Chapter 4
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
Since they didn’t have a loudspeaker…
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow.
The sower is God. The seed is His word.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Some seed doesn’t even enter the soil
5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away.
Some seed fails due to lack of depth.
7 Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
Some seed grows but remains fruitless because of thorns.
8 And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Some seed finds good soil and varying quality.
9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; 12 so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”
Jesus teaches in public in parables and explains them to his disciples in private.
They will have to be the teachers of the Church in the future.
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. 16 And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Jesus explains the parable.
A Lamp under a Bushel Basket
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus teaches that light is to be given.
24 And he said to them, “Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Jesus gives the economics of the Kingdom.
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
This parable teaches about how the kingdom of God grows progressively and subtly and much in secret.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
This parable teaches how the kingdom starts small and grows into something great.
The Use of Parables
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
It is repeated that Jesus taught publicly in parables, but explained them in private.
Jesus Stills a Storm
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him.37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; …
Jesus is not afraid.
and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”
Of course He does!
39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Jesus calms the storm with a word.
40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
Jesus rebukes the disciples.
41 And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
The disciples start asking the right question…