He Who Has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear

In the Gospel of Luke we hear the parable of the Sower. (Luke 8.4-15) In this parable the Lord gives us a glimpse into His plan to reach out and save the world. As part of His explanation, He describes four categories of people:

• Those who hear the Word of God but the devil takes it away so they cannot respond
• Those who hear the Word of God but the Word does not take root in their lives
• Those who hear the Word of God but the cares and temptations of life distract them
• Those who hear the Word of God and receive it as richness and bear much spiritual fruit

Which are you? This may seem like strange question because we each like to believe we are the rich fertile soil when in fact we may be like the stone path that does not allow God’s Word and Gospel to take root in our lives. The reason this is important is that God, the sower of seeds, broadcasts His Gospel to the entire world, no matter who is hearing it, but only those who have properly prepared their hearts will allow the Word to take root and bear fruit for the glory of God.

 

Jesus Christ also says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” If we are willing to hear the message of this Gospel, then we will look at our lives honestly and decide not only which type of “soil” we are but how we can become rich fertile soil. Like any earth that is left untilled, a hard surface develops where seeds cannot penetrate. Only after difficult labor can a farmer break-down the hard soil to eventually sow seeds. Without that hard work, the soil remains unusable.

 

If we find ourselves hardened to the Word of God we are not usable for God’s harvest. We must work our hearts like a farmer works his field to soften it to receive God’s Word. Lucky for us, we don’t have to take shovels and plows to our hearts. We only must pray, fast and do works of charity and, like the hard soil, our hearts will soften and become rich fertile soil that will bear much fruit. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.