Take Heed How You Hear
Reflective Reading: Luke 8
In Luke 8 we have the Parable of the Sower and the Seed. This parable is creatively framed between the phrase “the Word of God” (verses 11 and 21). The word “Word” is repeated five times, and the word “hear” is repeated six times, giving us the primary focus of this text. If there was ever an essential truth for our day and age, it is “How you hear.” Before I share my commentary, I admit I am not a good listener. I’m a lot better than I used to be but still could use some improvement. I remember on one occasion, I was talking with a friend after church, and as he was talking to me, he noticed my eyes wandering. He stopped for a moment, looked into my eyes and said with a serious tone, “Mark, you’re not a good listener.” That was not an easy moment for me. This happened thirty years ago, and I still remember it as if it was yesterday. Those words were the wounds of a friend.
Jesus placed such a premium on being a good listener that he gives a warning as to “how” we hear, not just what we hear. Let’s dive in and see the meaning behind the warning. Dr. Luke writes in 8:11 and following:
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Lk. 8:11-15).
“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Lk. 8:16-18).
“Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it” (Lk. 8:19-21).
In verses 11-15, Jesus gives the interpretation of the parable of the seeds. He explains that the seed that was sown by the wayside are they that hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should be saved. I’ve seen this happen several times in my lifetime. I once watched two young men struggle with the truth they had just heard. They attended church with me, and the sermon was powerful! They both seemed to be under conviction, and for several minutes their souls were hanging in the balances between heaven and hell. One of them surrendered his life to Christ that morning and went on to live a godly Christian life. The other chose not to believe and went on to live a very destructive and ungodly life. It is noteworthy that the devil is actively seeking to snatch the Word right out of people’s hearts. That is a scary thought, and it challenges me to realize how much more vigilant I must be when communicating the Word to others, and when hearing it myself.
Notice the words the devil “taketh away.” In the Greek this is a maritime word meaning to weigh anchor, allowing the ship to leave the harbor. This truth is important to remember when we reach the end of this commentary.
For the first three that receive the seed (wayside, on the rock, and among thorns), the result is dependent upon how the word is received or heard. The seed sown on good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with cheerful endurance. The meaning of the word “keep” is the opposite of “taketh away.” It means to hold something down fast. Just hearing the Word of God is not enough. Action that holds fast is required. And that is the focus of this commentary.
Immediately after the parable of the sower of the seed, Jesus appears to move on to an unrelated topic. In verses 16-19 he begins talking about not hiding a candle under a bushel or under a bed (or couch). He says,
“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Lk. 8:16-18).
This is one of the most needed truths in Christendom today. Jesus is teaching that those who have received light should share that light with others. Or better, those who have heard the Word and its meaning need to share it with others. Jesus is connecting the parable of the sower and the seed with lighting a candle. He is teaching that whenever we learn something new that was previously hidden from us, we need to make it known near and far. And those that do, will be given more truth to share. But those who do not share what they are learning, even that which they have will be taken away.
Dr. Luke now closes this section with an illustration of Jesus’ mother and brothers desiring to see Him but can’t get near Him because of the crowd. Jesus exclaims that His mother and brothers are they who hear the Word of God and do it! I don’t know if Mary and His brothers heard Him say this, but if they did, that had to be very convicting. They were desiring to rescue Jesus from what seemed to them, an insane lifestyle. To them, He was working Himself to death, and they were going to rescue him and set Him straight.
In Mark 3:21 (ESV) we read:
“And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’”
Can you imagine? Mary raised Jesus. She knew He was the Messiah. She knew He was the Son of God. For some reason, she and her other children thought Jesus needed their help. They had forgotten all that He had taught them. Apart from His daily presence and influence, they had fallen away from His Words that required faith and obedience, and had gone back to their carnal means of preservation and protection. If they heard Jesus say, “My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it,” I can imagine how powerful that moment must have been for Mary.
Everything Jesus taught regarding the sower and the seed was summarized in this one statement, “Hear the Word of God, and do it!” And once you hear the Word of God and do it, let others know what you’ve learned so they too can hear and believe. “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” What God reveals to us must be proclaimed and never be hidden.
A Story to Remember - 1887
A young lady in a fashionable home had been brought to Christ, and had been enabled for some years, amid much opposition, to faithfully witness for Him. The attention she attracted was often painful to her; and once, when repulsed and wounded in an effort of this kind, she for a time lost heart, and felt she should have to give up being a consecrated Christian. Just at this time she was invited to visit friends whom she had never seen, and who knew but little of her; and she resolved, that while there she would not openly speak of her Saviour, or put herself in a position to be noticed as peculiarly religious. Accepting this invitation, she hid her identity and attended the event as her sister. Her visit passed away; and not happily to herself, she was enabled to keep her resolution. Upon the day of her leaving for home, a most attractive and accomplished lady, a fashionable woman of society, while walking alone with her, suddenly asked her, “Where is your sister, and why did she not come here? I mean your religious sister, the one who is known as the ‘religious Miss J.’ It was because I heard that she was to be here that I, too, accepted an invitation to come and spend the holiday. I am tired of the empty, unsatisfying life I am leading, and have longed to talk with a real Christian.” With shame and confusion, the faithless witness was obliged to confess that she had no sister; that she was the one who had been sometimes called the “religious Miss J.,” and that shame of the badge, that should have been borne gladly for her Saviour, had kept her silent. A precious opportunity to lead a weary soul to the Master had been lost. (D. W. Whittle’s Life, Warfare, and Victory.)
Let us take heed, therefore, not only on how we hear, but how we hear and share what we’ve heard.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading:
Tim Gower: The Soul-Sharpener Book (Ages 9+)
Dwell Deep Book (Ages 12+)
