Matthew and Mark cluster together a series of parables with a strong farming theme to illustrate what God’s kingdom is like.[1] Luke selects one of those parables at this stage, the main and longer one about a sower and seed. He pairs this with one also included by Mark at this stage about a lamp and lampstand.[2] He includes another of the parables about faith and mustard seed later but omits the parable about weeds or tares which is included only by Matthew.[3]
In the parable of the weeds, Jesus describes a farmer who sows his field. As with the parable of the Sower, the good crop grows alongside a bad crop of weeds. Unlike with the better known parable, the weeds are introduced deliberately and also they do not prevent the growth of the good crop. However, it is impossible to remove the weeds without harming the wheat crop. The farmer decides to leave both crops to grow together until the Harvest. On that day, all will be gathered in but the weeds will then be destroyed.
The primary point of that parable is that just as both crops will grow together, so too, God’s true people must live in the world, alongside those who don’t believe. This is in fact a common theme across parables. Whilst this has often been used to argue for the concept of the invisible and visible churches with the visible church including those who don’t belong to Jesus and that not being discernible, that is not a point explicitly made. The primary point seems to be that the church is in the world for now and there is something of God’s mercy and restraint to the absence of judgmeent now. However, we cannot presume that judgement isn’t coming.[4]
11.1 Read Luke 8:1-3
Jesus continues to travel from town to town and village to village, preaching or proclaiming and announcing the good news about God’s kingdom. We might literally render it “preaching and gospelling” or “preaching and evangelising” (v1a). Whilst he is accompanied by the twelve apostles (v1b). Luke chooses here to introduce a further group of people who are with Jesus. They had in common that Jesus had healed or rescued them from sickness and demons. Luke names three of them though there were significantly more, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna. Notice thar Joanna’s husband was part of Herod’s household staff, possibly as the steward of his estates or potentially in a political role.[5] The followers of Jesus included those who were connected and had influence (v2-3).
12.2 Jesus and women
Thia comment by Luke is significant. First, it broadens our perspective about who was around and close to Jesus. Whilst our attention is on The Twelve, there was a wider group of disciples and even the broader circle of those invited to draw closer is more than the Twelve. Secondly, we see that whilst the twelve apostles of Jesus were all men, his companions included both men and women. Later in the Gospels, we see that it is women who are last at the Cross when the men have fled and they are first at the tomb on Resurrection Day too. As well as the women mentioned here, we might also want to add Mary and Martha as well as Jesus’ own mother, the other Mary.
Morris observes that there were no women among Jesus’ enemies, such was his character and his reputation among them.[6] He also observes that:
“The rabbis refused to teach women and generally assigned them a very inferior place. But Jesus freely admitted them into fellowship, as on this occasion, and accepted their service.”[7]
This informs my thinking about leadership in the church. Whilst elders are male, the leadership of the church is not just about elders. Paul will instruct elders, deacons and “the women” in 1 Timothy 3 whilst he will greet a number of co-workers including Phoebe, Priscilla and Junia in Romans 16. It seems that the latter may well have been one of the wider “small a” apostles, distinct from the Twelve.
It is important to see too how Jesus deals with women, whether a weeping forgiving sinner or grieving mother here in Luke. We also have the examples of the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery in John’s Gospel.[8] Jesus stands out in contrast to our culture today of “toxic masculinity.” There is something about him which draws women to him without fear or threat nor concern of anything inappropriate. Here is a model example for a redeemed humanity and the potential for a dividing wall to be brought down.
12.3 Read Luke 8:4-15
Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who sows seed. It falls on different parts of the field (v4-5a). A path goes through the field and some seed falls there where it is quickly devoured by birds having also been trampled underfoot (v5b). Some falls in a rocky or stony area where it is not able to put down roots, so whilst it grows quickly, it doesn’t have the water or nourishment resources to withstand the scorching sun and withers (v6). Some is choked and squeezed about by thorns, thistles and weeds (v7). However, there is also good, fertile soil where crops are able to grow and bear fruit. He concludes with an invitation along the lines of “are you listening, are you ready and willing to hear.” (v8).
Later, his disciples asked him what the parable meant. Mark’s version keeps the questioning broad “they asked him about the parable” whilst Matthew suggests that their questions were not just about the specific meaning of this parable but about Jesus’ purpose and intent in telling parables. It seems that rather than making things clear, to the disciples, the parables seemed to obscure meaning (v9). The shock factor is that Jesus responds that this is intentional. He is disclosing Heaven’s mysteries to them. However, the consequence of the parables is a fulfilment of Isaiah 6:9-11. Although they are able to see him and hear him, they are not able to grasp or understand his mission, identity or message (v10).
This links directly to the parable. The people who “see but do not see, hear but do not understand” are like the hard, rocky and thorny soil. Although they hear the word, like the seed falling into the ground, it does not properly take root and grow. So, Satan is able to get them to forget God’s Word, to nullify its effect by taking it from their hearts, in other words preventing them from loving and obeying it (v12). Alternatively, they are distracted by life’s cares, ambitions and worries. These things again stop them from acting on God’s Word and being fruitful (v13-14). However, there are those, like the good soil whose hearts are receptive to hear, understand and do what Jesus says. Their lives will be fruitful (v15).
12.4 Hearing without understanding
There is a stark contrast between how parables are popularly understood and what Jesus actually says. You may have heard them described as “earthly stories with heavenly meanings.” Well that’s true to some extent, although not all parables seem to be stories and I’m not sure how far that gets us as a working definition in understanding their purpose. Usually, the assumption is that they were used by Jesus to make complicated truths easy to understand and more concrete. Jesus here though says that they do the opposite. The obscure, they hide, the prevent understanding.
Why would Jesus do this? It seems counter intuitive to our understanding of the Gospel and God’s love. There are perhaps three aspects to helping us get what is going on. First, Jesus quotes Isaiah 6. That prophecy picks up a theme found elsewhere, in fact, it is idols that have eyes, ears and mouths but are blind, deaf and dumb. As Beale has argued, we become like our idols. God’s people were like those mute, unhearing, unseeing idols and this would be confirmed by their response to Isaiah’s prophecy.[9] So, too Jesus’ coming and their rejection of him would serve to expose their idolatry. John the Baptist was right to identify Jesus’ coming as judgment and a winnowing. The final fate of wickedness may not have come upon those who oppose God but they were condemned by Jesus’ mission.
Secondly, it is important to notice from Isaiah’s prophecy, that as you read on, it becomes clear that the restrictions are timebound, They will be in place until complete judgement and destruction is served on the land of Israel. I would argue that this is fulfilled spiritually in Jesus, so that his death and resurrection would lead to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the opening of blind eyes.
Thirdly, notice Jesus; invitation at the end of the parable “do you have ears to hear.” The parables serve as a filter. Those who are not his, who are not genuine seekers will go away, entertained by the stories and blessed a little by the miracles. However, genuine seekers will push in to understand. They won’t be satisfied with the stories and will seek out Jesus to gain understanding.
So Jesus increases his use of parables at the very point when his preaching ministry is becoming popular and this will become a decision point. Many of the crowds who throng to him will not stay the course and all but a few will eventually desert him.[10]
To understand what a parable means and what it is doing, we need to understand a bit more of how parables work. Traditional approaches have relied on allegory where every single detail of the story is mined for meaning. So, for example, in the parables of the lost sheep, coin and son, there may be a temptation to identify the different protagonists with members of the Trinity, the Son as good shepherd, the Spirit as the woman and the Father as, well, the father of the prodigal. Similar attempts have been made with Matthew 13 to identify the birds, the tree and so on.
Snodgrass dismisses allegory as not interpretation at all. He argues that “people read into the parables elements of the church’s theology that had nothing to do with Jesus’ intention.”[11]In other words there is a danger of “eisegesis” here, that we read our preferred meanings into the text rather than looking to see what it says and means.
It is first best to interpret parables as Scripture does. Here in Luke 8, we are explicitly told by Jesus how to interpret the parable of the Sower. We may also note that when telling the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asks his interlocuter “who is the neighbour” and then when the man begrudgingly acknowledges that it is the Samaritan instructs him to “go and do the same.” However, there will also be clues given within the context of a parable.
Secondly, it is worth remembering that these parables form an example of Jewish rhetoric and pedagogy,[12]therefore we should follow the same rules for understanding them as other examples of Jewish teaching, especially proverbial or wisdom literature. What we often see in Scripture, is that a story has a punchline and this is the intended take home. For example, when Nathan tells David a parable about a man who steals a sheep, the punchline to David is “You are the man.” The punchline to the story of the Sower is “Some fell on good soil.” Our desire should be to be like that soil.
12.5 Read Luke 8:16-18
In another parable, Jesus states that if you light a lamp, an oil lamp lit for the night being in mind, then you don’t immediately cover it over or hide it out of sight. Rather you set it where it will give light to those coming in and out of the room (v16). Matthew includes a version of this parable in The Sermon on the Mount.[13] In that version the focus is on our responsibility to “let your light shine”, so that our lives are a public witness. It is possible to see an aspect of that in Luke and in Mark 4:21-25, however, the focus here seems to be more on the inevitability of things being revealed and made public. The truth about our hearts will become clear both through the fruit we show in this life now and by the public account we will give on judgement day. Additionally, we might note that whilst the truth is known only to some at the moment, a time will come when Christ’s message will be revealed to all (v17).[14]
The consequences are the same no matter how you read the parable. We are meant to live fruitful lives that show evidence of the change Christ has made. So, those who hear Christ’s word should consider carefully their response because they are going to be assessed and judged. Jesus warns that those who show evidence of his work in their lives can expect more but those lacking fruit can expect that even what they do have will lose it. This may be a warning that even their physical/material life and possessions will one day go or it may simply be a proverbial/hyperbolic way of saying that if you start with nothing, then you will finish with nothing (v18).
12.6 Read Luke 8:19-21
Jesus’ mother, Mary turns up along with his brothers. This will have included James and Jude and is strong evidence, along with reference to his brothers in John 7 that contra Roman Catholic teaching, Mary was not a perpetual virgin. We know from Mark 3:21-35 that this was no friendly visit. The family had turned up to take charge of him believing that he had gone mad. It might be surprising to think that Mary would go along with this but it is possible either that she had a wobble in her faith or that if Joseph had since died, then she had little say or control now (v19). Like the men with the paralysed friend, they are unable to get into the house due to the crowd with Jesus, so they send a message to him (v20).
Jesus however, seems dismissive “Who are my mother and brothers?” Of course, he would show great care for his mum from the Cross and that James and Jude not only followed him but became leaders in the church suggest that he was on good terms with his family longer term. However, here, he sees a teaching point. We can get lost in the question “who are my…” and miss his response. It’s those who “hear and do” what God says. Jesus reinforces the point made in his parables, that to be included within God’s family, to be part of his people requires living, obedient faith not just lip service (v21).
[1] Matthew 13, Mark 4.
[2] C.f. Mark 4:21-25.
[3] Luke 13:!9
[4] C.f. Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 .
[5] C.f. Morris, Luke, 169.
[6] Morris, Luke, 169.
[7] Morris, 169.
[8] Whilst the evidence strongly suggests that the account concerning the woman caught in adultery does not belong at that point in John, I believe that it also points to this being an authentic eye witness account.
[9] See particularly, GK Beale, We become what we worship (Downers Grove, IL.: IVP, 2008), 36-70. Also, Beale deals specifically with this passage at Beale, We become what we worship, 163-165.
[10] C.f. Morris, Luke, 170.
[11] Snodgras, “Parables”, Pages 591-601 in in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Ed. Green, McKnight & Howard Marshall, Downers Grove, IL.: IVP, 1992) 591.
[12] Snodgrass, “Parables”, 593.
[13] Matthew 5:14-16.
[14] Nolland, Luke 1-9:20, 300.
Faithroots 