Day 34

Day 34 (Week 7 Day 4)

Luke 8:1–15 (NIV)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ 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.’

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

What is the difference in the 4 places the seed falls? What are people who are these types like today? What soil type are you?

Look at the words Jesus uses in verse 15. What is the way to become the good soil?

Why does Jesus use parables?

Notes

in vs 1 Jesus was going to the people, now in verse vs 4 the people are coming to him. Not the first time crowd has come from all over 6:17. does show he is getting more popular

Hearing Jesus words - what does it mean to follow Jesus.

the story in 7:31-35 is about listening to God; not yourself, wise and foolish builders is about what you do with what you hear 6:46-49 Jesus spends a lot of time talking about hearing

The Soil Parable -

Note seed was often sown before the ground was plowed, and scattered as was the case here, not put in rows.

Seed is the word of God vs 11

on the path- not only is the word of God not listened to (taken away) it is trampled on (abused, made fun of ) still happens today.

Note vs 12 Satan takes it away- does that mean it is Satan's fault and not the hearers? No, the reason why Satan able to take it away is they choose not to hear it

On the Rock- it comes up (vs 6) it is listened to for a moment. But it gets no nutrition, not fed therefore can't grow. It withers for lack of feeding. People who say it sounds nice but do not go any further than that (see vs 10b)

Time of testing- think of testing Jesus went through in the desert. He withstood Satan, this type of person does not. Gives in. When people make fun of their faith they draw back. Nothing to draw on. reminds me of Psalm 1

In the thorns- actually grows, not just come up, but grows. Has potential. But the key is it is choked out by other priorities. God isn't put first. Their effort is put into wealth, fame, etc.. They don't become what God designed them to be.

Vs 14 May have the appearance of Christian i.e. go to church etc, but what they do is for their glory not God's and therefore they produce nothing that last (see 6:46, Matt 7:21 )

Good soil- Listens to God's word and applies it. (6:47-48)

Produces fruit for God. What we were designed to do.

vs 15- noble and good heart- think back to how Zechariah and Elizabeth 1:6, Simeon (2:25) and Anna(2:27b) were described in Birth of Jesus

Hear, Retain, Persevere, Produce - the Growth of a Christian in four words. Note there will be struggles but it is worth what is produced for God (not myself)

Vs 9 -10 Is Jesus trying to make it hard for people to hear Him? Comes from Isa 6:8-10 Just as Isaiah would tell the message of God and not be heard so to it would be for Jesus. The parables allow people to hear God's word but then it is up to them to seek to understand it. He uses common everyday illustrations but it is up to the people to interpret them.

Jesus could have come and said I am the Son of God. Believe in me. Done the miracles to prove it and that be that. But God wants us to decide for ourselves. He gives us the option to explore the message or not. To take what we want from it or to follow it completely. To have it be our center or not. Jesus is recognizing that most people will decide not to listen.