Knowing the Word in Luke 8:4-8, The Parable of the Sower

As Jesus’ ministry is growing larger, he is becoming an increasingly popular preacher who is looking for more than superficial adherence. He begins to intensify his use of parables and stories to make a point to his followers. In this familiar Parable of the Sower, we need to know that Palestinian farmers sowed first and ploughed afterward. This explains the generous and seemingly haphazard spreading of the seeds. The explanation of this parable comes next week.

4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “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. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 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.”

Prayer:

O Lord, heavenly Father, in whom is the fulness of light and wisdom, enlighten our minds by thy Holy Spirit, and give us grace to receive thy word with reverence and humility, without which no one can understand thy truth, for Christ’s sake.

John Calvin, 1509-1564