Good Ground

"And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, 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." Luke 8:4-10

Jesus spoke many parables in the Gospels but it is interesting to me that this is the one where we see the disciples ask what the parable means. Perhaps they asked Him many times but here it is recorded in the scriptures. Then His answer to them is recorded.

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God... But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." Luke 8:11 & 15

These people had this dynamic going on in their life to one degree or another (except for Judas) but still they needed explanation and definition. I think that is because the work God's word is doing in a person is not always apparent. It is something that requires faith because it is not seen right away.

This week a man came to church for the first time and sat in the first row. At the end of the 9am service he raised his hand at the salvation call. P Scibelli had invited him to church 100 times before he came. 100 times!

We are not guaranteed to see immediate return when we invest God Word into our own life or the lives of others but there is a dynamic that is happening none the less and by faith we have 'an ear to hear.' There will be a return... there always is a return of some kind.

The people who go to Jesus about His Word and ask... they understand that God's words are not like other words. They are seeds that contain life in them ready to do a work under the soil... the good heart has God's righteousness given to it and is aware that patience is needed for the process involved... fruit will come someday... the Gospel will do it's work.

We are sowers not transformers. We see value we don't produce value. God does and we are witnesses of His gracious glory.

Each word is like a rain drop that forms into a stream that feeds a mighty river and flows into a cycle of nourishment that returns again like rain. Each phrase a block that builds an eternal structure.

I want to invest in this investment. Jesus and His finished work become visible here when the work of the Word is functioning. No where else will that happen. No work of mine can produce that. This is God's work.