Chronological
A Story About Planting Seed
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Large crowds gathered around him. So Jesus got into a boat and sat, while the people stayed on the shore. 3 Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed. 5 Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t enough dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. 6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds grew and choked the good plants. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and became grain. Some plants made 100 times more grain. Other plants made 60 times more grain, and some made 30 times more grain. 9 Let those with ears use them and listen!”
Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach
10 The followers came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you use stories to teach the people?”
11 Jesus answered, “Only you can know the secret truths about the kingdom of heaven. Other people cannot know these secret truths. 12 The person who has something will be given more. And he will have all he needs. But the person who does not have much, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really understand. 14 So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true:
‘You will listen and listen, but you will not understand.
You will look and look, but you will not learn.
15 For these people have become stubborn.
They do not hear with their ears.
And they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might really understand
what they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand in their minds.
If they did this, they would come back to me and be forgiven.’ Isaiah 6:9-10
16 But you are blessed. You understand the things you see with your eyes. And you understand the things you hear with your ears. 17 I tell you the truth. Many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see. But they did not see them. And many prophets and good people wanted to hear the things that you now hear. But they did not hear them.
Jesus Explains the Seed Story
18 “So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. 19 What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away the things that were planted in that person’s heart. 20 And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. 21 But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life. He keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, then he quickly gives up. 22 And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and love of money stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit[a] in that person’s life. 23 But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes 100 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more.”
A Story About Wheat and Weeds
24 Then Jesus told them another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25 That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. Then the enemy went away. 26 Later, the wheat grew and heads of grain grew on the wheat plants. But at the same time the weeds also grew. 27 Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’ 28 The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’ The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to pull up the weeds?’ 29 The man answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat. 30 Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers this: First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.’”
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast
31 Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. A man plants the seed in his field. 32 That seed is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes a tree, big enough for the wild birds to come and make nests in its branches.”
33 Then Jesus told another story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
34 Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people. He always used stories to teach people. 35 This is as the prophet said:
“I will speak using stories;
I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made.” Psalm 78:2
Jesus Explains About the Wheat and Weeds
36 Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His followers came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.”
37 Jesus answered, “The man who planted the good seed in the field is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world. And the good seed are all of God’s children in the kingdom. The weeds are those people who belong to the Evil One. 39 And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the age. And the workers who gather are God’s angels.
40 “The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. It will be this way at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil. 42 The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace. There the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. 43 Then the good people will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let those with ears use them and listen!
Stories of a Treasure and a Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. The man was very happy to find the treasure. He went and sold everything that he owned to buy that field.
45 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. 46 One day he found a very valuable pearl. The man went and sold everything he had to buy that pearl.
A Story of a Fishing Net
47 “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake. The net caught many different kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets. Then they threw away the bad fish. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. 50 The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. In that place the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”
51 Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes, we understand.”
52 Then Jesus said to them, “So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He has both new things and old things saved in his house. And he brings out both those new things and old things.”
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
53 When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there. 54 He went to the town where he grew up. He taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles? 55 He is only the son of the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. 56 And all his sisters are here with us. So where does this man get all these things?” 57 And the people refused to accept Jesus.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town or in his own home.”
58 The people there did not believe in Jesus. So Jesus did not do many miracles there.
The Group with Jesus
8 The next day, while Jesus was traveling through some cities and small towns, he preached and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. The 12 apostles were with him. 2 There were also some women with him who had been healed of sicknesses and evil spirits. One of the women was Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. 3 Also among the women were Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod’s helper), Susanna, and many other women. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his apostles.
A Story About Planting Seed
4 A great crowd gathered. People were coming to Jesus from every town. He told them this story:
5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell beside the road. People walked on the seed, and the birds ate all this seed. 6 Some seed fell on rock. It began to grow but then died because it had no water. 7 Some seed fell among thorny weeds. This seed grew, but later the weeds choked the good plants. 8 And some seed fell on good ground. This seed grew and made 100 times more grain.”
Jesus finished the story. Then he called out, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”
9 Jesus’ followers asked him, “What does this story mean?”
10 Jesus said, “You have been chosen to know the secret truths of the kingdom of God. But I use stories to speak to other people. I do this so that:
‘They will look, but they may not see.
They will listen, but they may not understand.’ Isaiah 6:9
11 “This is what the story means: The seed is God’s teaching. 12 What is the seed that fell beside the road? It is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but then the devil comes and takes it away from their hearts. So they cannot believe the teaching and be saved. 13 What is the seed that fell on rock? It is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly. But they don’t have deep roots. They believe for a while, but then trouble comes. They stop believing and turn away from God. 14 What is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? It is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing. So they never produce good fruit. 15 And what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like those who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey God’s teaching and patiently produce good fruit.
Use What You Have
16 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, he puts the lamp on a lampstand so that those who come in will have enough light to see. 17 Everything that is hidden will become clear. Every secret thing will be made known. 18 So be careful how you listen. The person who has something will be given more. But to the person who has nothing, this will happen: Even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
Jesus’ True Family
19 Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. There was such a crowd that they could not get to him. 20 Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you.”
21 Jesus answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God’s teaching and obey it!”
Jesus Stops a Storm
22 One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat. He said to them, “Come with me across the lake.” And so they started across. 23 While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A big storm blew up on the lake. The boat began to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24 The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, “Master! Master! We will drown!”
Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. The wind stopped, and the lake became calm. 25 Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”
The followers were afraid and amazed. They said to each other, “What kind of man is this? He commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!”
A Man with Demons Inside Him
26 Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from Galilee to the area where the Gerasene[a] people live. 27 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man from the town came to Jesus. This man had demons inside him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He lived in the burial caves, not in a house. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. The man said with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please don’t punish me!” 29 He said this because Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. Many times it had taken hold of him. He had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot. But he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon out into the desert.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
The man answered, “Legion.”[b] (He said his name was “Legion” because many demons were in him.) 31 The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness.[c] 32 On the hill there was a large herd of pigs eating. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus allowed them to do this. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. All the pigs drowned.
34 The men who took care of the pigs ran away. They told about this in the town and the countryside. 35 And people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man sitting there at Jesus’ feet. The man was clothed and in his right mind because the demons were gone. But the people were frightened. 36 The men who saw these things happen told the others all about how Jesus had made the man well. 37 All the people of the Gerasene country asked Jesus to go away. They were all very afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and went back across the lake.
38 The man that Jesus had healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Go back home and tell people what God did for you.” So the man went all over town telling how much Jesus had done for him.
Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
40 When Jesus got back to the other side of the lake, a crowd welcomed him. Everyone was waiting for him. 41 A man named Jairus came to Jesus. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He bowed down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house. 42 Jairus had only one daughter. She was 12 years old, and she was dying.
While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, the people were crowding all around him. 43 A woman was there who had been bleeding for 12 years. She had spent all her money on doctors, but no doctor was able to heal her. 44 The woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. At that moment, her bleeding stopped. 45 Then Jesus said, “Who touched me?”
All the people said they had not touched Jesus. Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and are pushing against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me! I felt power go out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she could not hide, she came forward, shaking. She bowed down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him. Then, she said, she was healed immediately. 48 Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are healed because you believed. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue ruler and said to the ruler, “Your daughter has died! Don’t bother the teacher now.”
50 When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”
51 Jesus went to the house. He let only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother go inside with him. 52 All the people were crying and feeling sad because the girl was dead. But Jesus said, “Don’t cry. She is not dead; she is only sleeping.”
53 The people laughed at Jesus because they knew that the girl was dead. 54 But Jesus took her by the hand and called to her, “My child, stand up!” 55 Her spirit came back into her, and she stood up immediately. Jesus said, “Give her something to eat.” 56 The girl’s parents were amazed. Jesus told them not to tell anyone about what happened.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.