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Luke 8:1-18

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1After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

2and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

3Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

4While 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.

6Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

15But 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.

16“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

17For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

18Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

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1)       According to verses 1 to 3 who were accompanying Jesus as he was traveling about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God?

o   The Twelve.

o   Mary Magdalene from whom seven demons had come out.

o   Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household.

o   Susanna.

o   And many others.

 

2)       According to verse 3 what did these women who were accompanying Jesus do for him and the Twelve?

o   They were helping to support

§  Jesus.

§  And the Twelve.

o   Out of their own means.

 

3)       According to verse 4 what did Jesus do while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to him from town after town?

o   Jesus told the parable of the sower.

 

4)       According to verse 8 what did Jesus call on the audience to do upon finishing telling the parable?

o   Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.

 

5)       In accordance with what Jesus said in verse 10 what category of parables does the parable of the sower come under?

o   It comes under the category of the parables of the kingdom of God.

 

6)       According to what Jesus said in verses 9 and 10 why did he speak to the people in parables except the disciples when they asked him what the parable of the sower meant?

o   It is because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God had been given to

§  The disciples.

§  But not the others.

 

7)       According to what Jesus said in verse 10 what was the consequence when he spoke to the people in parables?

o   Though seeing, they might not see.

o   Though hearing, they might not understand.

 

8)       According to what Jesus said in verse 11 what does the seed represent?

o   The seed represents the word of God.

 

9)       What do the birds represent if we take into account verses 5 and 12?

o   The birds represent the devil.

 

10)   According to what Jesus said in verse 12 why do people who are like seed sown along the path not believe the word upon hearing it?

o   It is because the devil

§  Comes.

§  And takes away the word from their hearts.

 

11)   According to what Jesus said in verse 12 what is the consequence for people to not believe the word?

o   They are not saved.

 

12)   According to what Jesus said in verse 13 what happens to people who are like seed sown on rocky ground?

o   They receive the word with joy.

o   When

o   They hear it.

o   But in the time of testing they fall away.

o   Because

o   They have no root.

 

13)   According to what Jesus said in verse 14 what happens to people who are like seed sown among thorns?

o   They

§  Hear the word.

§  But do not mature.

o   Because  

o   They are choked by life’s

§  Worries.

§  Riches.

§  And pleasures.

 

14)   According to what Jesus said in verse 15 what happens to people who are like seed sown on good soil?

o   They

§  Hear the word.

§  Retain it.

§  And produce a crop by persevering.

 

15)   According to what Jesus said in verse 15 what qualities of people who are like seed sown on good soil enable them to be productive for the word,?

o   They have a

§  Noble.

§  And good heart.

 

16)   What can we conclude about the sower’s knowledge of the productivity of the recipients of the word both at the time of sowing and at harvest time?

o   The sower

§  Had no knowledge of the productivity of recipients of the word at the time of sowing.

§  And secured full knowledge only at harvest time.

 

17)   What is the the sower’s motivation for sowing far and wide and indiscriminately?

o   To ensure getting at the good soil for a harvest.

 

18)   What conclusion about the degree of availability of the good soil can we draw from the parable?

o   The good soil

§  Is always there.

§  And constitutes the minority recipients of the word.

 

19)   What conclusion about the degree of availability of unproductive recipients of the word can we draw from the parable?

o   The unproductive recipients of the word

§  Are always there.

§  And constitute the majority recipients.

 

20)   What is the parable Jesus referred to in verses 16 and 17 called?

o   It is called the parable of a lamp on its stand.

 

21)   According to what Jesus said in verse 16 where would people put and not put a lighted lamp and why?

o   People would not

§  Hide a lighted lamp in a clay jar.

§  Or put it under a bed.

o   Instead they put it on a stand.

o   So that

o   Those who come in can see the light.

 

22)   According to what Jesus said in verse 17 what is the inevitable consequence for the proper placement of the lighted lamp?

o   There is

§  Nothing hidden that will not be disclosed.

§  And nothing concealed that will not be

Ø  Known. 

Ø  Or brought out into the open.

 

23)   When we take into account applicability and continuity of context, to what should the parable of a lamp on its stand be applied?

o   The parable of a lamp on its stand should be applied to the explanation of the parable of the sower.

 

24)   What did Jesus intend for the disciples to do with the explanation of the parable of the sower when he taught them the parable of a lamp on its stand?

o   Jesus intended for the disciples to eventually tell the explanation of the parable of the sower to the world.

 

25)   How had the disciples told the explanation of the parable of the sower to the world, given that they wrote the gospel accounts?

o   They recorded the explanation of the parable of the sower in the gospel accounts.

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Luke 8:1-18

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