9. Bears fruit

13:1-9

Sower

13:1-23 On that day Jesus on going out of the house sat beside the sea. Many crowds (or sub-groups) were assembled around him so that he went and sat in a boat. All the crowd stood on the beach. He spoke many things to them in parables. He said. “Behold someone went out to sow seed. And as he did so some of it fell by the wayside and the birds of the air came and devoured this. Other seed fell on rocky places.

where there was not much earth. Immediately the seed sprang up because there was not much depth of earth. But the sun scorched this and as it did not have roots it was dried up. But other seed fell on the thorns. The thorns came up and choked them. Other seeds fell on the good earth and produced fruit some a hundredfold some sixty, and some thirty. Let whoever has ears for this hear it.”

10. Hears

13:10-23

Sower

13:10-23 And (then) approaching his disciples said to him. “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered “The mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens has been given to you to know. But it has not been given to those (people) For whoever has (this knowledge) more (knowledge) will be given to them and such a one will have an abundance. But for the one who does not have (this knowledge) even what they have will be taken away from them. Therefore I speak to these people in parables because in seeing they do not see and in hearing they do not hear nor understand. The prophecy of Isaiah is thereby fulfilled in them saying “In hearing you will hear but you will by no means understand. And seeing you will see but by no means will you perceive.” For the heart of this people waxes grossly and they hear heavily with their ears and their eyes are closed. (This is the case) lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn back (from their sins) and I will heal them. But you are blessed with your eyes because they see and with your ears because they hear. For

truly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men wanted to see the things that you see and they did not see them. They wanted to hear the things that you hear and they did not hear them. You therefore hear the parable of the sower. If anyone on hearing the word about the kingdom and does not understand it then the evil one comes and seizes what has been sown in their heart. This is pictured in the image of the word sown by the wayside, or the word sown on the rocky places where someone hears and immediately rejoices on receiving the word. But he has no root in himself and so the word is short-lived. When trials or persecution comes on account of the word he is immediately offended. In terms of the word which is sown in the thorns, this is the image of the person who hears the word. But the anxieties around them and the deceit of riches chokes the word and it becomes unfruitful. But when the word is sown on the good earth this is the image of the one who hears the word and understands it. That one indeed bears fruit, one person a hundred fold, another sixty and another thirty."