“The earliest and most
obvious planting method was known as broadcasting. Broadcasting simply meant
throwing seeds on the ground by hand and hoping they would sprout. For larger
plots, broadcasting experienced a low success rate. Birds would eat the seeds,
and there was little order to where seeds were placed, making it difficult for
farmers to maintain for their harvest.”
(source: unknown)
“And when a great multitude
had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside;
and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.”. Luke 8.4-5
“Now the parable is this:
The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then
the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should
believe and be saved.” Luke
8.11-12
Salvation is
through believing the word of God. The
parable of the Sower makes this clearly
evident.
The parable
of the Sower appears in 3 gospel accounts, and each has some variation.
I like the
Lukan account best in revealing the activity of Satan.
In Luke 8.5,
we read that seed is sown; it falls to the wayside or path, and is trampled,
and then devoured by birds.
Matthew
13.3-4 says the same, but leaves out the trampling part. Mark 4.3-4 also leaves out the trampled part.
Luke 8.11-12
tells us the seed is the word of God.
Matthew and
Mark, in their explanation of the parable does not use the word “seed,” but the
representation as the word of God is evident.
For the
seed, Matthew says "word of the kingdom." Mark 4.14-15 says "the word."
The
"seed" is the word of God, and more specifically, the word of the
kingdom.
It must be
concluded that this word of the kingdom, must have as its content saving
information, such as how one enters the kingdom of God through faith in
Christ. This is because of the
explanation of Satan’s activity given in Luke 8.12.
The role of
specific words of God for salvation is clear in other Scriptures, such as Acts
11.13-14, and in 1 Peter 1.23-25. The
last reference uses "seed" for the word of God, being the word in the Gospel.
“Send men to Joppa, and
call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
who will tell you *words*
by which you and all your household will be saved.” Acts 11.13b-14
“having been born again,
not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God … this is
the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” 1Peter 1.23-25
The
"wayside" or "path" represents those of which the word has
no affect. These who hear the word are
not saved.
Luke does
not explain the "trampled underfoot."
This
"trampled" makes me think of Hebrews 10.29 about those who bring
insult on the sacrifice of Christ by lessoning its value, thus figuratively trample on him.
Those who
hear the word and don't understand it, don't know the value of it. Matthew 13.19 says they do not understand
the word (Luke and Mark leave this out).
If they
don't understand it, Satan, represented by the birds, has opportunity to take
the word out of their hearts, so they may not believe and be saved.
The heart is
metaphor for the affections; one commentator says it is the place of
receptivity.
If its not
understood, then keep them from understanding it.
How does
Satan take it out of their heart?
I believe he
uses distraction and deception, especially through other people and
circumstances.
Satan makes
use of the ignorance, and keeps them from looking into it.
“Satan” may
be a generic reference to anyone who does his bidding to keep others from
knowing and understanding and believing the truth.
Matthew
16.21-23 has the account where Peter is rebuke by Christ, who calls him
“Satan,” for trying to dissuade Christ of God's will.
Satan's aim
is to keep people from salvation, and he knows this is though believing
specific word of God, which the parable clearly reveals, in Luke 8.12.
Don't let
Satan keep you from understanding the word of God concerning the way of
salvation. Eternity is at stake.
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