CHAPTER XIII. SEASIDE PARABLES. The sower. HE same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside. And he began again to teach by the seaside: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught. them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, "Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred." it. And when he had said these things, he cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable, saying, "What might this parable be? and why speakest thou unto them in parables?" And he said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these Why Jesus taught things are done in parables. For whosoever hath, to him shall in parables. be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables, that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive for this : 92 PARABLE OF THE SOWER. people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." The interpretation of the para And he said unto them, "Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. The sower soweth the word. When any one heareth the word ble of the sower. of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into good ground is he that heareth the word, and receiveth it in an honest and good heart and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, with patience, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. shall be pub "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which All hidden things enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." lished. THE SEED, THE LEAVEN, THE TARES. 93 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and The tares in the went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought field. forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, "Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?" He said unto them, "An enemy hath done this." The servants said unto him, "Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" But he said, "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." And he said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed SYRIAN AND EGYPTIAN WHEAT. should spring and grow up, he knoweth The seed growing tard-seed. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and The grain of mussowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." Another parable spake he unto them: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, The leaven hid in which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." the meal. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good 94 The interpretation of the parable of the tares. SEASIDE PARABLES. seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. แ The treasure hid in a field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. The pearl of great price. แ The net cast into the sea. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Jesus saith unto them, "Have ye understood all these things?" Then said he unto them, "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things The instructed teacher. new and old." And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. |