Simple Stories, Profound Truths

13 On that day after Yeshua left the house, He was sitting by the sea. ² And large crowds gathered around Him; so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. ³ And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some seeds fell by the road; and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil. They sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ But when the sun came up, they were scorched; and because they had no roots, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked them out. ⁸ But others fell on good soil and were producing fruit. They yielded a crop—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears,^[a] let him hear.”

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ And He replied to them, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given and he will have plenty. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ For this reason I speak to them in parables,

¹⁴ “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ Amen, I tell you, many a prophet and tzaddik longed to see what you are seeing and did not see, and to hear what you are hearing and did not hear.”

Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ “You then, hear the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one having been sown along the road.

²⁰ “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ Yet he has no root himself but lasts only a short while; and when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

²² “But the one sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word; and the worries of the world and the seduction of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²³ “Now the one sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands. He indeed bears fruit, yielding a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

Teaching in the Temple

21 Then Yeshua looked up and saw the rich dropping their gifts into the treasury box. ² He also saw a poor widow dropping in two small copper coins. ^{[a] 3} And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest. ⁴ For all these put in their gifts from their surplus. But she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.”

Paul Keeps Spreading the Good News

¹⁷ It happened that after three days, Paul called together those who were the prominent Jewish leaders. When they had gathered he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ When they examined me, they wanted to release me because there was no basis for the death penalty. ¹⁹ But when the Judean leaders protested, I was forced to appeal to Caesar—not that I had any charge to bring against my own nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I have requested to see you and to speak with you—since it is for the hope of Israel that I am bearing this chain.”

²¹ They said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. ²² But we think it appropriate to hear from you about what you think. For indeed, it is known to us that regarding this sect, it is spoken against everywhere.”

²³ They set a day to meet Paul and came to him at his quarters in large numbers. From morning until evening he was explaining everything to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the Prophets. ²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, while others refused to believe. ²⁵ So when they disagreed among themselves, they began leaving after Paul had said one last statement: “The Ruach ha-Kodesh rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, ²⁶ saying,

²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” ^29 [b]

³⁰ Paul remained two whole years in his own rented quarters and continued to welcome all who came to him— ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all boldness and without hindrance.

Israel Not Rejected

11 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?^[a] May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected His people whom He knew beforehand.^[b] Or do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³ “Adonai, they have killed your prophets, they have destroyed your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ^{[c] 4} But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ^{[d] 5} So in the same way also at this present time there has come to be a remnant^[e] according to God’s gracious choice. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained; but the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened— ⁸ just as it is written,

⁹ And David says,

¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?^[h] May it never be! But by their false step salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke Israel to jealousy. ^{[i] 12} Now if their transgression leads to riches for the world, and their loss riches for the Gentiles, then how much more their fullness! ¹³ But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Insofar as I am an emissary to the Gentiles, I spotlight my ministry ¹⁴ if somehow I might provoke to jealousy my own flesh and blood^[j] and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection leads to the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?