His winnowing-fork is in His hand, and He will clean out His threshing-floor and store His wheat in His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with fire that never can be put out."

Take a good look at the wild birds, for they do not sow or reap, or store up food in barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps on feeding them. Are you not worth more than they?

And suddenly a furious storm came up, so that the boat was being covered over by the bursting billows, but He kept on sleeping.

And from the days of John the Baptist until the present moment the kingdom of heaven has been continuously taken by storm, and those who take it by storm are seizing it as a precious prize.

"Now listen closely to the story of the sower.

He told them another story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed seed in his field.

He told them this story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field.

He told another story: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to yeast which a woman took and worked into a bushel of flour until it all had risen."

Jesus told the crowds all this in stories, and without a story He told them nothing,

Then He left the crowds and went into His house. And His disciples came up to Him and said, "Explain to us the story of the wild wheat in the field."

"Listen to another story. There was once an owner of an estate who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it, and hewed out a wine-vat in it, and built a tower, and rented it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad.

"Now learn what the story of the fig tree means. Just as soon as its branches grow tender, and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

But the thoughtful ones answered, 'No, no, there may not be enough for you and us. Go to the store and buy your own oil.'

So they took the money and did as they were told. And this story has been told among the Jews down to the present time.