"The Parable of the Sower" Luke 8:1-15

The seed without the soil is fruitless, and the soil without the seed is almost useless. The human heart is like soil: if it is prepared properly, it can receive the seed of the Word of God and produce a fruitful harvest. In this passage Jesus described four different kinds of hearts, three of which did not produce any fruit. The proof of salvation is fruit and not merely hearing the Word or making a profession of faith in Christ. Jesus had made that clear in His "Sermon on the Mount" (Luke 6:43-49).

Hard Soil: Represents the person who hears the Word but immediately allows the devil to snatch the seed away.

The Shallow Soil: Illustrates the emotional hearer who quickly responds to the message, but he quickly loses interest and does not continue. In many places in Israel you find a substratum of limestone covered with a thin layer of soil. The shoot can grow up, but the roots cannot go down, and the sun withers the rootless plant. The sun represents the testing that comes to all professing believers to prove their faith. The sun is good for plants if they have roots. Persecution can deepen the roots of a true Christian, but it only exposes the shallowness of the false Christian.

The Crowded Soil: Illustrates the person who does not repent and "weed out" the things that hinder the harvest. There is enough soil so the roots can go down, but not enough room for the plant to grow up and produce fruit. the plant is crowded out and the fruit is choked. The person with the crowded heart comes closest to salvation, but he still does not bring forth "fruit to perfection."

The Good Soil: Alone is fruitful. It illustrates the individual who hears the Word, understands it, receives it within and is truly saved, and proves it by patiently producing fruit. Not everybody produces the same amount of fruit but all true believers will produce some fruit as evidence of spiritual life. That fruit may include winning others to Christ (Rom. 1:13). Financially supporting the work of the Lord (Rom. 15:25-28), good works (Col.1:10), Christian character (Gal. 5:22-23), and praise to the Lord (Heb. 13:15).

This parable shows that Jesus was not impressed by the great crowds that followed Him. He knew that most of the people did not really "hear" the Word and receive it in their hearts. He gave this story to encourage the disciples in their future ministry, and to encourage us today. When you consider how much teaching, and preaching in the course of a month or a year, you wonder why there is such a small harvest. The fault does not lie with the sower or the seed. The problem is with the soil. The human heart will not submit to God, repent, and receive the Word and be saved. Close with this as you think of your life what kind of growth are you producing in your own life?