Luke 8:16-25
Today our passage, I believe, is a direct continuation of the parable of the soil discussed last week. In order to better understand our passage, I want to go back to Luke 8:5.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." – Luke 8:5-8
The disciples, as was often the case, had no idea what He was talking about, so Jesus explained it to them. He first explained that the seed represented the word of God. Picking up with Luke 8:12,
Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. – Luke 8:12-14
I have highlighted the word “hear” in this passage, because I think it is important in what follows. Here we have three groups of people. Each of them has heard the word of God. One group heard the word but allowed the devil to come and take the word away, to nullify it in their lives. They had never opened their hearts up so that the word could sink in at all. Seed on a public path is open to being trampled, and indeed, the devil came along and trampled their seed before it could grow and blossom into anything.
The second group also heard the word but only opened up their hearts a little, but because their hearts were hard, lock rocks, God’s word could not sink down deep; and as a result, they fell away in testing, just like how a plant without roots cannot survive even the slightest drought.
And the third group also heard the word but they became more interested in worldly thoughts – pleasures and worries – and as a result, the word was choked in their life and did not produce fruit. Now consider how the parable continues:
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. – Luke 8:15-18a
You can see that I have partitioned this passage differently than the way most Bibles do. It is important to remember that the divisions between paragraphs in the New Testament are not really there – they are choices of editors made to make the passages more readable. Each book of the New Testament reads as a continuous letter from beginning to end.
I have lumped together everything up to the first half of verse 18 because I believe Jesus is still talking about the parable. Why do I believe this? Because of the “therefore” in verse 18 and because the point of the “therefore” is to consider carefully how you listen, or hear. Which group of people are you in, one of three fruitless groups, or the fourth group? Let’s talk about this group.
Once again, these people heard the word of God. There hearts are not hard, but soft to God – Jesus says they are good and noble hearts – and the word sinks down deep into these hearts and sprouts, producing a plant that grows and grows and grows and begins to produce fruit. As Fred explained last week, one thing that makes fruit not a vegetable is the fact that it too contains seeds! In other words, when the word of God really takes root and grows in a person’s heart, the ultimate result is that this person becomes another seed planter! They scatter their seed that has grown from the fruit in their lives, and some of this seed takes root and produces fruit in these people’s lives and so on and so on and so on!
This past weekend Fred, Aaron, and I went to a leadership conference in Savannah where the leadership of our sister Great Commission churches got together and spent time in prayer, encouraging one another, and planning for the future. These times are always uplifting and encouraging, and one reason for this is that we can see the result of seeds from fruit from seeds from fruit from seeds planted by our church in the last 30 or so years. I say this not to boast about Clemson Community Church, but to boast about God! He is the one who causes all the seed to grow and produce fruit.
Now, how does this discussion about lamps and stands fit in with this parable? Again, I believe it is a part of the parable because the “therefore” ties it all together in verse 18. I think it helps to understand what the lamps at the time of Jesus were like. The images above and below show what the most common “everyday” lamps looked like.
A typical lamp was a small clay container shaped sort of like a teapot. It had two holes, a center hole (like where the lid of a teapot would be) where oil would be poured in, and an offset hole (like where the spout of a teapot would be) that would contain the wick and would be where the flame would exist. These lamps were small, not much larger than an outstretched hand.
What does the lamp have to do with the good soil that produces fruit? Jesus also used the word picture of a lamp in a similar manner in Matthew 5.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. – Matt. 5:14-16
Jesus wants us to understand that part of the process of becoming people in the good soil is that we will scatter seed. People cannot be “seeded” unless they hear the word of God. As we saw, each of the four groups heard the word of God. What if we grow in the Lord and don’t scatter our seed? We become like people who hide their lamps under the bed or in a jar or under a bowl. Jesus says don’t do this! Put your lamp on the lampstand, where it was always meant to be.
How do we apply this? Am I saying that we all need to be like Jesus and stand on the street corners and shout out the gospel? No. For each of this will look different, but it is a process, and if you truly are in the good soil and are working to stay there, you will find that God will grow you step by step in seed scattering or in “lamp standing,” however you want to think about it. When I think about our sister churches, I believe this is one of our key distinctives. Our churches are infused with an energy and excitement for sharing their faith in day to day life. And by sharing their faith, I mean something much more than simply inviting people to church, although inviting people to church is a good thing. It is quite appropriate that our association of churches is called Great Commission Churches!
I want you to understand that Jesus is saying that this is not an optional thing. People planted in the good soil begin to produce seed-bearing entities that we call fruit. Being fruitful means that you are scattering seed. As Fred mentioned last week, fruit is also sweet. Being fruitful also means that the wholesomeness and joy of Christ in your life is attractive to unbelievers. When I was an unbeliever, shortly before I was saved, God put a number of people in my life who were like this. I saw their joy, their peace, their love. I knew I wasn’t like this at all, and I wanted to be around them. But I didn’t think I could be like them at all – I knew who I was, and it was nothing like them. How many of you like grapefruit? I love grapefruit! But I am allergic to grapefruit. I can not enjoy grapefruit unless I am willing to be miserable shortly afterwards. That is how I felt in the presence of these people – I wanted to taste their fruit for myself, but I thought it was impossible. If these people had “hidden their lamp under the bed,” I would have remained in this belief, and perhaps even to this day I would have given up any hope of being like them. But they scattered their seeds, and those seeds germinated, and by God’s grace, found their way to fertile soil deep in my heart.
Here is this portion of the passage again:
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. – Luke 8:15-18a
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” What does this mean?
Many have taken this verse to say that it is talking about how secret sins will be revealed, and how all our deeds, including secret ones, will be laid bare before God in the judgement days. This is certainly true, but I don’t believe this is what Jesus meant when he said it here.
I believe the answer is found by studying the context of this passage. Jesus has just told his disciples a parable, and the crowds didn’t get it, by and large, and the disciples didn’t get it either. The disciples asked Jesus to explain it to them, and unlike some Asian religions where mystical, cryptic passages are left that way, Jesus openly explained what this parable was all about. And as time when on, as we will see as we continue our study in Luke, Jesus explained everything about who He was and what His mission was on earth – to die on the cross. Indeed, Jesus was saying, there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Jesus was saying, “Look, disciples! I call you to be the good soil! Let My word take hold in your heart and produce fruit. Then raise up the lamp so others can see; in other words, share My words with others. In time, I will tell you everything. Nothing will remain a mystery to you. Share everything with them!”
And then Jesus ends His plea with this: “Therefore, consider carefully how you listen.” The word for “carefully” can also be translated “take heed” or “beware.” This brings to mind again the fate of the three groups of people who were not the good soil. Jesus completes this thought with a warning:
Therefore, consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him. – Luke 8:18
We need to allow God’s word to attack our sin nature! We need to allow it to cut into us and kill those parts of us that are not of Him. We shouldn’t just listen and slough off what is said. As James said so vividly:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. – James 1:22-24
Can you imagine a man who has an intense headache and decides to look in the mirror just to see if he is pale, or looks sick, and finds that there is a knife sticking into his head! Imagine if he said, “Huh! I wonder how that got there. Oh, well…” and he goes off and forgets all about it. He goes to the store, and notices that people look at him and run away screaming, and he thinks that is kind of strange, but shrugs and goes on doing his shopping. Forgive me for being graphic, but he notices there is a red trail that seems to follow him wherever he goes, but again, he shrugs, wincing because he still has this intense headache. Later he goes home and dies. This is a vivid picture, but I think it captures what James, and Jesus, here in Luke, are trying to tell us. God’s Word is a mirror into our lives. We need to gaze deeply, consider carefully, and apply what we hear, change what we do. We need to look into that mirror and say, “Oh, Lord, help me! I have a knife sticking into my head! Show me what to do!”
To summarize what we have read so far:
1. Hear God’s word. This means to come to church on Sundays, but it also means to read God’s word daily for yourself.
2. Scatter God’s word. This means to not hide what God is teaching you, but share it with those around you, at work, to your family, to your friends, share it everywhere.
3. Do God’s word. When you read “don’t …” then don’t do that. When you read “do…” or “go…” or any other action word, do what it says. Do it in God’s strength, bathed with prayer.
These are basic truths, but this is what this passage is saying. If you notice, Jesus has said this over and over, because people don’t want to apply it to them. They don’t want to hear the message, particularly the part about doing. We need to be sure we are not like these people. If, during this message, God reminds you of something you should be doing but aren’t, or of something you shouldn’t be doing but are, write it down! And then, later today, spend time with the Lord in prayer about this thing and commit to change. Remember the man with the knife in his head!
Continuing on with the passage:
Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." – Luke 8:19-21
Does this sound harsh? I think it was a shocking thing to say, but not necessarily harsh. Jesus’ answer was not directed to His mother and brothers; indeed, it is possible that they couldn’t even hear Him because they were so far away. Jesus’ answer is directed to the person who told Him that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to see Him.
I am tempted to read something into this passage. I picture this person saying this in a derogatory way, as a way to put Jesus down. I picture him saying something like “Hey, boy, your Mommy’s here with the rest of the family! Have you been a naughty boy?”
Was this the tone of the questioner? We don’t know, but this kind of put down was common in Jesus’ ministry. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”
Jesus’ response was direct and blunt to this man. He said, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” The implication, if this man did have this nasty attitude is, “And you, sir, are not My brother.”
The implications of this verse cut both ways. If you do, after hearing God’s word, put it into practice, then you are Jesus’ brother (or sister). Amazing! Wonderful! But if you don’t, then you aren’t.
And so we get this message:
4. To Jesus, doers of the word are like closest family. I don’t know about you, but I want this! I want the God of the Universe to say, “Hey, Brother!” or “Good to see you, Sister!” How incredible and awesome is that!
Throughout this entire chapter, including the parable itself, the explanation of the parable, the discussion of the lampstand, and the discussion with the man in the crowd regarding Jesus’ mother and brothers, we get the same message. Lots of people hear the word of God, but hearing isn’t enough. We need to be the good soil. We need to be doers of the word. And part of that doing is scattering seed.
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" – Luke 8:22-24a
Now we move into a completely different story from Jesus’ life. The picture below, one we have seen before, shows a typical fishing boat. Notice that they were wide, flat-bottomed boats. In smooth water, the wideness provided stability, and the flatness allowed the boats to be easily moved into shallow water so that the fish that were caught could be easily unloaded.
Imagine the situation: a nice warm sunny day, the air pretty still, the lake glassy, the tiny waves lapping rhythmically and quietly against the side of their boat. And in this peaceful environment, Jesus fell asleep.
We tend to forget that Jesus was fully human as well as fully God. Perhaps on this day He was exhausted. We don’t know this, but we do know that He was a sound sleeper, if He was able to sleep through the coming storm.
The Sea of Galilee is a relatively shallow lake at an elevation of 700 feet below sea level surrounded on most sides by high hills and mountains. From the lake the most striking feature is the 9000 foot high Mount Hermon. The huge variations in elevation can lead to huge differences in temperature between the lake and the mountains, and when conditions are just right, severe storms can appear out of nowhere. The picture you have seen in the background today is that of a storm on the Sea of Galiilee. Listen to this modern account from Dr. W. M. Christie:
A company of visitors was standing on the shore at Tiberias, and, noting the glassy surface of the water and the smallness of the lake, they expressed doubts as to the possibility of such storms as those described in the gospels. Almost immediately the wind sprang up. In twenty minutes the sea was white with foam-crested waves. Great billows broke over the towers at the corners of the city walls, and the visitors were compelled to seek shelter from the blinding spray, though now two hundred yards from the lakeside.
You’ve got to love God’s sense of humor! You can almost hear Him saying in response to the doubters, “Oh, yeah! Watch this!” Two hundred yards is just amazing – two football fields away they are getting sprayed from the lake.
Imagine being in the middle of the lake in this while using a small, flat-bottomed boat. Of course the waves will just pour into the boat! Imagine the situation! One more big wave will sink the boat entirely! Even though they are experienced lifelong fishermen, they are scared out of their wits.
In the parallel passage in Mark 4, we learn some additional, important details.
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" – Mark 4:37-38
Ouch. Doesn’t that question just make you cringe? For those of you with children, have you ever heard a question or complaint like this? “Mom, you don’t care about me at all!” “Dad, why are you trying to ruin my life?” Here we have the rhetorical question, “Teacher, don’t you care?” Rephrased, this is, “Teacher, you don’t care!”
Be honest. Have you ever asked God this question? God, why me? How could You let this happen? Where were You, God? Or sometimes, when something really bad happens, we don’t come out and ask God these questions, because we somehow know we shouldn’t, so we just bury it down inside, staying angry at God. My mother, many years ago before she died, had uterine cancer or pre-cancer or somewhere in between – there are many stages and classifications – and had to have a hysterectomy. The operation was a total success – cancer (or pre-cancer) never came back. But she was and remained angry at God. God, how could You do this to me? My thought at the time (not yet a Christian) was, “Hey, you’re healed. How would you feel if you were dying of cancer?” But I don’t think I ever said this to her.
It hurts when your children tell you that they don’t think you care about them at all, because you love them more than just about anything and would do anything for them. You would even die for them, if that is what it took to save them. Isn’t this true? When your children say this, a natural response is, “How could you say such a thing? How could you even begin to think it? Don’t you know how I feel about you? Don’t you know what I would do for you?”
Imagine then how Jesus felt when His disciples say the same thing? These are the men who have been with Him for a long time now, who have seen Him heal, and teach with unprecedented authority and wisdom, and bring someone back to life, and take care of them, showing nothing but love. How could they say such a thing? How could they even begin to think it?
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." – Luke 8:24b-25
When Jesus said, “Where is your faith,” I don’t believe He was criticizing them for waking Jesus up, or for asking for help. He was criticizing them for saying and thinking that Jesus didn’t care about them. Jesus, who knew what was to come, could have said, “Don’t you know that I love you more than any person has ever loved another? Don’t you know that I love you so much that I would die for you? That I will die for you? Have I ever given you any reason to doubt my love and care for you?”
Jesus compressed all these thoughts into four words: “Where is your faith?” In a way, it is a very embarrassing question, one you should hope you will never hear, kind of like if I have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to give a presentation at a meeting and I am asked, “Where is your presentation?” Or if you are anywhere, and like a bad dream someone asks while staring at you, “Where are your clothes?”
And yes, Jesus made the storm stop and the waters become calm. This was easy for Him, like us choosing to blink. Nothing to it! But the disciples seemed to be back to square one. They seemingly missed completely Jesus’ rebuke about their lack of faith, but instead were amazed yet again at His “magic tricks.” They should have seen enough of them by now to not be asking any more, “Who is this?”
5. One way to be a doer of the word is to trust God in the storms. Trust Jesus. Have faith in Him! Believe the best! The Bible is filled with promises that God can be trusted, that we can have faith in Him. Here are some of my favorites. If one of these grabs you, write it down and memorize it.
“I will never leave you or forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:2
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matt. 28:20
Trust God in the storms of life. Perfect love casts out fear. Don’t be like the Israelites in the desert and grumble at the first sign of trouble. It is OK to “wake up” Jesus and talk to Him (pray), but don’t ever blame Him for not caring about you. He died for you so that you could live. He intercedes for you even now. He loves you with a love so deep and wide and strong and fierce that if we tasted one drop of it directly we would be undone. Have faith and trust Him in the storms. He can calm every storm. He will calm those that are for your best to be calmed, and He will allow those that are for your best to be experienced. Trust Him!
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." – Luke 8:5-8
The disciples, as was often the case, had no idea what He was talking about, so Jesus explained it to them. He first explained that the seed represented the word of God. Picking up with Luke 8:12,
Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. – Luke 8:12-14
I have highlighted the word “hear” in this passage, because I think it is important in what follows. Here we have three groups of people. Each of them has heard the word of God. One group heard the word but allowed the devil to come and take the word away, to nullify it in their lives. They had never opened their hearts up so that the word could sink in at all. Seed on a public path is open to being trampled, and indeed, the devil came along and trampled their seed before it could grow and blossom into anything.
The second group also heard the word but only opened up their hearts a little, but because their hearts were hard, lock rocks, God’s word could not sink down deep; and as a result, they fell away in testing, just like how a plant without roots cannot survive even the slightest drought.
And the third group also heard the word but they became more interested in worldly thoughts – pleasures and worries – and as a result, the word was choked in their life and did not produce fruit. Now consider how the parable continues:
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. – Luke 8:15-18a
You can see that I have partitioned this passage differently than the way most Bibles do. It is important to remember that the divisions between paragraphs in the New Testament are not really there – they are choices of editors made to make the passages more readable. Each book of the New Testament reads as a continuous letter from beginning to end.
I have lumped together everything up to the first half of verse 18 because I believe Jesus is still talking about the parable. Why do I believe this? Because of the “therefore” in verse 18 and because the point of the “therefore” is to consider carefully how you listen, or hear. Which group of people are you in, one of three fruitless groups, or the fourth group? Let’s talk about this group.
Once again, these people heard the word of God. There hearts are not hard, but soft to God – Jesus says they are good and noble hearts – and the word sinks down deep into these hearts and sprouts, producing a plant that grows and grows and grows and begins to produce fruit. As Fred explained last week, one thing that makes fruit not a vegetable is the fact that it too contains seeds! In other words, when the word of God really takes root and grows in a person’s heart, the ultimate result is that this person becomes another seed planter! They scatter their seed that has grown from the fruit in their lives, and some of this seed takes root and produces fruit in these people’s lives and so on and so on and so on!
This past weekend Fred, Aaron, and I went to a leadership conference in Savannah where the leadership of our sister Great Commission churches got together and spent time in prayer, encouraging one another, and planning for the future. These times are always uplifting and encouraging, and one reason for this is that we can see the result of seeds from fruit from seeds from fruit from seeds planted by our church in the last 30 or so years. I say this not to boast about Clemson Community Church, but to boast about God! He is the one who causes all the seed to grow and produce fruit.
Now, how does this discussion about lamps and stands fit in with this parable? Again, I believe it is a part of the parable because the “therefore” ties it all together in verse 18. I think it helps to understand what the lamps at the time of Jesus were like. The images above and below show what the most common “everyday” lamps looked like.
A typical lamp was a small clay container shaped sort of like a teapot. It had two holes, a center hole (like where the lid of a teapot would be) where oil would be poured in, and an offset hole (like where the spout of a teapot would be) that would contain the wick and would be where the flame would exist. These lamps were small, not much larger than an outstretched hand.
What does the lamp have to do with the good soil that produces fruit? Jesus also used the word picture of a lamp in a similar manner in Matthew 5.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. – Matt. 5:14-16
Jesus wants us to understand that part of the process of becoming people in the good soil is that we will scatter seed. People cannot be “seeded” unless they hear the word of God. As we saw, each of the four groups heard the word of God. What if we grow in the Lord and don’t scatter our seed? We become like people who hide their lamps under the bed or in a jar or under a bowl. Jesus says don’t do this! Put your lamp on the lampstand, where it was always meant to be.
How do we apply this? Am I saying that we all need to be like Jesus and stand on the street corners and shout out the gospel? No. For each of this will look different, but it is a process, and if you truly are in the good soil and are working to stay there, you will find that God will grow you step by step in seed scattering or in “lamp standing,” however you want to think about it. When I think about our sister churches, I believe this is one of our key distinctives. Our churches are infused with an energy and excitement for sharing their faith in day to day life. And by sharing their faith, I mean something much more than simply inviting people to church, although inviting people to church is a good thing. It is quite appropriate that our association of churches is called Great Commission Churches!
I want you to understand that Jesus is saying that this is not an optional thing. People planted in the good soil begin to produce seed-bearing entities that we call fruit. Being fruitful means that you are scattering seed. As Fred mentioned last week, fruit is also sweet. Being fruitful also means that the wholesomeness and joy of Christ in your life is attractive to unbelievers. When I was an unbeliever, shortly before I was saved, God put a number of people in my life who were like this. I saw their joy, their peace, their love. I knew I wasn’t like this at all, and I wanted to be around them. But I didn’t think I could be like them at all – I knew who I was, and it was nothing like them. How many of you like grapefruit? I love grapefruit! But I am allergic to grapefruit. I can not enjoy grapefruit unless I am willing to be miserable shortly afterwards. That is how I felt in the presence of these people – I wanted to taste their fruit for myself, but I thought it was impossible. If these people had “hidden their lamp under the bed,” I would have remained in this belief, and perhaps even to this day I would have given up any hope of being like them. But they scattered their seeds, and those seeds germinated, and by God’s grace, found their way to fertile soil deep in my heart.
Here is this portion of the passage again:
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. – Luke 8:15-18a
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” What does this mean?
Many have taken this verse to say that it is talking about how secret sins will be revealed, and how all our deeds, including secret ones, will be laid bare before God in the judgement days. This is certainly true, but I don’t believe this is what Jesus meant when he said it here.
I believe the answer is found by studying the context of this passage. Jesus has just told his disciples a parable, and the crowds didn’t get it, by and large, and the disciples didn’t get it either. The disciples asked Jesus to explain it to them, and unlike some Asian religions where mystical, cryptic passages are left that way, Jesus openly explained what this parable was all about. And as time when on, as we will see as we continue our study in Luke, Jesus explained everything about who He was and what His mission was on earth – to die on the cross. Indeed, Jesus was saying, there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Jesus was saying, “Look, disciples! I call you to be the good soil! Let My word take hold in your heart and produce fruit. Then raise up the lamp so others can see; in other words, share My words with others. In time, I will tell you everything. Nothing will remain a mystery to you. Share everything with them!”
And then Jesus ends His plea with this: “Therefore, consider carefully how you listen.” The word for “carefully” can also be translated “take heed” or “beware.” This brings to mind again the fate of the three groups of people who were not the good soil. Jesus completes this thought with a warning:
Therefore, consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him. – Luke 8:18
We need to allow God’s word to attack our sin nature! We need to allow it to cut into us and kill those parts of us that are not of Him. We shouldn’t just listen and slough off what is said. As James said so vividly:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. – James 1:22-24
Can you imagine a man who has an intense headache and decides to look in the mirror just to see if he is pale, or looks sick, and finds that there is a knife sticking into his head! Imagine if he said, “Huh! I wonder how that got there. Oh, well…” and he goes off and forgets all about it. He goes to the store, and notices that people look at him and run away screaming, and he thinks that is kind of strange, but shrugs and goes on doing his shopping. Forgive me for being graphic, but he notices there is a red trail that seems to follow him wherever he goes, but again, he shrugs, wincing because he still has this intense headache. Later he goes home and dies. This is a vivid picture, but I think it captures what James, and Jesus, here in Luke, are trying to tell us. God’s Word is a mirror into our lives. We need to gaze deeply, consider carefully, and apply what we hear, change what we do. We need to look into that mirror and say, “Oh, Lord, help me! I have a knife sticking into my head! Show me what to do!”
To summarize what we have read so far:
1. Hear God’s word. This means to come to church on Sundays, but it also means to read God’s word daily for yourself.
2. Scatter God’s word. This means to not hide what God is teaching you, but share it with those around you, at work, to your family, to your friends, share it everywhere.
3. Do God’s word. When you read “don’t …” then don’t do that. When you read “do…” or “go…” or any other action word, do what it says. Do it in God’s strength, bathed with prayer.
These are basic truths, but this is what this passage is saying. If you notice, Jesus has said this over and over, because people don’t want to apply it to them. They don’t want to hear the message, particularly the part about doing. We need to be sure we are not like these people. If, during this message, God reminds you of something you should be doing but aren’t, or of something you shouldn’t be doing but are, write it down! And then, later today, spend time with the Lord in prayer about this thing and commit to change. Remember the man with the knife in his head!
Continuing on with the passage:
Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." – Luke 8:19-21
Does this sound harsh? I think it was a shocking thing to say, but not necessarily harsh. Jesus’ answer was not directed to His mother and brothers; indeed, it is possible that they couldn’t even hear Him because they were so far away. Jesus’ answer is directed to the person who told Him that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to see Him.
I am tempted to read something into this passage. I picture this person saying this in a derogatory way, as a way to put Jesus down. I picture him saying something like “Hey, boy, your Mommy’s here with the rest of the family! Have you been a naughty boy?”
Was this the tone of the questioner? We don’t know, but this kind of put down was common in Jesus’ ministry. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”
Jesus’ response was direct and blunt to this man. He said, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” The implication, if this man did have this nasty attitude is, “And you, sir, are not My brother.”
The implications of this verse cut both ways. If you do, after hearing God’s word, put it into practice, then you are Jesus’ brother (or sister). Amazing! Wonderful! But if you don’t, then you aren’t.
And so we get this message:
4. To Jesus, doers of the word are like closest family. I don’t know about you, but I want this! I want the God of the Universe to say, “Hey, Brother!” or “Good to see you, Sister!” How incredible and awesome is that!
Throughout this entire chapter, including the parable itself, the explanation of the parable, the discussion of the lampstand, and the discussion with the man in the crowd regarding Jesus’ mother and brothers, we get the same message. Lots of people hear the word of God, but hearing isn’t enough. We need to be the good soil. We need to be doers of the word. And part of that doing is scattering seed.
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" – Luke 8:22-24a
Now we move into a completely different story from Jesus’ life. The picture below, one we have seen before, shows a typical fishing boat. Notice that they were wide, flat-bottomed boats. In smooth water, the wideness provided stability, and the flatness allowed the boats to be easily moved into shallow water so that the fish that were caught could be easily unloaded.
Imagine the situation: a nice warm sunny day, the air pretty still, the lake glassy, the tiny waves lapping rhythmically and quietly against the side of their boat. And in this peaceful environment, Jesus fell asleep.
We tend to forget that Jesus was fully human as well as fully God. Perhaps on this day He was exhausted. We don’t know this, but we do know that He was a sound sleeper, if He was able to sleep through the coming storm.
The Sea of Galilee is a relatively shallow lake at an elevation of 700 feet below sea level surrounded on most sides by high hills and mountains. From the lake the most striking feature is the 9000 foot high Mount Hermon. The huge variations in elevation can lead to huge differences in temperature between the lake and the mountains, and when conditions are just right, severe storms can appear out of nowhere. The picture you have seen in the background today is that of a storm on the Sea of Galiilee. Listen to this modern account from Dr. W. M. Christie:
A company of visitors was standing on the shore at Tiberias, and, noting the glassy surface of the water and the smallness of the lake, they expressed doubts as to the possibility of such storms as those described in the gospels. Almost immediately the wind sprang up. In twenty minutes the sea was white with foam-crested waves. Great billows broke over the towers at the corners of the city walls, and the visitors were compelled to seek shelter from the blinding spray, though now two hundred yards from the lakeside.
You’ve got to love God’s sense of humor! You can almost hear Him saying in response to the doubters, “Oh, yeah! Watch this!” Two hundred yards is just amazing – two football fields away they are getting sprayed from the lake.
Imagine being in the middle of the lake in this while using a small, flat-bottomed boat. Of course the waves will just pour into the boat! Imagine the situation! One more big wave will sink the boat entirely! Even though they are experienced lifelong fishermen, they are scared out of their wits.
In the parallel passage in Mark 4, we learn some additional, important details.
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" – Mark 4:37-38
Ouch. Doesn’t that question just make you cringe? For those of you with children, have you ever heard a question or complaint like this? “Mom, you don’t care about me at all!” “Dad, why are you trying to ruin my life?” Here we have the rhetorical question, “Teacher, don’t you care?” Rephrased, this is, “Teacher, you don’t care!”
Be honest. Have you ever asked God this question? God, why me? How could You let this happen? Where were You, God? Or sometimes, when something really bad happens, we don’t come out and ask God these questions, because we somehow know we shouldn’t, so we just bury it down inside, staying angry at God. My mother, many years ago before she died, had uterine cancer or pre-cancer or somewhere in between – there are many stages and classifications – and had to have a hysterectomy. The operation was a total success – cancer (or pre-cancer) never came back. But she was and remained angry at God. God, how could You do this to me? My thought at the time (not yet a Christian) was, “Hey, you’re healed. How would you feel if you were dying of cancer?” But I don’t think I ever said this to her.
It hurts when your children tell you that they don’t think you care about them at all, because you love them more than just about anything and would do anything for them. You would even die for them, if that is what it took to save them. Isn’t this true? When your children say this, a natural response is, “How could you say such a thing? How could you even begin to think it? Don’t you know how I feel about you? Don’t you know what I would do for you?”
Imagine then how Jesus felt when His disciples say the same thing? These are the men who have been with Him for a long time now, who have seen Him heal, and teach with unprecedented authority and wisdom, and bring someone back to life, and take care of them, showing nothing but love. How could they say such a thing? How could they even begin to think it?
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." – Luke 8:24b-25
When Jesus said, “Where is your faith,” I don’t believe He was criticizing them for waking Jesus up, or for asking for help. He was criticizing them for saying and thinking that Jesus didn’t care about them. Jesus, who knew what was to come, could have said, “Don’t you know that I love you more than any person has ever loved another? Don’t you know that I love you so much that I would die for you? That I will die for you? Have I ever given you any reason to doubt my love and care for you?”
Jesus compressed all these thoughts into four words: “Where is your faith?” In a way, it is a very embarrassing question, one you should hope you will never hear, kind of like if I have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to give a presentation at a meeting and I am asked, “Where is your presentation?” Or if you are anywhere, and like a bad dream someone asks while staring at you, “Where are your clothes?”
And yes, Jesus made the storm stop and the waters become calm. This was easy for Him, like us choosing to blink. Nothing to it! But the disciples seemed to be back to square one. They seemingly missed completely Jesus’ rebuke about their lack of faith, but instead were amazed yet again at His “magic tricks.” They should have seen enough of them by now to not be asking any more, “Who is this?”
5. One way to be a doer of the word is to trust God in the storms. Trust Jesus. Have faith in Him! Believe the best! The Bible is filled with promises that God can be trusted, that we can have faith in Him. Here are some of my favorites. If one of these grabs you, write it down and memorize it.
“I will never leave you or forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:2
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matt. 28:20
Trust God in the storms of life. Perfect love casts out fear. Don’t be like the Israelites in the desert and grumble at the first sign of trouble. It is OK to “wake up” Jesus and talk to Him (pray), but don’t ever blame Him for not caring about you. He died for you so that you could live. He intercedes for you even now. He loves you with a love so deep and wide and strong and fierce that if we tasted one drop of it directly we would be undone. Have faith and trust Him in the storms. He can calm every storm. He will calm those that are for your best to be calmed, and He will allow those that are for your best to be experienced. Trust Him!
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