Luke the beloved physician shared how Jesus said, “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God”, and in chapter eight and verse twelve of his book Luke shared how Jesus told what happened to the seed that fell, “by the way side” where we read:
Those by the way side are they that hear; then comes the devil,
and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
The verse reads, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then comes the devil, ...” Luke began with the words, “those by the way side” or “the seed that is sown upon the traveled road or path” “are they that hear” which means “are like people who attend to, listen to and consider the word of God”; “then comes the devil” or “next or after that arises, appears, comes forth and influences the one prone to slander, accusation and false calumniation”. Luke shared how Jesus said the seed which is scattered upon the “traveled road” is like the word of God that is “heard” or “considered” by some people, but “Satan, the false accuser and slanderer” enters their lives.
The verse continues, “... and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” Luke added the words “and takes away” which means “and removes and carries off” “the word out of their hearts” or “the speech, decree, mandate and order from the people's soul or mind as they are the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors”, “lest they should believe” which means “so the people will not think to be true, have confidence in, trust in, rely upon or cling to the word” “and be saved” or “and be made sound, kept safe and rescued from danger and destruction”. Luke shared how Jesus said “the devil” removes the word of God from the “souls and minds” of these people which prevents them from “believing in and trusting” in Him so they may be “rescued” from “danger and destruction”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn the meaning of the “seed sown by the way side” means. Jesus said, this seed represented people who “hear” the “word of God”, but because “Satan” comes and “removes” it from their “hearts”, they are unable to “believe and trust” what God says. Earlier we learned, “the seed that fell along the traveled road was trampled under foot, treated with rudeness, insulted and spurned with neglect”, and often when a person “hears” the “gospel” of Jesus Christ, they experience either a “trampling under foot” by friends, family or others who disparage what God has said. Sometimes the person who hears God's word in this manner is treated “rudely, with insult or by spurning and neglect”, and “Satan” uses this behavior to rob them of the “word” God has spoken. When the gospel of Jesus Christ is declared, there are four conditions of the “heart” upon which it falls, and the first “ground” is that which is open to have the “devil” steal everything that will provide their salvation and receiving eternal life with God.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus shares about the seed, “on the rock”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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