100 Fold Return (Luke 8:8)

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 8:8

The parable of the sower is one of the most well known of Jesus's parables. It can be found in all three synoptic gospels.

In Matthew and Mark's accounts, Jesus ends the parable by stating that some of the seed will yield 100 fold, some 60 fold, and some 30 fold. These are all great returns, but the 100 fold return is supreme. This is what we should be aiming for.

What makes for the 100 fold return as opposed to the 60 and 30?

Luke's account of the parable may give us a clue.

Luke's is the only gospel that Jesus speaks exclusively of the 100 fold return in this parable. He does not mention anything about a 30 fold or 60 fold return.

In His subsequent explanation of this parable we can then assume that he is solely describing the qualities of the "soil" (soul) that make for this superior 100 fold return.

This is what He says:

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 8:15

In Matthew and Mark, Jesus simply says the good soil corresponds to someone who "understands" (Matt) or "accepts" (Mark) the word.

In Luke He goes into much more detail. He says the person who returns 100 fold is someone who

• holds fast to the word

• has an honest and good heart

• has patience

If we want to bear much fruit in our lives, we must do as Jesus says.

We must cling tightly to His Word. We must rely entirely on God's truth rather than our own opinions. We must be ready to lay down any beliefs or plans that do not align with the Word of God - both incarnate and written.

We must have pure hearts. We cannot use His word for personal gain. We must be seeking His glory above all else. We must do everything out of love for God and neighbor.

And lastly, we must have patience. We must not allow ourselves to get discouraged by what our eyes see. We need to trust in the goodness of God, and never waver in our faith that He is a good Father. We must be willing to endure trial and tribulation, knowing that our patience is producing a mighty harvest.

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.

He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows;

he knows not how.

Mark 4:26-27