NOTHING LOVELY GROWS IN HARD GROUND
THE MOST IMPORTANT PARABLE IN THE BIBLE (part 3)
02-20-22 This message may be viewed live streaming video at youtube.com and tabernacleofmoses.org today Sunday at 11:00 am, and repeated 24/7 thereafter. The video, audio, and study notes are archived.

LUKE’S GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
(Luke 8:1-3) And it came to pass afterward, that he [Jesus] went throughout every city and village, preaching [Gk: proclaiming] and shewing [manifesting, illustrating] the glad tidings [Gk: announcing the good news] of the kingdom of God [i.e., eternal love, happiness, and great joy; salvation (saving, deliverance, rescue) from evil, healing]: and the twelve [disciples] were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits [fallen angels, i.e., fallen (perverted) thoughts of God] [spiritual – their minds] and infirmities [Gk: diseases, sicknesses] [physical – their bodies], Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance [Gk: property, possessions] [i.e., the hard manifestations of their invisible thoughts].

THE TONGUE OF THE LORD (JESUS CHRIST)
PREACHING THE PARABLE TO THE MULTITUDE
(Luke 8:4-8) And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. [1]
1.    Commentary: “fell” = God is Thought. “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16). “The seed is the word [Thoughts] of God” (Luke 8:11), i.e., the seed is the Bible, Jesus Christ (John 1:14) within whom is the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:26), which together fell down (was loosened and sent) from Heaven… a soothing shower of Heavenly rain scattered upon and softening the hard ground of our heart, i.e., our mind (our thoughts). Nothing lovely grows in hard ground.

THE PURPOSE OF THE PARABLES
(Luke 8:9,10) And his disciples [Gk: learners, pupils] [students, being schooled, studying for God’s purpose] asked him, saying, What might this parable be [i.e., mean]? And he said, Unto you [“his disciples”] it is given to know [Gk: understand] the mysteries [Gk: (deep) secrets] of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables [Gk: similitudes, (symbolically) fictitious narratives of common life conveying a moral]; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN JESUS CHRIST (THE BIBLE)
INTERPRETING THE TONGUE OF THE LORD FOR BELIEVERS
(Luke 8:11-15) Now the parable is this [there are four different kinds of soils (receptors) in your heart, i.e., in the ground of your mind]: The seed is the word [Gk: logos] of God. Those [who wastefully spend the remaining precious gift of their allotted life-time in this world] by the way side [unsaved persons] are they that hear [the seed, the word of God]; then cometh the devil [“the wicked one” “Satan”], and taketh away the word [the seed, the word of God] out of their hearts [Gk: minds (thoughts)], lest they should believe and be saved [Gk: (become) delivered, protected: healed, made whole].  They [“likewise” Mark 4:16, who wastefully spend the remaining precious gift of their allotted life-time in this world] on the rock [unsaved persons] are they, which, when they hear [the seed, the word of God], receive the word with joy; and these have no root [1], which for a while believe, and in time of temptation [Gk: testing] fall away [Gk: remove, revolt; desert: withdraw self]. And that [seed, the word of God] which fell among thorns [saved “servants” because some of the word of God has taken “root”] are they, which, when they have heard, go forth [foolishly spending the remaining precious gift of their allotted life-time in this world], and are choked [Gk: strangled completely /// throttled: taken by the throat] [and thus do not bring forth mature fruit] with cares [Gk: distractions] and riches [Gk wealth, money] and pleasures [Gk: sensual delights: lusts] of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection [Gk: to be a bearer to completion, to maturity, to be ripened]. But that [seed, word of God falling] on the good ground [saved “friends”] [2] are they, which in an honest [Gk: properly beautiful but chiefly good, valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use): worthy] and good heart [Gk: the thoughts (mind)], having heard the word [Gk: logos] [the seed], keep it [Gk: hold down fast: keep in memory, retain, possess, seize on], and [economically spend the remaining precious gift of their allotted life-time in this world] bring [ing] forth fruit [rhema = ultimately, as “trees of righteousness,” bringing forth revelations of the Word of God] with patience [Gk: cheerful (or hopeful) endurance: patient continuance, waiting].
1.    (Rev 22:16) I Jesus have sent mine angel [messenger] to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
2.    (John 15:15) Henceforth [from now on and into the future] I call you not servants [saved servants, now dwelling “among thorns” of this world]; for the servant knoweth [Gk: understands] not what his lord doeth: but I have called you [prophecied you] friends [saved, “on good ground”] [i.e., an accomplished progression]; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known [Gk: understood] unto you.
a.    (Luke 17:7-10) But which of you, having a servant [Gk: a bond-man] [i.e., we all are bond-servants to our Lord Jesus Christ] plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come [in] from the field, Go and sit down to meat [supper]? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready [Gk: prepare the meal] wherewith I may sup [Gk: to dine; to take the principal (or evening) meal], and gird [dress, clean up (purify)] thyself [“Study to shew thyself approved unto God” 2 Tim 2:15], and serve [Gk: be attendant, wait upon] me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow [Gk: think] not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants [Gk: unmeritorious] [for we have not done over and above the commands] [“for we have not gone beyond our obligation” Amplif. ]: we have done [only] that which was our duty to do.
b.    Commentary: we, the “chosen” (John 15:16,19), are all born-again (saved, imputed for righteousness) “servants” to our Lord, destined to “return” (Eccl 12:7) to Heaven. Some of us shall return to Heaven as “servants” (support troops) to our Lord God, and some of us shall return to Heaven as “friends” (combat troops) of our Lord God, e.g., “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called “the Friend of God.” (James 2:23).

WE ARE BEING MADE TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rev 22:2)
(Isa 61:1-3) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [i.e., is upon us]; because the LORD hath anointed me [i.e., us] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint [Heb: ordain] unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they [also] might be called [(fruit)] trees of righteousness, the planting [from seed to maturation] of the LORD, that he [the LORD] might be glorified.





Amen