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The Parable of the Four Soils Revisited

Mar 28th 2008Jeremy MyersBible Study

I’ve been mulling over the Parables of the Four Soils for nearly three years now. When I left my church in Fortine, MT to come to Dallas, TX for seminary, I was preaching through Luke, and had stopped at Luke 8:3. I did preach a sermon on Luke 8:9-10, but I never did preach on Luke 8:4-15, the Parable of the Four Soils. I was a bit relieved, because I had no idea what this parable meant. And the scary thing, Jesus says that this parable is the key to understanding all the rest (Luke 8:10).

But as I have thought more and more about it, the meaning has slowly emerged. I now agree with my friend Ken Wilson that this parable has nothing to do with determining who is a Christian and who is not. That’s the way most people read this parable, and it’s all because of the word “saved” in 8:12. Some people think that only the fourth, fruitful soil is a Christian, while others think that the final three soils represent Christians because they at least have life. And while “saved” can refer to receiving eternal life, it most often does not. Instead, it most often (nearly always) refers in Scripture to being delivered from some sort of temporal problem or calamity.

That’s what this Parable is about. When people hear what the Bible has to say about how to be delivered from whatever problem is in their life, there are four basic responses to the Word (8:11).

The following context makes this abundantly clear. Jesus doesn’t just want hearing; He wants obeying (8:16-21), just as He gets from the wind and the waves (8:22-25), demons (8:26-39), and a Jewish leader and a sick woman (8:40-56). Jesus then sends out the twelve to see how they will do at hearing and obeying, and also to give them some experience at seeing how others respond to the Word (9:1-6).

The bottom line is this: Whenever the Word of God is proclaimed, to whomever it is proclaimed, there will be four basic responses. How do you typically respond?

On Monday, I will share with you something surprising about the fourth soil, the good soil, and how to find it.

3 Comments »

3 Responses to “The Parable of the Four Soils Revisited”

  1. Jim on 29 Mar 2008 at 5:30 am #

    Jeremy,

    This is good info as it challenges us all who say the word “disciple” in reference to ourselves but never obey what has been revealed to us. Even more so to those who think everyone is a disciple and live life only for themselves. I have one area in particular in my life that is a grey area and I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that it isn’t grey.

    Grace and peace,

    Jim

  2. Mark on 13 Jul 2008 at 6:00 am #

    I beleive the four soils represent how spiritual we are. Or how receptive to Gods word.

  3. Jeremy Myers on 13 Jul 2008 at 9:34 pm #

    Mark,

    I agree with you about the receptivity to God’s Word.

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