Jesus’ Parable of the Sower

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. The entire crowd was on the land by the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and teaching them, he said:

3 “Listen! The farmer went out to sow, 4 and as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil. 6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced 30 times, some 60 times, and some 100 times as much.” 9 He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “To you, the mystery of the Kingdom of God is given, but to those who are outside, everything is in parables, 12 so that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand, or else they would turn back, and their sins would be forgiven.’ ” a

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand any of the parables?

14 The farmer sows the Word. 15 The ones by the road are the ones where the Word is sown, and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the Word which has been sown in them. 16 These, in the same way, are the ones who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with joy, 17 but they have no root within them and only endure for a short time. When oppression or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately they fall away.

18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are the ones who have heard the Word, 19 and the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 Those which were sown on the good ground are the ones who hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit, some 30 times, some 60 times, and some 100 times.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

21 He said to them, “Is the lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not put on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known, nor was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.”

24 He said to them, “Take heed to what you hear. With the measure you give, it will be measured back to you, and to those who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

26 And he said, “This is the Kingdom of God: a man scatters seed on the ground, 27 and he sleeps and wakes night and day while the seed springs up and grows, though he does not know how. 28 For on its own, the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 He said, “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it has been sown on the ground, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, 32 yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell under the shadow of it.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without using parables, but privately, to his own disciples, he explained everything.

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. 37 And there arose a great wind storm, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus himself was in the back of the boat with his head on a cushion, sleeping, and they woke him up and told him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?”

39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

a Isaiah 6:9-10

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