Become disciples—Fourth Sunday of Luke

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.

“Give heed, O my people, to my law,” says the Lord through King David,

incline your ear unto the words of my mouth.  I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter dark sayings which have been from the beginning.

Psalm 77:1–2

And these dark sayings—hidden sayings, secret sayings—have come down to us.  For when the Lord speaks in a parable, he is not giving an illustration, he is speaking for those outside Faith, “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”

A crowd had gathered to hear the Lord’s Word.  The preceding verse from today’s reading tells us, “And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable.” (Luke 8:4)  They were not his followers, his disciples, but a throng wanting to see who this wandering rabbi was, if only a glimpse.  And they must have been disappointed—this rabbi only spoke of a sower sowing his seed.

Even the initiates, the disciples—which is to say, you and me—did not understand.  And while he speaks in parables to the crowd, he offers explanation to his followers.  Do you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, also seek further explanation and understanding, or are you content to hear the message to the crowd?  Do I?  Do we seek to understand the word of God that the Word of God may come and dwell within us?  Or are we content with a superficial knowledge?

And to those who wanted more the Lord opens their eyes to the meaning of the parable.  The path, the rocks and the thorns all have meaning according to the explanation of Christ.  And from these we may learn how to respond to the Lord.  We are to hear the Word, holding him in our hearts so that the devil cannot take him away and we will believe and be saved, letting the Word take root within us so that in times of temptation we stand fast, preventing ourselves from being choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life so that the fruit of our faith will mature.  And then, hearing the Word of God and holding on to him fast in an honest and good heart, we may bring forth fruit with patience.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Let us seek from Christ the depths of the Faith, becoming the disciples who learn from their Master.  Let us “be careful to apply [ourselves] to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable for all, but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile,” for we should rather, “learn to apply [ourselves] to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.”  And the grace of God, “which is able to build [us] up and give [us] an inheritance among all those who are sanctified,” (Acts 20:32) will be—when we place our hope and trust in the Lord—with us all.

That we may be true disciples and followers of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ and, through him, come to ever deeper knowledge of the one God and Father by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.


Titus, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned. When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful. All who are with me send greeting to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
— Titus 3:8–15

The Lord said this parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” As he said these things, he cried out “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
— Luke 8:5–15