Luke 8:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The anointed one achieves thirty, the one who immerses in water achieves sixty, and the one who is sanctified in the sacrament achieves a hundred. Hence, from one seed springs forth a threefold harvest: he glorifies God, uplifts the Church, and secures his own salvation. Such a individual receives his reward from the Holy Trinity: he comprehends with the spirit, perceives with the soul, and perseveres with the body. He is blessed thrice: he rejoices on earth, rises from the grave, and finds rest in heaven. This individual is exalted with three esteemed degrees: thirty, as he dwells in heaven; sixty, as he mingles with the angels; a hundred, as he stands in communion with God. He embodies meekness, tranquility, humility, wisdom, mercy, compassion, and righteousness; a sojourner in this world, he remains a foreigner to earthly life, merely a reflection on the earth while his heart and actions reside in heaven. Some heretics, due to their misguided judgments, devise a blasphemous hierarchy in their words. What do they claim? That faith in the Spirit yields thirty, faith in the Son yields sixty, and faith in the Father yields a hundred. They fail to see that by diminishing the Holy Spirit’s significance, they inadvertently uplift Him. They rank the Spirit above the Father and the Son, asserting that anyone who believes in the Spirit produces thirty; they position the Spirit first, followed by the Son and then the Father. However, we maintain the contrary—that one must first believe in the Father; he who believes in the Father produces thirty; the one who unites faith in the Son doubles that and produces sixty; and the one who embraces the Holy Spirit culminates with a hundred, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and dominion forever. Amen. On the words, The sower went out to sow. Creations attributed to St John Chrysostom, classified in the Minya edition as Spuria.

He went out to plant seeds that were ‘His own.’ The teachings He imparted were uniquely His, unlike those of the prophets who spoke not from their own authority but by the inspiration of the Spirit, declaring, ‘These things saith the Lord.’ In contrast, Christ possessed His personal seed; He did not proclaim, ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ but rather, ‘I say unto you.’ During His teaching, when He sowed, some of the seed fell by the wayside. It is noted that He said, ‘It fell,’ as He sows and teaches, yet the word itself lands in the hearts of the listeners. They may resemble the path, the rocky ground, the thorns, or the fertile soil.

The seeds that fell on the paths were quickly taken away; those that landed on the stones scarcely took root and soon withered away due to the heat; the seeds among the thorns were suffocated; yet those that fell on the good soil thrived, yielding, as He stated, a hundredfold.

This soul does not permit anything to impede its salvation and, with steadfastness, holds firmly to what it has learned, enduring trials and refining itself by shedding desires for greed and a leisurely life, ultimately bearing fruit, as the divine Mark notes: ‘rising and increasing, and producing thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold’ (Mark 4:8). This can be likened to a progression from being a servant to a mercenary to a son. Indeed, one who comes to God begins as an accountable servant due to past transgressions; upon achieving success in love, he becomes akin to a son, embodying virtue as if it were second nature, and willingly obeys his Heavenly Father without coercion.

Let us strive, dear brethren, to either pursue the state of divine sonship by loving God and liberating ourselves from worldly temptations through persistent prayer and hymns, undistracted by any discord, or to count ourselves among God’s laborers, faithfully practicing self-restraint during trials; or to belong to God's servants, grieving for past sins. For those who are not part of any of these three groups stand outside the realm of salvation. Thus, ‘these things the Lord hath spoken,’ as it is said, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’. This does not imply that not everyone has ears, but rather that not all are able to hear the life-giving message. As both ‘the mind sees and the mind hears,’ as stated by the esteemed Pythagoras, it is those with attentive and reflective minds who truly possess ears to hear. Therefore, if ‘the mind is right in all who keep his commandments’ (Ps. 110:10) and ‘the truth of the word is revealed through actions’ (Matt. 7:20), then the one who has ears to hear not only listens but also strives to act upon what he learns.

Each individual is called to prepare and adorn themselves to accept the life-giving seed, and upon receiving it, it will flourish and yield fruit—eternal life, for which it is worth sacrificing not only earthly desires but, if needed, even one’s very soul. Through this commitment, we will follow in the footsteps of the Lord and share in the glory found in Christ and His kingdom, living with Him in eternal praise. The remarkable Martyr, Wonderworker, and Myrrh-bearer Demetrius stands as a testimony to this, for before his icon, kings and priests bow down reverently, rejoicing as they surround his relics, given that he followed Christ through his life, words, and trials. To him and to those who celebrate this honored feast, it is not anyone but those who have prepared themselves through repentance who will be worthy. For one who has detached from material temptations has, in the words of the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 2:15), presented themselves as ‘the fragrance of Christ,’ such that even their tomb becomes a source of divine peace, having endured great trials. How can we celebrate or sing alongside one who remains burdened by worldly matters and carries the stench of unresolved sins? Indeed, ‘the praise of martyrs cannot be on the lips of sinners’ (Sir. 15:9).

Thus, as we spiritually prepare for the approaching feast of the Great Martyr, may we recall his struggle for Christ and reflect on the exemplary life he lived in accordance with Christ. After completing his trials, having received the victors' crowns from Christ, let us spiritually rejoice with him, perceiving this as a guarantee of the communal life we hope to share in heaven with those who eternally rejoice—a hope all of us may attain through the intercession of our city’s guardian and Christ’s Martyr, to the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

26:12). If you reflect on how many virtues blossom when the word of God takes root in the heart of a righteous person, you will recognize the hundredfold nature of the fruit; for often a single word can inspire countless virtues. This is exemplified by the many virtues of Matthew the Evangelist, who exemplifies the fruit borne from the call: Come, follow me (Matthew 9:9). When the disciples of the Lord Jesus heard this parable and did not grasp its meaning, they sought His clarification.

A sower broadcast seed; all the seed was identical, yet the soil varied. Consequently, for various reasons, three-fourths of the seed failed, while only a quarter produced fruit, and the yield was not uniform. In this, the Lord portrayed how His teaching would resonate among the Jews, both at that time and in the future. In some, it met with complete rejection, as seen with the Pharisees; in others, it gained some level of acceptance. Meanwhile, some individuals embraced it but lacked depth of roots or complete commitment in their hearts. Soon, persecution would arise from their fellow Jews, causing such believers to shy away from proclaiming the gospel and ultimately turn their backs on the word of the kingdom. Even for those untouched by persecution, the anxieties of life could stifle the teachings of God, leaving them indifferent to the sanctification of their souls from worldly desires. This scenario applies to many who are currently turning to Christ. Ultimately, a remnant will remain, where the word of the kingdom will thrive and differ in its effectiveness among them.

This group is set apart from those whose hearts resemble a hardened path. However, one might ask why those who hear yet do not understand the Word, or those who lack the purity and goodness of heart to retain it, should be held at fault. If they possessed the necessary qualities for the seed to thrive, could it not produce fruit? Nevertheless, all individuals are born with inherent goodness, with evil creeping in later due to their own choices—either through deliberate pursuit or thoughtless impulses—leading their hearts to become callous and unwelcoming due to personal failings. It is indeed possible to cultivate a rough and barren tract of land into fruitful soil. This reference does not pertain to those lacking intelligence, but rather to those who, while capable of understanding, choose not to engage; even those who struggle intellectually can, with earnest effort, come to comprehend God's Word, and in this comprehension, can revitalize their unresponsive hearts. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the person; they must acknowledge the consequences of their negligence toward the Word of God and their reluctance to grasp its truth.

Some seeds fell among thorns, which were prevalent in Palestine then as now, and the thorns choked them. Yet, other seeds fell on good soil and yielded a rich harvest: one yielded a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, and another thirtyfold.’ After telling this parable, the Lord emphasized the significance of attentiveness: ‘he who has ears to hear, let him hear!’ This remark was not strictly necessary, as many listeners, though capable of hearing, lacked the insight to grasp the meaning of the parable.