Luke 8:1-15
1Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
4When a great crowd gathered 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 on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. 7Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!"
9Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that 'looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.'
11"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12The ones on 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. 13The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. 14As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones 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. 15But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
3 comments:
This one of my favorite parables because it reminds me that the biblical is my story. Mine to relate to, mine to care for, mine from God.
And, I can do with it what I want. which reminds me of the journey. THere are probably times when I have fallen into all these sower categories. They have been my journey with God.
It is interesting to see how our own spiritual journey can relate to the time and energy we put into our spiritual care, it can be about how the Bible changes in meaning depending on where we are in life etc. I guess this parable just makes me think about who I want to be with God. What kind of sower am I now?
I've always liked the way this has described my faith journey. And it always makes me stop and think which of these am I doing right now? I usually feel like I am one of those that fell on the rocks, no roots or in the thorns, too many distractions. (I have a feeling I'm doing better than I think. :-)
OK, so I've read this lots of times, and only this time was I struck by the seed which fell on the path, the rocks and in the thorns. Have you ever met a person whose story of their life just blew you away? I have such admiration for those of us (most of us?) who were the seeds who landed in less than optimal soil... and how so often such fruit is yielded despite the odds.
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