Luke 8:1-21

Soon afterward, Jesus began a ministry tour throughout the country, visiting cities and villages to announce the wonderful news of God’s kingdom. His twelve disciples traveled with him as did a number of women who had been healed of many illnesses and set free from demonic power. One of the women was Mary who was from the village of Magdala, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. Among the women were Susanna and Joanna, the wife of Chusa, who managed King Herod’s household. Many other women who supported Jesus’ ministry from their own personal finances also traveled with him. Massive crowds gathered from many towns to hear Jesus, and he taught them using metaphors and parables, such as this: “A farmer went out to sow seeds for a harvest. As he scattered his seeds, some of them fell on the hard pathway and were quickly trampled down and unable to grow and became nothing but bird seed. Some fell on the gravel, and though they sprouted they couldn’t take root; it withered for lack of moisture. Other seeds fell where there was nothing but weeds. They too were unable to grow to full maturity, for the weeds choked them out. Yet some of the seeds fell into good, fertile soil, and they grew and flourished until they produced more than a hundredfold harvest, a bumper crop.” Then Jesus added, shouting out to all who would hear, “Listen with your heart and you will understand!” Later his disciples came to him privately to ask him what deeper meaning they could find in this parable. He said, “You have been given a teachable heart to perceive the secret, hidden mysteries of God’s kingdom realm. But to those without a listening heart, my words are merely stories. Even though they have eyes, they are blind to the true meaning of what I say, and even though they listen, they won’t receive full revelation. “Here, then, is the deeper meaning to my parable: The word of God is the seed that is sown into hearts. The hard pathway represents the hard hearts of those who hear the word of God but the slanderer quickly snatches away what was sown in their hearts to keep them from believing and experiencing salvation. The seeds falling on gravel represents those who initially respond to the word with joy, but soon afterward, when a season of difficulty and harassment of the enemy comes to them, they wither and fall away, for they have no root in the truth and their faith is temporary. The seeds that fall into the weeds represents the hearts of those who hear the word of God but their growth is quickly choked off by their own anxious cares, the riches of this world, and the fleeting pleasures of this life. This is why they never become mature and fruitful. The seed that fell into good, fertile soil represents those lovers of truth who hear it deep within their hearts. They respond by clinging to the word, keeping it dear as they endure all things in faith. This is the seed that will one day bear much fruit in their lives.” “No one lights a lamp and then hides it, covering it over or putting it where no one sees its light. No, he places the lamp on a lampstand so others benefit from its brightness. Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light. So pay careful attention to your hearts as you listen to my teaching, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows. And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine themselves to have will be taken away.” Jesus’ mother and his brothers came to where Jesus was teaching, but they couldn’t get through the crowd that had gathered around him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak with you.” Jesus told the crowd, “These who come to listen to me are like my mother and my brothers. They’re the ones who long to hear God’s words and put them into practice.”