Hear and Obey, Then Receive

Feb 14

Story of the Farmer; Luke 8:4-18.

I wonder how often Jesus told the parable of the farmer. In verse 5 seed was cast and some fell on the road, path, wayside. Strongs Concordance says the travelled road.*

Just meditating on the place the seed landed that did not produce anything is ground that was not prepared to receive seed. The soil is too hardened causing the word to be stolen. How many times has someone brought the solution to us through the teaching of the word or how often has Holy Spirit given witness in our spirit to do something (or not do something) and we selfishly harden our heart?

These are all symptoms of over traveled ground.** We get too busy to invest time, too cheap to open our wallets. We flat out spurn (Strongs g2662a) the inter witness nudging us.

I recently read something written by C. S. Lewis about removing things from your home that draw the wrong kind of atmosphere. I recently purchased a necklace that had a symbol on it that I wanted for years; it was a beautiful antique. After reading C. S. Lewis’ statements I was impressed to get rid of the necklace. One of the points C. S. Lewis was making is that we cannot hear God because we have too much junk in our homes that have evil workings associated and he said if we rid of these things we would hear from God more clearly/more often; this is not an exact quote. Basically I said to myself the necklace doesn’t represent anything nefarious to me, and I did not act. A few days went by and I felt alone, I wasn’t hearing from Holy Spirit and I realized I had not obeyed. Next I took the necklace and put it in the trash. A few minutes latter I wanted to dive into the trashcan and get the necklace back; I didn’t do it but I wanted to. Next there were some books I purchased. Holy Spirit nudged me to get rid of those as well (I got a refund for them). Next I started hearing clearer than I have in a long time. Oh how I love Jesus. Thank you Lord for giving us ears to hear.

Some of you are thinking the “wayside” has nothing to do with hearing and obeying. Well…verse 18 says “pay attention to how you listen” in the ISV and Word of God Translation, “Be careful how you hear” in KJV. As a matter of fact this parable is relayed in Matthew 13 and Mark 4. Matthew 13:43 after explaining the parable Jesus said “let the person who has ears listen(hear)” and Mark 4:9 “Let the person who has ears listen (hear)”. If Jesus wasn’t saying the harvest you get depends on you hearing (and obeying) why did Matthew, Mark and Luke bring up hearing immediately following this parable. Because when you don’t listen to the leading of Holy Spirit you are trampling him and you will not produce. So if you find yourself not hearing go back to the last thing Holy Spirit said to your spirit or the last thing he ‘highlighted’ in the word and do it. Expect your obedience to produce more fruit in your life, more understanding in your heart.

Billye Brim spoke February 5th in her prayer call about the ear you hear with is in the center of your heart. Based on this parable, if you don’t listen, the ground of your heart is too hard to receive the seed of the word of God and will not produce.

Hear and obey then expect to grow in Him.

Lk 8:4-18(ISV):

8:4 Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from every city, he said in a parable:

8:5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, were trampled on, and birds from the sky ate them up.

8:6 Others fell on stony ground, and as soon as they came up, they dried up because they had no moisture.

8:7 Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew with them and choked them.

8:8 But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted.” As he said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”

8:9 Then his disciples began to ask him what this parable meant.

8:10 So he said, “You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they are given in parables, so that ‘they might look but not see, and they might listen but not understand.’”

8:11 “Now this is what the parable means. The seed is God’s word.

8:12 The ones on the path are the people who listen, but then the devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

8:13 The ones on the stony ground are the people who joyfully welcome the word when they hear it. But since they don’t have any roots, they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away.

8:14 The ones that fell among the thorn bushes are the people who listen, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, wealth, and pleasures of life, and their fruit doesn’t mature.

8:15 But the ones on the good soil are the people who hear the word but also hold on to it with good and honest hearts, producing a crop through endurance.”

8:16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.

8:17 There is nothing hidden that won’t be revealed, and there is nothing secret that won’t become known and come to light.

8:18 So pay attention to how you listen, because to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn’t have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

*Verse 5

Road in God’s word translation

Path in the ISV translation

Wayside in KJV

Strongs Concordance: G3598-Strong

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- Original: ο ̔ δ ο ́ ς

- Transliteration: Hodos

- Phonetic: hod-os'

- Definition:

1. properly

a. a way

1. a travelled way, road

b. a travellers way, journey, travelling

2. metaph.

a. a course of conduct

b. a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding

- Origin: apparently a root word

- TDNT entry: 05:42,7

- Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

- Strong's: Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication a progress(the route act or distance); figuratively a mode or means: - journey (high-) way.

**Verse 5

Trampled in the Word of God Translation

Trampled in ISV

Trodden down in KJV

Strongs Concordance:G2662-Strong

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- Original: κ α τ α π α τ ε ́ ω

- Transliteration: Katapateo

- Phonetic: kat-ap-at-eh'-o

- Definition:

1. to tread down, trample under foot, to trample on

2. metaph. to treat with rudeness and insult

a. to spurn, treat with insulting neglect

- Origin: from G2596 and G3961

- TDNT entry: 20:40,8

- Part(s) of speech: Verb

- Strong's: From G2596and G3961; to trample down; figuratively to reject with disdain: - trample tread (down underfoot).