Luke 8:4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable. 5 “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. 6 Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. 8 Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9 Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”
10 He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. (Isaiah 6:9) 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation. 14 That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.
16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed; nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
After telling the crowd a parable, the disciples asked Jesus to explain it to them. But before answering them Christ refers to the prophecy of Isaiah, which taught that the Pharisees and other religious leaders, though they see the miracles of Christ and hear his teaching, will be unable to understand that he is the Messiah. On the other hand, God has ordained that the mysteries of God’s Kingdom would be revealed to and understood by Christ’s disciples.
This relates back directly to the raising of the young man from the dead. Luke 7:11-17 We are all dead in our trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1 Through no merit of our own, God, by his grace, chooses to give some life while leaving others, in this case the Pharisees, the freedom to follow the desires of their hearts; desires which are frequently self-centered and evil.
In this parable a farmer is broadcasting seed by reaching into his bag and throwing handfuls out on his field. Some of the seeds land on the hard packed road. These represent the people who are more interested in following the devil than in following Christ. Some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1
Some of the seeds fall among the rocks where they can establish no root system. These represent the people who quickly abandon the joy they first felt when they were invited into Christ’s Kingdom. They quickly forget their joy when they are faced with the temptation to follow their sinful desires. Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
Some seeds fall among the thorns where they are choked out. These represent the people who are more interested in the riches and pleasures of life than in following Jesus. For Delmas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 2 Timothy 4:10
Some seeds fall on good, rich soil, where they take root and grow to maturity. These represent the people who hold onto the truth tightly and produce fruit with perseverance.
As the Psalmist taught:
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.
Psalm 92:12-15
What soil best describes your life, the road, the rocks the thorns, or the rich soil?
Those who have sunk their roots deep into Christ and his Word will flourish and bear fruit all of their lives, even into their old age. They are solid and strong in the faith like a mighty old growth cedar tree. Their deeds and lives will display the evidence of true repentance in the fruit of humility and righteousness as they think of others more highly than they think about themselves. Philippians 2:3
This is exactly the same warning that John the Baptist gave to the Pharisees: Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke 3:8-9 Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God accepts you because of your pedigree.
Christ, next, illustrates his point about bearing fruit for the Kingdom by pointing out that no one lights a lamp and then hides it under a container so that the light does not shine out illuminating the world. If you have come to Christ, the light of the world, John 8:12, you will be changed, and those changes in attitude, affections, and purpose in life, should be visible to all. In your hearts set Christ apart as holy—acknowledging Him and giving Him first place in your lives as Lord. Then always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance that is within you… 1 Peter 3:15
As the parable of the sower illustrates, on the one hand, the devil and the world have many distractions ready to tempt people away from Christ. But on the other hand, those who have repented of their sins and made Christ their Lord have been given the light of truth, the light of a relationship with their Creator and everlasting life, beginning now and extending into eternity. We have the sure hope and confident assurance that the world longs for. Why would we ever want to hide this amazing gift from others? It is our privilege, our commission, our responsibility, to tell everyone, in the hope that God would be pleased to use our testimony to draw others to himself, welcoming them into his family.
Luke 8:19 His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd. 20 Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”
Who are the mother and brothers of Christ? Who are the members of Christ’s family? Christ takes the opportunity of his family visiting him to drive home the point that anyone who has repented and made him the Lord of their life is a member of his family. Christ counts those who have come to him as his brothers and sisters. This is known as the doctrine of adoption.
Those that are justified, God graciously granted, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption: by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have His name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father; yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.
(Westminster Confession of Faith, Of Adoption)
You are the brothers and sisters of Christ, your Creator and Savior, who now stands before God the Father making intercession on your behalf. Hebrews 7:25 You are an heir, counted among the family of God as a beloved child. Romans 8:17 Only in Christ have all nations, peoples, ethnicities, and sexes been brought together into one family.
Why would you ever want to hide the light of that truth under a basket?