M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The parable of the sower. Take heed to God’s word. Christ stills the tempest of the sea, which obeyed him.

4 And he began again to teach by the sea side. And there gathered together unto him crowds of people, so greatly that he entered into the boat and sat in it in the sea, and all the people were by the sea side on the shore. ² And he taught them many things in similitudes, and said to them in his lesson: ³ Hearken to! Behold, there went out a sower to sow. ⁴ And it happened as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and quickly sprang up because it did not have depth of earth; ⁶ but as soon as the sun was up, it caught heat, and because it did not have rooting, withered away. ⁷ And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it gave no fruit. ⁸ And some fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit that sprang up and grew, and brought forth: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. ⁹ And he said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the similitude. ¹¹ And he said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those who are outside, all things shall be done in similitudes, ¹² and when they see, they will see but not discern, and when they hear, they will hear and not understand, lest at any time they should turn; and their sins would be forgiven them.

¹³ And he said to them, Do you not understand this similitude? How then will you understand any other similitudes? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ And those who are by the wayside where the word is sown are those to whom, as soon as they have heard it, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ And likewise, those who receive the seed on the stony ground are those who, when they have heard the word, at once receive it with gladness, ¹⁷ yet have no roots in themselves. And so they endure but a time, and once trouble and persecution arise for the word’s sake, they fall immediately. ¹⁸ And those who receive the seed among the thorns are such as hear the word, ¹⁹ but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the hunger for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it is made unfruitful. ²⁰ And those who received the seed in good ground are those who hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold.

²¹ And Jesus said to the people, Is the candle lighted to be put under a bushel or under the table, and not rather to be put on a candlestick? ²² For there is nothing so hid that it will not be revealed, nor so secret but that it may become clear. ²³ If any person has ears to hear, let him hear.

²⁴ And he said to them, Attend with care to what you hear. With the same measure you give, it will be measured back to you. And to you who hear, more will be given. ²⁵ For to him who has, it will be given, but from him who has not shall be taken away even what he has.

²⁶ And he said, The kingdom of God is like this: it is as if a man sows seed in the ground, ²⁷ and sleeps, and rises up night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows up, he knows not how. ²⁸ For the earth brings forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ears, after that the full grain in the ears. ²⁹ And as soon as the fruit is brought forth, immediately the man thrusts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.

³⁰ And he said, To what may we liken the kingdom of God? or what comparison can we use? ³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is the least of all seeds that are in the earth. ³² But after it is sown, it grows up and is greatest of all shrubs, and bears great branches, so that the birds of the air may dwell under the cover of it.

³³ And with many such similitudes he preached the word to the people, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ And without similitude he spoke nothing to them. But when they were apart, he expounded all things to his disciples.

³⁵ And the same day, when evening was come, he said to them, Let us pass over to the other side. ³⁶ And they left the people and took him just as he was in the boat. And there were also with him other boats. ³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and it dashed the waves into the boat so that it was full. ³⁸ And he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care if we perish?

³⁹ And he rose up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, and be still! And the wind allayed, and there followed a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly and said to one another, What manner of man is this? For both wind and sea obey him.

Paul shows by the example of Abraham that faith justifies, and not the law or the works of the law.

4 What shall we say then that Abraham, our father as to the flesh, did find? ² If Abraham were justified by deeds, then he has wherein to glory, but not with God. ³ For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. ⁴ To him who works, the reward is not reckoned from favour, but as his due. ⁵ To him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ⁶ It is just as David describes the blessedfulness of the person to whom God ascribes righteousness apart from deeds: ⁷ Blessed are those whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is that man to whom the Lord does not impute sin.

⁹ Did this blessedness come then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned? In the time of circumcision, or in the time before he was circumcised? Not in the time of circumcision, but when he was yet uncircumcised.

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that is by faith. This faith he had when still uncircumcised, to the intent that he should be the father of all who believe, though they are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be ascribed to them also; ¹² and to the intent that he should be the father of the circumcised, not only because they are circumcised, but because they walk also in the steps of that faith that was in our father Abraham before the time of circumcision.

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is but vain, and the promise of no effect. ¹⁵ Because the law causes wrath.

But where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is by faith that the inheritance is given, so that it may come by favour, and so the promise may be sure to all the seed – not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you a father to many nations, even before God whom you have believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸ This Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: Thus shall your seed be. ¹⁹ And he fainted not in the faith, nor yet considered his own body (which was now dead inasmuch as he was almost a hundred years old), nor yet that Sarah was past childbearing. ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was made strong in the faith and gave honour to God, ²¹ fully persuaded that what he had promised, that he was able to make good. ²² And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

²³ It is not written for him only that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited as righteousness if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from death, ²⁵ who was delivered for our sins, and rose up again to justify us.