The Master's Life
Parables Sections 86-96
86. Parable of the farmer scattering seed
On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. Again he began to teach. People were coming to Jesus from one town after another, and such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow his seed.
As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the wild birds came and devoured it.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have moisture or sufficient root, it withered.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.
But other seed fell on good soil and grew and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.”
As he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”
As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the wild birds came and devoured it.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have moisture or sufficient root, it withered.
Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.
But other seed fell on good soil and grew and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.”
As he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”
87. Explanation of the farmer scattering seed
When he was alone, those around him with the twelve came to him and asked him “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He replied to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
But to those outside, everything is in parables, for this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’.
“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? So listen to the parable of the sower: The seed sower sows is the word of God.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one immediately comes and snatches what was sown in his heart so that they may not believe and be saved. This is the seed sown along the path.
These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the seed sown on rocky ground is the person who as soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.
Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, but worldly cares or worries, the seductiveness of wealth, the pleasures of life and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. Their fruit does not mature.
But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, receives it, understands it and bears fruit. He clings to it with an honest and good heart, and bears fruit with steadfast endurance. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
He replied to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
But to those outside, everything is in parables, for this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’.
“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? So listen to the parable of the sower: The seed sower sows is the word of God.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one immediately comes and snatches what was sown in his heart so that they may not believe and be saved. This is the seed sown along the path.
These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the seed sown on rocky ground is the person who as soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.
Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, but worldly cares or worries, the seductiveness of wealth, the pleasures of life and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. Their fruit does not mature.
But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word, receives it, understands it and bears fruit. He clings to it with an honest and good heart, and bears fruit with steadfast endurance. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
88. Parable of the lamp
He also said to them, “A lamp isn’t brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn't it to be placed on a lampstand? No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light.
For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!”
And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!”
And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
89. Parable of the growing seed
He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”
90. Parable of the wheat and weeds
He presented them with another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. So the slaves of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
91. Parable of the mustard seed
He gave them another parable. He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. When sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground – when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, becomes a tree and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in the shade of its branches.”
So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
92. Parable of the leaven
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”
Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
93. Explanation of the wheat and weeds
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!
94. Parable of the hidden treasure
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
95. Parable of the pearl merchant
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
96. Parable of the fishing net
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
Now when Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.
“Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
Now when Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.
