The parable of the sower (5)

“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.” Luke 8:15
The fourth and final soil in the parable of the sower is the kind of person that we should be desiring to be: the good soil that receives the seed, allows it to put down roots and grow, and ultimately produces a crop. Here in Luke’s account of the parable’s interpretation, Jesus says that the good soil represents “those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word [and] retain it” (Luke 8:15), in Matthew’s account, “the man who hears the word and understands it” (Matt. 13:23), in Mark’s, “[those who] hear the word [and] accept it” (Mark 4:20). Both Matthew and Mark include quantities of crops: thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown. (There is no contradiction here; Jesus may well have repeated the parable on multiple occasions.)
Luke tells us here that we produce a crop by persevering. This is an important key in our Christian walk. It’s not about who produces the biggest fireworks at the beginning of their Christian walk, but who is still going strong in the Lord at the end. Also, there are many different kinds of crop that might be produced. Witnessing to other people and seeing them come to faith in Christ is one. Another might be teaching the Bible to others so that they grow in the Lord. Ultimately, the fruit of the Spirit is the developing of God’s characteristics in our lives: above all, love, followed by joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Are you sticking with God through thick and thin? Are you producing a crop for Him?