And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered unto him of their substance. And when many people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable[.]

Let’s do a little experiment here. I’m going to read this parable to you without comment. I want you to try to imagine yourself as a person who has never heard it before, had no frame of reference for it, and didn’t have a clue what Jesus was talking about here. The closest you’ve come to this is sowing a few seeds in the ground one time as a kid.

Listen to the parable; you have never heard it before. What do you conclude that Jesus was driving at? Let’s begin, then, in Luke chapter 8.