(08-10-05) Parable of the Sower - Luke 8.4-15
Parable of the Sower – Luke 8:4-15
· No gardener
o certainly no farmer!
§ growing water-cress in school!
§ looking after Anna’s vegetable patch / herb garden!
o but I know you need good seed and good soil / dw i’n gwybod bod angen had a pridd da
o ideally, good weather as well, but you take what you’re given and make the most of it!
· Jesus’ parable about “the secrets of the kingdom of God”
o good seed
§ “The seed is the word of God” (v11)
· well, no problems there, then
o good soil
§ four possible types of soil
· Seed on the path (v5b)
o blackberry picking on the coastal path
§ doedd dim ar y llwybr / none on the path; all to the side – obviously!
o trampled; eaten by birds
§ the Word is taken from them by the deceiver (v12)
· deceived about the truth of the Gospel
· simply unwilling to believe Jesus’ claims about Himself
· Seed on rock (v6)
o no moisture; withered
§ no root; fall away after testing (v13)
· the Gospel turns our world upside down / mae’r Efengyl yn troi ein byd ar ei ben
· only strong roots can handle that
o recent strong winds
o not just the strongest roots, but the firmest ground
o but roots, nonetheless
· willing to root ourselves in Christ
o not the peripherals of faith – the heart of it
· Seed among thorns (v7)
o choked by them
§ worries, riches, pleasure; no maturity (v14)
· part of the upside-down world is simplicity of life
· rydym yn cofio, adeg y cynhaeaf, fod Duw yn cyflenwi ein anghenion / at harvest we remember that God provides all our needs
§ Dewi Roberts → Mother Theresa: “You don’t know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you’ve got”
· Good soil (v8)
o yields a crop
§ hear, retain and persevere (v15)
o soil free from the threat of being trampled; not too shallow and rocky to root into and without thorns to choke us
§ yet perseverance is required
§ faith needs to be active
Prayer
· Remind us always of the truth of the Gospel
· Help us to be rooted in Jesus, Your Word
· Free us from the thorns of worry about riches and pleasure