The orientation of my heart affects my landing!

Bible Message: Luke 8:5-8, 11-15

I know most of you are not farmers, and you are city boys and city girls. However, most of you have a backyard at home. Some of you have a balcony that you can grow a few pots of plants. If you tell me I don’t grow anything at home, then congratulation as it is even easier for you to absorb the farming style in Jesus time in rural Judea and Galilee in order to grasp onto the parable of “Sower and oils” as you don’t have any assumption of modern gardening concept struggling at the back of your brain. For those who have gardening knowledge of modern time, you may want to temporarily put down modern technique such as ploughing the dirt loose before fertilizing the soil, watering the soil before placing the seed in the centred of the pot, then cover it up evenly with two inches of rich top soil. I really mean temporarily put down those concepts until you understand the parable of “Sower and oils”, but not to forget so you won’t blame me if your rose doesn’t blossom or your apple produces pears instead of apples.

“In Palestine, sowing came before ploughing”[1] The fashion of sowing was broadcast sowing which the operator scattered seeds over a considerable breadth of surface. After broadcast sowing the farmers ploughed the seeds into the soil. Since it was broadcast sowing, the seeds were spread broadly. “Seed which fell right at the edge of the field where it would not be ploughed in, remained available for the birds”. [2] Some seed laid on rocky ground that the plough could not able to dig through; therefore remained thinly under the soil but close the surfaced, “not allowing sufficient depth of soil for successful growth” [3]. Also, some seeds fell among thorns areas which choked them from growing. Of course, there were seeds grew into productive crops. Now, we can see four kinds of soil but of same kind of seed. Therefore we have four kinds of soil which led to four different results:

1. Roadside, which seeds were being eaten up by birds
2. Rocky ground, which grew fast and withered fast due to being rootless
3. Among thorns, which grew but choked to death
4. Good soil, which grew into productive crops

The story is not teaching us farming techniques. If it was being read literally, one will miss the point of the story. The story is a parable. “The word ‘parable’ comes from two Greek words (para and ballō), which together mean ‘to throw alongside.’ A parable, like an illustration, makes a comparison between a known truth and an unknown truth; it throws them alongside each other. In the first of seven parables in this chapter Jesus told about a farmer who sowed seed in his field. The emphasis in the story is on the results of the sowing”^[4]: seeds being eaten up by birds, seeds grew fast and withered fast due to being rootless, seeds grew but choked to death, and seeds grew into productive crops.

"The seed is the word of God." What is the word of God? Have you heard of the Gospel? Have you heard that Jesus Christ, God became flesh and blood, being born among us who Himself had lived through the joy, anger, sadness, and pain in life. Jesus was being rejected because his righteousness that he was being betrayed and hated, and finally hung on the cross to die for our sins? God’s only son, God Himself, died for our sins in order to redeem us from everlasting death into eternal lives. If you repent and believe in Him by letting Christ to live in your heart and allowing Him to be your guidance, you will receive the gift of salvation. Your sin will be forgiven, you are able to forgive others, and your heart will be set free by the Lord. Gospel is the word of God. “The people’s responsibility was to accept the message which both Jesus and John were preaching. Four kinds of people are represented by the four soils. All four kinds receive the same news.

1. The first group consists of those who hear but do not believe at all, because of the work of the devil (v. 12).
2. The second group is those who listen and rejoice but then do not stick with the truth of the message for they have no root (v. 13). The fact that they believe for a while but . . . fall away means that they only accept the facts of the Word mentally and then reject it when “the going gets rough.” It does not mean they lose their salvation, for they had none to lose.
3. The third group is those who listen but never come to maturity (v. 14). These may be those who are interested in Jesus’ message but who cannot accept it because of their devotion to material things—life’s worries, riches, and pleasures.
4. The fourth group consists of those who listen, retain the Word, and . . . produce a crop (v. 15), that is, they bear spiritual fruit, evidence of their spiritual life. Their hearts were changed for they were noble and good. ”^[5]

“As Jesus’ ministry progressed, it was evident that each of these groups surfaced: (1) The Pharisees and religious leaders refused to believe. (2) Some people rallied around Jesus because of His miracles of healing and feeding but refused to stay with His message (e.g., John 6:66). (3) Others, such as the rich ruler (Luke 18:18-30), were interested in Jesus but would not accept Him because of the strong pull of materialism. (4) Others followed Him and were committed to His Word regardless of the cost (e.g., 8:1-3).”^[6]

You may close your eyes and visualize that there is a tiny piece of seed in your heart – "which the seed is the word of God": the Gospel.

If you heard the Gospel, and you have accepted and believed in Christ to be your personal saviour, then your seed wan not lying on the roadside to be eaten by birds. Else, allow Holy Spirit moves to open your heart to Christ and allow Him to guide your heart at all time, so that He will forgive your sins and set your heart free. You have a window of opportunity that your salvation will be secured by believing in Christ.

If you enjoy listening to the Gospel and had “rationally” believed in Christ for a while; however, later on difficulties in life such as health, career, and personal relationship problems shake up one's faith in Him. Then one better pays attention on rooting oneself down in God's word. I urge you to put your hearts, not your mind, into prayers and devotion.

If your life's worries, riches and pleasures have been taken as higher priority than Jesus' teachings, then do pay attention to your spiritual growth: is your worship true? Beware of false worship! Similar to the third group, I urge you to put your hearts into prayers and devotion. Meditate on “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33), and God will look after you needs (not wants) will be supplied in God's timing. This is to experience trust and reliance on God alone.

Now the fourth group: listen, retain the Word and produce a crop. I am not a plant, how can I produce crops? Everyone knows this must be a figure of speech. A crop produces spiritual fruit. You may refer to Galatians 5:22-23 “the fruit of the Spirit is

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self-control”

They are all important ingredients of character and relationship building. An editable fruit, not to say that you are to be eaten up by your friends, but your spiritual fruits that will bring peace and joy to others, so hopefully others will be attracted to your source, and get to know Christ and gain spiritual growth.

Have anyone of you see a tropical fruit called durain? Here I have a picture of it. (Click here to view picture of a durain)

It is filled with spikes and really difficult to handle, and when you open it, if you are not use the smell, the smell is pretty pungent. Probably a spiritual fruit has nothing resembling a durain, which spiking people around, and your mouth is open (I don’t mean bad breathe) everyone starts running away as fast as they can.

You may picture a spiritual fruit would be a fruit filled with favourable aroma even before you cut it open. A fruit that you wish to keep in your room forever as you love the aroma that is it releasing. A fruit that will not loose it flavour regardless of temperature. A fruit filled with nutrition. A fruit that is approachable.

I pray that every one of us here has great desire to land as the fourth group of seed – able to tune our hearts into listening to God regardless of circumstances and worldly distraction, through prayers, devotion and Bible reading, faithfully retaining His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit - choose to land into good soil and with joy in Christ producing spiritual fruits abundantly. Amen.

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[1] Zondervan Handbook to The Bible, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2002), p.607

[2] R.T. France, The New International Greek Testament Commentary – The Gospel of Mark, (WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids/Cambridge), p.191

[3] R.T. France, The New International Greek Testament Commentary – The Gospel of Mark, (WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids/Cambridge), p.191

[4]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:48-49

[5]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:225

[6]Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:225-226