Lord’s Day, Vol. 14 No. 16
Parable of the Sower
Luke 8:4-15 (KJV) And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Jesus gave insight into how a man’s heart responds to the Word of God through the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9; 14-20). Jesus likened God’s Word to seeds that a farmer scatters on the ground. Seeds that fell on good ground brought forth fruit in its season—“bare fruit an hundred” (v8). The seeds of God’s Word sown either thrive and bear fruit or wither and die without fruit.
Jesus explained that the world, ruled by Satan—the prince of this world, competes to nullify God’s Word in the hearts of the hearers. Some seeds fell by the wayside and were devoured by the birds—there was no opportunity for them to germinate – it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it (v7). Some fell on stony ground. The seeds grew into young plants but having no depth of root and not being able to withstand the scorching sun, they died. These hearers may have a semblance of spiritual life but when affliction or persecution arises, they choose to reject the Word, having no true faith. The Bible says in a parallel passage in Mark 4:17 says, “they are offended”.
Yet other seeds fell on thorny ground where weeds so deprived the young plants (that grow subsequently) of their nutrients, causing them to die. The verb “choke” (v7) means “to crowd out”. The potency of the world to “suffocate” a man’s heart is very real. The present tense of this verb in the original suggests a continual bondage that these thorns impose on the hearers to render them inept to receive the truth. And these thorns, Jesus told us, are the (1) cares of the world (2) deceitfulness of riches and (3) pleasures of this life (v14).
These are literally the worries, anxieties and distractions of this present life that hold captive the hearts and minds of the hearers to the extent that there is no room for God in their lives; no room to consider, ponder, receive and give priority to things eternal. We see here the weariness from the energy-sapping effect of the cares of the world. They drain the heart of strength so much so that it cannot find true hope and life. To these, Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Our daily struggle as depraved earthlings are often between two states. When we have plenty, we want more. When we are poor, we worry non-stop. Often overwhelmed by temporal concerns, we become as it were, incapacitated, incapable of discerning the weightier matters concerning our souls! In present-day Singapore, children’s education, health pursuers. They promise much but satisfy little. They are deceptive. They do not satisfy the true need of the soul. This idol often blinds the heart, making it insensitive to the Gospel. More often than not, those who possess material prosperity deny the existence of God. They ascribe success to self or factors other than God. Hearts deluded by riches are often full of conceit.
Jesus warned that riches dull the senses and make the heart grow cold towards the things of God. Jesus gave the example of the rich man who pulled down his barns to build bigger barns. This man thought to himself, “…there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:18b-19). God pronounced judgment upon such a man: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20). Indeed, a man who lays up treasure for himself is not rich towards God (Luke 12:21). Truly, God, by His Spirit, must open and prepare the heart to be tender towards the entrance of His Word.
There are other inordinate, sinful pleasures that captivate the heart of the unregenerate man, preventing him from receiving the truth. These “lusts” describe the diseased condition of the soul. Luke 8:14 cites these “lusts of other things” to include the “pleasures of this life”. One may have the opportunity to come to church and hear the preaching of God’s Word and be touched or moved by it. However, immediately after the service, he may be ushered to some worldly recreational activities that will cause him to lose his foothold on God’s Word.
The bondage of sin can only be broken when the Spirit of God, by His Word, brings conviction to the heart to repent and turn to Him. May we plead with God for His mercy upon those whom He has burdened our hearts to reach out to that they may not be choked by the cares of the world.