Light Under a Basket^(A)

^21 (B)Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? ^22 (C)For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. ^23 (D)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

²⁴ Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. ^(E)With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ^25 (F)For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ And He said, ^(G)“The kingdom of God is as if a man should ^[a]scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and ^(H)grow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸ For the earth ^(I)yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain ripens, immediately ^(J)he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed^(K)

³⁰ Then He said, ^(L)“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; ³² but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

Jesus’ Use of Parables

^33 (M)And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, ^(N)He explained all things to His disciples.