Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 8 : 4-18 "BUT OTHERS FELL ON GOOD GROUND... AND YIELDED A CROP A HUNDREDFOLD..." Luke 8:8"
Day 95 – Luke 8
Text: Luke 8 : 4-18
“BUT OTHERS FELL ON GOOD GROUND… AND YIELDED A CROP A HUNDREDFOLD…” Luke 8:8
How did you feel as you read this verse? Was your heart stirred to desire to see the Word of God impacting you so deeply that your life yields a crop that is described as a hundredfold?
This was the potential that Jesus held out to all the hearers! There is potential in every life. The fullness of human potential however will only be realized in and through the operation of God’s Word in our heart!
The potential of a hundredfold increase is staggering – to say the least! There is no shortage of power in the Lord. His Word is indeed powerful. It can transform lives so dramatically, the effects may well be described as a hundredfold increase.
Do you believe that God’s Word in your life can bring about such a yield? Do you believe that there is such power in God’s Word?
THE PROBLEM OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS
As the Lord Jesus taught the multitude the Word of God, He already knew that many would not respond. That was one of the reasons why He taught them in parables in the first place.
Jesus cited an interesting portion of Scripture from Isaiah to explain to His Disciples why He spoke to the multitudes in the form of parables,
“Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.”
Luke 8:10
In order to fully understand what Jesus was saying, we need to read the context in which the prophet Isaiah wrote these words that were quoted.
Isaiah was called to be God’s prophet (Isaiah 6:1-8) in the latter part of the reign of King Uzziah. He went on to minister as God’s faithful prophet, in the reigns of three more kings, namely Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1).
It is difficult to imagine, let alone understand how the Southern Kingdom, Judah had become almost totally idolatrous. Not only was there spiritual apostasy, the whole land was filled with all kinds of corruption.
God was filled with sadness when He sent Isaiah out to preach this word to His people,
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel does not know;
My people do not consider.” Isaiah 1:2-3
THE PROBLEM OF MINISTERING TO HEARTS ALREADY CLOSED
Isaiah was sent to minister in very difficult spiritual conditions. How would people who have turned away from God respond to His Word? How would people who worshipped idols ever believe God’s servant?
God forewarned Isaiah that when he began his ministry, teaching and preaching the Word of God, the people will not see, nor will they understand. They are spiritually inept. They would not be able to respond favourably or positively.
We must add another reason. The people were responsible for their spiritual condition. They must be held responsible for their sad state of affairs.
They could have made right with God. They could have returned to the Lord. God offered cleansing. He promised,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they be red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
However, the words of God fell on deaf ears. We read the following words describing Judah’s response. The history of the southern kingdom revealed the fact that the nation turned its back on God.
THE PUNITIVE ASPECT
Then came the solemn and punitive words of judgment that had to be uttered,
“Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.
Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart
And return and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10
The context in which Jesus uttered these solemn words from Isaiah is important to study very carefully. The Messiah had come to teach God’s Word personally. He had performed many mighty miracles to confirm His identity as the Anointed One of God. He had proven Himself over and over again that He was not the average itinerant preacher, going about from one city to another.
If the people were to reject the Word of God taught by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, then they run the danger of bringing to fulfillment this solemn prophetic word. They would bring judgment to themselves. They would never hear and understand. They would never see and perceive. The Lord will grant them their heart’s unspoken rebellion. They did not want God and His Word – then they shall never have it! How we must guard our hearts ever so carefully.