Luke 8 - The Key to Exponential Growth!

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

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This is a very familiar parable for Christians.  We have heard it many times.  It is a simple parable in some senses, but worth delving into time and time again because its principles are so important.  

What I would like to focus on today is the last line, which says the seed came up and yielded a crop hundred times more than was sown.  At the end of the parable Jesus describes the qualities of this productive seed, 

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Verse 15 

There are several aspects of the hundred fold growth that are worth mentioning. One the growth is exponential. We learn in other areas of scripture God wants us to make disciples.  Disciples who make disciples who make disciples.  This produces exponential growth in God's kingdom and is God's plan to reach the world with His love.  This sounds easy, but it is not. 

Being a disciple is a challenge.  The passage notes that only one of the seeds takes root and bears fruit.  The other three do not produce any fruit.  Though they may start to take root and grow, they never reach maturity and bear fruit.  In the story, there are three things Jesus identifies that thwart the growth of the seed.  First, the evil one who takes away the seed off the ground before it can take root.  Second, the seed never takes root, so in times of testing it falls away.  And finally, the last seed starts to grow only to be choked out by the worries and fleeting pleasures of this life. 

There are many Christians who hear the word and accept it at first, but then fall away when testing comes.  There are others who are walking as disciples and then the worries and pleasures of life choke out the growth and render them effective.  And there are other Christians who accept Jesus as their Savior, keep abiding in Him even when there are trials and through persevering they bear much fruit.  Importantly we learn in Philippians 1:6 that, "He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it!"  We need to stay rooted in Christ but he causes us to bear fruit that will last.