God’s Word & Human Hearts

Read Text: Luke 8:11-15

Our Lord Jesus tells about four kinds of soil and He refers them to the hearts of mankind responding to God’s Word, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). They are not totally the nature of human beings but just different states of human hearts when hearing God’s Word.

God created the heaven and the earth, everything in it, and human beings, and “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31). However, due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, the curse of sin and death entered into the world (Gen 3; Rom 5:12), and human heart became totally depraved, corrupted and sinful. No human beings are born good naturally. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one:… There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God… there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom 3:10-12), and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9), and “you…were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom 7:18), and “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7-8). Therefore, when our Lord Jesus Christ tells about the fourth kind of soil, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest (instead of deceitful) and good (instead of desperately wicked) heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15), we must understand that the hearts of these people had been ministered to and prepared by the Holy Spirit when they heard the Word of God. To illustrate this truth, we can see how Lydia’s “heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” while other women did not receive God’s Word from Paul (Acts 16:13-14). Truly, we have heard God’s Word and believed it, received it, treasured it and kept it, and that is not because our hearts are better than others’, but only because God’s grace is upon us with the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We have nothing to boast of ourselves except to give thanks, praise, and glory to the Lord for His gift of salvation by grace alone, even for His gift of faith (Eph 2:8). Then let us draw some lessons from this parable of the sower: The seed is the word of God, and the sower is the Lord Jesus and His faithful followers. God’s Word is sowed or preached to everyone, not only to the elect. The wayside refers to a hardened heart, stony ground refers to a shallow or superficial heart, thorny ground refers to a worldly heart, and the good ground refers to an honest and good heart.

A Hardened Heart. The wayside is the path dividing the fields, and it is hardened by the people and cattle or other animals walking or running on it. When the seed fell by this path, “it was trodden down” (Luke 8:5), could not break through this hard soil to spring up, and the fowls of the air “devoured it up” (Mark 4:4). We understand that it refers to those whose hearts are trampled and hardened by sins, self-righteousness, arrogant self-will, human religions or philosophies, false theories or -isms like communism and evolutionism, etc. As a result, when they hear the Word of God, they do not understand it nor want to understand it but regard it as “foolishness” (1 Cor 2:14) and even let “God’s Word” be trodden by their own beliefs, preconception or prejudice. And then “cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away” (Matt 13:19) or “Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away” (Mark 4:15), or “cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12). Then, we can see Satan working so hard always present and ready to immediately take away God’s Word we have sown out of human hearts because he does not want anyone to believe and to be saved. Therefore, we are to pray fervently to our Lord in the battle against Satan before and after sowing the seed, preaching the Gospel or giving the tracts. I have met several nice and friendly people on the street when I walk to school to fetch our daughter. They look very good and usually give a friendly smile when I say “hello” to them. Day by day passing by until I think that it is the right time for me to give them a tract as they have seen me every day. However, their reaction and response to the Gospel was contrary to my expectation. The next day, they did not want to look at me nor greet me with a friendly smile as before. Their rebellious hearts have been exposed! Then, we should not think that it is easier for the “good” or nice people to receive the Gospel because it is by God’s grace alone to save them, and God’s salvation does not depend on how good human heart is. We should neither be surprised or discouraged when facing those who are against our Lord and His Word and throw away our tracts in the bins. It is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word that will expose the true colour of the sinful and rebellious hearts of mankind. Truly, our Lord Jesus is set “for a sign which shall be spoken against;…that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

A Shallow or Superficial Heart. “Upon stony places” (Matt 13:5) or “on stony ground” (Mark 4:5) or “upon a rock” (Luke 8:6) refers to the thin layer of ground or soil upon a rock. At first, with a glance of our human eyes we cannot see the rock underneath this kind of soil nor see that there is “not much earth,” “no deepness of earth,” or “no depth of earth.” After a while, the seed “sprung up” and we are very glad with this promising sign, but when the “sun was up,” it was “scorched” and “withered away” because it “had no root” and “lacked moisture.” This kind of soil refers to those who “have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:17) or “fall away” (Luke 8:13), and one more detail from Matthew, “tribulation” and one from Luke, “temptation.” These are people with a shallow or superficial heart. As Satan does not want anyone to be saved, if he cannot take away God’s Word out of the heart of man, he will use persecutions, afflictions, tribulations, and temptations to discourage these shallow believers until they give up their faith, which is not firmly rooted nor grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself nor in God’s Word, but only in their quick feelings  with terms like “immediately,” “gladness,” “joy.” Today, many group leaders attract and draw many people to their churches through the nice and sweet “health and wealth gospel.” No wonder, many join their churches. But whether they truly submit themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word with full dependence and obedience will count and will be proved in the days of testing. Therefore, a pastor, an elder, or a deacon must be firmly rooted in Christ and in God’s Word and should not be “a novice (new convert) lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim 3:6). When I ministered to the Aboriginal people and Vietnamese people two years ago, I was much disappointed and discouraged when they did not want to follow the truth after three months I had ministered God’s Word to them. At first, they were very happy to welcome me and hear me, but when hearing the cost of obeying God’s Word, separating from sins and worldliness as well as being attacked by their friends, they were offended. My friend, it is so important for you and me to have our personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word with our full dependence and submission!

A Worldly Heart. “Thorns grew up and choked” (Mark 4:7) the seed of God’s Word since they also take the nutrition from the soil, the space of the ground and the air, and the light from the sun; as a result; “it yielded no fruit.” This refers to those who hear God’s Word, but “the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matt 13:22), one more detail from Mark, “the lusts of other things entering in” and one from Luke, “pleasures of this life” choke the word; and as a result, not only the hearers but also God’s Word become “unfruitful” (Matt 13:22; Mark 4:19). Satan knows what bait is suitable for different types of people. If he cannot threaten them, he will use all things of this world, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches (people are deceived by thinking that they may have true happiness through riches), “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), and the pleasures of this life choke God’s Word and spiritual life of believers. They spend so much time and energy in what they love and pursue that they have no more time for the Lord and God’s Word. Truly, “Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not” (Hosea 7:9). They have no more strength and time to come to the Lord in prayer or to God’s Word in devotion, or in His service. My friend, may the Lord help us see the cunning device and subtle scheme of Satan and then be willing to die to the world, saying, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 6:14). May God help us spend our time, energy, and life wisely according to His will and Word so that our time and strength may not be consumed by the love, values, lusts, or pleasures of this world.

An Honest and Good Heart. This is a great encouragement for us and our labour when we sow the seed of God’s Word on the good ground or people with an honest and good heart. As mentioned above, these are people whose hearts have been ministered to by the Holy Spirit. Seeing this, we will not be proud or boastful, thinking that through our ministry or labour how many souls have been brought to Christ, but just praise the Lord and give Him all the glory for His wonderful grace upon them. They are “honest and good” to admit that they are sinners before God when the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sins. They “hear” God’s Word and “understand” it and “receive” it when the Holy Spirit guides and illuminates them and convinces them of God’s Truth. They are empowered to “keep” God’s Word and “bring forth fruit with patience” with the strength and help of the Holy Spirit. This refers to truly born-again Christians whom the Lord has chosen. They do thirst for the Lord and God’s Word and have a vital fellowship with Him. They not only trust in and depend on but also submit themselves to the Lord and God’s Word, realising that without Him they cannot do anything acceptable unto the Lord nor bear any true fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal 5:22-23), goodness, righteousness, truth (Eph 5:9), obedience, holiness and Christ-like life (Rom 6:16-22; 8:29). My friend, do you and I belong to this group of people with an honest and good heart?

Conclusion

My friend, what kind of soil is your heart–hardened, stony, thorny or good ground? We are to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His gracious work that we have a new and good heart to receive His Word: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Eze 36:26). May the Lord continue His good work in us until we bear much fruit for His glory and are transformed to be like Him day by day till He comes. While waiting for His return, let us faithfully go out and sow the seed of God’s pure Word (not human ideas, opinions or arguments), knowing that it is the Lord and His grace alone that is able to touch the hearts of the hearers or readers, deliver them from the power of darkness of Satan, convict them of their sins, help them understand and keep His Word, transform their lives and empower them to bear good fruit for His glory perseveringly until the end. Let us be not surprised nor discouraged when facing those who are against God’s Word or falling away from God’s truth. May the Lord help us be humble and faithful sowers of His Word until He comes.  Amen.