Luke 8:1-15 "Kingdom of Dirt"

A baker made a giant batch of cake batter. Some of it he put in the hot sun but the ants found it and the sun dried it out without making it into a cake. Some of it was put in the microwave but as it heated, the edges hardened before the center could cook. Still other batter was dropped into a pot of boiling water but it dissolved into a liquid mess and was thrown out. And some was put into a cake pan, placed in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour until it was fluffy, moist, and delicious. Let those who understand, let them understand.

Today we start Luke chapter 8. Jesus is going to tell His first official parable. It was as confusing to the people who heard it as my opening story was to most of you. 

Luke 8, verse 1:

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. 

What does that mean? “Proclaiming and BRINGING the good news of the kingdom of God?”

What’s the kingdom of God? I’ve asked this question several times in different settings: friends, family, discipleship groups, pastor friends—none of them had an easy time answering the question. We all know Jesus brought the kingdom of God, that He talked about the kingdom of God—but we don’t seem to have a clear idea of what it is. 

This is what it is: The kingdom of God is where Christ rules by grace through His people.

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. The Messiah is the One who was promised all through the Old Testament to bring a New Testament as the once and for all Prophet, Priest, King of kings and Lord of lords. All authority in heaven and on earth was given to Him before He ascended back to heaven. 

By the way, last Thursday was Ascension Day. Today is Ascension Sunday. The day Jesus was crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. It’s a big deal. Used to be celebrated bigger than Christmas—the culmination of His earthly ministry.

But remember what He did just before He ascended up to the right hand of the Father? It’s the thing we call the Great Commission. What’s a “commission?” A commission is when someone in authority gives authority to someone else to do a job. Jesus, who had been given all authority, gave it to His followers just before He ascended back to heaven—and those followers passed it down to us.

So, Jesus rules and reigns His kingdom from the right hand of the Father through His people, the ones He commissioned—the church. Yep. That’s the plan. Rule and reign the kingdom of God through the church.

Doesn’t sound like a particularly good plan, does it? I mean, I’ve been to church. I don’t know why He thought that was the way to go but it’s what He did. It’s what He’s still doing. It’s what you’re supposed to be doing.

When He was on earth, 2,000 years ago, He brought the kingdom of God, He taught the kingdom of God, He explained the kingdom of God, and then He showed what the kingdom of God is supposed to ultimately look like when He willingly laid down His life.

We’re citizens of the kingdom of God. Which, by the way, is the same thing Matthew calls the kingdom of heaven. Means the same thing. We are His kingdom.

What are the tools, tactics, strategies, by-laws, constitution, and weapons we’re supposed to use to govern, promote and defend the kingdom of God? What are they? The tools, tactics, strategies, by-laws, constitution, and weapons of the kingdom of God?

They’re all the things Jesus went town to town talking about. Parables tell us what the kingdom of God is like. The Lord’s Prayer is our pledge of allegiance. His life is our example. The cross is our revolution. The resurrection is our hope. Grace and truth are the mission. Our marching orders. Grace, truth, grace, truth. The Gospel. Worship God, Love people. “Faith, hope and love” is the anthem of the kingdom of God. 

Until Jesus comes again at the end of time, bringing the vengeance of God, until He comes in power and glory—our job is to continue proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God through grace and truth. Those are the weapons and tools: grace and truth.

So what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is where Christ rules by grace through His people.

Still verse one:

And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. 
Luke 8:1-3

Jesuspalooza is still going town to town, picking up more followers everywhere they went. It would have been a big, expensive enterprise. People need to eat. They need shelter from the sun and the rain. Someplace to sleep. Going on tour is very expensive.

Luke gives us a little insight into how everything was paid for. 

Most of you know I used to play in bands—I knew a lot of musicians. It was not uncommon for rockstar wannabees to live off the generosity of the women who wanted to be close to them. Groupies, fans, strippers. Most musicians couldn’t afford fancy guitars and amps without the kindness of their lady friends. I’m not saying Jesus took advantage of needy groupies with daddy issues, but I did find this verse to be pretty interesting when I read it back in the day. The female fans of Jesus funded the tour.

It’s actually remarkable that in a male-dominated world like ancient Rome, women were given such a prominent and powerful role in Jesus’ ministry. These were some wealthy women who were very thankful for the work and teaching of Jesus. Their life was changed by Him so they started traveling with Him and paying for everything. Some people think Mary Magdalene was the woman from last week who poured the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet—it probably wasn’t her, but she definitely had the same kind of story. It says that Joanna was the wife of King Herod’s household manager—that’s a pretty interesting bit of information. The message of Jesus was getting into some pretty high places. We don’t know anything about Susanna—other than that confused guy from Alabama with the banjo doesn’t want her to cry for him. Probably a different Susanna.

The ministry of the church has, from the beginning, been funded by people whose lives were changed by the Gospel of Jesus. The thankful generosity of members of the church has always been how the church does what Jesus has called us to do. Sometimes people say, “I don’t see Jesus talking up offerings in the Bible. Hmm. Money isn’t the mission but the mission has always cost money.

Verse 4:

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, (this parable was one of His greatest hits, He told this story everywhere He went) “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, 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 up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 8:4-8

And then He dropped the mic and went back to the tour bus leaving people scratching their heads and shouting for an encore.

Most of them had no idea what He was talking about. We know this because when the disciples got back to camp they admitted they didn’t have a clue. They felt a lot like you did about my cake story. Verse 9:

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.’ Luke 8:9-10

“Hey Jesus, what did that story about the seeds mean?”

“Oh, I told the story that way so people wouldn’t understand.”

“Why don’t you want us to understand?”

“Well, I don’t really mind explaining it to you. But I don’t want the people who hate me to have even more reasons to hate me—it’s going to be bad enough for them as it is. Not everyone is going to get it. Wait until you get out there and try to get through to people—you’ll see.”

Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would speak in parables, that people would hear but not understand. Then Jesus explained the story about the sower and the seeds to the disciples—and to all of us. Don’t miss that part. He wanted us to understand, too. Verse 11:

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, so 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 testing 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. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:11-15

Seeds. Hard Path. Rock. Thorns. Good Dirt. This is the kingdom of God in a nutshell—how it works. A parable about how parables work. How the Gospel works. There’s a lot to think about here.

The seed is the Word of God. The Gospel proclaimed to the people. The seed never changes. The soil is the people who hear the Gospel—how receptive they are. Jesus is the original sower, but remember, He gave His authority and mission to His people. Us. So we’re both the dirt and the sower now.

When I told the story of the baker and the cake batter, some of you were probably thinking, “Why would a baker waste so much batter trying to cook it in the sun, or a microwave, or in a pot of boiling water? Very strange baker.”

It’s the same with this farmer. He’s just throwing seed everywhere. So wasteful. It’s not going to grow on a hard path or on rocks or in weeds—why would a farmer waste so much time and energy and expensive seed? 

A lot of Jesus’ parables look like this. The shepherd leaves 99 sheep at risk to go find the runaway. A poor widow finds her lost coin and then wastes it throwing a party to celebrate finding it. A father has a feast for his son who wishes he was dead and wasted his inheritance. We’ll get to all of these later in Luke.

We’re not supposed to be stingy with the Gospel. Throw it everywhere. Even places you don’t think it will ever take root. Even with people you have no hope for. Even with people you don’t like. 

Throw the seeds on the hard path of our jaded culture. The hard hearts who have already rejected everything about Jesus and the Word of God and His people. Hopeless causes. Spread the seed of the Gospel on the hard path anyway.

The devil will probably come and take it away—do it anyway.

Throw the seeds on the rocks. I used to do a lot of Christian rock concerts. Play some Jesus music and tell stories about how Jesus rescued us from whatever terrible past we came from. People would come forward and cry and give their life to Jesus—they would really mean it. But it was a lot of emotion. A lot of getting caught up in the moment. But then they’d go back home, fall back into the rut we just helped them get out of—without any roots, the slightest temptation could pull them down again. I think a lot of revivals and emotional altar calls are like this. I also think it’s funny that Jesus calls this part of the parable “the ones on the rock” in light of my history with Christian rock.

Throw the seeds on the emotionally charged rocks anyway. They will probably come down from their spiritual high and fall right back into the same old ruts—Do it anyway.

Throw the seeds in the thorns and weeds. I can’t help but think of social media. I also can’t help but think of America. Texas. Katy. Places where people will hear the Gospel but get distracted by the cares and problems of the world, riches, money, and the quest for more, a lot of people who are distracted by pleasure. Distracted by all their favorite distractions. What are your favorite distractions? I certainly have mine. Jesus says if we are distracted when we hear the Gospel it’s not going to mature, never grow, it gets choked out by all those other things.

Throw the seeds into those patches of thorns and weeds anyway. Don’t skimp on dumping Gospel all over all the distracted people who are chasing wealth and pleasure.

The Gospel doesn’t change in any of those scenarios. The seed doesn’t change. The seed is the Word of God, going forth by the power of the Spirit. It’s only going to grow by God’s grace. And remember, we’re the sower. It’s our job to throw the seed, water the seed, all the things. That doesn’t change in any of Jesus’ examples either.

So what’s the difference? This is really a parable about good dirt and bad dirt. What’s the difference between good dirt and bad dirt?

I mean, dirt is dirt. You might be tempted to say something like “the dirt needs to pray more, or read its Bible more, or trust the Holy Spirit more” but that’s silly. Dirt is dirt. It doesn’t do anything. Dirt just lays there and has seeds thrown on it.

Obviously, the dirt represents people, and people do things. But when it comes to the kingdom of God and spiritual things, we might as well be dirt. 

Which is really interesting when you remember what God made man out of. You think maybe Jesus was thinking about how He made man out of dirt when He came up with this story?

So, what’s the difference between good dirt and bad dirt?

There’s really only one difference in the places Jesus mentions. It’s all about how much dirt the dirt is surrounded by. 

A handful of dirt on a paved road? Not enough dirt to grow anything.

A little scattered dirt on rocks? Can’t take root. Won’t survive.

Dirt that’s overrun with weeds? Anything that starts to grow is going to get choked out.

So what’s the good dirt? “They are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Dirt in a field, set apart for the purpose of growing seeds into a crop. Good dirt is in a place where it can be tilled and prepared for planting—where it can be watered, where the seeds can take root. A place with as much dirt as possible. Just rows and rows of dirt doing nothing but being dirt. It’s only good dirt because it was purchased and set apart by the sower, the farmer. It’s only good because Jesus made it good.

The truth is, we’ve all been in all those places. We’ve been all these different examples of bad dirt scattered in all the bad places. Probably even over the last week. The Gospel didn’t change but you ended up in some funky places. Sometimes you let your heart get too hard because you were surrounded by hard-hearted people, sometimes you get all excited about the Lord but find yourself falling right back into your old ruts. Sometimes you get distracted by worries and the problems of the world and money and pleasure. We’ve all been all the kinds of bad dirt with dirty minds doing dirty deeds with dirty hands and dirty hearts.

But we’ve also shown up here today. This is the Lord’s garden. He bought you and put you here. Planted you here. This is the place He’s set aside for us to gather as much dirt as we can, throw the seed of the Gospel around as generously as possible, till and water—and grow. Hear the Word. Hold it fast. Bear fruit with patience. This is where He makes beautiful things out of dirt. This is where the love of God is poured out to cover over this dust. This is holy ground.

Anything that grows from a seed is a miracle. Only God can do that. We just dig up the dirt, throw the seed, till it, and water it. God makes the miracles happen.

And here’s the biggest miracle of all: You, who were made from dirt—God has made you clean. Not only forgiven you for all the messes you made, for all the ways you’ve resisted and hardened your heart and fell away into distractions and sin. He’s actually made you—a person made of dirt—clean. Pure grace. He’s given you the gift of faith. Life. He promises something wonderful and new is going to grow from that Gospel seed planted in you. Hold on tight. Let it take root. Surround yourself with good soil. Stay in the Lord’s garden.

A lot of people these days think they can be a follower of Jesus without going to church, without being part of the church. Try to prove that with this parable. This parable destroys the idea of individualism—like, “I’m just a happy little grain of dirt over here all by myself growing into my own personal Jesus flower.” No. If you try to do this on your own, your heart will grow hard. Your emotions will run away with you and drag you back into the same old ruts. You’ll get distracted by the cares of the world or the quest for wealth and pleasure and your faith will get choked and die.

This is the place where the soil is made good. This is where we hear the Word. This is the place of grace and truth. Hold on to it as tight as you can. Be patient. Good things take time. What we’re doing here this morning—this is the cake pan at 350 degrees for about an hour. 

This is the kingdom of God. AMEN.