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Luke 8:14
ESV And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
NIV The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
NASB And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.
CSB As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.
NLT The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
KJV And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

What does Luke 8:14 mean?

Jesus is currently explaining the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4–8). This lesson reveals that the spiritual fruit we produce is directly related to how well we listen to God's Word. Those who have already hardened their hearts because of Satan's influence do not let God's Word affect them at all (Luke 8:5, 12). Those with a shallow faith quickly shrink away from even the slightest challenge (Luke 8:6, 13). Now, Jesus talks about people who have the capacity to meditate on God's Word but are distracted by both the hardships and the luxuries of life (Luke 8:7).

Dr. Joel Green notes that those concerned with the "cares and riches and pleasures of life" are seeking security in the world, without accepting God's offer of provision or considering the needs of others. Dr. Darrell Bock points out that the distractions represent "excessive concern about one's welfare, possessions, and comfort." Both hardships and pleasures can keep us from fully devoting our lives to Jesus. The Gospels give examples of people who wanted to follow Jesus but were sidetracked by worries (Matthew 8:18–22) and riches (Matthew 19:16–22). Those stories end with ambiguity as to the person's final decision, but there is hope. Initially, Jesus' brothers not only refused to listen to His message, but also tried to force Him to stop teaching (Mark 3:20–21). At least two of them, James and Jude, later became leaders in the church.

As with the seeds that fell on the rock (Luke 8:13), this verse does not attempt to categorically describe how to confirm someone's salvation. Are the people represented by these seeds in this soil saved? Perhaps, but maybe not. The point is that they did not "[hear] the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).
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