I recently preached on Luke 8 which includes the parable of the Sower and Jesus’ follow on explanation about how parables work. The surprising thing is that when the disciples come to Jesus and ask him what the parable means, he doesn’t say something to the effect that parables are earthly stories with heavenly meaning designed to use ordinary events and things to help people understand deep spiritual truth. Far from Jesus using parables to make the message accessible, he says:
“To others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’[a][1]
To understand what Jesus means here, we have to recognise that he is quoting from a significant passage in the Old Testament. It is that moment where Isaiah has seen a glorious vision of God’s holiness filling the temple and in response to God’s question says “send me”. God commissions him but not with an easy message or the promise of revival, instead he says that the people will not really be able to perceive or understand in order to accept this message.
Furthermore, we need to see that statement against another bit of Old Testament thinking. The Psalms describe idols as having eyes but not seeing, ears but not hearing, mouths but mnot being able to speak or eat. They are deaf, dumb and blind. Then we are told that we become like our idols.
So, when God’s message was preached to those who remained in rebellion against him, then what it would do would be to expose their hearts, show people what they were really like and convict them of idolatry. In the same way, Jesus’ parables highlighted the idolatry of his hearers. Think about all the things that people have managed to get out of parables whether that’s pragmatist church growth lessons from the parable of the sower or school assembly level lessons from the Good Samaritan. Our interpretation of parables tells us a lot about ourselves and where our priorities and passions are.
However, we joined the verse halfway through because the important bit is this
“He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,”
Even when looking at this verse, we can miss the point Jesus really wants to make because we spend all our time trying to work out what the second part of the verse means. Jesus didn’t so much want his disciples to get into debates about why parables seemed to exclude and put up barriers to some as to get them to hear the wonderful point that the good news of the kingdom was for them.
Jesus’ parables did two things. Just as Paul would describe his message as bringing both the aroma of death to those under condemnation and the aroma of life to those being saved, so too, Jesus’ parables both condemned, showing up idolatrous hearts, acting as a light on a stand to expose sin and also invited those he was calling deeper in to know him better.
I think that here we have some important theological underpinning for what we do when we preach. I’m thinking of those of us who are committed to systematic expository preaching. This kind of preaching can at times feel like it is plodding and unshowy. It doesn’t come with any flashy rhetorical techniques to hook people in, no silver bullet guarantees.[2] Rather, our expectation is that gradually, gently over time, God’s word, week by week will do its work in people’s lives.
Just like the sower scattering the seed, we are to just keep sowing God’s word and we cannot control the state of the hearts that it lands in. Some people will be hard hearted, some people will be overwhelmed with worries, others will have quite a shallow response. That’s not our worry. Again, I don’t think this means that there isn’t a place for spiritual cultivation but in terms of when we preach, we speak God’s Word to everyone in the room.
Just as the seed landing exposed the reality of the soil, showing up the stones, thorns and pathway, so too, preaching exposes where hearts are at. We see that by how people respond, again, not their immediate response to one message today but how they respond over time. Do we see growth and fruit?
However, get this, Jesus’ explanation about how parables work also gives us a clue about where our focus is meant to be when looking at this parable. We are not meant to focus on the path, the rocks and the thorns. Instead our focus is meant to be on the good soil because that soil represents those to whom the secrets of the kingdom have been revealed. It represents those who are hungry and thirsty for God.
So too with our preaching. I don’t think we are meant to worry too much about those who aren’t yet in a position to hear and receive. It’s not that we don’t care or don’t do anything about them. It’s that when we are preaching, our trust is that the Holy Spirit will be at work in the lives of those he has chosen, preparing the ground. We preach trusting that there will be people hungry to know God and grow in him. So, we don’t have to whip up interest. The Holy Spirit will draw people in to hear his word. And once God’s Word is heard, it will get to work in every part of a believer’s life.
[1] Luke 8:10
[2] I’m not saying here that there isn’t a place for understanding rhetorical techniques to improve your preaching.
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