The Lantern

Mark4

The Parable of the Sower

And again He began to teach beside the sea. And a very great crowd is gathered together to Him, so that He, having climbed into a boat, was sitting in the sea, and all the crowd was close to the sea on the land.

And He was teaching them many things in parables, and He was saying to them in His teaching:

“Listen! Behold, the one sowing went out to sow.

And it came to pass, while sowing, that some fell along the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

And other fell upon the rocky place where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because of not having depth of soil.

And after the sun rose, it was scorched, and because of not having root it withered away.

And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And others fell into the good soil, and was yielding fruit, growing up and increasing, and was bearing one thirtyfold and one sixty and one a hundred.”

And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

And when He was utterly alone, those around Him with the Twelve were asking Him about the parables.

And He was saying to them, “To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given; but to those who are outside, everything is done in parables,

so that ‘looking they may look and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, otherwise they may turn and it be forgiven them.’”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

And He says to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?

The one sowing sows the word.

And these are they along the road where the word is sown: when they may hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are likewise those sown upon the rocky places, who, when they may hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,

and they have no root in themselves but are temporary; then, when tribulation or persecution was happening on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

And others are those sown among the thorns. These are those hearing the word,

and the cares of the age and the deceit of riches and the desires of the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

And those are the ones having been sown upon the good soil, such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit — one thirtyfold and one sixty and one a hundred.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

And He was saying to them, “Is the lamp ever brought in so that it may be put under the basket or under the bed? Is it not that it may be put upon the lampstand?

For there is nothing hidden unless in order that it shall be made manifest, nor has a secret thing taken place but that it shall come to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And He was saying to them, “Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you.

For whoever has, it will be given to him; and he who has not, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

And He was saying, “Thus is the kingdom of God: as a man shall cast the seed upon the earth,

and he may sleep and may be risen night and day, and the seed may sprout and may grow — how, he himself does not know.

Of itself the earth brings forth fruit — first a plant, then an ear, then full grain in the ear.

And when the fruit may produce, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

And He was saying, “How shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or in which parable let us present it?

As a grain of mustard, which, when it may be sown upon the earth, is smaller than all the seeds which are upon the earth;

and when it may be sown it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and it produces great branches, so that the birds of the air are able to perch under its shadow.”

And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, even as they were able to hear;

and without parables He was not speaking to them, but in private He was explaining all things to His own disciples.

Jesus Calms the Storm

And on that very day, evening having come, He says to them, “Let us pass over to the other side.”

And having dismissed the crowd, they take Him with them since He was in the boat; and other boats also were with Him.

And a violent storm of wind comes, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat is already being filled up.

And He Himself was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. And they wake Him and say to Him, “Teacher, is it no concern to You that we perish?”

And having been awoken, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” And the wind abated, and there was a great calm.

And He said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you still not have faith?”

And they feared with great fear and were saying to each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obeys Him?”