Luke 8:15 15And those in the good soil, they are those who, when they hear the word, hold it fast with an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience.
The last of the four soils has the right condition for the seed to grow to maturity and produce a harvest. The soil is good because it is not hardened, rocky, or full of thorny weeds. It can receive the necessary water and sun so that the seed can sprout and grow without hindrance. The good soil represents those with a noble and good heart. The two adjectives used to describe the heart are almost synonymous and add emphasis to the condition of the fruitful heart. Luke uses words that especially describe someone of integrity and honorable character. A good character produces good fruit. The person’s heart has grown by obeying God’s word.
As suggested in relation to verses 10-11, the need for faith lies behind this parable. Faith must grow and lead to obedience. Faith opens one’s heart to receive God’s word. Obedience is the response one gives after hearing the word. The word does nothing in a person’s life without faith. Faith involves the willingness to listen and then act upon what is heard. The verb hold fast (katechousin) has the sense of having strong convictions and not being swayed by something false. The word of God, and more specifically, the message about Jesus must find a place in our consciousness and thinking. It must be the guide for all we do. By listening and obeying what the Holy Spirit will teach us from God’s revelation in Christ and about Christ (the Bible), we will be able to stand strong in a world full of temptations. Our lives will be fruitful because people will notice that we live in a noble and good way. Our lifestyles will be attractive as a witness to the good news that we believe.
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