撒种的比喻

此后,耶稣到各城镇去传扬上帝国的福音。同行的有十二使徒, 还有几个曾被邪灵和疾病缠身、现在已被医治的妇女。其中有抹大拉的玛丽亚,耶稣曾经从她身上赶出七个鬼, 还有希律的管家苦撒的妻子约亚拿,此外还有苏撒拿等其他妇女。她们用自己的钱财资助耶稣和门徒。

那时,人群络绎不绝地从各地聚集到耶稣面前,耶稣用比喻教导他们,说: “有一个农夫到田里撒种,有些种子落在路旁,被人践踏,又被飞鸟吃掉了; 有些落在盖着浅土的石头地上,因水分不足,幼苗刚长出来就枯萎了; 有些落在荆棘丛中,荆棘长起来便把幼苗挤住了; 有些落在沃土里,发芽生长,结出百倍的果实。”耶稣讲完这番话后,高声说:“有耳可听的,就要留心听。”

门徒请耶稣解释这比喻的意思, 10 耶稣便说:“上帝国的奥秘只让你们知道,对其他人,我就用比喻,使他们看却看不见,听却听不明白。 11 这个比喻的意思是这样,种子代表上帝的道, 12 种子落在路旁是指人听了道,随后魔鬼来把道从他们心里夺走了,不让他们相信并得救。 13 种子落在盖着浅土的石头地上是指人听了道,欣然接受了,但是没有根基,只是暂时相信,一遇到试炼就放弃了。 14 种子落在荆棘丛中是指人听了道,后来被生活的忧虑、钱财和享乐缠住了,以致结不出成熟的果实来。 15 种子落在沃土里则是指人听了道,用诚实良善的心坚忍持守,至终结出果实。

点灯的比喻

16 “没有人点了灯,却用器皿把它盖起来或放到床底下,而是放在灯台上,使进来的人能见到光。 17 掩盖的事终会暴露出来,隐藏的秘密终会被人知道。 18 因此,你们要留心听,因为凡有的,还要给他更多;凡没有的,连他自以为已经拥有的也要被夺去。”

耶稣的亲属

19 这时,耶稣的母亲和兄弟来找祂,由于人太多,他们无法靠近耶稣, 20 有人就对祂说:“你的母亲和兄弟在外面想见你。” 21 耶稣却说:“听见上帝的话语并遵行的人就是我的母亲、我的弟兄。”

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撒種的比喻

此後,耶穌到各城鎮去傳揚上帝國的福音。同行的有十二使徒, 還有幾個曾被邪靈和疾病纏身、現在已被醫治的婦女。其中有抹大拉的瑪麗亞,耶穌曾經從她身上趕出七個鬼, 還有希律的管家苦撒的妻子約亞娜,此外還有蘇珊娜等其他婦女。她們用自己的錢財資助耶穌和門徒。

那時,人群絡繹不絕地從各地聚集到耶穌面前,耶穌用比喻教導他們,說: 「有一個農夫到田裡撒種,有些種子落在路旁,被人踐踏,又被飛鳥吃掉了; 有些落在蓋著淺土的石頭地上,因水分不足,幼苗剛長出來就枯萎了; 有些落在荊棘叢中,荊棘長起來便把幼苗擠住了; 有些落在沃土裡,發芽生長,結出百倍的果實。」耶穌講完這番話後,高聲說:「有耳可聽的,就要留心聽。」

門徒請耶穌解釋這比喻的意思, 10 耶穌便說:「上帝國的奧祕只讓你們知道,對其他人,我就用比喻,使他們看卻看不見,聽卻聽不明白。 11 這個比喻的意思是這樣,種子代表上帝的道, 12 種子落在路旁是指人聽了道,隨後魔鬼來把道從他們心裡奪走了,不讓他們相信並得救; 13 種子落在蓋著淺土的石頭地上是指人聽了道,欣然接受了,但是沒有根基,只是暫時相信,一遇到試煉就放棄了; 14 種子落在荊棘叢中是指人聽了道,後來被生活的憂慮、錢財和享樂纏住了,以致結不出成熟的果實來; 15 種子落在沃土裡則是指人聽了道,用誠實良善的心堅忍持守,至終結出果實。

點燈的比喻

16 「沒有人點了燈,卻用器皿把它蓋起來或放到床底下,而是放在燈臺上,使進來的人能見到光。 17 掩蓋的事終會暴露出來,隱藏的秘密終會被人知道。 18 因此,你們要留心聽,因為凡有的,還要給他更多;凡沒有的,連他自以為已經擁有的也要被奪去。」

耶穌的親屬

19 這時,耶穌的母親和兄弟來找祂,由於人太多,他們無法靠近耶穌, 20 有人就對祂說:「你的母親和兄弟在外面想見你。」 21 耶穌卻說:「聽見上帝的話語並遵行的人就是我的母親、我的弟兄。」

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Many Women Minister to Jesus

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and [a]bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and (A)certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and [b]infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, (B)out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for [c]Him from their [d]substance.

The Parable of the Sower(C)

(D)And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded [e]a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, (E)“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables(F)

(G)Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

10 And He said, “To you it has been given to know the [f]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

(H)‘Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.’

The Parable of the Sower Explained(I)

11 (J)“Now the parable is this: The seed is the (K)word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of [g]temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, (L)riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with (M)patience.[h]

The Parable of the Revealed Light(N)

16 (O)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the (P)light. 17 (Q)For nothing is secret that will not be (R)revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. (S)For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he [i]seems to (T)have will be taken from him.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him(U)

19 (V)Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:1 proclaiming the good news
  2. Luke 8:2 sicknesses
  3. Luke 8:3 NU, M them
  4. Luke 8:3 possessions
  5. Luke 8:8 Lit. fruit
  6. Luke 8:10 secret or hidden truths
  7. Luke 8:13 testing
  8. Luke 8:15 endurance
  9. Luke 8:18 thinks that he has

The Parable of the Sower(A)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.(B) The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)(C) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s(D) household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(E)

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,(F) but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’[a](G)

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.(H) 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.(I) 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches(J) and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

A Lamp on a Stand

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.(K) 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.(L) 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”(M)

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(N)

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers(O) are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:10 Isaiah 6:9