(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1
And again He began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered to Him a great multitude, so that He, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land,
2
and He taught them many things in allegories, and He said to them in His teaching:
3
“Listen, behold, the sower went forth to sow;
4
and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the birds of the sky came and devoured it;
5
and other fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of having no depth of earth,
6
and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of having no root it withered;
7
and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit;
8
and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it was bearing, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”
9
And He said to them, “He who is having ears to hear—let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)
10
And when He was alone, those around Him, with the Twelve, asked Him of the allegory,
11
and He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the secret of the Kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, in allegories are all the things done,
12
that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)
13
And He says to them, “Have you not known this allegory? And how will you know all the allegories?
14
He who is sowing sows the word;
15
and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, Satan immediately comes, and he takes away the word that has been sown in their hearts.
16
And these are they, in like manner, who are sown on the rocky ground: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,
17
and have no root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.
18
And these are they who are sown toward the thorns: these are they who are hearing the word,
19
and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20
And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who hear the word, and receive, and bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”
The Lesson of the Lamp
(Luke 8:16–18)
21
And He said to them, “Does the lamp come that it may be put under the measure, or under the bed—not that it may be put on the lampstand?
22
For there is not anything hid that may not be revealed, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light.
23
If any has ears to hear—let him hear.”
24
And He said to them, “Take heed what you hear; in what measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear it will be added;
25
for whoever may have, there will be given to him, and whoever has not, also that which he has will be taken from him.”
The Seed Growing Secretly
26
And He said, “Thus is the Kingdom of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth,
27
and may sleep, and may rise night and day, and the seed springs up and grows, he has not known how;
28
for of itself the earth bears fruit, first a blade, afterward an ear, afterward full grain in the ear;
29
and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)
30
And He said, “To what may we liken the Kingdom of God, or in what allegory may we compare it?
31
As a grain of mustard, which, whenever it may be sown on the earth, is less than any of the seeds that are on the earth;
32
and whenever it may be sown, it comes up, and becomes greater than any of the herbs, and makes great branches, so that under its shade the birds of the sky are able to rest.”
33
And with many such allegories He was speaking to them the word, as they were able to hear,
34
and without an allegory He was not speaking to them, and by themselves, to His disciples He was expounding all.
Jesus Calms the Storm
(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)
35
And He says to them on that day, evening having come, “We may pass over to the other side”;
36
and having let away the multitude, they take Him up as He was in the boat, and other little boats were also with Him.
37
And there comes a great storm of wind, and the waves were beating on the boat, so that it is now being filled,
38
and He Himself was on the stern, sleeping on the pillow, and they wake Him up, and say to Him, “Teacher, are You not caring that we perish?”
39
And having awoken, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be stilled”; and the wind stilled, and there was a great calm;
40
and He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How have you no faith?”
41
And they feared a great fear and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Copyright © 2020 Covenant Press and the CCC - licensed under CC BY-SA