BRINGING FORTH FRUIT WITH PATIENCE

"But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." (Luke 8:15)

Jesus was going throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom, and the twelve were with Him. Much people from every city gathered around Him, pressing to hear His words (8:1-4). At that time our Lord spoke to them "by a parable." It sounded like an agricultural lesson, but it was not. He spoke great Kingdom realities wrapped in the swaddling clothes of earthly circumstance. He spoke of a sower going out to sow seed – HIS seed. It belonged to him, and he sowed it everywhere. It looked as though he was scattering the seed indiscriminately, throwing it everywhere. Some of it fell upon a well trodden pathway, And the "fowls of the air devoured it." Another portion of the seed fell upon rocky soil, And soon "withered away, because it lacked moisture." Yet another part of the seed "fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it." However, some of the precious seed "fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold." Jesus does not say an equal amount of seed fell upon the various soils, as though the path, rocky soil, thorny soil, and good soil each received 25% of the seed. Nor, indeed, did He suggest the sower was not wise in the manner in which he sowed his seed. The point was not how much seed was sown, but what happened to it after it was sown. Jesus gave no explanation of the parable. Rather, while He was speaking it, "He called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear'" NIV (8:5-8). Only His disciples inquired about the parable, asking what it might mean. Jesus told them "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God," NASB declaring it was hidden from others (8:9-10).
In His explanation, Jesus said the seed was God's Word, and the soils were various hearers. He accounted for the marvelous productivity of the good soil in three ways. First, they had "honest and good hearts." Second, having heard the Word of God, they "kept" it. Third, they brought forth fruit "with patience," or perseverance. They endured until the fruit came! They withstood hindering influences, refusing to relinquish their hold on the Word. That is the way "much fruit" is produced – fruit that glorifies God (John 15:8). How "patient," or enduring, are you? Are you looking for fruit tomorrow, or are you holding on to the Word with an honest and good heart. Have you plotted out the time of the harvest, or are you devoting yourself to patience and endurance? Your patience will bring the fruit. You can count on that!