A Story About Planting Seed^(A)

4 Again Jesus began teaching by the lake [^Cthe Sea of Galilee]. A great crowd gathered around him, so he sat down in a boat near the shore. All the people stayed on the shore close to the water. ² Jesus taught them many things, using ·stories [parables; see 3:23]. He said, ³ “Listen! A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. ⁴ While he was ·planting [sowing], some seed fell ·by the road [along the path], and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed ·grew [sprang up] very fast, because the ground was not deep. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plants ·dried up [were scorched and withered] because they did not have deep roots. ⁷ Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce ·a crop [grain]. ⁸ Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced ·a crop [grain]. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, ·“Let those with ears use them and listen!” [^L“Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

Jesus Tells Why He Used Stories^(B)

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone, the twelve apostles and others around him asked him about the ·stories [parables; see 3:23].

¹¹ Jesus said, “·You can know [To you has been given] the secret about the kingdom of God. But to ·other people [outsiders] I tell everything by using ·stories [parables] ¹² so that:

Jesus Explains the Seed Story^(C)

¹³ Then Jesus said to ·his followers [^Lthem], “Don’t you understand this ·story [parable]? If you don’t, how will you understand any ·story [parable; see 3:23]? ¹⁴ ·The farmer plants God’s message in people [^LThe sower sows the word]. ¹⁵ Sometimes the ·teaching [word; message] falls ·on the road [along the path]. This is like the people who hear the ·teaching of God [word; message], but Satan quickly comes and takes away the ·teaching [word; message] that was ·planted [sown] in them. ¹⁶ Others are like the seed ·planted [sown] on rocky ground. They hear the ·teaching [word; message] and quickly accept it with joy. ¹⁷ ·But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives [^LBut since they have no root in themselves], they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the ·teaching they accepted [word; message], they quickly ·give up [fall away; stumble]. ¹⁸ Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the ·teaching [word; message], ¹⁹ but the worries of this ·life [world; age], the ·temptation [deceitfulness; seduction] of wealth, and ·many other evil desires [desires for other things] ·keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives [^Lcome in and choke the word, making it unfruitful]. ²⁰ Others are like the seed ·planted [sown] in the good ground. They hear the ·teaching [word; message] and accept it. Then they grow and produce ·fruit [a crop]—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”

Use What You Have^(D)

²¹ Then Jesus said to them, “Do you hide a lamp under a ·bowl [basket] or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand. ²² [For] Everything that is hidden will be ·made clear [revealed; disclosed] and every ·secret [concealed] thing will be ·made known [brought to light/into the open]. ²³ ·Let those with ears use them and listen! [^L“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

²⁴ [And he said to them,] “·Think carefully about [Pay attention to] what you hear. ·The way you give to others is the way God will give to you [or The standard you use to judge others will be the standard used for you; ^LWith the measure you measure, it will be measured to you], ·but God will give you even more [and even more will be added to you]. ²⁵ Those who ·have understanding [^Lhave] will be given more. But those who do not ·have understanding [^Lhave], even what they have will be taken away from them. [^CThe Greek does not say what they have; but the context suggests spiritual understanding to comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom (v. 11).]

Jesus Tells a Story About Seed

²⁶ Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who ·plants seed in [scatters seed on] the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still [sprouts and] grows, but the person does not know how it grows. ²⁸ By itself the earth produces grain. First the ·plant [blade; stalk] grows, then the head, and then ·all the [the ripe] grain in the head. ²⁹ When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it [with a sickle], because this is the harvest time.”

A Story About Mustard Seed^(E)

³⁰ Then Jesus said, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What ·story [parable; see 3:23] can I use to explain it? ³¹ The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. [^CThe mustard seed was the smallest seed known to Jesus’ hearers.] ³² But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.”

³³ Jesus used many ·stories [parables] like these to teach the crowd God’s ·message [word]—as much as they could ·understand [hear]. ³⁴ He always used ·stories [parables] to teach them. But when he and his ·followers [disciples] were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms a Storm^(F)

³⁵ That evening, Jesus said to ·his followers [^Lthem], “Let’s go across the lake.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was [^Cmeaning he was already in the boat; 4:1]. There were also other boats with them. ³⁷ A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was ·already full of water [nearly swamped]. ³⁸ Jesus was at the ·back of the boat [stern], sleeping on a cushion. ·His followers [^LThey] woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are ·drowning [perishing]?”

³⁹ Jesus stood up and ·commanded [reprimanded; rebuked] the wind and said to the ·waves [sea], “·Quiet! [^TPeace!] Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm. [^CThis parallels God’s subduing of the waters representing chaos in the OT; Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 107:29.]

⁴⁰ Jesus said to ·his followers [^Lthem], “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ They were ·very afraid [terrified; filled with awe] and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the ·waves [sea] obey him!”