Conditions of the Good Soil

Luke 8:4-8

Today’s Scripture is a well-known parable told by Jesus. Not just Luke but all three Synoptic Gospels, including Matthew and Mark, record this parable.

In the Korean Revised Version, the translation that Koreans used formerly, the story was titled, “The Parable of the Sower,” but in the New Korean Revised Version (NKRV) the title was changed to “The Parable of the Seed that Fell on Four Soils.”

In fact, this story has long been read and interpreted from the perspective of the four types of soil, rather than from the viewpoint of the sower. In this sense, the NKRV’s new title is fitting and helps the readers to interpret the story properly.

When Jesus did His ministry—healing the sick, raising the dead, and forgiving sins—crowds flocked to Him. Jesus preached this parable to them, but its meaning was not wholly revealed to them:

“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 ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, 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 NIV)

What does it mean? Even the disciples were baffled, which is why they later asked Jesus the meaning of the parable.

Jesus answered them by providing an important framework for interpretation.

First, the seed is God’s Word. And the place where it fell—that is, along the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil—represents the person who hears the Word. In other words, the four types of soil refer to four types of people who hear the Word of God. This is explained by our Lord in Luke 8:9-15, the passage that immediately follows today’s Scripture. Jesus kindly taught us how to understand and interpret the parable.

Consequently, whenever Christians read this parable, they resolve to become the good soil that yields a hundred times more than was sown. We all want to become the good soil.

Then how can we become the good soil? This is our first question. Can I turn myself into good soil? Or are people just born with it? Furthermore, if the good soil bears much fruit, what does that fruit look like in real life? At first sight, this parable seems easy, but the more we think about it the more questions we have.

Through this parable Jesus is teaching us a critical and comprehensive lesson on the Christian’s journey of faith. It is a precious lesson on coming to faith, continuing in faith, the result of pursuing faith, and the fruit gained by it.

In short, it teaches the whole journey of faith—how we first come to have faith, how we experience crises that threaten our faith, how we continue to have faith even in those trials, and how we finally bear the fruit of faith.

Now let’s return to the text and study the meaning of the good soil, the soil that we all strive to become. Jesus clearly defined the seed as the Word of God. He says, “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” (Luke 8:8 NIV)

Then what kind of soil is the good soil? Jesus gives us His interpretation of it in Verse 15:

“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 NIV)

These words serve as an important criterion for defining “good soil.” What is good soil? In a word, it is a land that produces fruit. Good soil is a land where the seed grows, where the seed becomes a plant, and where the plant grows and bears fruit.

Then how does it bear fruit? Verse 15 describes the process of bearing fruit in three phases. In the original text, three Greek verbs describe the three-stage process. First, the phase of hearing the Word. Second, the phase of retaining it. Third, the phase of bearing fruit with patience.

Let’s consider each of these phases.

First, in the phase of hearing the Word, God’s Word is sown like the seed. His Word reaches everyone. The gospel is preached, and people hear the Word. Although this is the first phase of the good soil, it is also a phase common to all four types of soil. The gospel falls along the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, too. And, of course, on good soil. In the NIV it says, “the good soil stands for those […] who hear the word.” Here the original Greek word for “hear” is “akouó (ἀκούω),” which means “to listen carefully.” When we study today’s text in the original language, we will find that “akouó” is used a whopping nine times, implying that it was used intentionally with a significance.

First, after speaking the parable, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Luke 8:8 NIV)

The verb “akouó” is repeated twice in this short sentence. Whoever can “hear (akouó)”, let them “hear (akouó).” In speaking this parable, Jesus implied that some are capable of hearing, while some are not.

Furthermore, this was Jesus’ reply when His disciples asked the meaning of the parable:

“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 NIV)

Again the Greek verb “akouó” is used.

The above verse tells us that Jesus spoke in parables so that those who cannot hear would not understand. Then Jesus unravels the meaning of the parable to His disciples. He is saying that there are those who cannot understand even though they hear.

In other words, not everyone comes to have faith, though everyone may hear. That we can hear and understand the Word of God is God’s grace. Faith begins with hearing the Word of God.

In today’s parable some of the seed fell along the path:

“Some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.” (Luke 8:5 NIV)

Such people are those who “hear” the word, but they don’t really hear it because the Word does not enter their hearts. Jesus explains their state as follows:

“[…] 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.” (Luke 8:12 NIV)

Then does this verse mean that there are people who are destined to never understand the Word even when they hear it? Does it mean that some are predestined to be saved, and the rest will never understand the Word no matter how hard they try?

To dispel such a misunderstanding, Jesus talks about a lamp on a stand at the end of today’s parable. Explaining how the hidden will eventually be disclosed and that there is nothing concealed that will not be brought out into the open, Jesus brings up hearing again:

“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 8:18 NIV)

This means that what is hidden is waiting to be revealed. In other words, the hidden Word of God is waiting to be disclosed. Therefore how may we hear? That is the question.

Jesus provides an answer by adding one condition to hearing in today’s parable:

“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 8:15a NIV)

The Greek words for “noble and good” in this verse are “kalos (καλός)” and “agathos (ἀγαθός)” respectively. When we receive the Word of God, we must have a good heart.

The one who receives the Word with an evil heart or a bad intention cannot approach God’s Word of truth. It is not God that prevents us from receiving the Word, but our attitude.

Therefore, when we hear the Word, we need two things. First, we must get as many opportunities as possible to read and hear the Word. We must try to scatter as many seeds as possible in our hearts.

Second, whenever we hear the Word, that is, whenever the seed is scattered, we must receive it with a good, noble, expectant, and positive heart. When we do this, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and ears. The Word enters our heart and is retained.

The second phase of becoming the good soil is to retain the Word. This is the period from when the seed falls to the ground to the point that it continues to stay there. Good soil in itself does not have life. Soil is just soil. The life is in the seed. What the soil does is to keep the seed so that it will not die and sustain life.

This second phase is about retaining the seed. While the NIV translates this as “retain,” the NLT describes it as “cling to.” This phase is about guarding the Word in our hearts with faith. In this phase we don’t just hear the Word, but internalize it within our character and manifest it in our lives. The Greek word for retain (or cling to) is “katechó (κατέχω),” which means “to hold on tightly.”

In the parable Jesus introduces instances where the soil fails to retain the seed. The seed that fell on rocky ground withered because there was no moisture. The seed that fell among thorns also died because the thorns that grew alongside it choked it. Jesus unpacked the meaning of these two cases as follows:

“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. The seed that fell among the 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 8:13-14 NIV)

This tells us that even when we receive God’s Word with joy and gratitude, the Word may not grow and the seed may die in some cases. In fact, this is a reality that Christians experience continuously.

When we hear the Word, sometimes God opens our ears and we receive it with delight. There are times when the Word enters and shakes our hearts. Many of you hearing this message today would have had such an experience. But, sometimes, the Word does not stay in our hearts. When trials come, worry steals the place of the Word in our hearts. Worry, instead of the Word, is retained. Desires also steal the place of the Word. The Word is not retained, but desire and greed rule our hearts. This is repeated in our lives.

Many people come to me and say, “Pastor, your message moves me.” This makes me happy. But not everyone who says this are God’s children who please Him. Receiving the Word with joy is important, but retaining it is even more important. The period of receiving and retaining the Word is critical.

Furthermore, the Bible mentions a third phase of becoming good soil: bearing fruit “with patience.” (T/N: While the NIV translates this as “by persevering,” the ESV says, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15 ESV)) The Greek word for “patience” is “hupomoné (ὑπομονή).” A long period of retaining the Word is needed. Patience is needed. The good soil is the person who retains the Word and endures with patience.

Fierce winds and storms may come. Floods may come. Heavy snow may fall. Pests may attack the plant and the soil. But as the soil withstands these trials day and night, the seed will grow into a plant, and the plant will eventually bear fruit.

This third phase is the period of withstanding trials, hardships, desires, worldly worries, and temptation. It is the period when the Word is revealed in our many life circumstances. It is the period when the Word ripens in our life.

Therefore, a critical condition of the good soil is patience. The person who retains the Word by persevering is the good soil. The one who clings to the Word and endures with patience, no matter the circumstances, is the one who bears fruit.

This is why our Lord says this to the believers in Colossus through Paul:

“In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

(Colossians 1:6 NIV)

The Bible tells us that the gospel is being preached, is growing, and is bearing fruit. And who will see the gospel bear fruit in their lives?

The one who listens to the Word of God with a good and noble heart. The one who retains it. The one who clings to the Word with patience, no matter the circumstances. This is the man who will see the gospel bear fruit in his life.

Then what fruit may we expect? What do we gain as the fruit of the Word and as the fruit of our faith?

In Luke there is another instance where “patience” is used. We have seen it used in Luke 8:15. But patience also appears in Luke 21:19:

“In your patience possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:19 KJV)

The Lexham English Bible translates this as follows:

“By your patient endurance you will gain your lives.” (Luke 21:19 LEB)

So what do we ultimately gain through the gospel? Through the Word? We gain our life, our soul—the most precious thing. We gain the life that world does not know and come to enjoy the kingdom of life.

When Jesus unpacked the meaning of today’s parable, this is what He said:

“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables.” (Mark 4:11 NIV)

Jesus mentions “the secret of the kingdom of God.” He is implying that the fruit that we will bear is none other than the kingdom of God.

Where is true peace? What is true joy? When the Word of God grows within us and bears fruit and when we find life and joy in that fruit, the kingdom of God has come.

The secret to enjoying this is to hear the Word, to retain it, and to endure with patience. The fact that patience is required also means that peace, joy, and the kingdom of God are not gained in a single attempt.

Peace, joy, and the kingdom of God are fruits that are finally gained by enduring with patience and constantly trying. Receiving and hearing the Word daily with a good heart are more important than making haste. Living with that Word retained in our heart is critical. Guarding the Word and clinging to it with patience, no matter the trials and hardships that come our way, are important. Then when the time comes, we will see the fruit produced by the life of the gospel. We will reap truly beautiful and abundant fruit. Until then, dear brothers and sisters, do not be discouraged or despair and do your best to hear and keep the Word of God. This is what the Lord wants of us.