In Luke 8 Jesus shares the parable of the farmer scattering seed. Afterward his disciples asked him what the story meant. Jesus says something really interesting, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of God.” A couple verses later he tells them the meaning.
“The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”
The people who cling to God’s word patiently produce a HUGE harvest. In Luke 6 Jesus says,
“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.”
Understanding is proved by what we produce. By understanding, the man building a house digs into the ground until he finds rock and lays his foundation on top of it. By understanding, the person who hears God’s word, holds onto it, puts it into practice and patiently produces a huge harvest.
The defining mark of someone who hears God’s word and puts it into practice is a life of function, stability, and increase. God’s word gives knowledge and understanding about why we are alive and how to truly live. The byproduct and proof that we are growing in true understanding is what we produce. What we produce is based off of what we do. And what we do is based off of what we understand. Understanding therefore is the purpose behind what we do. It’s the motivating force that causes us to take action. It’s this action that causes us to reap the reward of understanding.
The kingdom of heaven is way better than it is most often portrayed!
In Luke 8:18 Jesus says,
“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”