Take Care How You Hear- Luke 8:9-18

Jesus just told the parable of the sower and was explaining to His disciples what the parable meant. He told them to "take care then how you hear" (vs. 18a), indicating that the results of hearing God's word takes different forms with different hearers as demonstrated by the four kinds of believers and unbelievers described in the parable of the sower. Some of those who seem to believe lose it because it does not take root in their lives (vs. 13) or is choked out by the cares of the world (vs. 14) and they think they have something that they do not really have (vs. 18b). In God's economy, however, "to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away" (vs. 18b). So the rewards and responsibilities of the unfaithful believers are given to faithful believers--those who hear the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit (vs. 15). God blesses our obedience and initiative by giving us more and greater responsibility in His Kingdom, which is just good business because His heavenly resources are distributed to those who are most productive for His Kingdom.