Welcome back to week 2 in our Parables of Jesus series. I compile these notes and present these lessons by drawing from a number of commentaries and videos, along with John MacArthur’s excellent book, Parables—The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed Through the Stories Jesus Told. I add my own insights and take-aways but rely heavily on the work of others.

Before we get to this week’s parable, let’s examine why, toward the end of his second year of ministry, Jesus switched from straightforward sermons (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount) to teaching in parables. The change followed Jesus’ encounter with the hostile Pharisees over legalism and observing the Sabbath (See Matthew 12 and Luke 14).

Imagine a schoolteacher with a classroom rule that students are to remain quiet and listen while the teacher is talking. A good rule, right? The Pharisees would add to that. Students must sit up straight in their chairs, with their hands on their laps. There must be no sneezing, coughing, or moving one’s chair in order to see the board better. There must be silence! The Pharisees took a good rule and made it burdensome. Additionally, they added that to be a good, faithful person, you must follow ALL of those rules—even though they did not! By establishing their own pet system of rulemaking and keeping, they had missed the whole point of the Law.

Jesus’ change in style—a shift to parables—was a judgement against Israel’s religious elite. Their hardened hearts kept them from finding Jesus. Only someone truly seeking Jesus would find Him and that included making a good faith effort to understand the parables.

In Luke 8, Jesus is out in a boat on the water and a crowd gathers along the shore. Starting in verse 5, He says, “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. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 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.’”

Although the story would have resonated in the agricultural society of His day, the scene may be less familiar to us. In those days, farmers sowed seed in long, narrow, rectangular fields surrounded by footpaths. A farmer would use the broadcast method to throw the seed, a handful at a time, over a wide swath. A skilled sower could cover the entire plowed field with no unseeded margins. However, using this method, it was nearly impossible to keep all the seed within the boundaries.

With that context, consider the four types of soil that the farmer’s seed could land on:

Roadside Soil (verse 5) – “Some fell by the wayside” or “along the path”Refers to the well-beaten footpaths that separated the fieldsUnplowed; in that arid climate, hard as concrete; “hard-baked earth”Seed couldn’t penetrate the soil; it was trampled on or eaten by birds

2. Rock (verse 6) – “on the rock”

Not a rocky slab on the surfaceNot even rocky soil (as some translations have it); no self-respecting farmer would leave stones in his farmland; he removed those during/after plowingRather, a rock bed, typically limestone, under the surface, perhaps 12”-15” deep, covered by a shallow layer of good soilInvisible to the farmer during plowing; plowshare only went 8”-10” deepEspecially in a dry climate, the soil was not deep enough to sustain moistureThe seed goes in, germinates, starts out looking lush, then withers away; roots can’t get passed the rock layerMight initially look healthy and full of potential, but can’t sustain life in the sunlightThis soil is frustrating to farmers; high potential; might grow more rapidly than the rest of the crop at first, as there is no room for roots to grow; really leafy—not a good sign

3. Weed-infested soil (verse 7) – “among the thorns”

Full of useless, wild vegetation—thorns, nettles, thistlesThese weeds take over the field and choke out everything else; grow faster (key aspect of the Genesis 3:17-19 curse)Seed in this soil will not mature to a healthy harvestPlow it up and more will grow, even from the mutilated remnants of old rootsFreshly plowed, weed-infested soil has a deceptively promising appearance; on the surface, it looks rich, well-cultivated, and ready for seedBut underneath there’s a tragic reality: leftover roots and seeds are still alive under the soil, ready to spring forth with worthless foliageWeeds will suck up the soil’s moisture and nutrients, block the sunlight from the crops, and choke the life out of everything growing in the field that is beneficial

4. Fertile soil (verse 8) – “good soil”

Seed flourishes in this plowed fieldRoots go deep; birds can’t eat it; feet can’t trampleClean, weedless soil; plenty of room; “prepared”It yields an abundant crop—See Matthew 13:8, Mark 4:8, and Luke 8:8—30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold
o 100-fold = extraordinary blessing from God (Genesis 26:12-God blesses Isaac with 100-fold crop & he became very prosperous)
o Not talking about what a seed can yield (1 pumpkin seed = 10-15 pumpkins = thousands of seeds: 100 would not be good)
o Rather, it’s talking about the farmer’s original financial investment; for every denarius spent on seed, he earns 100 denarii on the sale of crops (10 very good; 30 or 60 is spectacular; 100 is a staggering profit)

The Explanation

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 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. 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. 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. 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.” (Luke 8:11-15)

The seed? God’s Word; specifically, the Gospel message…the good news of the Kingdom. It’s also pictured as seed in James 1:18-21, 1 Peter 1:23-25, Psalm 126:5-6 and also a hint in Isaiah 55:11.

The sower? Not identified. It could be Christ himself; in the parable of tares, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matthew 13:37). But this is a different parable with different imagery. We can’t always mix the details. For example, in the tares parable, the good seed represents “the sons of the kingdom” (true inhabitants of the Kingdom) and “the field is the world”. So, we must be careful not to mingle the symbolism of the parables. If the identity of the sower was important/essential, Jesus would have provided it. For our purposes, the sower is anyone who distributes the seed—you when you share your testimony, a Bible class teacher, a preacher from a pulpit, a missionary, etc.

This parable is all about the soil—a picture of the human heart. Specifically, there are four different kinds of hearts with varying degrees or receptivity. (See Luke 8:12,15) The parable is about hearts in different stages of preparedness, which determines whether they’re in a suitable condition to produce fruit.

The Four Heart Conditions

The Roadside HearerThe hard heart; unresponsive to biblical truth—most disturbing and hopeless of all heart conditionsUnbelief + love of sin = a heart that is dense, like concrete; truth can’t penetrate it, much less take rootHearer is oblivious, hopeless, spiritually dead—totally susceptible to Satan’s strategy… Luke 8:12 – “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.” (That also tells us our goal, that hearers might be saved.)The Old Testament calls these hearers “stiff-necked” (Exodus 32:9, 2 Kings 17:14)—they deliberately hardened their hearts (Jeremiah 19:15, 2 Chronicles 36:12, and Acts 7:51)This heart is the well-worn, barren footpath; not fenced; exposed to the evil stomping of everything wicked that comes alongNever cultivated with self-searching, self-examination, contrition, honest assessment of guilt, or true repentanceIndifferent to grace or judgement; love of sin; a dense, dry, impenetrable heartThis is the fool of Proverbs—the person who despises wisdom & instruction (Proverbs 1:7)… “has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart” (Proverbs 18:2)Primary target here is not atheists—He’s speaking to people in a highly religious culture; the hardest of all hearts were the religious aristocracy—the top scribes and PhariseesHave you ever had that kind of heart? Or taught someone with that kind of heart?The good news: If you’re reading this blog and reflecting on this parable, it’s highly likely you are a seeker of righteousness, to some degree, and not a roadside hearer—someone who is spiritually dead with a hardened heart.

2. The Shallow Hearer

A shallow-hearted person who responds immediately but superficiallyLuke 8:13 – “Those on the rocky ground 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.”Without deep roots, vegetation cannot live long in a dry climate; it grows leafy quickly, but dies just as quickly, before reaching fruit-bearing maturityPsalm 129:6 compares the wicked to “the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up.” Grass/weeds may sprout in a thin layer of dust, but can’t sustainThey seem receptive; show keen interest… “receive the word with joy”; nothing wrong with joy (we should have joy), but it’s superficial and temporaryNot a question of if but when such a person will fail; the “time of testing”/temptation will come (persecution, calamity); person will fall away—abandon faith completelyThe lack of fruit will reveal it’s not a deep and lasting conviction (See Matthew 12:33)We see this type of hearer with some (not all) of our “Bible camp conversions” or “mission trip conversions”. A young person has had a great, spiritually uplifting week at camp or on a foreign mission field. They’re all excited about their faith but then they get home and soon fizzle. There are no roots. Maybe they thought Jesus would fix all their problems or make life easy; they don’t count the cost.Have you ever had that kind of heart? Or taught someone with that kind of heart? You/They were all excited at first, but the passion soon fizzled.

3. The Worldly Hearer

The weedy soil represents a heart too preoccupied with worldly mattersLuke 8:14 – “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.”This hearer responds positively at first, initial signs of receptivity—seed germinates, they “go on their way”; potential to be fruitfulBut sometime later… “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)Not a hard-hearted person or a shallow, emotional person; this time the soil is well-plowed and deep enoughBut there are all kinds of impurities in it! Weeds have germinated under the surface and will always outgrow the good seed. Weeds and thorns own that ground.The person is too in love with this world, too obsessed with the “cares, riches, and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14)—sinful pleasures, earthly ambitions, money, prestige, and a host of trivial diversions all deluge the heart and muffle the truth of God’s WordDouble-minded man, unstable (James 1:8); No servant can serve two masters (Luke 16:13)1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”Material wealth and pleasure are not inherently evil, when properly prioritized and God is given credit (rich young ruler)None of the first three soils bring fruit to maturityHave you ever had that kind of heart? Or taught someone with that kind of heart?This kind of heart is prevalent among many (not all) of the hundreds of prisoners I’ve had the privilege to teach and minister to. Drugs, alcohol, and other bad influences drove behavior that landed them in prison. And many, upon release—even those who spoke passionately about God and getting their lives right—once again succumb to the weeds/thorns/worldly influences around them. Despite our pleas that they seek out better friends/Christian influences, they often return to their old ways, and many end up back in prison.

4. The Fruitful Hearer

Well-cultivated and produces the desired crop!Luke 8:15 – “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.”This is a truly prepared heart; a person “who hears the word and understands it” (Matthew 13:23); “those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit” (Mark 4:20)The person receives the gospel with true understanding and genuine faithJohn 8:31 – “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”
o The mark of authentic faith? Endurance! Temporary faith isn’t true faith at all.What kind of fruit will this heart produce?
o “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23)
o “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Heb. 13:15)How much fruit? Abundantly! (30/60/100-fold)—which tells us Christians are not all equally fruitful, and that’s okay. Do what you can with the talents and opportunities you’ve been givenWe’re made to do good works — see Ephesians 2:10Fruitfulness is the expected outcome of saving faith. This can only occur in a heart that is clean and well-cultivatedNote: We can’t do it on our own—we are hopelessly unclean. (See Romans 8:7-8) Only God Himself can plow and prepare a heart to receive the Word (See John 16:8, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 2:10, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 3:3, and Romans 5:5)We who believe in Christ are dependent on the indwelling Spirit’s work in our hearts to keep us tender, receptive, and ultimately fruitfulI hope this describes our hearts today! And the hearts of the people we teach!

Other take-aways:

When we proclaim the gospel or teach the Word of God to our neighbors and loved ones, the results will always vary according to the condition of the hearts of the hearers. Success or failure does not hinge on our skill as sowers. In fact, in the parable, nothing is said about the skill of the sower. I’m not saying your talent as an evangelist doesn’t matter—it’s good to study, prepare, and become more effective. But it’s really not about your talent—it’s about the heart of the hearer.If you are faithful to the task and stick to it, it’s highly likely some of the seed you throw will find well-cultivated soil, and the result will be abundant fruit. If there’s zero fruit in the life of the hearer, something’s amiss with the heart/soil.In the parable, the method of casting seed is not mentioned. Have you ever been reluctant to share your faith because you’re “not good enough” or “don’t know the right way to do it”? Move past that—it’s not about you. Again, that’s not to say you can’t work to improve your methods. That might make you more confident in sharing your faith. But the emphasis is on the soil—the hearer’s heart.Nothing is said about the quality of the seed. The seed that bears fruit and the seed that gets choked out is all the same kind of seed. There’s no need to replace or update the message, tone down the offense of the cross, or leave the hard or unpopular parts out. Just preach God’s unchanging Word. Scatter seed.It’s all about the soil—the receptiveness of hearts! Simple enough, but that’s the true meaning. That seems to be what Jesus is talking about.Luke 8:8 – “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”Jesus says listen, pay attention, dig deeper, look beyond the surface; Luke 8:18 – “Take heed how you hear.”

6. Perhaps the greatest take-away for me this week is this: I used to think one became a Christian and soon found themselves occupying (being) the “fertile soil”. “I believe in God, I study and am receptive to the Bible, I’m good to people, etc. so I must be the good soil. I’ve arrived and can check that off.” For me, I think it’s more accurate to say, “I love God and I’m striving every day to become good, fertile soil. I want to be responsive to His Word. That’s the goal. But sometimes I let weeds creep in—I sin. Sometimes my thinking is shallow on a teaching and I don’t allow it to take root. And sometimes my heart is just hard. It’s possible for me to be all four soil types in the same week—maybe even the same day! That’s why I need to “tend my garden”—constantly adding spiritual nutrients and pulling weeds. And since even those efforts will ultimately fail, I must rely fully on God’s grace and mercy. If we were able to be “good soil” 24/7/365, Jesus would never have had to come.

May God bless us as we strive to have pure, receptive hearts and may we have opportunities to teach and reach others who are open to hearing the good news.

Homework: The Good Samaritan – read Luke 10:25-37. Which character in the story do you most identify with?