New Testament in a Year
A Story about a Farmer(A)
4 Yeshua began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was in the water while the entire crowd lined the shore. 2 He used stories as illustrations to teach them many things.
While he was teaching them, he said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. 4 Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn’t have any roots, so they withered. 7 Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn’t produce anything. 8 But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.” 9 He added, “Let the person who has ears listen!”
10 When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories.
11 Yeshua replied to them, “The mystery about the kingdom of God has been given directly to you. To those on the outside, it is given in stories:
12 ‘They see clearly but don’t perceive.
They hear clearly but don’t understand.
They never return to me
and are never forgiven.’”
13 Yeshua asked them, “Don’t you understand this story? How, then, will you understand any of the stories I use as illustrations?
14 “The farmer plants the word. 15 Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was planted in them. 16 Other people are like seeds that were planted on rocky ground. Whenever they hear the word, they accept it at once with joy. 17 But they don’t develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall from faith. 18 Other people are like seeds planted among thornbushes. They hear the word, 19 but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. 20 Others are like seeds planted on good ground. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.