There is one Old Testament quotation in the upcoming pericope: ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ The following are some notes on the significance of this OT quotation in the pericope for Sexagesima drawn from the recently published Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by G. K. Beale and D.A. Carson, eds.
Notes on Luke 8:10
The Parable of the Sower focuses on the different responses to the ministry of Jesus, and the Isaianic quotation in 8:10 focuses squarely on the issue of response.
Possible echoes from the OT influencing the structure of the parable: Metaphors of sowing can be found in Jer 31:27; Ezek. 36:9; Hos. 2:23, while Jer. 4:3 should be noted especially for its reference to sowing “among thorns.”
Also, in Isaiah 55:10-11 one finds the “seed” and the “sower” together in the context of the portrayal of the powerful “word of God.”
The language of Isaiah 6:9 (quoted in Luke 8:10) “listening, but do not comprehend…looking, but do not understand”) reflects the language used to describe the idols themselves in Ps. 135:16-17. In other words: Israel has turned into the idols that they had worshipped.
In the context of Isaiah 6, vv. 9-10 function as a prophetic word of judgment against Israel for their unwillingness to heed the Word of the Lord, particularly directed at its leaders. Same thing is true for the Israel of Jesus’ day-this is an indictment against the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, who have failed to recognize the time of their messianic visitation.
In Luke, the rejection of the prophetic message is a theme already introduced at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (4:16-30), but the implicit call to repentance can still be detected behind this prophetic word of judgment. The prophetic call in Lk 8:8 (“Let everyone with ears to hear listen!”) shows that the door of repentance is still open, as one can see even in Paul’s dealing with the Jews after their rejection in Acts 13:46-47; 18:6.
“In Luke 8, Israel is described as a people who fail to hear and therefore have aligned themselves with the enemy of God. The reappearance of Isaiah 6 at the end of Acts 28 connects the ministry of Jesus with that of the apostles. Thus the persecution and suffering that characterize the ministries of the apostles are not to be interpreted as signs of failure.”
In rejecting Jesus’ word, the present hearers of His Word are repeating old Israel’s rejection of God’s prophetic word. No doubt the group that hears his words and bears a crop a hundred-fold refers to the tax-collectors, prostitutes, and “sinners” who found refuge in Jesus. In the context of Church, these words are a stinging rebuke to those who themselves have become the idols they worship, thereby rejecting Jesus and his Word, but they also offer hope and mercy to those who hear it with faith, and bear fruit. In relation to Pre-Lent, the call to divorce ourselves from the idols that stand in the way of hearing God’s Word and bearing fruit is upon us.