I. The seed is the Word of God. And thus we are taught (1) That it is not in the hearers themselves. It is no result of their reasoning; it is no creature of their imagination. It comes to them from without. (2) It possesses living, germinating power. The power is its own. It is not taken up into and made part of us, but it takes us up and makes us part of itself. (3) The seed itself does not exert its power spontaneously and independently. There must be the concurrence of three requisites: the deposition of the seed; its entrance into the soil; fitness of the soil for its germination and nurture. Where these do not concur, there is no effectual growth, no eventual bearing of fruit. Wonderful as are the powers of the seed, it is a dependent and conditional agent. Its action is first dependent on one who sows.
II. The seed, then, is scattered everywhere; and some falls by the wayside. A path or road passing through the field, by the side of this, not absolutely on the hard beaten track itself, but still where many footsteps pass and harden the soil, some of the seeds are deposited. Thus situated, the seed is liable to two dangers "it was trodden down, and the birds of the air devoured it." The class of hearers of God's Word which is here intended is the class that understandeth not. God speaks by His minister, speaks by His revealed words, speaks in judgment, speaks in mercy; and for a moment His word lies on our hearts; for a moment we are in contact with the incorruptible regenerating seed; but our enemy knows it, he knows the import of that moment, he knows the life-giving power of that seed, and he contrives that a frivolous incident should catch the attention, or a worldly thought light down on the same surface, or a trifling companion cross our path; for these there is more desire than for the heavenly seed; they occupy the ground, and we toy with them till the seed is gone.
III. The heart is hardened: (1) By the tread of many footsteps. Much converse with the world, much converse with, the Word itself, habituation of every kind, deadens susceptibility. (2) The heart may be self-hardened by long-continued worldliness of spirit. (3) Another section of our wayside hearers are those who are intellectually preoccupied. (4) Over-fastidiousness has a hardening influence; the heart remains shut to the living seed of the Word because it comes not exactly in the way desired. Take heed how ye hear; for with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
H. Alford, Sermons at Cambridge,p. 1.
References: Luke 8:11. Homiletic Quarterly,vol. iv., p. 430. Luke 8:12. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxv., No. 1459.