Note: Last Sunday I
preached from Luke 8:1-15 on Jesus’ Parable
of the Sower (or perhaps we might call it The Parable of the Soils).
Here are some notes from my exposition of the final verse in the
passage:
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 (Luke 8:15).
Last, there are
those seed which fell on the good ground.
After the first three seed that fell on the path, on rocky soil, and
among thorns, we might have been losing hope, but don’t forget there are good ground hearers. God does not allow his Word to return to him
void (Isaiah 55:11). This should give us
confidence in preaching the gospel and in evangelizing our culture. There
will be good ground hearers.
These are they,
Jesus says, who have “an honest and good heart.” But didn’t Jeremiah say: “The heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked: who can know it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9). How then can Jesus
speak of those who have honest and good hearts?
This can only be so, if they have hearts that have been remade, hearts
that have been transformed by the grace of God.
They have regenerate hearts. As
with Lydia of old, the Lord must open their hearts to heed the things spoken by
him (Acts 16:15).
Jesus says that
these having heard the word that is made effectual to salvation for them, do
two things:
(1) They
keep it. The verb is katecho, to hold fast, to possess. Their belief in Christ cannot be wrenched out
of their hands. Temptations, trials,
successes, failures, praise, condemnation … nothing can take their faith in
Christ from them.
(2) They
bring forth fruit. This is shown in
their words, in their conduct, in their homes, in their families, in their
relationships. It is shown in their
demonstration of what Paul called in Galatians the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal
5:22-23). It is seen in the kingdom
accomplishments performed through them by the Lord.
Notice the last
little phrase. They do these things
“with patience.” This applies to both
the steadfast keeping and the fruitfulness.
The phrase “with patience” also has the sense of “with endurance” and “with
steadfastness.” How sad it would be if a
man ran 25.9 miles of a marathon and gave up before running the final tenth of
a mile to finish the race. Sadder still
would it be to see one seem to start the Christian life and then run off the
course before crossing the finish line.
May we be found to
be “good ground” hearers.
Grace and peace, Pastor
Jeff Riddle
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