Nov 23
12
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 36:22–32
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 36:22–32, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 8:4-15
“And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.’ As he said these things, he called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:4–15, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
A parable is a simple story that has spiritual meaning. As you probably know, Jesus often spoke in parables. And here in Luke 8, we find one of the more famous and beloved parables of Jesus.
What should we call this parable? Should we call it The Parable Of The Sower? Or should we call it The Parable Of The Soils? Those are two fine options, for in this parable we do find a sower – that is, a farmer who is casting seed in his field – and we find a description of four different kinds of soils upon which the seed fell – there is hardpacked soil, rocky soil, thorny soil, and good soil. The parable itself is found in Luke 8:4-8, and in verses 11-15, Jesus explains what each component of the story represents. The seed that is thrown represents the word of God. The sower is the one who preaches the word of God. The soils represent all who hear the word preached. And the different soils represent the different ways that people hear or receive the word of God.
So what should we call this parable? I’ll admit, in a way, it doesn’t matter what we call it. Jesus did not give this parable a title. If the translation of the Bible you are reading from has a section heading above this passage, you should know that is not original to the text but was added by the publisher. But in another way, it does matter, for what we call this parable will likely have some impact on how we interpret it.
Here is the interpretive question we must answer: Is this parable about the sower, that is to say, the one who preaches the word of God? Or is this parable about the soils, that is to say, those who hear the word of God preached? Stated differently, when Jesus spoke this parable was his intention to teach us about how the word of God is to be preached or was his intention to teach us about how the word of God is to be heard and received? Stated in yet another way, is this parable intended for the preachers or the hearers of God’s word?
May I suggest to you that the answer is, both? It seems to me that this one parable contains valuable insights for both preachers and the hearers of the word of God. I think the text itself pushes us in this interpretive direction when Luke informs us that this teaching was delivered in two places before two different audiences. Firstly, we are told that Jesus spoke this parable to the great crowds that came to him from the towns. Certainly, Jesus aimed to exhort these people to receive the word of God well. By telling this parable to the multitudes he was warning them to be good hearers of God’s word. Secondly, Luke informs us that Jesus explained this parable to his disciples in private. Yes, they too needed to be warned to receive the word of God well, but they would also be sent out to preach, that is to say, to sow the seed of the gospel of the kingdom of God. And Jesus said some things to his disciples in private that would help them to be good and faithful preachers of God’s word. So, if you ask me, a wonderful title for this parable would be, The Parable Of The Sower, The Seed, And The Soils, for in this one parable we learn a great deal about preaching and receiving the seed of God’s word.
Before I go on, you should know that I will be devoting two sermons to this text. The title of today’s sermon is The Parable Of The Sower, The Seed, And The Soils, With Special Attention Given To The Soils. The title of next Sunday’s sermon will be, The Parable Of The Sower, The Seed, And The Soils, With Special Attention Given To The Sower And The Seed.
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The Soils
So, let us now consider the soils. What does the soil represent in this parable? It represents all people who come into contact with God’s word. The sower is a preacher. The seed that he sows is the word of God. And the soil represents all who hear the preaching of the word of God.
Notice I did not say that the soil represents all people in the world without exception. No, these soils represent those who hear God’s word in the world. And it must be remembered, friends, that there are people who live in this world who have never heard the word of God. I mention this for two reasons: One, as a reminder that we must be committed to taking the gospel to these unreached people. And two – and this is more to the point of the sermon today – to remind you that you are privileged to have heard the good news of Jesus Christ and to sit regularly under the ministry of the word. The seed of the word of God has been cast upon you. It has come into your ears. Do not forget that it is not cast upon all. You are in a privileged place, therefore, and you should know it.
So I ask you, friends, do you consider it a privilege to hear the word of God read and preached? Do you cherish God’s word? Do you prepare your minds and hearts to receive it? Do you listen to God’s word carefully? Do you receive it humbly? Do you meditate upon it so that it changes your mind and your heart? And do you receive the word with the intent to obey? That is what this parable of the soils is about. It is, in part, an exhortation to receive the word of God in the right way and with a good heart so that it would be fruitful in you.
Four types of soil are mentioned in this parable. Each one represents a different kind of hearer. As we consider this parable, the question that you and I must ask ourselves is, which soil represents me? What kind of hearer am I? What kind of heart do I have?
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The Wayside
The first type of soil is the wayside. It is the hard compacted soil of a well-traveled path. We do not live in an agrarian society, but I’m sure you can picture it. Picture a field that is tilled and ready to be planted. Now picture the perimeter of that field and the path on which the farmer and his family walk every day. The ground is hard and compacted. That is the kind of soil that is described in Luke 8:5. There we read, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it” (Luke 8:5, ESV). In Luke 8:11 Jesus explains the meaning. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:11–12, ESV).
So here we have a picture of a person who hears the word of God proclaimed but does not really hear. They pay no attention to the word. When they hear the word preached they are distracted, disengaged, disinterested, and dismissive. The word of God falls on their ears but in no way does it fall upon the ears of their mind or heart. The seed of the word of God does fall on them, but it has no impact. It makes no impression. Why? Because their heart is hard to God and to the things of God. Because the seed of the word falls on them and lays only on the surface of the hardpacked soil of their heart, there is no opportunity for it to germinate, much less, to set down healthy roots, sprout, grow, and bear fruit. The seed of the gospel is soon trampled upon, crushed, and carried away by the birds. And the birds, Jesus says, represent the devil himself. The devil and his minions have many ways and tactics of snatching the gospel of the kingdom away from the minds and hearts of men and women hardened by sin. This we will consider in more detail in the following sermon.
The hard, compacted soil of the wayside is a good description of those outside of the Christian congregation who have heard the word of the gospel proclaimed and yet never have they received it. The gospel is preached to them and they scoff. The gospel is preached to them and it seems like foolishness. The gospel is preached to them and they are unmoved and indifferent. They reject Christ as he is offered to them in the gospel, therefore they remain in their sins and are not saved.
Now, though it is true that those with hearts like this will rarely ever assemble with the Christian congregation, it is not impossible to imagine a situation where they might. As you probably know, people assemble with the church for all kinds of reasons. Many do so from the heart because they have sincere faith. But others might assemble to please family, because their parents make them, to appear religious in the eyes of others in society, or because they think that attending church will better their life in some way. I think you can understand the point that I am making. While most who hear the word of God with a hard, compacted heart will never darken the door of the church, some will enter. Some may even sit for a very long time under the ministry of the word with a heart like this, They hear, but they do not hear.
And so I must ask the question (yes, even in this setting), does this describe you? Does the word of God bounce off of you like seeds thrown upon the concrete? If so, I plead with you to call out to God for mercy. Turn from your sins and believe upon Christ for salvation. Stop mocking God and presuming on his kindness. As Paul the Apostles says, “do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:4–8, ESV). If your heart is hard to God and things of God, humble yourself, turn from your sins, and trust in Christ today lest you die in your sins and go to judgment and condemnation.
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The Rocky Soil
While it might be difficult to imagine someone with a hard, compacted heart regularly assembling with the Christian congregation, it is not at all difficult to see that those with hearts represented by the next three soil types will always be present within the church – the church will always have those with rocky, thorny, and good hearts in her midst. Consider now the rocky soil and be warned.
In verse 6 we read, “And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.” Now consider the explanation of Jesus in verse 13: “And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away”.
Brothers and sisters, are you able to imagine what rocky soil is like? It is different from the hard, compacted soil of the path described above. That soil is hard and flat. When the seed is cast upon it, it has no place to go. It cannot penetrate the soil in any way but rests exposed on the surface of the ground. It is soon trampled and carried away. The rocky soil is different. We are to think here of good soil with many small stones in it. The surface of this soil type is rough and jagged, with cracks and crevices. And in those cracks and crevices, there is sprinkled some good soil. So, there is a place for the seed to go. In a sense, the seed is received by this soil easily. It falls into the cracks and crevices between the stones and into the dusting of good soil that is present there. It quickly germinates and begins to grow in that protected place. In fact, it grows up very quickly. And why does the seed that falls on rocky soil sprout up so quickly? It is because all of the energy is directed, not downwards into the soil (for there is little soil), but upwards. So, there is at first the appearance of life and the hope of fruitfulness, but it is in vain. These plants will thrive early in the springtime, but they will not last long. As the coolness and dampness of springtime give way to the heat and drought of summer, these plants that have sprouted in the rocky soil will quickly whither, for they have no roots. And here we have a picture of those who “believe for a while, and in a time of testing fall away.” They fall away in the heat of temptation and trial because they “have no root” (vs. 13). It is because they “have no root” that they are not able to survive the heat of the testings, trials, and tribulations of this life.
I think you would agree with me that there are some – maybe even many – who assemble with the church and claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, who have received the word, not in a true way to the salvation of their souls, but only in a false, external, and superficial way. They appear to us to have faith. They may for a time appear to be very zealous – very full of life. But when times of testing come, they wither away, revealing that their faith was not true, for these received the word of God, not deeply and authentically, but only superficially and externally. The word of God – the gospel of Jesus Christ – has not taken root in them.
Yes, we do confess that salvation is by the grace of God alone received through faith in Christ alone. And yes, we confess that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. John 3:16 is true! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Romans 10:13 is true! “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13, ESV). But these passages refer to a belief in Christ that is true.
There is such a thing as false belief or a false profession of faith, and that is what is pictured here by the rocky soil. For a time, there appears to be a reception of God’s word. There is a profession of faith that is made and a gathering together with the people of God. But over time, the one who receives the word in this shallow, heartless, and insincere way will certainly fall away. The trials of life will overwhelm them just as the heat of summer overwhelms a plant that has sprouted in shallow soil. To paraphrase the Apostle John, these false professors go out from us, but this shows that they were not truly of us; “for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they [go] out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19, ESV). These our confession refers to as “temporary believers” (2LCF 14.3).
Again, the question I must ask (yes, even of this audience) is, does this describe you? Have you received the word of God but only in a superficial way? It can be difficult to judge our own hearts, can’t it? I suppose we could all look inward and say, Lord, I have not loved you and your word as deeply as I should. I have not stored up your word in my mind or cherished it in my heart as I ought. My faith is weak. I’m too easily shaken, etc. I suppose the purpose of the question, does this describe you?, is not so much to have you answer yes or no definitively, but so that you, by God’s grace, might be moved to tremble at the thought of it being you. Stated differently, as I ask the question, does the rocky soil represent you?, I hope and pray that the Spirit of God will awaken you to the danger of receiving the word of God superficially and produce within you a deeper and more sincere faith.
If you fear that the rocky soil describes your heart, what should you do? Well, you should cry out to God for mercy. You should turn from your sins and look to Christ more sincerely. And you should resolve, by the grace of God and in the strength that he provides to receive the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, more deeply into the heart and mind. Yes, this is a work that God, by his grace, must do in you. But it is also a work that God calls you to do. We are to obey James 1:21 which says, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21, ESV). That is a command, friends. We are to “receive with meekness the implanted word”. Lord, have mercy on us and grant us this gift. Enable us to be good hearers of your word. May we receive your word sincerely and deeply in the mind and heart, and not shallowly. This should be our prayer. And after praying a prayer like this, we ought to rise up with the intent to obey. We are to be eager hearers of God’s word. We are to be well-prepared and attentive listeners. And we are to be doers of the word of God. As James says in the next verse, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22, ESV).
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The Thorny Soil
The third type of soil mentioned is the thorny soil.
In Luke 8:7 Christ says, “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.” In verse 14 Christ explains, “And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”
Some of you may be wondering, does this soil type – the thorny soil – represent true believers or false believers? It is not so clear, is it? Clearly, those represented by the wayside are not believers – in no way do they receive the word. And those represented by the rocky soil are not true believers either. They appear to believe, but over time their profession of faith is proven false as they fall away. But the matter is not so clear with the thorny soil. And perhaps the reason is that both true believers and false professors are threatened by the thorns of life. The one who makes a false profession of faith will be choked by the thorns of life unto spiritual ruin and death. But it is also possible for a true believer to be choked by the thorns of life to the detriment of their spiritual vitality and fruitfulness.
The warning delivered by Jesus is very clear and it is for all who profess faith in him. Beware of the thorns of life, friends. Cut them back and uproot them lest they steal your spiritual vitality and diminish your fruitfulness. Indeed, some have been so overrun by the thorns of this life that they have denied the faith. Judas was one of these. Mind you, he heard this teaching from our Lord, but he did not heed the warning.
So what are the thorns of life that choke our vitality and fruitfulness and threaten to keep us from reaching maturity, yes, even the maturity of life eternal? Jesus gives us three categories. They are the “cares and riches and pleasures of life”.
The cares of life may also be called the worries or the anxieties of life. In the Greek, it is the same root word that is used in Matthew 6:25 where Christ says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on”, etc. Here in our text, Christ warns about the cares or anxieties of life, and he compares them to thorny weeds.
Everyone has cares. Everyone has worries. Everyone feels anxious from time to time. But these cares must be kept in check. By faith, we must cut them back. By faith, we must uproot them. If we allow the cares of this world to grow unabated in the garden of our souls, they will choke our vitality. These thorny weeds will diminish our fruitfulness. They might even lead to our destruction.
Christ also warns us of the danger of riches or possessions. To be rich is not sinful. But the desire and pursuit of wealth is dangerous. It can choke the soul. Think of how all-consuming the pursuit and maintenance of wealth and possessions can be. Has the Lord blessed you with wealth? Do you have nice possessions? Christ does not here condemn this. But he does warn of the danger of riches and possessions. Riches and the pursuit of riches must be kept in check lest they overrun the soul.
In 1 Timothy 6:6 Paul speaks to the importance of keeping the heart pure in this regard. He says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire [have it as their aim or goal] to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving [aspiration, longing] that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6:6–10, ESV).
Beware, brothers and sisters, of making the attainment of wealth and possessions your aim. Beware of the love of money. The love and pursuit of wealth and possessions are like thorny weeds that threaten to overrun your soul. The pursuit of riches can rob your vitality. It can diminish your fruitfulness in Christ’s kingdom as you are driven to live for the wrong thing. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20, ESV). So then, Christians who are rich in this world and Christians who are poor in this world must keep their hearts pure as it pertains to the love of money.
Thirdly, Christ warns us of the pleasures of this life. Isn’t marvelous to think that God created us in such a way that we are able to enjoy pleasures? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Think of the capacity that you have to experience pleasure, both in body and soul. And think of all the pleasures we enjoy in this life. The pleasures of life and the ability to enjoy them is a gift from God. And we ought to give him thanks for this gift every time we enjoy the good things of this life. But here Christ warns us about the desire to enjoy the pleasures of this life. He describes the pleasures of this life as thorny weeds that may choke the fruit of the seed of the gospel if allowed to grow unrestrained.
So when does the enjoyment of pleasures become a thorny weed of the soul – a curse rather than a blessing? One, when the earthly pleasures we enjoy are enjoyed as an end in themselves instead of as a gift from God, to the glory of his name. Two, when the pursuit of the enjoyment of earthly pleasures become the aim of our life? Three, when the earthly pleasures we enjoy are sinful. And four, when we chose the pleasures of this life over devotion to the God of heaven and the Christ he has sent. Sometimes following Christ means suffering the loss of earthly pleasure.
So then, you can see that there is a sense in which the “cares and riches and pleasures of life” are all common things and even good things in their proper place and within proportion. But if these things are allowed to grow out of control, they will consume our souls, choke out the word of God, and hinder us from producing mature fruit.
Truly, the thorny weed is an apt metaphor for how the cares, riches, and pleasures of life threaten to overrun the soul, for these things threaten the soul in a very subtle way. Like weeds in the garden, the cares, riches, and pleasures of life are ever-present realities in the life of every man. And like weeds in the garden, these cares and desires must be contained and controlled. Like weeds in the garden, they must be cut back and uprooted in mind and heart. The thorny weeds in the garden grow rather slowly, especially when they are small. But if allowed to grow, their growth accelerates as the plant matures. And if they are allowed to grow to full maturity, those thorny weeds will drop seeds of their own, and they will multiply. That is how a garden is overrun with noxious weeds. And so it is with the mind and heart of man. We must keep our hearts and our minds, brothers and sisters. We must tend to the garden of our souls, lest the cares of this world, and the desire for the riches and pleasures of this life, overrun us and render us “ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8, ESV).
So I must ask, does the thorny soil describe you? Are there weeds in the garden of your mind and heart? In fact, I know there are. No one is without anxieties in this life. Everyone desires prosperity and pleasure to some degree. But are you tending to these cares and desires in the mind and heart to control them according to the truth of God’s word and by his Spirit? Are you meditating on the truth of God’s word and asking yourself the question, are these thoughts that I am thinking – are these cares that I am dwelling upon – are these emotions and desires that I feel – good, right, true, and pleasing to my God, in whom I trust? Or have these anxieties and desires for earthly possessions and pleasures begun to choke my spiritual life to make me unfruitful in Christ’s kingdom? Pull the weeds, brothers and sisters. Tend to the garden of your soul. Tend to it daily by meditating on God’s word. Tend to it in prayer. Tend to it through repentance – yes, we must repent of sinful thoughts, desires, and attitudes. Tend to the garden of your soul by faith, trusting always in God and the Messiah he has sent. Tend to the garden of your soul daily, especially on the Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day is a wonderful day for gardening, not in your earthly garden, but certainly in the garden of your mind and heart.
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The Good Soil
The fourth and final soil mentioned by our Lord is the good soil.
Luke 8:8: “And some [seed] fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” In Luke 8:15 Christ explains the meaning: “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
This entire parable is, in part, an exhortation from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to hear and receive the word of God in a good way. We are to hear and receive God’s word just as good soil receives good seed. So, how are we to receive God’s word in a good way?
Firstly, we must hear the word. Christ said, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word…”Here I am simply asking, do you hear the word when it is read and preached? Do you listen attentively or is your mind running this way and that? Do you fight to focus or are you easily distracted? Do you fix your mind on what is being said or are you given to mental laziness? If we are to be good hearers of God’s word, then we must not only listen with our physical ears, but we must also listen with the ears of our minds, that is to say, with our intellect. This takes practice. To be a good hearer of the word of God we must listen well.
Secondly, to be a good hearer of the word of God we must hold it fast. “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word,” To hold the word fast is to keep it. It is to receive the word into our minds and hearts and hold onto it. This, I think, is to be contrasted with the soil of the wayside. That soil represented those who hear the word with their natural ears. Perhaps they even contemplated the word somewhat with their intellect. But never did they take it in and keep it. The good soil receives the seed that is cast upon it and the seed is retained within. To hold the word fast is to “cling to it” (NET), “keep it” (NKJV), and “retain it” (NIV). The seed of the word of God is powerful. It has life in it. But it must be received deeply and kept in the soil of the mind and heart if it is to germinate, sprout, grow, and bear fruit. The word is to be cherished and meditated upon, you see.
Thirdly, to be a good hearer of the word of God we must hold it fast in an honest and good heart. Of course, when we speak of the heart of man in this way we are not talking about his physical heart, but his inner self; his soul; his mind, will, and the affection therein. To be a good hearer of the word one must receive the seed of the word of God down into an honest (noble, upright) and good (healthy, clear, fertile) heart.
What does it mean for the heart to be good and honest? Well, the context makes this clear, for the good soil is certainly to be contracted with the bad soils mentioned above. A good and honest heart will be humble, soft, and receptive to God’s word as opposed to the hard, compacted soil of the wayside. A good and honest heart will be well prepared to receive the word of God deeply, as opposed to the rocky soil mentioned above. And a good and honest heart will be cleared of the thorny weeds mentioned above – the cares of this life and the love of the riches and pleasures of this world. In brief, a good and honest heart loves God supremely, submits to his holy word, receives it with meekness, hates what is evil, clings to what is good, and intends to obey what God has said.
Fifthly, and lastly, a good and honest heart will bear fruit with patience. What is the fruit that the seed of the word of God produces? It is the fruit of faith and obedience leading to eternal life. When the seed of God’s word falls upon a good and honest heart (made good by the grace of God alone) it germinates, sprouts, grows to maturity, and yields much fruit – even a hundredfold! The fruit of God’s word is faith in Christ, obedience to God’s commandments, and a multiplicity of good works, stemming from a heart filled with love for God and our neighbor. When God’s word is received into a good it will grow to maturity and produce good fruit with patience, that is to say, consistently and persistently, even through the various seasons of life.
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Conclusion
The question that we must ask by way of conclusion is this: how then can we come to have a heart that is good and honest, well tilled and receptive to God’s most holy word?
There are two answers: The first is, by the grace of God alone. God alone can take a heart hardened by sin and make it soft and receptive to his word. God alone can clear our hearts of the stones of sin and rebellion. God alone can eradicate the thorns that threaten to choke the word and steal away our vitality and fruitfulness. God alone can till the soil of our hearts to make it soft, receptive, and fertile. This he does for all of his elect by his word and Spirit. It is God who saves us and sanctifies us by his grace through his word as the Spirit works. Do you wish to have a heart that is good and receptive to his word? Then cry out to God for mercy and grace. Ask him to change you inwardly. Depend upon him. Trust in the Christ he has sent. And walk by the Spirit. “[F]or it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, ESV).
The second answer is that we, by God’s grace, must also tend to the soil of our hearts. And no, brothers and sisters, these two points are not contradictory. God is the one who must do this work in us. But God works through means. He works externally through the preaching of the word of God. He works through passages such as the one we have considered today that warn of dangers and call us to action. God is calling you to action, friends. He is calling you to tend to the garden of your heart. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…” (1 Peter 5:6, ESV). “[P]ut away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21, ESV). “[F]lee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22, ESV). [L]et us… lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV). “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV). These are commands, brothers, and sisters, and they are commands that we must be careful to obey. But we must not attempt to obey them in our own strength. We must obey with the strength that God supplies. We must “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling, [knowing that] it is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13, ESV).
May the Lord have mercy on us, and may he strengthen us by his grace, through his word and by the Spirit, to keep our hearts with all vigilance, so that we would be brought to maturity in Christ Jesus and made fruitful, to his glory, honor, and praise. Amen.
