Sometimes I wish I could have been around when Jesus was walking from village to village teaching. I wish I could hear his words for myself, hear his tone of voice, see if there was a twinkle in his eye, and see his expression when he went head to head with the teachers of the law. We have the Sermon on the Mount and we have many of the parables he used to teach. We teach and preach Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. But what did he teach?
“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” Luke 8:1 In the New International Version, the phrase, “kingdom of God” occurs 65 times of which 51 are in the four Gospels. Plus, it appears in other ways such as “God’s kingdom” another 11 times mostly in Paul’s writings. That seems to make it a significant focus of the New Testament – which means I would do well to pay attention and try to understand more about it. How is God’s kingdom different from earthly kingdoms? How is order maintained in God’s kingdom? How does the kingdom advance? Who has authority and power? These questions and many more are answered throughout the Gospels.
Jesus went on to tell a parable about a farmer sowing his seed. Some fell on the path and was trampled and eaten by birds; some fell on rocky soil and though it sprouted, it could not grow because there was not enough moisture in the soil to sustain it; some fell among thorns and was choked out; and some fell on good soil and it yielded a good crop – a hundred times more than was sown. “When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 8:8
Now his disciples, being good disciples of their rabbi, asked questions about what the parable meant. This gives the rabbi opportunity to teach and explain. “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.’”Luke 8:10 Wait a minute! I thought Jesus wanted us all to understand what he is teaching. Why did he say that stuff about people no seeing and not understanding?
He was quoting Isaiah 6:9 which was about Isaiah’s calling to be a prophet to the people of Israel. He was called to “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10 God goes on to promise that even though the cities will lie in ruin and the people will be killed and scattered, a stump will remain from which ‘the holy seed’ will come. This is one of his many prophesies regarding the birth of Christ.
I feel at a loss not understanding the original language. However, in the context of the total Scriptures and understanding how much God loves us and wants us to see and hear him, I am thinking these words are more speaking to the reality of what is than to the desire of God’s heart. But God doesn’t give up. He continues to send prophets, preachers, and friends into people’s lives to keep his message in front of them. His desire is that we would become part of his kingdom and that we would be growing daily as we commune with him. I believe he was telling Isaiah to scatter seed far and wide, knowing that much of it would not grow – some would not even sprout. But keep scattering because some of it will fall on good soil and will take root and grow. And I believe that is what Jesus was doing as he spoke to the crowds and then to his disciples in Luke 8. He was scattering the seed widely, knowing that not all of it would take root, but some would – and to those, he is giving the secrets of the kingdom of God.
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 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. 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 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. 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.” Luke 8:11-15
In a way, this is a commissioning of Jesus’ disciples – just as Isaiah was commissioned – to spread the word of God far and wide. They are not responsible for the condition of the soil of people’s hearts. They are responsible to make sure everyone has opportunity to hear the word. We are each responsible for the condition of our own hearts to receive God’s word. John the Baptist was helping people prepare their hearts to receive God’s word by asking them to repent and refocus on God. The disciples are now commissioned to help spread the seed of God’s word.
And as I hear and understand the teaching in this parable, I too am commissioned to spread the seed of God’s word. And I pray that those who catch some of this seed are preparing their hearts to receive it and grow.
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