Today’s Readings: Deut 9:1‐10:22, Luke 8:4‐21, Ps 69:19‐36, Prov 12:2‐3

Luke 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

The Luke readings today emphasized hearing.  “As he said these things, he called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’” (v8), “Take care then how you hear” (v18), “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (v21).  Clearly the Sh’ma (see the March 26^th post) is not just an Old Testament instruction.

View from the mountain of prayer, Mt Arbel, of where 70% of Jesus' recorded ministry took place.

Jesus was a very visual teacher.  On our Israel trip, I was impacted by how fertile the area of Galilee is.  However, the farmers had to pull an extraordinary amount of rocks out of their fields in order to reach good soil.  Often times you would see a two acre field lined with a half-acre piled with rocks.  It is within this context that Jesus teaches the parable of the sower and the seed.

Apply:  Do you want your heart to be good soil?  We have to remove our rocks so we don’t just hear the Word with joy (v13), but have the word take root in our lives.  Jesus says that we have to hold the word fast with patience (also translated as perseverance).

What are some ways that you have found enable you to hold the Word fast after hearing it?