Luke 8:4-15  The parable of the Sower.   When the disciples ask Jesus why He is now speaking in parables.. the answer is a bit mysterious, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand."  

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah 6:9.  The context in Isaiah is the vision where Isaiah sees the Lord and is commissioned to go and speak for the Him.  Isaiah is to go and speak, but told that the people will not see and not hear and not believe.  Our natural response to that is " Why bother?"  But that can't be right... so we need to go deeper...

Jesus, we are told, calls out, " He who has ears to hear , let him hear."  ( This statement is also included in Revelations.. in the letters to the churches.)   According to my study Bible these two phrases have two tenses:  "has ears to hear" is in the present participle - which expresses continuous or repeated action - our ears continually hear; " let him hear" is in the present imperative, which is a command to do something in the future and is continuous and repeated.

The seed being sowed, Jesus tells us, is the Word.
The seed that lands on the foot path and is trampled, is like the Word that is heard but snatched away immediately.  Here the action of hearing is not continuous.  It "goes in one ear and out the other".  There is no effort to grasp it, think about it, or pay attention to it.  Jesus says that "the devil comes and takes it away... so that they may not believe and be saved." 

The seed that lands among the rocks, is like the Word that is heard once and  "received with joy"  but doesn't have a "firm root" so it withers away.  It is enjoyed in the season, but quickly forgotten when other things arise.  It is indefinite and questionable. The listener didn't keep on listening.. but turned away to whatever temptations were more important to them.

The seed that lands among the thorns, is like the Word that is heard... again a one time action, but this time choked out "with worries and riches and pleasures of this life".  There is a passive tense used here.  The word and the worries are hand in hand and no action is taken against the worries.. or riches or pleasures.  It just happens. Therefore, no fruit can be produced.

The seed that lands on the good soil is like the word that is heard by "an honest and good heart".  These are ones that "hold it fast"-  to keep in the memory, to possess, retain, seize .. These are the ones who "bear fruit with perseverance."  

In Isaiah, the listeners would not pay attention to what they heard or saw.  Therefore they would not understand.  The same thing was happening in Jesus' time.. the people who seized upon the Words that Jesus was speaking, like the disciples, would "know the mysteries", but they had to make the effort to hear and keep on hearing.. to persevere.  This is the same message given to the churches in Revelation - make an effort to really hear and grasp what the Word is saying.  

The Word of God is vital to Life, real life in God's Kingdom.
We cannot just let it pass in one ear and out the other.
We cannot just be happy with the sermon or the singing, or whatever on Sunday and then go our merry way with the things of the world all the rest of our week.
We cannot remain unchanged by the Word, being passive about it, and expect to be fruitful Christians.

No, we need to be actively holding onto and keeping the Word in our minds and hearts,  holding it fast.. like a life vest in a stormy ocean.  We need to work at not only reading the Word, but understanding what the Lord is saying to us individually... every day of our lives.. steadfastly and with perseverance.  Then, and only then will we live fruitful lives that please the Lord. 

Father in heaven,  hallowed is Your Name.  You are amazing and Your Word is precious to me.. more precious than diamonds, sweeter than honey,  more vital than bread alone!  Teach me Lord to live and walk according to Your Word, fill me by Your Spirit,  may I have ears to hear and understand. Will You be glorified in my life as I bear fruit in every good work.   I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.