The Seed

 

Jesus, in His teaching on the kingdom of God, makes a profound and amazing statement: The Seed is the Word of God: Luke 8:11NKJV.  Here, Jesus is explaining to His disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower. Profound. A sower went to sow. Luke 8:5. The Seed the sower sowed was the Word of God. It’s that Seed that produces a harvest. There’s one seed not many. The Seed is God’s Word. When we really begin to understand and apply that statement in our lives, then we’ll see our world change. Not before. So, I’d like to talk about the Seed in this post. 

The parable of the sower is shared in three of the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each of the parables shared in each Gospel are slightly similar and slightly different. Contrary to what some think, these differences and similarities aren’t accidental; rather, they are intentional. Through the similarities and differences in each Gospel, we are meant to gain understanding of what Christ is truly communicating. It takes all three parables in all three Gospels to understand the full message of the parable of the sower. 

“Start with the Word of God. That’s what works; it alone bears fruit.”—Scott Wallis

Here, I will not go into all the differences; rather, I will focus on our topic — the Seed. Remember, the Seed, according to Luke 8:11, is the Word of God. But what does it say in the other two Gospels where this same parable is taught. First, in the Gospel of Matthew, we read, “when anyone hears the word of the kingdom”. Jesus doesn’t specifically call the seed the Word of God; rather, He talks about “the Word of the Kingdom”. Matthew 13:19, NKJV,  What about in the Gospel of Mark? In Mark 4:14, ESV, we read, “The sower sows the word.” So, in Matthew, it’s about receiving the Seed; in Mark, it’s about sowing the Seed; and, in Luke, it’s about what the Seed is. 

Let’s delve deeper. In Matthew, Jesus describes the Seed as the Word of the Kingdom. In Mark, the Seed is described as the word. In Luke, the Seed is the Word of God. Here, each is different and yet similar. The Word of the Kingdom is part of the Word of God. Yet, it was the primary message Jesus preached. He brought the Good News of the Kingdom of God. “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17, World English Bible. The Word is what is being communicated. People hear words. Words are a medium of communication. They’re essential in an act of communication. But Jesus doesn’t say words are the seed; rather, He says THE Word. There’s a right message (which, of necessity, means, there’s also a wrong message). The right message is the one we’re called to speak. Lastly, the Seed is clearly shown to be the Word of God. Not just a word from God, but the actual Word of God.

Oftentimes, people build their lives on a word from God not the Word of God. Then, they wonder their lives haven’t turned out as they hoped it would. Unfortunately, they never stop to consider the fact that what they believe may be wrong. And here’s where the rubber hits the road or the crux of what the parable of the sower is telling us in all three of the Gospels — hearing, sowing, and the Seed are connected. Whether we preach the message of God’s kingdom, sow THE Word that’s from God, or we sow the very Word of God, what we sow will grow. We grow in our understanding of God’s Word by hearing, speaking, and discerning the Word of God. 

God’s Word is and should be our focus. We must learn how to communicate His Word in a way that people can hear it. We must also learn to speak God’s Word even when others don’t want to hear it. And we must make sure our focus is on God’s Word, the whole Word of God. Where we get into trouble is our focus on a word from God. Or we don’t discern the message Christ brought — the message of His Kingdom. Or we fail to truly focus on what the Seed is — the Word of God. Hearing, speaking, and discerning the Word of God is essential to our understanding and growth as believers and our ultimate impact in this world. 

Let us remember the Seed is the Word of God. We must know what it says. We must discern the Word of God. That’s where everything begins. In the beginning, God said… Let’s not forget that very important part of understanding of how our world works. The Word of God bears fruit. It’s the only thing that bears fruit. It’s the Seed. If we want fruit, we must know what Seed actually bears fruit — the Word of God. Anything less, or anything else, is fatal to our goal of bearing fruit. And ultimately that’s how God’s kingdom operates — only His Word bears fruit, for it’s the Seed. 

Today, let the Seed of God’s Word grow in your heart. It will change your life, and, yes, your very world. Start with the Word of God. That’s what works; it alone bears fruit. 

Let us pray!

—Scott Wallis