesus and all the attention that was going in... that they needed to have their hearts re-calibrated well for what they would face.
Jesus had been looking into the nature of human hearts. I don’t believe that in his earthly incarnate ministry he was able to know everything. I don’t believe that he could simply predict every decision. Sometimes the Father showed him. But here I believe that he is describing the general uncertainty of what will unfold. He knows something that they need to understand.
There is a difference between the crowd and the committed.
There is a difference between fans and followers.
The disciples need to understand why. And Jesus is glad to explain it.
As Jesus completed the parable in verse eight he called out to the crowd,
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Such hearing means listening with spiritual receptivity. Jesus is revealing that the condition of one’s heart determines whether there is any receptivity to the truth or not.
The Kingdom of God comes by hearing....so take heed how you hear.
The kingdom of God comes through hearing the Word. Therefore, be careful how you hear.
This is worth stopping and really taking in.
Earthly kingdoms come through coercion and force. Look, when Alexander the Great brought his kingdom to a town, it was forced upon all. That was it.
The kingdom of God comes to those who must enter....which means they must choose to respond.... so consider how you hear.
It is like seed. And what is the force of seed? Nothing in it’s initial physical force... but if received and given space... it has unlimited potential force to increase.
In the same way, earthly kingdoms can create outward allegiance...but the kingdom of God brings a larger and lasting reality... eternal reality.
This is what can be confusing to all of us who have seen only a word of earthly kingdoms.
We can become confused when we see the Word go forth...perhaps great beginnings...and then we can’t see what is happening... it’s slow... it’s stunted.
We may be confused when we hear God and assume we will be growing overnight ...and we find that we struggle to give ourselves fully to Christ. Many who may initially believe may find you are not growing and unhappy and confused in your Christian faith...and confused because you think the kingdom of God ought to operate the way the kingdoms of earth do. [1d]
Luke 8:9-10
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He 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.'
What is Jesus saying here? We may naturally wonder if he is saying he is simply excluding some…and doing so arbitrarily. It may sound as if he is using parables like riddles to hide the truth.
But if we look at what he is actually doing when he uses parables... it’s clear that they aren’t actually using any special hidden codes or even some form of riddles. Parables are not mental riddles…they are simple stories or analogies which most often reveal the different postures. The parables are not complicated… but they often reflect the heart issues of those who can’t identify with their own problem. The parable explains a problem…that they can’t see it.
> As such, Jesus confounds the problem perspective…to reveal the heart.
As David who spoke last week explained so well... the nature of the parables is that one has to choose to how they respond. They are not simply facts one can agree with... they are often that which depicts the different postures of the human heart. They are not hard to understand in what they describe... the choices they describe...but a person will need an open heart to allow them to speak into their own posture. As Jesus described... though some will see and hear... they won’t really hear the God is beckoning unless they have ears to hear... which means ... hearts to hear... hearts that are receptive.
And Jesus makes it so clear that God’s heart is not being exclusive.
It’s important to see how the farmer sows.
Does he describe that which places the seed carefully only in the best soil?
No … he describes very clearly... as the farmer “scattered” seeds ...they simply fell on different places.
It didn’t say that he was meticulously planting the seeds in designated ‘good soil’ areas – it says he was scattering the seed on all types of ground.
And as for the different categories he described and now will explain… it’s important to God sows freely.
So why will a difference be seen or experienced? It’s about the nature of the soil... the disposition of the one who receives.
Now he goes on to explain the challenges of hearing God…challenges we do well to face within ourselves.
Luke 8:11-15
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those 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. 13 Those 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. 14 The 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. 15 But 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.
Jesus begins by explaining that, “The seed is the word of God.”
> The seed is a powerful picture of the word of God; within each seed there is an infinite potential for life.
When he says the seed is referring to the word of God... he is certainly including the Scriptures...the Bible...but not simply the written words of a book...but the whole call of God to speak to the human heart...to call lives to join the Kingdom.
As we read in the Biblical book of Hebrews...
Hebrews 4:12 (GNT)?The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.
The word of God never lacks power in itself. In this parable... Jesus is telling us that the seed is the same in each case... the difference is in the soil.
In this story four different responses are given, along with four different causes and having four distinct results.
“Heart” refers to our inner disposition…and it effects our hearing.
The simple but significant truth is that we are not simply rational beings… and what we believe is not simply a rational process.
It includes a rational process…but it also includes our heart…our desires…and will…what we CHOOSE to believe.
Two people can have the same facts before them and respond differently.... because of their disposition.
Something exists that effects the ability to receive.
That’s why a doctor may say, I can propose a treatment for a particular condition... but you will have to lose weight or change your diet... there is a pre-existing condition that is inherently going to affect anything else.
Such news may be hard to hear... but healthy.
Therefore consider carefully the disposition of your own heart... and what he describes are four conditions... each of which can speak to what is inside of us.
The purpose is not to simply define people in some categorical way... in which they are bound.
No such conditions are beyond change. This is not a matter of some unchanging condition at all…Jesus is always calling out the heart to change… Every condition he speaks to is one which his own disciples were vulnerable to…and those who were initially his adversaries could change.
So let's consider these conditions.
Conditions of the Heart
The Hard Unreceptive Heart (Vv. 5, 12)
The first soil is descriptive of a hard and unreceptive heart, verse five,
As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.”
Jesus explain this part of the parable by saying in verse twelve,
Those 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.
Notice with me the characteristic of this ground. The ground was unbroken and hard. Because it landed on the pathways and road between the fields the soil never really received the seed at all. The seed just bounced off the hard surface and lay on top of it, just trampled on…and easily carried away by the bird.
The heart that becomes callous…hard… can become unable to receive anything.
Simply unresponsive.
It may come from a deep spiritual pride that declares itself independent ...and refuses to acknowledge its own condition. [2]
Such a condition may feel outwardly tough and independent… when in fact it is just being trampled on and plucked from.
The Shallow Superficial Heart (vv. 6, 13)
In verse six Jesus says,
Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
In His explanation in verse thirteen Jesus tells the disciples,
Those 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.
The stony ground is not just ground with rocks in it, but rather it describes ground that is only a few inches thick with bedrock underneath. So when the seed is sown it quickly germinates but is unable to put down any real roots. When the sun comes out it rapidly scorches the plant which came up quickly, but because it is without roots it cannot get the water it needs to survive.
The shallow superficial heart will be initially receptive to the good news which God speaks… in fact…the with real notable joy…but it is only being engaged on a shallow level.
Such a condition of the heart is vulnerable to having emotions stirred more than a real commitment.
Such a condition of the heart is vulnerable to following Jesus only so far as it makes things easier for them, make things happier and more prosperous.
Most people don’t want to be thought of as shallow… or superficial. But in truth we have created a culture that trains us to live as merely impulsive creatures… to merely seek what satisfies the immediate.
And in that sense…we are all vulnerable to never engaging our true nature.
When God speaks to us…he is speaking as the very source of our life and existence…offers the substance and satisfaction that serves our true nature.
The body may enjoy the taste of sugar…but it will only be ultimately satisfied by the substance of real food.
The shallow and superficial heart is vulnerable to circumstances. And maybe some of us can feel that.
Culture seems hostile to what we have found in the grace of God.
Maybe we thought we’d always feel victorious… but we find we are weak in areas… we are having to face aspects that are not easy.
Jesus’ disciples would all face this…when they realized that Christ would suffer… Jesus explained that anyone who wanted to follow should count the cost…like a builder who sets out to build something great. [3]
So we do well to consider…is the soil of our hearts shallow and superficial?
And then Jesus speaks of…
The Entangled Heart (vv. 7, 14)
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
Later Jesus explained in verse fourteen,
The 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.
This type of ground has a more hidden challenge. The seeds can land…and may even form root that allow it to initially grow.
But something else is there. There are weeds within the soil …and they are freely growing alongside…and in time…will choke out the plant.
This is the divided heart… it is bound by other attachments.
The thorns, Jesus explained represented “life’s worries, riches and pleasures.” These three things that destroy what God is planting in our lives.
The reference to worries may seem odd. After all … we don’t think of worries…or anxiety as something someone wants to have. But it can refer to that which is being given control of us… something else we have made our source f security and significance... something else that we believe in making us happy more than God.
• It’s like an individual claiming they want to claim the new king as their king... but they have an unseen alliance and allegiance with another king.
• It’s like the guy who expresses his desire to become committed to a girl... but she raises the unspoken fact that he already has a another girlfriend.
It’s that “Oh... her?” moment.
Some of us may be all too aware that we have something we worry about that reflects an attachment…we haven’t given up… that competes with life with God.
Some of us may realize that we are living with divided hearts… trying to have the best of two loves…but never flourishing. The joy of hearing God is also a threat to something else we have allowed to grow.
We do well to ask ourselves: What are the weeds that are choking the spiritual growth is us?
But there is another soil…for Jesus goes on….
The Receptive and Fruitful Heart (vv. 8, 15)
Finally the Lord outlines in verse eight, the receptive and productive heart,
Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. (v. 8)
Jesus goes on to explain in verse fifteen,
“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. (v. 15)
The word and work of God is received... it is taken into the ground of one; s being...and given the space to grow. It is free to grow and expand... with increasing influence... transforming influence.
And what grows is exponential. The tiny seed can grow a hundred fold.
This is the potential in all of us. That is why Jesus would then say…
Luke 8:18 (NIV) ?Therefore consider carefully how you listen.
Consider how you listen. What the condition of your heart soil is.
And hear what Jesus is saying… you can work that soil.
Left to itself… it simply will be shaped…by outside influences playing on its most basic nature… good and bad…but when it connects to a better way…it can develop.
We can shape our souls in response to our higher nature.
God spoke through the prophet Hosea saying…
Hosea 10:12 (TLB) ?"Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will reap a crop of my love; plow the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower salvation upon you. [4]
What is God sowing? His love. To those who receive… the Spirit of God will sow the life of belonging to that love. The eyes of the only one in the universe who matters most… loves you….and has come to save you. So plow the ground and receive His Word.
How? Give it space. Let it take hold of your heart. [5]
Returning to the language of the kingdom....Jesus is bringing good news... great news... to all who have been ruled by the powers of this world... a world which now faces its end... the true king has returned to restore the true and good that reigns in eternity.
And the question is how will we receive that news.
Some of us may recognize that our hearts have been hard... ruled by pride... and self-protection. This may be a time to embrace the humility to receive the king...and his ruling power.
Some of us may recognize that our hearts have been shallow... ruled by fleeting pleasures that control us but never satisfy. This may be a time to embrace the depth of love that exists in God’s reign.
Some of us may recognize that our hearts have been entangled.., ruled by false sources of ultimate security. This may be a time to embrace the true king whose kingdom will last forever.
This past week a dear woman among us passed onwards.
Clara Yang had found life... and she gave that life space... she knew what no kingdom in this world could satisfy... but she had become a citizen of another kingdom... where he life would live on.
She knew the one who ultimately ruled...and the work of God grew a hundred fold... changing her so many who knew her.
And she captures the power of planting the good seeds of righteousness, and reaping a crop of God’s love.
The kingdom is at hand... and Jesus is calling us to make room... with deep and undivided hearts... for it to take hold of us.
Let’s pray.
PRAY
Resources: John Hamby (“Are You Ready To Listen?”), Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III
(“Have You Heard the Word?”); Tim Keller
Notes:
1a. These women included one “who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.” (Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager” - so the Gospel has even gotten into the very courts of the wicked king Herod now — “and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”)
1b. It shouldn’t be surprising that these women would have had this response to Jesus. In Luke’s account, just previous to this, a religious leader seeks Jesus to come as a guest at a big social dinner…and in the middle of the event a women comes in…uninvited…unwanted… a prostitute whom all would have looked down upon…and she weeps on His feet and she anoints Him with perfume and ointment and dries His feet with her hair. And Jesus was judged as you may recall…with the thoughts: — “If He was really a prophet and knew what kind of a woman this is, He wouldn't let her touch Him.”
Do you see what Jesus is doing? This may well have been the first time ever, or at least the first time in years, that this woman had ever touched a man who respected her and loved her and cared for her and wasn't interested in using her for his own pleasure. He is treating this woman who is so despised and so spurned and so condescended to and so cast out from and so excluded from her community and her society, this woman who has come to faith in Him, He's treating her with dignity. It is no wonder that that woman did not care what anybody else in that room thought of her because she had finally been treated with dignity, with love, with genuine care and concern. She wasn't being used, she was being cared for.
1c. As Jesus’ ministry progressed, it was evident that each of these groups surfaced: (1) The hard hearted Pharisees and religious leaders refused to believe. (2) Some people rallied around Jesus because of His miracles of healing and feeding but the sallow-hearted refused to stay with His message (John 6:66). (3) The distracted-hearted, such as the rich ruler (Luke 18:18-30), were interested in Jesus but would not accept Him because of the strong pull of the materialistic world. (4) The good-hearted followed Him and were committed to His Word regardless of the difficulties (e.g., 8:1-3). [Walvoord, John; Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983, S. 225]
1d. Tim Keller notes that “ John the Baptist, who was in prison, and he sends a messenger out to Jesus, and he says, “Are you really the one? Are you really the Messiah? Are you really the one who is bringing the kingdom, or should we look for somebody else?” Now why was John the Baptist suddenly full of doubts? Was it a failure of nerve, being under threat of death in a prison? Was it failure of nerve? No way. No way! John the Baptist was a tremendously courageous person in temperament. It was a failure of theology.
He either didn’t understand (or he forgot) the kingdom of God does not move forward the way Alexander’s kingdom moves forward or any other kingdom. See, John the Baptist is sitting there saying, “If you’re the King and I’m the servant of the King, why do I hurt so much? Why am I in prison? Why am I about to have my head sliced off? Why are people abusing me? Why is so much evil going on? Why do so many people reject you?”
2. Zechariah 7:11-14 says, "But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. ‘When I called; they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.
3. Luke 14:27-29 (NIV)
And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him..”
4. Also…Jeremiah 4:3, “This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns” (NLT).
5. James 1:18, 21 (TLB) ?It was a happy day for God when he gave us our new lives through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family.
…So get rid of all that is wrong in your life, both inside and outside, and humbly be glad for the wonderful message we have received, for it is able to save our souls as it takes hold of our hearts.
