Honest and Good Heart

A beautiful field in the English countryside. 

Scripture:

Luke 8:11   “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones 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. ¹⁵ But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

Observation:

This parable is found in other gospels, but only Luke refers to the seed as the “word of God.” Whether we think of this as the written “word of God,” the preached “word of God,” or the experienced “word of God,” the seed is scattered. Neale tells us, “The various kinds of soils represent the different types of responses to the itinerant ministry of Jesus: 

• those who hear but do not follow (e.g., 18:23) 

• those who follow for a while but fall away, choked by the cares of the world (12:16–21) 

• those who leave all and join the traveling community (5:11, 28)” (Neale, NBBC).

There are some who would suggest that the rocky soil represents those who are moved along by the popular tide. They enjoy going to church and being a part of a community, but when persecution comes, they cannot survive. This would be important considering the timing of the writing of Luke’s gospel, as the church was already facing tribulation from the government authorities. 

We know that this parable is really about the different kinds of soil, and when we get to the good soil, we discover what it is that Jesus is seeking in the lives of his disciples. They are to be honest people, with a good heart. Only Luke uses these words, which are not easy to translate. Honest is really more about having a noble character, a virtuous individual, who is considered worthy of admiration. This is a person who holds fast to that which they believe is true, and it comes from the good heart that is found within them. The result is that this kind of a life will bear fruit, for they will have endured with great patience.  

Application:

It’s believed that Luke was referring to a Greek idiom, “kalos k’ agathos” referring to a high-minded gentleman. when he used the phrase that’s translated “honest and good heart.” Jesus’ teaching was really about mentorship of his disciples and he wanted them to understand that true discipleship would require them to be God’s good people, through and through. This was good soil, those who were willing to leave everything and follow Jesus, and these would bear fruit. 

I’ve been challenged in these days to think about how much of my life centers on following Jesus. The pandemic has changed the routine of my life and I’m not out with people all of the time. Instead, the ways in which I can engage others is through writing or Zoom meetings. Sometimes, when I’ve been busy traveling, it’s been easy to think that my life is consumed with following Jesus. Reflecting on this past year, I’ve had to really stop and think about the ways in which I use my time and fill my days. Am I good soil? 

Good soil seems to come from those who are sold out 100% to following Jesus. The result is a life that reflects Christ, through and through. I think that could be a good translation of the honest and good heart — it is repetitive, making the point that nothing can be found within the life of the individual outside the bounds of being like Christ. 

For years, in the holiness tradition, we preached about entire sanctification. Could it be that Jesus is alluding to a life of entire consecration, which leads to entire sanctification in this passage. There are all kinds of Christians on the Christian walk — but there comes a point where you’ve got to decide how you are going to respond to the word of God. The fertile soil comes when everything is consecrated to the Lord. For those first disciples — they gave up everything - their homes, their families, their jobs — and they followed Jesus. How willing are we to give up everything to follow Jesus these days? The language of submission is alien to our ears, and yet, this is the challenge - complete, and entire submission of our will and our desires to that of God. 

I recently read a book by Herb McGonigle who wrote revival doesn’t come, where entire sanctification is not preached. The fruit comes when we are entirely consecrated and sanctified, honest and of good heart, reflecting Jesus, through and through. Maybe we need to reflect on the kind of soil that’s present in our lives. 

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be good soil and live my life with an honest and good heart. I know it’s only possible through you. Amen.