The Parable of the Sower
Jesus went back to teaching by the lake. So many people came to hear him that he had to get into a boat and sit down in it while everyone else stood crowded together on the beach. He taught them many lessons using stories, and this is what he said to them: "Pay attention! A farmer went out to plant seeds in his field. While he was scattering the seeds, some of them fell on the hard path where people walk. Birds flew down and ate up those seeds. Other seeds fell on rocky places where there wasn't much dirt covering the rocks. These seeds sprouted fast because the thin layer of soil warmed up quickly. But when the hot sun came up, it burned the little plants. Since their roots couldn't grow deep into the rocky ground, the plants dried up and died. Some other seeds fell where thorny weeds were growing. The weeds grew bigger and stronger and crowded out the young plants, choking them so they couldn't produce any grain. But some seeds fell on rich, good soil. These seeds grew into healthy plants that produced grain—some plants made thirty times more grain than what was planted, others sixty times more, and still others a hundred times more than what was planted." After telling this story, Jesus said, "If you have ears that can hear, then listen carefully."
The Purpose of Parables
When Jesus was alone with his twelve disciples and the other people who stayed close to him, they asked him to explain what his story meant. Jesus answered them, "God has given you the ability to understand the secrets of his kingdom. But for people on the outside, I teach everything through stories, so that when they look, they will keep looking but never really see what's happening, and when they listen, they will keep listening but never truly understand what it means. If they did understand, they might change their hearts and God would forgive them."
The Parable of the Sower Explained
Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this story? If you can't understand this one, how will you understand any of the stories I tell you?" Jesus explained: "The farmer plants God's message. Some people are like the seeds that fall on the walking path. When they hear God's message, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the message that was planted in their hearts. Other people are like the seeds that fall on rocky ground. When they hear the message, they receive it right away with great joy. But they have no deep roots in themselves, so they only last for a short time. When trouble or suffering comes because of the message, they quickly give up and turn away. Still other people are like the seeds that fall among thorny weeds. They hear the message, but the worries of everyday life, the lies that wealth tells them, and their hunger for other things crowd in and choke out the message. It never grows to produce anything good. But some people are like the seeds planted in rich, good soil. They hear the message, accept it completely, and it grows and produces a harvest—some thirty times what was planted, some sixty times, and some even a hundred times what was planted."
A Lamp on a Stand
Jesus continued teaching them with another illustration. "When someone lights a lamp," he said, "do they cover it with a basket or shove it under a bed? Of course not. They put it up on a lamp stand where it can give light to everyone in the room. "You see, everything that is hidden will eventually be revealed, and everything that is kept secret will be brought out into the open. If you have ears that can hear, then listen carefully to what I'm telling you. "Pay close attention to what you're hearing," Jesus went on. "The same measure of attention you give will be given back to you, and you'll receive even more on top of that. The person who has something will be given more. But the person who has nothing will lose even the little bit they think they have."
The Parable of the Growing Seed
Jesus told them another story about what God's kingdom is like. "A farmer goes out and throws seeds across his field. After that, he goes about his daily life—sleeping at night, getting up in the morning, day after day. Meanwhile, the seeds begin to sprout and grow taller, even though the farmer doesn't understand exactly how it happens. The soil does its work all on its own. First tiny green shoots push up through the dirt, then stalks grow higher, then the grain heads form and fill out until they're heavy and ready. When the farmer sees that the grain is fully ripe, he takes his cutting tool and harvests it, because the time for gathering the crop has finally arrived."
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Then Jesus asked them, "What can I compare God's kingdom to? What story can help you understand it? God's kingdom is like a tiny mustard seed—the smallest seed you can plant in the ground. But once you plant that tiny seed, it grows into the biggest plant in the whole garden. It spreads out huge branches, so large that birds come and build their nests in its shade."
Jesus' Use of Parables
Jesus taught the crowds using many stories like these, always choosing parables that matched what they were able to grasp and understand. He never spoke to them without using a parable to illustrate his message. But when he was alone with his disciples, he would carefully explain the full meaning of everything he had taught.
Jesus Calms the Storm
That evening, Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." They sent the crowd away and took Jesus in the boat where he was already sitting. Several other boats went along with them. Suddenly, a fierce storm blew in. The wind howled and powerful waves crashed over the sides of the boat, filling it with water. But Jesus was at the back of the boat, fast asleep on a cushion. The disciples shook him awake and cried out, "Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?" Jesus stood up and spoke firmly to the wind and the churning water. "Quiet!" he commanded. "Be still!" Immediately the wind stopped blowing, and the lake became completely calm. Jesus turned to his disciples and asked, "Why are you so frightened? Don't you have faith in me yet?" The disciples were filled with awe and amazement. They whispered to each other, "Who is this man? Even the wind and waves do what he tells them!"