Parables by the Sea

¹That same day, Jesus left the house and went to sit by the sea. ²Such a huge crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the entire crowd stood along the shore. ³He taught them many things through parables. He said, "Listen — a farmer went out to plant his seeds. ⁴As he scattered them, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. ⁵Some fell on rocky ground where the soil was thin. They sprouted quickly because the soil was so shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorn bushes, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. ⁸But some seeds fell on good soil and produced a harvest — some 100 times what was planted, some 60 times, and some 30 times. ⁹If you have ears to hear, then listen carefully!" ¹⁰Later, the disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you teach the crowds using parables?" ¹¹He answered, "It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them." ¹²Whoever has, more will be given to them, and they will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away. ¹³That's why I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they do not see; and hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them, the prophecy of Isaiah is coming true: 'You will hear and hear but never understand. You will look and look but never truly see. ¹⁵These people's hearts have become calloused, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them. ¹⁶"But how blessed are your eyes, because they see! And your ears, because they hear! ¹⁷I tell you the truth: many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you're seeing and never saw it, and to hear what you're hearing and never heard it. ¹⁸Now listen to the parable of the sower. ¹⁹When someone hears the message about the kingdom but doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was planted in their heart. This is the seed that fell along the path. ²⁰The seed that fell on rocky ground represents someone who hears the message and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹But it never takes deep root in them, so it only lasts a short time. The moment trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they quickly fall away. ²²The seed that fell among the thorns represents the one who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³But the seed that fell on good soil represents someone who hears the message and truly understands it. That person produces a harvest — some 100 times, some 60 times, and some 30 times what was planted." ²⁴Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and scattered weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and began forming grain, the weeds appeared too. ²⁷The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? Where did all these weeds come from?' ²⁸He told them, 'An enemy did this.' The servants asked, 'Do you want us to go pull them up?' ²⁹"'No,' he said, 'because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let them both grow together until harvest time. Then I'll tell the harvesters: First, collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat into my barn.'" ³¹He told them yet another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. ³²It's the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the largest of garden plants — it turns into a tree so big that birds come and nest in its branches." ³³He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until the whole batch was leavened." ³⁴Jesus spoke all of these things to the crowds in parables. In fact, he didn't teach them anything without using a parable. ³⁵This fulfilled what the prophet had spoken: "I will speak in parables. I will reveal things that have been hidden since the creation of the world." ³⁶Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went back into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain the parable of the weeds in the field to us." ³⁷He answered, "The one who plants the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world. The good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom, and the weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted the weeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, that's how it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and all people who do wrong. ⁴²They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. If you have ears to hear, then listen! ⁴⁴"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then — overjoyed — he went and sold everything he owned and bought that field. ⁴⁵"The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything he had and bought it. ⁴⁷"The kingdom of heaven is also like a large net thrown into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. They sat down and sorted the good fish into containers but threw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹That's how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous, ⁵⁰and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth." ⁵¹Jesus asked them, "Do you understand all of this?" They answered, "Yes, Lord." ⁵²Then he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who is instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things both new and old."