The Parable of the Sower

(Matthew 13:1-9; Luke 8:4-15)

1And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto 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, 2and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching: 3‘Hearken, lo, the sower went forth to sow; 4and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it; 5and other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of not having depth of earth, 6and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of not having root it did wither; 7and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns did come up, and choke it, and fruit it gave not; 8and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.’ 9And he said to them, ‘He who is having ears to hear—let him hear.’

The Purpose of Jesus' Parables

(Matthew 13:10-17)

10And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile, 11and he said to them, ‘To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done; 12that 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)

13And he saith to them, ‘Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes? 14He who is sowing doth sow the word; 15and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts. 16‘And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it, 17and have not 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 toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word, 19and 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 becometh unfruitful. 20‘And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.’

The Lesson of the Lamp

(Luke 8:16-18)

21And he said to them, ‘Doth the lamp come that under the measure it may be put, or under the couch—not that it may be put on the lamp-stand? 22for there is not anything hid that may not be manifested, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light. 23If any hath ears to hear—let him hear.’ 24And he said to them, ‘Take heed what ye hear; in what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you; and to you who hear it shall be added; 25for whoever may have, there shall be given to him, and whoever hath not, also that which he hath shall be taken from him.’

26And he said, ‘Thus is the reign of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth, 27and may sleep, and may rise night and day, and the seed spring up and grow, he hath not known how; 28for of itself doth the earth bear fruit, first a blade, afterwards an ear, afterwards full corn in the ear; 29and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he doth send forth the sickle, because the harvest hath come.’

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31-32; Luke 13:18-19)

30And he said, ‘To what may we liken the reign of God, or in what simile may we compare it? 31As 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; 32and whenever it may be sown, it cometh up, and doth become greater than any of the herbs, and doth make great branches, so that under its shade the fowls of the heaven are able to rest.’

33And with many such similes he was speaking to them the word, as they were able to hear, 34and without a simile he was not speaking to them, and by themselves, to his disciples he was expounding all.

Jesus Stills the Storm

(Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25)

35And he saith to them on that day, evening having come, ‘We may pass over to the other side;’ 36and having let away the multitude, they take him up as he was in the boat, and other little boats also were with him. 37And there cometh a great storm of wind, and the waves were beating on the boat, so that it is now being filled, 38and he himself was upon the stern, upon the pillow sleeping, and they wake him up, and say to him, ‘Teacher, art thou not caring that we perish?’ 39And having waked up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be stilled;’ and the wind did lull, and there was a great calm: 40and he said to them, ‘Why are ye so fearful? how have ye not faith?’ 41and they feared a great fear, and said one to another, ‘Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea do obey him?’