Trust and Obey. Luke 8:11-21 The parables of Jesus are stories from nature or everyday events that are well-known to most people, and He told them to convey spiritual truth. Some were teaching about kingdom principles, and some about God and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Usually, there was only one point He was making in a parable. In this particular parable of the seed, several important things are taught. The context in which He told the parable and the setting gives some insight into the story's objective. Not all parables were told to give understanding because sometimes people have to find out what they don’t know and can’t understand before they will seek the Lord. This parable gives earnest seekers and doers of the word understanding. Also, it shows those who will not accept the word of God their inability to understand simple illustrations of the truth.
People will not benefit from the message of the Gospel when they choose to live in a way that makes it easy for the devil to have them forget what they heard. Neither will the word of God profit them when they hear it but don’t take it seriously or doubt it. Those who want an easy life and salvation focus their minds and hearts on the world and its cares. They won’t benefit from the word of God when they hear it because they want it to fit their own expectations. Thankfully, some people hear the word of God and believe it is true. They put faith in what it says, and through faith, they go to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust and obey Him.
Reading this parable in Matthew and Mark and comparing it with Luke’s account, we see some differences. Perhaps the same parable was told on different occasions, emphasizing a different lesson to be pointed out. In all of the accounts, the seed is the word of God. The four kinds of soil are the same. Life is in the word of God, and when the Holy Spirit and the word of God work together, a good-ground hearer is born again. It is also true that a believer who hears and yields to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit through the word of God will bear good fruit. The condition of one’s heart determines the result of the seed sown.
Seed on the path will be walked on by people and quickly taken away by the devil. People who mock the word and have no interest in spiritual things are blinded to the word of God by Satan, and others choose to blind their own minds to God’s truth in the scriptures. Some do not pay attention to the word of God when it is preached and will not pick up the Bible or read it for themselves. Those who have a critical attitude toward the word of God often try to find ways to criticize it and discount its validity and value.
Then some hear the word of God preached or presented in some other way and say, “That is right,” or “That was a good sermon.” They listen to what it says and agree with its teaching but do not put their faith in it and, consequently, do not put their faith in Christ. All that means is they like what they hear if it pleases them, but they will not act on what it teaches.
It is a common problem for those who love the world, and the things in the world to try to mix the truth of the word of God and what the world says is true even though they are not the same. “You cannot serve two masters.” The love of money and all it gives will not mix with spiritual fruit. All that is in the world is not of God, and even though a person may claim to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the spiritual results of their life are what give true evidence of the word of God living and abiding in them. The things of the world can keep a believer from the word of God, and not taking in the word of God keeps a believer from bearing fruit for God. Those same things keep unbelievers from trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The Living Word of God Reality is seen when the word of God is gratefully accepted and acted upon. An unsaved person who takes in the truth of the word of God and repents of their sin has been awakened and convicted by the Spirit of God. Through the revelation of the word of God to their soul, that person will put their trust in the Lord Jesus, and He will save them from their sins. A believer who hears and acts upon the truth of God will show the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is when we experience union with our Lord Jesus, and God is glorified.
When the light of divine truth shines in our hearts, we can let that light shine out to others through us. We are responsible for passing on the light that blesses our hearts to others. A person may be afraid to speak out for God for fear of embarrassment, rejection, or mocked. Remember, we were in darkness once; others showed us the way to God through the scriptures. He gave us light through His word, so we should trust and obey Him and not keep our new life a secret.
Trusting God and putting our faith in Him for our salvation has blessed us, and it is our privilege and responsibility to let others know what He did for us and what He can do for them. The bond of faith in Him unites those in the family of God as we learn His word. Natural families are linked through a common heritage, and those in God’s family are “brothers and sisters in Christ.” We obey our Lord and Master, whom we trust and obey.