1144 Mark 4
has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God , but those who are outside get everything in parables ,
12 so that while seeing , they may see and not perceive , and while hearing , they may hear and not understand , otherwise they might return and be forgiven .”
Explanation
13 And He * said to them , “ Do you not understand this parable ? How will you understand all the parables ?
14 “ The sower sows the word .
15 “ These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown ; and when they hear , immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them .
16 “ In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places , who , when they hear the word , immediately receive it with joy ;
17 and they have no firm root in themselves , but are only temporary ; then , when affliction or persecution arises because of the word , immediately they fall away .
18 “ And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns ; these are the ones who have heard the word ,
19 but the worries of the a world , and the deceitfulness of riches , and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word , and it becomes unfruitful .
20 “ And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil ; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit ,
21 And He was saying to them , “ A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket , is it , or under a bed ? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand ?
22 “ For nothing is hidden , except to be revealed ; nor has anything been secret , but that it would come to light .
23 “ If anyone has ears to hear , let him hear .”
24 And He was saying to them , “ Take care what you listen to . By your standard of measure it will be measured to you ; and more will be given you besides .
25 “ For whoever has , to him more shall be given ; and whoever does not have , even what he has shall be taken away from him .”
Parable of the Seed
26 And He was saying , “ The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil ;
27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day , and the seed sprouts and grows — how , he himself does not know .
28 “ The soil produces crops by itself ; first the blade , then the head , then the mature grain in the head .
29 “ But when the crop permits , he immediately puts in the sickle , because the harvest has come .”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And He said , “ How shall we b picture the kingdom of God , or by what parable shall we present it ?
thirty , sixty , and a hundredfold .” a Or age b Lit compare
Sowing Seeds
Farmers in the first century didn ’ t use machines to plant , or sow , their fields with seed . They took handfuls of seed and , with a sweeping motion , threw it on the ground they had plowed . A skillful sower could spread grain seeds very evenly .