Sowing and Reaping.—Luke 8:1-21

Notes

1. "The seed is the word of God." "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." 1 Peter 1:23. The word of God not only has life, but it is life. John 6:63. It is "the word of life." Phil. 2:16. When the apostles had been put into prison, the angel of the Lord set them at liberty, and said, "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Acts 5:20. Not only is it life, but its life is indestructible and incorruptible; the words of the Lord are "the words of eternal life." John 6:68. So when it germinates in the heart, it brings forth fruit unto eternal life, and makes the man like itself.

2. A good example of wayside hearers is given in Eze. 33:30-32: "And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not." Revised Version.

3. "For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." Heb. 6:7, 8. Hard, stony ground does not drink in the rain, and so does not bring forth fruit. The rain which God sends is His righteousness. See Isa. 45:8; Hosea 10:12. The growth of plants is many times taken as a likeness of the growth of Christians. "For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." Isa. 61:11. God is light (1 John 1:5); He is a sun (Ps. 84:11); He is the dew (Hosea 14:5). He supplies all the conditions for the growth of His people, who are "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." Isa. 61:3. If, like the good soil, they drink in the heavenly light and moisture, they will bring forth much fruit.

4. "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." Is God, then, a respecter of persons? Does He give favors to some that He withholds from others?—Not by any means. "For there is no respect of persons with God." Rom. 2:11. "The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." Ps. 145:9. Since with Him there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17), it follows that He is equally good to all. How is it, then, that to some is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and not to others? The Bible answers this question. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." Ps. 25:14. "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will He teach sinners in the way. The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way." Ps. 25:8, 9. That is, all who are willing to understand may understand. The truths of God are hidden only from those who are too proud or self-conceited to learn. At another time Jesus said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Luke 10:21. But a thing that is easy enough to be understood by babes is surely within the grasp of those of mature age. It is hidden simply because the righteousness of God is revealed to faith, and not to acuteness of intellect. Whoso receiveth the kingdom of heaven, must receive it as a little child.

5. "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." This shows that all may hear and understand if they will. But with this exhortation must be coupled the warning, "Take heed therefore how ye hear; for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." The marginal rendering and the Revised Version have it "that which he thinketh that he hath." "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth [buildeth up]. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." 1 Cor. 8:1, 2. He who hears in faith and love, with an open heart, will increase in knowledge, and will ever go on increasing in wisdom. But he who is puffed up with the idea that he knows at least some things perfectly, will learn nothing, and eventually even that which he thinks he has will be taken from him, and he will stand before the world with all his emptiness revealed. No matter how much a man knows, if he thinks that he knows anything perfectly,—if he thinks, for instance, that on certain texts of Scripture there is no more to be learned,—the result will be that erelong he will lose even the little understanding of them that he already has.