Shared

God's word is not just given to us so we will hear and obey. It is intended to be shared as well.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "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 ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 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, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." (Luke 8:4-8 NIV)

You understand that we can get it wrong, don't you? Even preachers and teachers can misunderstand, misinterpret, or misapply Scripture to our lives. This is why I don't experience joy when someone says, "Pete said..." I experience joy when people say, "Scripture says," or "God said in Scripture..." I always encourage people to check out what I am teaching by going back to the source: God's Word.

The story of the sower and the seed is a parable. A parable is simply a story with a deeper meaning. In this case the deeper meaning is spiritual. I'm grateful for Jesus teaching this parable for several reasons. One reason, though, is that he helps protect us from misinterpretation of the parable. Explains its intended meaning.

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. (Luke 8:11 NIV)

Before we go any further with his explanation, I want to pause right here. In this parable, God's Word is spread around. It is intended to be spread around. In fact, it is described as a seed, which is an item with potential for growth when placed in the right kind of soil. God's Word does no good when it is kept in the bag of seeds. It only does what it is supposed to do when it is placed in soil. Then it can do its work. It can grow.

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 rocky ground 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. (Luke 8:12-14 NIV)

The various places where the seed fell represent the various conditions of the hearts of people. God's Word wants to take root in our hearts and grow. We, however, have control over the condition of our heart. When our heart is hard, the seed never begins to grow. When it is rocky, God's Word grows but never takes root. When it is full of weeds and thorns, Gods Word grows but is choked out by everything around it. God's Word is always positioned to do its job in our lives. We decide whether or not we will allow it to grow.

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 8:15 NIV)

A crop only comes out of a single seed when the seed grows to maturity. When it matures, it has more seeds to share and those seeds drop down in the soil around the original plant. This is how it can produce a crop one hundred times beyond what was sown. The seed of God's Word doesn't just get in us to grow. It grows us to maturity so we will share.

So, how about you? Do you know the condition of your heart? Does your heart allow God's Word to grow in you? Do you allow the seed to grow you to maturity? In your maturity, do you share God's Word with others?