Reading:
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. Now the parable is
this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they
that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of
their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the
rock are
they,
which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no
root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have
heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures
of this
life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 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.
Commentary:
In this parable, the first group of people are hearers only
of the Word. The seed (Word) lies only on the surface of their
heart, but is quickly taken away by the devil. Luther says these
"hearts hardened by the worldly ideas and life, lose the Word
and let it escape that they never understand it." The second
class of hearers, are they who believe for a while (and note their
great joy), but "in time of temptation fall away." When
truly hard times begin (persecution, great sickness, estrangement of
family), they don't endure hardness as a good soldier, but they take
flight, fall away. The third class believe for a while, but are
choked "with cares and riches and pleasures of life." They
put family, honor among men, love of worldly life, profession above
and over Christ, and the hearing of His Word in church. They allow
the world to choke out their faith. The fourth group however are
those believers who persevere through all trials and temptation unto
the end, even bringing forth abundant fruit. They run their race
with patience, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their
faith.
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