A Story about a Farmer
(Matthew 13.1-9Luke 8.4-8)1 The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:
3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was scattered.
9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Matthew 13.10-17Luke 8.9Luke 10)10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories. 11 He answered:
I have explained the secret about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12 The reason is,
“These people will look
and look, but never see.
They will listen and listen,
but never understand.
If they did,
they would turn to God
and be forgiven.”
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
(Matthew 13.18-23Luke 8.11-15)13 Jesus then told them:
If you don't understand this story, you won't understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 17 But they don't have roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was planted.
Light
(Luke 8.16-18)21 Jesus also said:
You don't light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don't you put a lamp on a lampstand? 22 There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known. 23 If you have ears, pay attention!
24 Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated—and even worse. 25 Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose what little they have.
Another Story about Seeds
26 Again Jesus said:
God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. 27 The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how. 28 It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. 29 Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.
A Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13.31Matthew 32Luke 13.18Luke 19)30 Finally, Jesus said:
What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. 32 But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.
The Reason for Teaching with Stories
(Matthew 13.34Matthew 35)33 Jesus used many other stories when he spoke to the people, and he taught them as much as they could understand. 34 He did not tell them anything without using stories. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
A Storm
(Matthew 8.23-27Luke 8.22-25)35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the east side.” 36 So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37 Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.
38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.
40 Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?”
41 Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
1 And hee began againe to teache by the sea side, and there gathered vnto him a great multitude, so that hee entred into a shippe, and sate in the sea, and all the people was by the sea side on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said vnto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken: Beholde, there went out a sower to sowe. 4 And it came to passe as he sowed, that some fell by the way side, and the foules of the heauen came, and deuoured it vp. 5 And some fell on stonie grounde, where it had not much earth, and by and by sprang vp, because it had not depth of earth. 6 But assoone as ye Sunne was vp, it was burnt vp, and because it had not roote, it withered away. 7 And some fell among the thornes, and the thornes grewe vp, and choked it, so that it gaue no fruite. 8 Some againe fell in good grounde, and did yeelde fruite that sprong vp, and grewe, and it brought foorth, some thirtie folde, some sixtie folde, and some an hundreth folde. 9 Then he said vnto them, He that hath eares to heare, let him heare. 10 And whe he was alone, they that were about him with the twelue, asked him of ye parable. 11 And he saide vnto them, To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of God: but vnto them that are without, all thinges bee done in parables, 12 That they seeing, may see, and not discerne: and they hearing, may heare, and not vnderstand, least at any time they should turne, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them. 13 Againe he said vnto them, Perceiue ye not this parable? howe then should ye vnderstand all other parables? 14 The sower soweth the worde. 15 And these are they that receiue the seede by the wayes side, in whome the worde is sowen: but when they haue heard it, Satan commeth immediatly, and taketh away the worde that was sowen in their heartes. 16 And likewise they that receiue the seede in stony ground, are they, which whe they haue heard the word, straightwayes receiue it with gladnesse. 17 Yet haue they no roote in themselues, and endure but a time: for when trouble and persecution ariseth for the worde, immediatly they be offended. 18 Also they that receiue the seede among the thornes, are such as heare the word: 19 But the cares of this world, and the deceitfulnes of riches, and the lustes of other things enter in, and choke the word, and it is vnfruitfull. 20 But they that haue receiued seede in good ground, are they that heare the worde, and receiue it, and bring foorth fruite: one corne thirtie, another sixtie, and some an hundreth. 21 Also he saide vnto them, Commeth the candle in, to be put vnder a bushell, or vnder the bed, and not to be put on a candlesticke? 22 For there is nothing hid, that shall not be opened: neither is there a secret, but that it shall come to light. 23 If any man haue eares to heare, let him heare. 24 And he said vnto them, Take heede what ye heare. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured vnto you: and vnto you that heare, shall more be giuen. 25 For vnto him that hath, shall it be giuen, and from him that hath not, shall be taken away, euen that he hath. 26 Also he said, So is the kingdome of God, as if a man should cast seede in the ground, 27 And shoulde sleepe, and rise vp night and day, and the seede should spring and growe vp, he not knowing howe. 28 For the earth bringeth foorth fruite of it selfe, first the blade, then the eares, after that full corne in the eares. 29 And assoone as the fruite sheweth it selfe, anon hee putteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come. 30 He saide moreouer, Whereunto shall wee liken the kingdome of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a graine of mustarde seede, which when it is sowen in the earth, is the least of all seedes that be in the earth: 32 But after that it is sowen, it groweth vp, and is greatest of all herbes, and beareth great branches, so that the foules of heauen may builde vnder the shadow of it. 33 And with many such parables he preached the word vnto them, as they were able to heare it. 34 And without parables spake hee nothing vnto them: but he expounded all thinges to his disciples apart. 35 Nowe the same day when euen was come, he saide vnto them, Let vs passe ouer vnto the other side. 36 And they left the multitude, and tooke him as he was in the shippe, and there were also with him other little shippes. 37 And there arose a great storme of winde, and the waues dashed into the shippe, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the sterne asleepe on a pillow: and they awoke him, and saide to him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And hee rose vp, and rebuked the winde, and saide vnto the sea, Peace, and be still. So the winde ceased, and it was a great calme. 40 Then he saide vnto them, Why are ye so fearefull? how is it that ye haue no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who is this, that both the winde and sea obey him?