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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.”
(Note:
2nd part re explanation of sower and seeds)
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
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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."
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