Friday, September 11, 2026

“The Interpretation” (Luke 9:8b-15)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2026 9:20 AM

My Worship Time                                                                               Focus:  “The Interpretation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:8b-15

            Message of the verses:  As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand.

11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.”

            Looking at John MacArthur’s commentary it seems to me that this is just an introduction to these verses as we will go into more detail about them beginning in this evening’s SD, and so I think it is wise for me to just quote what he wrote in this mornings SD.

            “As He told this story, Jesus would call out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

(cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

“35  It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

“15  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

“23  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

“That challenge distinguished between those who desired to understand what He was teaching, and those who did not.  Unsurprisingly only His disciples were interested, and they began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.  Jesus’ response revealed the incredible privilege that was theirs:  ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.’  The mysteries of which the Lord spoke are spiritual truths hidden through the Old Testament era and revealed in the New. (See the discussion of the New Testament mysteries in chapter 16 of this volume).  The kingdom of God, as noted in chapter 19 of this volume, refers to the sphere of salvation where God reigns over His people.  But as noted above, to the rest who reject the truth, parables are and act of judgment, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand (Matt. 13:12-13).”

(Matt. 13:12-13)

“12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

“Matthew records that Jesus elaborated on that statement of judgment by quoting from Isaiah’s familiar prophecy:

“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing but not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’ (Matt. 13:14-15; cf. Isa. 6:9-10)”

(Isa. 6:9-10)

“9 ¶  And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "’Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

“Because they willfully hardened their hearts against the truth, God judicially hardened them, just as He did with Pharaoh (cf. Ex. 8:15; 14:8).  While such people cannot understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:14), believers can (v. 16; cf. Matt. 13:16-17, 51).

            Having made it clear that the truth contained in the parable was for His disciples only, Jesus identified its key elements.  Significantly, He did not name the sower (as He so identified Himself in His explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares [Matt. 13:37]), since the sower is not the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the seed as the Word of God, specifically in the context the gospel message of salvation.  Peter used that same analogy when he wrote, ‘You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God’ (1 Peter 1:23; cf. Rom 10:17).  No artificial, synthetic seed can replace the divine seed and produce better results; attempting to alter the gospel message to make it more palatable to unbelievers brings judgment (Gal. 1:8-9) and can only result in false conversions.  The soil represents the heart (vv. 12, 15), and the four types of soil describe the various conditions of the souls of those who hear the gospel.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  That the Holy Spirit of God will use the blogs that I write to give out the gospel message so that souls will be saved, and believers will grow in grace.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to give the surgeons who will be operating on my grandson to have great wisdom so that it will be successful.  9/11/2026 10:08 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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