Once again Jesus draws from agriculture to teach kingdom truth, Luke 8:4-15. The picture is that of a farmer sowing seed in his field apparently the old fashioned way scattering it by hand. The seed is the word of God so it is very good seed of which God says it “shall not return to Me void…” Isaiah 55:11; so the harvest or lack thereof is dependent on the soil. First there is the soil by the path where it has been trodden down and hardened so the seed cannot sprout, and the birds devour it; so when the word is given no attention and no response the devil comes and takes that seed away! Then there is the soil under-laid with rocks; here the seed sprouts but cannot be established and so withers and dies. How many there are that “hear” the gospel and quickly respond in the emotion of the moment yet hold on to the old ways in their heart and lifestyle, then when tested they “fall away”. Now the third kind of soil is that laden with thorns or we might say weeds and when these grow up around the seedling they choke it out and it perishes. Likewise some receive the seed of the word with joy beginning well but it becomes “chocked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” In Luke 21:34 Jesus warned against becoming “weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life.” Finally there is the good soil that produced a bountiful harvest. I believe we need to do our part to prepare the soil of our heart to receive the seed and produce a harvest. In Exodus 19:15 Israel was to be “be ready” for the appearance of the Lord on Mount Sinai delivering the Ten Commandments. Jeremiah 4:3 says “…Break up your fallow (untilled) ground, and do not sow among thorns…” Set your heart toward God allowing His word to take root and produce a bountiful harvest of “the fruit of the Spirit”, Galatians 5:22-23, and bring others to Jesus and into the kingdom, see John 1:45-46; 4:28-30.
Prepare the soil
By Rose Hill
We must make sure our soil is good,
By living our life the way we should.
Learning God’s word it’s truth to know,
By it much fruit is sure to grow.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission.