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4:10-4:34 When he was alone (with) the twelve around him they asked about
the parables. And he said to
them. "To you has been given
the mystery of the kingdom
of God. But to those outside all they are given
is in parables. This is so they
may see and yet not perceive,
and hear yet may not understand lest they should turn and their sins be
forgiven them." He said to
them. "Do you not know what
this parable means and what all the parables mean? The one who is sowing is sowing the
word. And those by the way, are
those people, immediately they hear it find that Satan comes and takes
the word that had been sown in them.
And likewise the ones on the rocky places, being sown with the
word, when they hear it, immediately hear it with joy and receive
it. But they do not have roots within
themselves and so it is short lived.
As affliction or persecution on account of the word comes to them
they are immediately offended.
Others again, are the ones who are amongst thorns and the word is
sown in them. These hear the
word. Yet the cares of the age and
the deceitfulness of riches and other things like desires come in and
choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.
And there are those again who are on the good earth. They hear the word and welcome it and
bear fruit in thirty and sixty and in a hundred fold
production." And he said to
them. "When the lamp comes it is not put under a bushel or under the
couch. Rather it is put on the
lamp stand. For this is not to be
hidden or covered but made manifest and put in the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him
hear."
And he said to them.
"Take heed what you hear.
With whatever measure you measure out it will be measured out to
you and indeed added to. For the
one who has, it will be given to him.
And the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away
from him."
And he said. "The kingdom of God is like this. A man might cast
seed upon the earth. He might
sleep and rise, night and day. And
the seed sprouts and lengthens and he does not know. Of its own accord the earth bears
fruit. First there is the grass,
then an ear, then the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is produced,
immediately the man puts this to the sickle because the harvest has
come." And he said. "To what can we liken the kingdom of God or how can we present this in a parable. It is like a grain of mustard. When this is sown in the earth it is
smaller than all the seeds on the earth.
Yet when it is sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all the
herbs. It makes great branches so
that the birds of heaven are able to dwell in its branches." And with such parables he spoke the
word to them in many differing ways so that they were able to hear. But
he explained everything privately to his own disciples without using
parables.
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8:22-26 They came to Bethsaida. People brought a blind man to Him and
beseeched him to touch the man.
Laying hold of the blind man’s hand He led him outside the
village. And spitting in his eyes
and putting hands on him he questioned the man. "Do you see anything?" And looking up the man said. "I see men so that they look like trees walking." Then He again put his hands on the eyes
of the man. The man looked
steadily and his sight was restored.
He saw all things clearly.
And (Jesus) sent him home saying
“Do not go into the village.”
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