“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been
given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they
may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ (Luke 8:10)
The Lord Jesus came and preached the gospel of the kingdom
of heaven. That’s the main reason Jesus appeared on the earth first time. When
He comes again and He will be coming and even soon, He shall judge and rule. Why
is the kingdom of heaven so important that even the Son of Man came to preach? Its’
because it reveals the reality of life so that we may see and understand what
we are in God’s point of view. Other views no matter how they seem to be
fantastic and attractive in human eyes are illusions and delusions. Only God
can see things realistically and truthfully.
Jesus told many parables to reveal the mysteries of the
kingdom of God. The parable of the sower, the parable of the weeds, the parable
of the mustard seed and the yeast, the parable of the hidden treasure and the
pearl, and the parable of net are given and explained in the Gospel of Matthew
Thirteenth Chapter. These parables are given to reveal the knowledge of the
mysteries of the kingdom of God.
In the Gospel of Luke Eighth Chapter, the parable of the
sower is given and explained by our Lord Jesus. The seed fell on the ground is
the word of God. The seed fell along the path, on rocky ground, among thorns,
and on good soil. These four grounds represent the conditions of hearer’s
heart. Among them, only the seed fell on good soil produces fruits a thirty,
sixty, or one hundred times.
How does this parable reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven? The kingdom of heaven is not a specific location in the faraway remote
space. Many a people understand the kingdom of heaven is the place for
Christians to go after death. Although it is true, that’s not the whole picture
of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of God is an invisible realm where the
Lord God reign now. So, the kingdom of heaven is right here in our midst. There
is no realm or dominion where God reign not.
Dr. Luke presents the picture of the kingdom of God in the
Eighth Chapter of his Gospel. Firstly, the explanation of the kingdom of God
how it works and grows is given by our Lord Jesus. And the illustrations and
examples how it affects and happens in our real lives are presented for each
condition of human hearts.
The seed is good and ready to produce fruits, depending on
the condition of soil. The first condition of heart never produces any fruit at
all because the devil takes away the seed fell on the path. The case of falling
on the path is presented as Jesus and His disciples landed in the region of the
Gerasenes which is across the lake from Galilee (Luke 8:26-39). A
demon-possessed man who had not worn clothes or lived in a house but had lived
in the tombs for a long time came out to meet Jesus.
“When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting
at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High
God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’” (Luke 8:28)
There was no room for the seed to grow in this man because
the devil came and took it away. This man refused to accept the word of truth
and excluded himself from the families and communities and lived in the
horrible and desolate place of dead bodies. This man represents our humanity in
nature born in Adam. The fallen race lies under the full influence and control
of the devil, darkness and blindness. The case seems impossible to work it
out.
But Jesus came to rescue this man from the devil by the word
of truth, commanding the demons to come out of him. Allowed to enter into the
pigs, the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. Jesus
made him a whole person to bear the fruits and sent back to his families and
relatives for the witness of the grace of God. Nothing is impossible with God!
The seed fell on the rocky ground seems growing fast but
withers soon because there is no root. When the testing comes they fall away
without bearing any fruits.
“Those on the rocky ground 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.”(Luke 8:13)
The case of falling on the rocky ground is presented when
the disciples faced a storm which almost swamped the boat where Jesus and His
disciples were on board (Luke 8:22-25). Being desperately threatened by the
imminent danger, the disciples went and woke Jesus, saying “Master, Master, we
are going to drown!” Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters
and the storm subdued and all was calm. Then Jesus rebuked the disciples not
having faith in Him, saying “Where is your faith?”
In great fear and amazement they asked each other, “Who is
this? He commands even the winds and the waters and they obey Him.” The
disciples were not yet rooted and established on the bedrock of Jesus Christ
the Lord. They were on the way of learning and grasping the mystery of Jesus
Christ step by step and of being rooted and established on the true foundation
of life. It’s a progress to grow in the faith of Jesus Christ through the various
testings of faith.
They didn’t know who Jesus was. The foundation of faith is
the cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. They were not yet fully
knowing the truth why the Lord Jesus must die and rise again from the dead. Even
after they saw the Risen Jesus, they struggled to understand the mystery of
Christ. But on the Day of Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit they
were known the truth of Jesus Christ in full by the teaching and revelation of
the indwelling Spirit. Everything what the Lord Jesus said came to senses and
meaningful in their hearts and minds because the Spirit taught them as Jesus
foretold them.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I
have said to you.” (John 14:26)
The seed fell on among thorns is choked by life’s worries,
riches and pleasures, and does not mature.
“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 8:14)
The case of falling among thorns is presented in a woman who
was subject to bleeding twelve years and in a synagogue ruler whose twelve year
old daughter was dying (Luke 8:40-56). Human bodies are vulnerable to numerous
viruses, to cold, and to scorching heat. Various diseases even take away the
lives of many. As getting older and aged, so deteriorate our bodies.
The woman wasted all the fortune to try to cure her disease
to the doctors. She was limited and confined in the containment of disease
without way out. Her life was choked and overcome by the incurable disease.
Jesus came and found her and healed her from the limitation of life, giving the
perfect freedom through her faith by which she touched the edge of Jesus’
cloak.
Physical disease is unquestionably related to the spiritual
problem. The case of woman represents a spiritual confinement and limitation,
resulting in no fruits. She was choked spiritually and remained immature by the
worry of life. The synagogue ruler was suffocated by the sick and dying
daughter. But when they brought their problems to Jesus, they found the way out
of confinement and limitation in Him. Nothing could give them a ray of hope of
being released from the terrible worries of life except Jesus Christ.
Note that the cause of worried life is inevitably death. This
monstrous enemy of humanity chokes and makes many a people immature. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is the life and the resurrection. He took away the sin of the
world by being crucified on the cross and buried in a cold tomb in our place.
However, according to the scripture, He rose again from the dead on the third
day as the firstfruits. Our Lord Jesus has defeated the iron grip of death by
the power of God and released many from the enemy of sin and death.
“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son
and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the
last day.” (John 6:40)
The seed fell on good soil produces a crop because it is
retained in a noble and good heart of perseverance.
“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.”
(Luke 8:15)
The case of falling good soil is presented when the mother
and brothers of Jesus visited Him and wanted to see Him (Luke 8:19-21). The
Gospel of Mark tells the reason why they came see Jesus. It’s because they
heard a rumor that Jesus was driving out demons by the prince of demons (Mark
3:22). Hearing this, Jesus said an amazing statement, “My mother and brothers
are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21)
Those who hear the word of God (seed) and put it into
practice are the families of God, true mother and brothers of the Lord Jesus
Christ. They shall bear the fruits of the Spirit by perseverance and endurance.
The seed is good to bear the fruits if it is kept and obeyed according to what
it says. Matthew says it will produce a crop—a hundred, sixty, or thirty times
what was sown.
This is the true picture of the kingdom of God. The visible
is not everything but the invisible is. Although we do not see God, He reign
and rule with power and justice now and forevermore. What God is doing in the
kingdom of heaven is being manifested in the daily newspapers. That’s why we
shall take careful heed to the word of truth. Otherwise, though seeing, we may
not see, though hearing we may not understand.
“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been
given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they
may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ (Luke 8:10)
The word of God is a search light of human hearts. Nothing
is hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be
known or brought into the open. It’s because the word of God searches our
hearts, even the deep things which we may not even fathom. It truthfully and
faithfully tells what are inside us. So, when we listen carefully to what it
says and obey Jesus Christ, we will be known and given more.
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it
under a bed. Instead, they put 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. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does
not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” (Luke
8:16-18)
James warns of neglecting and ignoring what the word of
truth says. They are like fools who look at what they are in a mirror and go
away and immediately forget what they look like.
“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says
is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:23-24)
James continues to say that those who do obey the word, not
forgetting what they have heard are truly the blessed.
“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing
it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:25)
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