Midweek Bible Study – for personal use or small groups
Prayer: Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to this sacred scripture. Inspire us with Christ’s teaching and enable us to apply His lesson in our daily lives. In His Name, we pray. Amen.
Background: Primarily, Jesus was a radical teacher who came with new ideas, words, and ways of God’s Kingdom. His stories, which He called ‘parables,’ were meant to make His people think deeply about their faith, their commitment to God, and how they actually practiced the religion they frequently professed. Those challenges still confront us and today’s passage will cause us to honestly reflect on what we believe about Jesus and how we apply those beliefs in our own lives.
Jesus belonged to an agricultural society, so this parable would have connected with the ordinary lives of a lot of His people. In today’s complicated and technological world, we may miss some of what Jesus expressed, especially if we only take a superficial glance at the text. Hopefully, this study will create a more thoughtful response to Christ’s teaching and cause us to seriously reflect on our faith commitment to Him.
The Text (read this inwardly once and then read aloud together if in a group. Highlight or underline anything that impacts you or causes you to question what the passage is conveying).
Luke 8:1-15 – The Parable of the Sower
1 Afterward, Jesus and His twelve disciples journeyed throughout the towns and villages to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom.
2-3 Some women joined them who had been cured of demonism and diseases: Mary Magdalene who had suffered from seven evil spirits; Joanna, Chuza’s wife who was the steward of King Herod; Susanna and several others. These women supported Christ and the disciples from their own resources.
4 As a large crowd gathered from the different towns, Jesus told them this parable:
5-6 “A farmer went out to sow some seed. As he scattered it, some seed landed on the path where it was trampled down, so the birds consumed it. Some fell among the rocks, so when it emerged, the shoots withered because there was no moisture.
7-8 Other seed fell into thorns, which eventually choked the young plants. But the rest of the seed landed on good soil. It came up to produce a crop, a hundred times more than was originally sown.”
Jesus ended the parable with these words “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9-10 Later, the disciples asked Jesus what the parable meant. He said, “Knowledge about the secrets of God’s Kingdom has been taught to you, but to the rest, I speak in parables, so that,
“‘Though looking, they may not see; though listening, they may not understand.’
11-13 “This is what the parable means: The seed is the Word of God. Those on the path are the ones who initially hear, but then the devil comes to take away God’s word from their hearts; they become unbelievers and are not saved. Those among the rocks are the ones who joyfully receive God’s word but they have no spiritual depth. They believe for a little while, but when tested, they soon fall away.
14-15 The seed that landed on the thorns symbolizes those who hear, but eventually they are consumed by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, so they do not grow. However, the seed on good soil represents those with integrity and goodness, who hear God’s word, embrace it, and faithfully produce a crop.
The Study: Take your time going through each question section and write down some notes or answers. If in a small group, discuss each question together. Take turns in asking the questions and make notes of what the others are sharing.
Luke 8:1-15 – The Parable of the Sower
1 Afterward, Jesus and His twelve disciples journeyed throughout the towns and villages to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom.
What does the ‘good news of God’s Kingdom’ mean to you? What do you think it meant to the people in Christ’s time?
2-3 Some women joined them who had been cured of demonism and diseases: Mary Magdalene who had suffered from seven evil spirits; Joanna, Chuza’s wife who was the steward of King Herod; Susanna and several others. These women supported Christ and the disciples from their own resources.
Why do you think Luke mentioned the women who followed and supported Jesus? What aspects of their lives surprise you? How is their service modeled in our churches today?
4 As a large crowd gathered from the different towns, Jesus told them this parable:
5-6 “A farmer went out to sow some seed. As he scattered it, some seed landed on the path where it was trampled down, so the birds consumed it. Some fell among the rocks, so when it emerged, the shoots withered because there was no moisture.
7-8 Other seed fell into thorns, which eventually choked the young plants. But the rest of the seed landed on good soil. It came up to produce a crop, a hundred times more than was originally sown.”
Jesus ended the parable with these words “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
What did Jesus tell stories to His people? How did they receive them? How important are story-tellers in our churches today? How are we nurturing faith story-tellers in our congregations?
9-10 Later, the disciples asked Jesus what the parable meant. He said, “Knowledge about the secrets of God’s
Kingdom has been taught to you, but to the rest, I speak in parables, so that,
“‘Though looking, they may not see; though listening, they may not understand.’”
What secret knowledge did Christ give to His disciples and why was He being so selective? How did they use that knowledge? Where do we find that knowledge being taught and used in our own lives?
11-13 “This is what the parable means: The seed is the Word of God. Those on the path are the ones who initially hear, but then the devil comes to take away God’s word from their hearts; they become unbelievers and are not saved. Those among the rocks are the ones who joyfully receive God’s word but they have no spiritual depth. They believe for a little while, but when tested, they soon fall away.
What warnings was Jesus giving to His disciples with this explanation of His parable? How would it affect their own future ministries? Why was this an important lesson for the first Gospel readers to learn? Where do we see these things happening in the church today?
14-15 The seed that landed on the thorns symbolizes those who hear, but eventually they are consumed by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, so they do not grow. However, the seed on good soil represents those with integrity and goodness, who hear God’s word, embrace it, and faithfully produce a crop.
How do these last two examples of the seed represent your life? How hard is it to remain faithful when we are beset with personal problems? What happens to our faith when greed, worry, or insecurity affect us?
How has our faith been fruitful? What opportunities is God giving us now to share and grow our faith?
Any other comments or questions?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for challenging us today. We know that we could be better Christians and more faithful followers of Your ways. Help us to reflect on our individual lifestyles which may hinder us from growing spiritually. Show us some new ways of deepening our relationship with You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
Share the Peace of Christ with one another before you leave.
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