“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” - Luke 8:15
Good soil. There’s a beautiful simplicity to that. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us about four types of soil that represent the hearts of people and the different ways that a heart may respond to the Gospel message. Appreciate that in the parable there’s nothing complicated about the good soil. It’s not good soil because someone added “Miracle Grow.” It’s good soil because that’s all it is. It’s just soil, dirt, ground. Nothing else but that. That’s all a Sower really needs, a piece of earth willing to accept a seed and give it room to grow.
An honest and good heart. There’s a beautiful simplicity to that as well. Like good soil, there’s nothing complicated about an honest and good heart. Here’s what it means
1) An honest and good heart is a heart that is truly willing to listen. It does not cover the ears or silence dissenting opinions. It listens. It weighs. It considers. It tests all things and holds fast to the good (I Thessalonians 5:21).
2) An honest and good heart listens honestly. It assesses its own biases and strives to rid itself of prejudices. It’s not overly devoted to the traditional or too fascinated with novelty (Matthew 15:3).
3) An honest and good heart makes choices in humility. It aligns itself with what is right rather than what is convenient, even if choosing the right requires perseverance (Luke 8:15).
In other words, an honest and good heart is simply a heart that is willing to fairly consider what God has to say.
The promise of the parable is that if you choose to have that sort of heart God can take care of the rest. In the parable, the seed is the word of God. It’s a message powerful enough to change us and help us bear fruit if we’re willing to accept it (I Peter 1:23-25). And in the parable, God is the Sower. He’s the one who makes sure the seed gets to the soil. So, all He really needs from you is an honest and good heart. Do you have it?
This evening we’ll begin a fresh new slate of Bible classes. I hope that as you engage in those studies you’ll do so with an honest and good heart!
