Jump Start # 435

Luke 8:8 “And other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. As He said these things, He would call out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’”

  This is the final part of the parable of the sower. This is what the farmer was after. This is why he spent the time and money farming. He was after a harvest. Farmers live for the harvest. So does God.

  There is an interesting play on words in the text.

• V. 5 some fell BESIDE the road
• V. 6 some fell ON rocky soil
• V. 7 Some fell AMONG the thorns
• V. 8 Some fell INTO the good soil

  That’s the key—getting the seed INTO the good soil. Beside, on, and among, just didn’t get the job done. The seed belongs in the soil. That’s where things happen and where the plant begins its life.

 The soil is our hearts. In the explanation, Jesus tells us that the good soil, “these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” The good soil is the good and honest hearts. Now, nearly everyone will say that they are good on the inside. It takes more than just saying that to be good. The good and honest heart is in relationship to the words that Jesus spoke. The heart is good because it receives Jesus’ words. It is honest because after listening, changes are made. An honest look within will show that a person isn’t right with God. They need forgiveness. They need to be molded by the master. They need help. Honesty and humbleness go together, especially here.

  Some hearts aren’t honest. They’re hard. There’s no changing them, no matter what is said, nor who says it. They are stubborn and thick between the ears. Why are they like that? They’ve chosen to be. Others are not like that. They quit deceiving themselves and have come to God realizing His way is the only way. They’ve quit trying to sit on the throne with God and make the rules. They realized that they’ve messed up things and they don’t have all the answers. God’s word in such a heart does remarkable things. It can take a selfish person who is addicted to substance and reform him and change him. God’s word is powerful. It can take a tightwad and turn him into a generous soul who is compassionate for others. God’s word is powerful. It can take a mean potty mouth and turn him into someone who is respectful, kind and whose words glorify God. God’s word is powerful.

  Why is it that God’s word can do that for some and others it can’t? It’s not the word, but it’s the condition of the heart. Anytime God’s word meets with good and honest hearts, great things will come about.

  The seed into the good soil produced. God’s word into an honest heart produces. There is a principle of farming and harvesting that is important to see here. A corn seed will only produce corn. If a guy plants corn with the hopes of getting tomatoes, he’ll be greatly disappointed. It won’t happen. Beans produce beans. This is not rocket science. God’s word, likewise, produces only one thing, a N.T. Christian. Nothing else. There’s no variety of Christians. There are no different flavors of Christians. There are no different kinds of Christians. To be a Christian means that you belong to Christ. You’ve believed and obeyed the Lord. All such believers belong to God and they are all disciples of Jesus. The good seed in the heart of someone living in India will make the same Christian as one who lives in England, or Atlanta, or, Nashville, or Southern Indiana, where I happen to live.

  Imagine three groups of people, living in three different places, say, England, Africa, and the U.S. They all play the game of Monopoly, the original one. They all go by the same rules, no deviations. It would be easy to think that the three groups are linked together somehow. The only connection they have is that they all happen to have an original game of Monopoly and they all are going by the rules.

  The same happens with God’s word. Replace the game of Monopoly with the Bible. Three groups—one in England, one in Africa, and one in the U.S. They all are following the Bible, and nothing else. No deviations. Although the languages may be different, the worship, practice and faith of all three groups will be the same. Why? They are all following the same standard, the Bible. Now, some will say that it is impossible to understand the Bible alike. Yet, somehow people could understand the rules of Monopoly.

  God’s word makes one thing, N.T. Christians. The little seed produces a crop a hundred times as much. We see that in nature. One corn seed will produce a corn stalk that may have several ears of corn. God’s word does the same. It produces N.T. Christians that will affect their families destiny forever. The good that can come from that first crop may be witnessed for many generations. That’s the power of God’s word.

  The parable of the sower is a great lesson about our hearts. It’s the good and honest that becomes what God wants. This is the kind of heart He wants you to have. Honesty often hurts. It hurts realizing that we have failed. It hurts realizing that we need help. It’s that honesty that will bring us back home to God where we belong.

  Good and honest…that’s what God’s looking for. Do you have such? You can. Spend time with God’s word and it will work on you and change you.

Roger