Take care how you listen

Luke 8:4-18 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: ⁵ “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. ⁶ Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. ⁸ 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.”

⁹ His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. ¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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.

¹⁶ “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

Ecclesiastes 11:6 says:   Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.  Fortunately for us, as Jesus says in today’s text, in the parable of the sower, God Himself applies this same principle in working in our lives, to draw us to Himself. For many of us, our lives have been representative of several or all of those types of soil upon which the seed, the word of God fell. The first seed and soil combination is:  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.  God’s word and His presence are all around. Even for those who have never heard or read the Bible and the message of salvation through the cross of Christ are given an opportunity to experience God through creation. Romans 1:20 says:   For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.   God is faithful to reveal Himself, His love and His will and plan for each one of us. Those who do not see or listen, those who allow the devil to take the revelation of God from their heart are like the seed which falls by the road.   

The second soil and seed combination is:  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.    There are many people who live much of their lives in rocky soil. They may attend church, perhaps they watch inspirational shows. They hear and receive God’s word, His revelation with joy, but for some reason they have no firm root and fall away in various temptations. This seed in rocky soil is more than just the seed which represents the gospel of salvation. This seed is also every promise of God for our lives. Many who struggle with addiction, many who live in fear and doubt, live that way because the seed of God’s word and His promises for their lives never becomes firmly rooted. Our minds, our brains are amazing things. We actually change how we respond to things by the way we think about them. Our brains create neural pathways when we do things repeatedly. This causes us to respond to things in a habitual way. If we have responded in fear, doubt or in an addiction for much of our lives, the neural pathways we have created become like the rocky soil, not allowing the truth of God’s word and His promises for our lives to become rooted, take hold and grow in our lives. Romans 12:2 says:  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.    We need to renew our minds, hearing believing and doing what God says so that we create new pathways, that we respond not in the old familiar way but in the way God desires and intends. We ourselves need to work to turn the rocky soil in our lives to a place where God’s word grows deep.

The third combination is: 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.     This too could be representative of many of our lives. Even many who are believers, who have both heard and believed, they bring little or no fruit of God’s word to maturity. Indeed the word says: God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Our lives though are to be more than just something to get through until we experience eternal life with God. Jesus says:  “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) The abundant life we are to live and have is also a life which bears fruit in and for the kingdom of God. We are to live here and now not consumed by the things of this world, but seeking God’s kingdom for ourselves and others.  We are to be:   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.

Again as we go through the various seasons of our lives we will experience times when receiving the truth of God’s word and applying it to our circumstances is easier and other times when it is more difficult.  Jesus ends today’s text saying:  “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.  So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”     Take care how you listen. God is faithful. His word is spoken and available, morning and evening, day after day, He patiently sows the seed of His promises into our hearts and our lives. Wherever we are, whether by the road, in rocky soil, among the thorns of life or in a season of good abundant, fruitful living God is with us and His truth is for us.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit for Your truth, Your marvelous seed for our lives. All of Your seed is good, just as all of Your promises are yes and amen. May Your good seed grow abundantly in me today and always.  Amen.