Luke 8:1-21

Good morning, take a seat. It is great to see how well filled the church is this morning

and I just want to reiterate the welcome that Paul has already given to each one of you.

I'm Tim, I'm one of the interns here and it's my pleasure to bring the word to you this

morning. We're in Luke chapter 8. If you have a pew Bible somewhere within reach, go and

Luke 8 · chapter mention

look for it and grab it and we'll read it in just a couple of seconds. But to begin

with, I wonder if we could just start by thinking, because it's very easy for us, humans

with our limited attention spans, it's very easy for us to be in attendance but to not

pay attention. It's probably most easiest seen in children, isn't it? Where they will be

unashamedly distracted while their teachers or their parents try to tell them something

of worth. But at the same time, I very much doubt that any one of us have been here this

morning and that we have paid full honesty, full attention. Maybe our minds have drifted

to whether we locked the door or put on the right temperature of oven. Or maybe we have

some situation mulling in our mind. But whatever it is, I'm sure this morning each one of us

have not listened to some degree or another. I'm not saying that in any way to shame or to show up

and maybe in reality I'm only betraying my own lack of attention on some Sundays. But as we come

to hear the word of God this morning, we're going to hear a resounding call to listen, to pay attention

to the words of Christ. And at this point, just before we come and read his word, let's pray together

and let's ask that he would help us to hear that none of us would leave this morning saying there was

nothing for me there. So let's pray together just before we read from Luke chapter 8.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

Father, you are so gracious to us in so many ways that you have given us your word at all. It is such an

incredible blessing and that we have it in our language, that we are able to read your word to us,

that you ever reached out to speak to us. And Father, this morning I pray that you would enliven

our hearts to listen, that you would help us to hear all the treasures that you have to speak to us,

and that this morning we would be completely sure of what you have said, and that we will take action

and go and do all that you have told us to do, even this morning. Father, we need your help, we need your spirit

within us, and so we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Luke chapter 8, I'm starting in verse 1.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

After this, Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom

of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.

Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out, Joanna, the wife of Chusa, the manager of

Herod's household, Susanna, and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own

means. 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 seed, and as he was scattering the seed, some fell along the

path. It was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, 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 others 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. His disciples

asked him what this parable meant. 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,

and though hearing they may not understand. The meaning of the parable, this is the meaning of

the parable. The seed is the word of God. 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

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. 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. 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. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a

jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand so that those who come in can see the light.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or

brought out into the open. Therefore, consider carefully how you listen.

Whoever has will be given more. Whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.

Now, Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.

Someone told him, your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.

He replied, my mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.

That's where we'll stop our reading this morning.

And I think as we come to this passage, and it's quite a passage, isn't it?

I think the theme that runs through the whole section are these words, are you listening to me?

Fellow husbands, I'm new to this. I'm only four months into this.

Fellow husbands, do these words cause fear and trembling when you hear them?

Are you listening to me?

Perhaps you've been scrolling through something on the web, and the non-committal aha has just come at the wrong time.

I think recently there was an occasion where the last question was,

you're not even listening to me, are you?

To which I dumbly said, aha, and the game was up.

Perhaps our attempts to surprise the other half only succeed to demonstrate the lack of attention we paid

when some crucial detail was being explained.

Or perhaps we remember back to childhood when we were asked if we were listening,

and to be honest, our minds had long since slipped into something else.

But the new task was given in an urgent manner.

And in none of these cases is the right response to then verbatim say back the conversation.

Are you listening to me?

Yes, the last three things you said were, could you put the laundry out?

Could you wash the dishes?

That's not what they want to hear.

That's not what they want to experience.

The correct response is to get up from your distraction and to do what is asked of you.

The aim of listening to one's spouse or one's parents is almost never meant to be a mere exercise in information.

Far more often, listening is part of a loving relationship.

And that relationship is then displayed through loving actions based upon what has been heard.

This morning our passage contains parables that challenge us to listen.

And it also contains people who challenge us to listen.

And that's kind of where we're going from here on out.

Firstly, the parables that challenge us to listen.

We come to this incredibly familiar parable, even more familiar to us because we've already had it explained to us by Peter and the children.

The parable of the sore or the parable of the soils.

And this story is incredibly simple, isn't it?

Jesus doesn't have to tell some 400 page masterpiece of literature to make his point.

A sower goes out to sow some seed.

And without the modern aids of a tractor or one pass sowing system, he begins to scatter this seed all over his land.

And as he sows, we see four cases, four options of what happens to the seed.

Jesus explains in verses 14 to 15 how this parable works.

He tells us that the seed in the parable is the word of God.

And as we read through, we discover that the different soils are like different people.

And in each case, how the seed and the soil interacts.

That is how God's word interacts with different people produces massively differing results.

This is one of the incredible truths that we can learn from this parable.

Different people prepared in different ways will respond differently to God's word.

Some will outright reject.

Others will accept it.

But as many of us know all too well, it's not quite that simple.

Some will then fall away.

Others will never quite seem to get to the end goal with it.

But thankfully, others will accept it.

And will believe it.

And will hold on to it.

And will be fruitful.

On one hand, you could read this parable and question the wisdom of the sower, couldn't you?

Why is he so reckless with the seed?

Why so much is seemingly wasted?

Why is the ground not properly prepared?

Why is it?

Why is the seed?

Why is he so reckless with the seed?

Why is the seed that finds good soil is incredibly productive?

If farmers could get a hundred yield from seed, they would give their left arm.

a hundredfold returns is extraordinary

and the seed must go far and wide

to find these patches of good soil

the plan of God

this plan of God

to raise a harvest

by scattering the word of God globally

is not in vain

as is shown by 2,000 years of church history

the gospel will go forth

and it will go on bearing fruit

even as it has across the face of this earth

but on the other hand

many of us perhaps come to this parable

with heavier hearts

and we have real challenging questions

why does my wife

why does my husband not get this

why do my children

never seem to quite make the connections

why do my co-workers

not understand the gospel

why do my classmates

not hear what I'm trying to say to them

and our heavy hearts

they're not wrong

these are hard situations

and there's nothing that I can bring out

from this parable

which will make those circumstances easier

but this does explain why these situations exist

and it does graciously liberate us

from the notion that we are in control

to save people

it reminds us that we have one job

we are to be many seed sowers

and after that the sower

has no direct influence

on what happens with that seed

people respond to the word of God

not based on how well or clever

we present the gospel

but dependent on the state of their hearts

towards the word of God

and maybe we would prefer to have a bigger role

maybe you are desperately struggling with God

because there are loved ones

who have not yet accepted the good news

about Jesus

don't give up

keep on speaking about Jesus

keep on sowing

keep on praying to God

to soften that heart

to clear away those weeds

to enable the seed of the gospel

to grow powerfully

but do not give yourself the heartache

of taking upon yourself

the task of saving a soul

that is a work too great

for any of us to bear

and these are hard questions

and they're the questions

that instantly come to us

when we come to this parable

but these aren't primarily

what Jesus is teaching

through this parable

this is a parable

that turns the lens

not to our unsaved friends

families and people around us

but this is a parable

challenging us to listen

notice verse 8

the summons for all who hear

to pay attention

to what has been said

it happens again in verse 18

at the summary of the explanation

take care then how you hear

the whole point of this passage

the parable of the soils

as well as the parable of the lamp

is that we would examine

our own hearts

not just the hearts

of our neighbours and colleagues

this parable is a tool

for self-diagnosis

and so we must be very frank

with ourselves this morning

are we listening

are we hearing

are we paying attention

to the word of God

and putting it to action

in our lives

perhaps as we think

about how we currently

interact with God's word

we find that we are

far more like the soil

beset by weeds

rather than the good soil

which will be fruitful

maybe tension at home

or stress at work

worries about money

maybe all these things

are crowding in

and strangling

our devotional lives

maybe some of us

are young in the faith

new Christians

and we're only now

starting to feel

the struggles

and trials

that are part and parcel

of the Christian life

are those trials

going to scorch you

are they going to dry you out

and leave you weathered

young Christian

or are your roots

going deep

have you invested

in your walk

with God

so that you are now

able to thrive

even in the hard times

and perhaps

there's even some of us

who have grown hard

to the word of God

we read

and we listen

week by week

and yet nothing

really impacts us

anymore

and it's very

quickly gone

from our minds

and it's a sad

reality

that could be true

for so many of us

here this morning

and these are realities

that we must face up

to

not quietly

excuse

or politely

ignore

because regardless

of how we

evaluate ourselves

the truth

will become

self-evident

maybe not today

and probably

not tomorrow

but only one

of the soils

bore a crop

from the implanted

seed

and likewise

only one response

to the word of God

will bear fruit

you see it in verse 15

don't we

the good soil

they hear the word

just like all of the

other people

and situations

that we've met

so far

but they have

a good

good heart

what does that

look like

is that just

a genetic reality

I mean

what makes

their heart

good

well the answer

is right there

what makes

their heart

good

is that

they hold

on to the word

firmly

they retain

what they have

heard

they dwell

upon that

seed

and fruit

is born

through patience

I noticed

and I couldn't

help noticing

how one of the

children answered

the question

what happened

to the seed

on the good

ground

perhaps you

noticed it as

well

the seed

fell

and it grew

and nothing

bad happened

to it

that's how we

often think of it

isn't it

we have this

unrealistic ideal

I'll become

a Christian

and everything

will be good

from then on

but this

isn't an

unrealistic

ideal

this can

be a reality

in our

lives

to have

hearts

that love

God's word

and then

that patiently

bear fruit

because of it

the same

sun will

come

the same

lack of

rain will

come to

this seed

as to the

one in the

rock

as to all

the others

but this

one has

what it

needs

to survive

this is the

goal to

strive for

so what are

we to do

maybe we

maybe many

of us

need to come

to God

afresh this

morning

we realise

that our

lives are

not matching

up to what

we would

want

perhaps we're

in some

dire need

of weeding

and ploughing

without

which we

cannot be

fruitful

Christians

it's

interesting

I came

off a

farm and

it wasn't

an arable

farm but

there were

plenty of

those around

and weeding

and ploughing

are never

pleasant

exercises

neither are

painless at

the time

but both

are for

the good

of the

soil

and both

will ultimately

be for the

good of the

harvest

so we have

this first

parable

challenging us

to listen

the parable

of the

soils

the other

little parable

here is

perhaps harder

to understand

and it's

much less

dealt with

but if we

see here

that it's a

continuation

of the

explanation

to the

previous

it becomes

just that

little bit

easier

Jesus has

just explained

that we

need to

take care

in how we

listen to

God's word

and in this

case

it's his

word

and now he

goes on to

say that we

ought to put

a lamp

in its

proper place

Jesus loves

to mix

his metaphors

but I think

as we look

at it

the seed

and the

lamp

are the

same

talking about

the same

thing

so having

accepted the

word of

God

we're not

to cover

it or to

conceal it

or to

hide it

but instead

we should

make it

prominent

so that it

may reveal

everything

going on

around it

this lamp

of God's

word

is meant

to be

in the

highest

place

so that

the light

will shine

into every

dark

corner

of the

room

and maybe

this parable

is what's

going to show

us where

we're going

wrong

maybe

just maybe

some of

us are

being exposed

to the

truth

of the

gospel

but as

soon as

that lamp

is lit

it starts

to shine

into the

darkness

of our

hearts

and it

starts to

expose

depths of

unpleasantness

that we'd

never seen

before

it's quite

possible

that as we

begin to

see the

truth of

the gospel

that light

will shine

into our

lives

and we

will see

that there

is stuff

there that

we have

hidden

for years

unexposed

sin

and our

instant response

to that

is to attempt

to cover

it

and to

hide it

and to

extinguish

the lamp

but Jesus

reminds us

that nothing

will remain

hidden

forever

no sin

will go

eternally

unexposed

at the

end of

time

we will

stand

before

God

and all

will be

shown

clearly

there will

be no

excuses

and there

will be

no

cover-ups

and so

we're

called

again

to

carefully

consider

how we

listen

to Jesus

words

to pay

attention

and to

remember

the importance

these words

hold

words

that will

never cease

to be

relevant

the warning

is compounded

with this

final statement

in verse 18

read it there

that those

who have

will gain

more

and that

those who

do not

have

will lose

everything

that they

thought

they had

Jesus

is imploring

us

not to

waste

the opportunity

to listen

to God's

word

and to

lose

everything

because of

our

carelessness

but rather

to pay

close

attention

to the

truth

of God's

word

and be

rewarded

at the

end

with

great

gain

we have

these two

parables

a clear

call

to hear

the word

and to

put it

into

practice

but very

quickly

what about

the rest

of the

passage

it's full

of people

who challenge

us to

listen

at the start

there you'll

have noticed

that Luke

introduces us

to those who are

traveling

with him

and we

find

these twelve

disciples

that we've

met many

times before

but we're

first introduced

to these

interesting

group of

women who

are with

Jesus

there's three

mentioned in

particular

and we know

little or

nothing about

each one of

them

Mary Magdalene

goes on to

become a

witness to

the resurrection

and to the

crucifixion

and she's

experienced

incredible

healing

through Jesus

ministry

Joanna

is this

lady

married to

one of

the top

civil servants

in the

region

and yet

here she

is

instead of

enjoying her

nice

comfortable

middle class

home

she's out

and about

with this

odd

bunch of

disciples

and their

rabbi

and then we

get Susanna

of whom we

know

absolutely

nothing

and a

group of

others who

are all

contributing

to the

ministry

why on

earth is

this here

why does

Luke even

mention

these

women

I think

the most

logical

answer

is that

these are

some of

the people

Luke has

interviewed

remember

that Luke

when he

was building

his gospel

didn't just

go to one

person

he did his

research

he was a

historian

and he

went and

interviewed

people

and it's

likely that

these ladies

are those

who are

still able

to verify

what went

on 20 or

30 years

earlier

these are

the witnesses

to what

Jesus taught

and what

Jesus did

and why

does he

mention them

here

because I

think they're

an example

of what

Jesus is

just about

to teach

what we've

just heard

him teach

that these

three women

and the

others

are people

who are

following

because they've

been transformed

by the word

of God

in their

lives

whether

from

demonic

possession

or from

a life

of middle

class

domestic

bliss

or from

utter

obscurity

these women

are examples

of people

who are

good soil

who have

put the

lamp of

God's word

in its

most prominent

place

in their

lives

so that

all who

come into

contact

with them

will hear

and see

the good

news

of Jesus

Christ

at the

end of

the passage

we have

this other

curious story

about Jesus

family coming

to find

him

and Jesus

response

is sometimes

read as

kind of a

curt dismissal

of his

family

but let me

ask a question

or two

here

we've just

seen all

these ladies

who are

travelling far

from their

homes

to be

with Jesus

why isn't

Jesus'

family with

him

I wonder

why is

this house

packed out

with people

but his

family aren't

making up

the numbers

I wonder

where they

land at

this stage

in the

soils

that Jesus

has just

been talking

about

and rather

than thinking

that Jesus

is dismissing

his natural

family here

look at

what he's

actually doing

he's opening

the doors

of his

family

or opening

the arms

of his

family

to everyone

and to

anyone

who would

heed

the word

of God

if we're

Christians

here this

morning

we still

benefit from

that

to

millennia

later

that we

who are

those

who hear

and do

God's

word

are accepted

into his

family

that's

incredible

the third

and final

group

is the

disciples

notice what's

said in

verses 9

and 10

they've

come

and they've

heard this

parable

and they're

unsure

they're

confused

so like

us

but Jesus

teaches them

an incredible

little lesson

right in the

middle

here

to them

these

ragtag

bunch

of fishermen

and outcasts

to them

the secrets

of the

kingdom

are given

not to the

social elite

not to the

academic

theologians

but to

these men

who have

encountered

the word

of God

and who

are being

radically

transformed

from a

random

collection

of men

into the

initial team

through which

God will bring

his saving

word to

every corner

of the

world

as we've

gathered here

this morning

we have

been given

the secrets

of the

kingdom

of God

plain as

day

written in

English

bound in

a book

we have

this incredible

opportunity

to hear

how God's

kingdom

works and

operates

and we've

heard these

incredible

truths

and so

here's the

challenge of

the disciples

to us

we've heard

the word

now what

are we

going to

do with

it

are we

too busy

and too

distracted

or are we

going to

say yes

I am

listening

and I am

going to put

this in the

right place

in my life

and do

what it

says to

me

today

we