Luke 8:4-15 And when a great multitude were coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 “And other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 “And other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it, and choked it out. 8 “And other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables and then invited them to “hear”. From this point on in Luke, parables become the main vehicle of teaching. Jesus is purposely separating seekers from the curious and the hostile. Laying his meaning between the lines allows for plausible deniability.
They cannot accuse Him of outright blasphemy just yet. It is not yet the appointed time for Him to die. Jesus is looking for real seekers. We are all called to intentionally seek the Lord in order to find Him.
Prov 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search it out.
Matt 6:31-33 “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ 32 “For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. NASB
Matt 7:7-11 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! NASB
Seeking God intentionally and correctly is central to salvation. It is the glory (high purpose) of noble people to seek the Lord. Seeking the Lord correctly means seeking the kingdom more than just seeking material needs. People do not find God because they do not seek Him, or because they seek God for the wrong reasons.
We are actually commanded to “study diligently” to show ourselves approved unto God.” Our search for God and His will for our lives should be focused, diligent and intelligently done. There is a right way and a right reason to seek God if we want to be successful.
2 Tim 2:15 Study (diligently) to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. KJV
John 1:35-42 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” They came therefore and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). NASB
Ever wonder why Jesus chose the twelve disciples; i.e., these particular 12 disciples to be His closest confidantes? He chose them because they sought Him. They followed Him around trying to understand what He was about. They found the Messiah because they were looking for Him, and they were looking in the place where He could be found.
Others were looking for a high-born king with an army, and they failed to find Jesus or recognize Him as the Messiah even though He was working miracles right under their noses. These 12 men were open to the idea that the Messiah would look and sound like John the Baptist, a man they had sought out thinking he might actually be the Messiah.
John 5:30 (Jesus said) “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. NASB
Jesus teaches us how to seek God the right way and for the right reasons. Jesus sought the will of His Father, not His own will. This made him more successful at working miracles and teaching truth. Do we seek God’s will and purposes or do we seek our own will and purposes? Or both?
For years, I sought the Lord, but I also sought my own will. I found God, but I found Him very frustrating. I was seeking the wrong things; i.e., honors, recognition, and fame. I wanted Him to be my servant and to get me what I wanted. I wanted Him to be my “answer man” and solve all of my problems. I never could find that God. No one will.
Jesus told the Pharisees that even though they sought the Lord, they sought Him in the wrong way (see Jn 5:39 below). They read their Bibles diligently and carefully, but not with an open mind or a heart willing to hear. They failed to find God’s grace because they were seeking Him in the Law. They wanted to be acceptable to and respected by men. They wanted to look good to others.
The common sinner around Jesus had no such illusions. They only wanted to be reconciled to God, so they found what they were seeking in Jesus.
John 5:39-45 “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. 41 “I do not receive glory from men; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him. 44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? NASB
John 6:26-28 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.” NASB
Others failed to find relationship with the Lord because they were seeking signs and wonders. They were looking for food to fill their bellies, not their souls. They were looking for power to rescue themselves, but they should have been seeking a relationship with God. They should have been seeking eternal things, not just material things.
John 18:3-9 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth, and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 When therefore He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back, and fell to the ground. 7 Again therefore He asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the word might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom Thou hast given Me I lost not one.” NASB
Ultimately Jesus’ enemies sought Him in order to kill Him. When He did not meet their expectations, they turned on Him. Do we seek the Lord, or do we seek someone to give us what we want? When He did not justify their behaviors, they sought to silence Him. Do we seek the Lord, or do we seek to be justified? Are we seeking a Savior only or are we seeking a Lord and Master? I have been guilty of all of these mistakes.
Wesley teaches that a genuine salvation experience is a lifelong journey to find God, an ongoing seeking exercise, not a singular event. The first (or original) condition of a man (in his youth), Wesley said, is blissful, because he knows not his peril. Then he understands his peril and he is not happy. So he has to decide whether to seek God, or continue on his own way to do his own will. His decision over a lifetime leads him either to find God, or it prevents him from finding either God or salvation.
The critical decision is this: Do I leave all behind to find my God, or do I forsake the search for God in order to do my own will and have my own way in this life. What a man decides about this determines his fate.
Return to Text: Luke 8:9-15 And His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable might be. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 “And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 “And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 “And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. NAS
Genuine seekers will understand. Insincere seekers will not “get it.” They will develop “eyes that can’t see and ears that can’t hear.” Therefore, God gives them over to a depraved mind (see Rom 1:28-32).
The parable above is more about the seed than about the sower. The seed is the word of God some of which falls on the road, but the road is too hard to absorb the seed. Some of the seed falls on the rocky soil which only allows for the growth of shallow roots causing the seed to perish in difficult seasons. Some of the seed falls on the thorny soil which chokes out the seed with worries, riches and pleasures of this world as it grows.
Some of it falls on the good soil which bears much fruit in due season. Seed is a powerful force and metaphor here. It will sprout up through asphalt or concrete. It will sprout up after many years of being dormant. After the original creation, all life is generated by seed.
This parable is also a parable about the soils. Those who seek to find a relationship with God should be asking God to plow up their soil. We need to be asking the Holy Spirit to work His ministry in our hearts. He comes, Jesus said, “to teach you of me and convict you of sin.”
John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. 26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. NASB
John 16:5-16 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you. NASB
This is also a message about sanctification. This is what David was looking for after he awakened to his own deep sinfulness. This is the message of Psalm 51. It was David’s prayer and it (or something like it) needs to be our regular prayer as well, if we want God to sanctify us, and conform us to the image of His son (Rm 8:29).
Ps 51:1-4 For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight, so that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, and blameless when Thou dost judge.
David’s sinfulness caught him by surprise once he saw it clearly. He had quit seeking his relationship with God and started seeking his own will. Then he had sought out a relationship with another man’s wife. He who had begun so well had drifted off the path, a long way off, and he had failed to see it coming. Here he asks for God’s grace. He knows he deserves God’s judgment.
Notice that David asks God to remove his iniquity. He does NOT ask God to give him a pass on punishment. David wants to be restored to relationship more than anything else. His sin is ever before him and he is shocked. He acknowledges that God is just and right to punish. Even though he had offended many people, (especially Uriah the Hittite, don’t you think),his real sin is against God. David does not care what others think. He is not looking for the accolades of men.
Ps 51:5-9 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice. 9 Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
David says his sinfulness is genetic and innate. He is not blaming his mother or even Adam and Eve. He is saying that sinfulness is a natural condition to all fallen men. He is seeking God for deep cleaning (purging with hyssop), not a surface touch up. He knows that God wants holiness deep within a man, and that God is looking for “righteous bones.”
He rejoices in his having been caught and punished. It allows him to become cleansed deep down, and not just appear sinless on the surface. He wants all his “iniquities” blotted out. (Iniquities are sinful tendencies, not just sins.) David is seeking the right thing.
Ps 51:10-13 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee.
David’s prayers are clear and correct in what they seek. David wants a clean heart. He wants holiness deep within himself. David is asking for a steadfast spirit; i.e., faithfulness in following God. David is asking for sanctification. David wants God’s presence; i.e., ongoing relationship with God. He wants the Holy Spirit mediating reconciliation continuously between him and God.
He seeks to develop a willing spirit and joyful obedience. He is asking God to do that in him which he cannot do in himself. David is asking for the supernatural empowerment to do rightly. Only then can he teach others (by his life) how to live, and only then can he help reconcile others to God.
Ps 51:14-17 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise. 16 For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it. Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
David is asking God to remove his guilt over the death of Uriah. He is not asking God to just forgive his sin. David is seeking full reconciliation with God, renewed friendship. David’s theology is very insightful. He understands that Messiah removes both sin AND guilt. Real and full salvation restores functional, internal relationship with God. It does not just take away sin so we can escape Hell. When he is fully restored by God, David says, he will be able to sing again about his reconciliation. He will be able to praise God for a renewed right relationship.
David knows that God wants something more than sacrifices. God wants us to have a broken and contrite heart (spirit). God seeks our humble dependence, not false surface holiness.
Ps 51:18-19 By Thy favor do good to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then Thou wilt delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering. Then young bulls will be offered on Thine altar. NASB
David finishes by asking for the same restoration within his kingdom. He prays that God will restore Zion; i.e., the people of God as a whole. He prays that God will rebuild the spiritual walls of Jerusalem. Only then will the sacrifices of God’s people be acceptable. Only then will good works have any real merit.
David has learned a lot from his sin and its exposure. Do we want America restored? We the people of God must seek what David is seeking. Only then will “Zion’s walls” be rebuilt, and its good works count for anything.
Return to text: Luke 8:16-18 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, in order that those who come in may see the light. 17 “For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. 18 “Therefore, take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that God will eventually reveal all things to all men, including to themselves. Whatever is hidden in our lives will come out, both good and evil. What we are, will be exposed eventually, even in this lifetime. Therefore, we should walk carefully before the Lord. We should listen to God and to His “word” carefully.
If we put a basket or a bedstead over a flame, it will eventually set our house on fire. It will burn away all attempts to hide it. Eventually what we are will be evident to all. It will be “on a lampstand for all to see.”
We need to take care what is in our hearts. When the time comes for all to be judged, or when the time comes for us to be exposed, when the prophet whirls on us and declares, “Thou art the man!;” i.e., (This is who you really are!), those who “have” a relationship with the Lord will receive more of Him and be healed. Those who have not a relationship will lose even what little pretense they have.
Luke 8:19-21 And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
In every gospel, Jesus tells us the prophet is not without honor except in his own home (Mt 13:57; Mk 6:1-4; Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44). The prophet’s neighbors’ preconceived notions make it difficult for them to find God in Him. Here in verse 19, Jesus’ family was seeking Him, but not for the right reasons. “They’re coming to take me away, uh huh, they’re coming to take me away (80’s song ?).” His brothers apparently thought he had gone off the deep end. They questioned the validity of His ministry (Jn 7:1-5). Jesus issues a stinging rebuke to His immediate family. This story is told in all three synoptic gospels (Mt 12, Mk 3, Lk 8:20).
We must not seek God in order to remake Him in our image. We need to seek God to let Him remake us in His image. We must seek Him as a sinner who needs remodeling, not as one who comes demanding He perform for us. We must seek to have a relationship with God, but we must seek to do so in the right way, or we will find ourselves frustrated in our attempts and not know why we cannot find Him, or why our life is not what it should be.
But God is good and He will reveal all things to us if we will only seek His face, and seek Him with a right heart.
Luke 8:22-25 Now it came about on one of those days, that He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” NAS
Even Jesus’ closest followers and most revealed disciples did not get Him yet, because they still sought him wrongly. It takes focus, desire and studious searching to understand God.
First we have to decide that we need Him and the work is worth it. Then we need to ask God to reveal Himself as our friend and Father. We are seeking the relationship had by
Adam, Eve, Abel, Seth, Enos, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Deborah, Ruth, David, Isaiah, Esther, Peter (eventually), Stephen, Barnabas and Paul to name a few.
Jesus here calls His followers and us to a certain faith-based logic. Did they really think that God was going to drown the Messiah? Did they think that His previous statements about their future calling were now going to be flushed down the drain in a boat accident? Are they listening? (Are we?) Do these men really know Jesus at all, or do they just think they understand Him?
Abraham really understood God. Abraham felt free to execute Isaac because he believed that God would raise him up from the dead. Abraham’s relationship with God was about love of God, not about having someone to protect him from trouble. However, God had promised to give him descendants as numerous as the stars, so even if he killed Isaac,
Abraham knew the boy would not stay dead.
Heb 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18 it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19 He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type. NASB
We were created to seek and find God. We were (most of us) given “70 years and by reason of strength 80” to accomplish that task. He put His calling into our hearts and revealed His presence in the natural world all around us (Rom 1:20). He installed His Torah in our hearts in the form of a conscience that bears witness to us of basic right and wrong (Rom 2:14-16), a moral compass designed to steer us to Him. He would that “all men would be saved” (1 Tim 2:3-4).
Therefore, based on all of this (and as the Bibles says), we are without excuse for not finding Him (Rom 1:20). All we have to do is to seek Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. If we seek Him, we will find Him, Jesus said. In fact the first and greatest commandment is to know God with all of our hearts, our souls and our minds.
Many of us can and do stumble around in the dark trying to find the light like a baby stuck in the birth canal. The difficulties of human existence provide all of us with the “contractions” that suggest a sense of urgency to be set free, to find God’s light.
Jesus teaches us to ask the Lord to make us more efficient seekers of the Lord. He tells us to ask God to plow up our soil so the word can take root more easily and grow in us more efficiently. David is recommended to us as a man after God’s own heart, partly because he sought the Lord to give him a clean heart and a right spirit.
Jesus tells us that God is the goal of our seeking, not the means to an end. Jesus lives to do God’s will and tells us to seek the Lord to make us better hearers and doers of God’s will.
God not only implants within us the impetus to find Him, He also reveals the way in His word (the scriptures) and through His Word, Jesus. Millions of Old Testament saints sought and found God even without the witness of Jesus and without the Holy Spirit in their daily lives. We, on the other hand, have been given both the witness of Jesus AND the Holy Spirit. God does all the work of salvation for us if we will ask Him, seek Him; i.e., choose to look for Him.
The right way to seek the Lord is to seek Him for his own sake, not just because we want something; e.g., salvation, signs and wonders and/or satisfaction for our desires. We will find Him easier if we seek Him correctly. Jesus sought the Father so He could do the Father’s will and be in God’s presence. When Jesus did ask for something
it was according to the Father’s will and for the sake of others. He did not seek God selfishly, so He found God more fully and more easily. Therein lie the lessons of this blog.