Thematic Bible: Sermon
Thematic Bible
Sermon » Beside lake galilee
That day Jesus left the house and sat by the seashore. Large crowds gathered to him. He entered a boat while the crowd stood on the shore. He told them many illustrations. He said: A farmer went out to sow. read more.
Some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds devoured them. Others fell on rocky places and did not have much soil. When they grew, the sun scorched them, and because they had no root they withered and died. Others fell upon the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. Some fell on good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He that has ears let him hear. The disciples asked him: Why do you speak in illustrations? He responded: You are allowed to know the divine secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it is not for others to know. (The Greek word for you is plural and is applied to the disciples as a group.) He who has shall receive more to the point of abundance. He who does not have, it shall be taken away including that which he has. I speak to them in illustrations (stories) (parables) (allegories), because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear. They just do not understand. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. 'By hearing, you shall hear, and shall in no way understand. By seeing you shall see, and shall in no way perceive. The heart of this people is callous and dull. Their ears are plugged. They cannot hear. They closed their eyes and cannot see. They cannot see nor hear nor understand with their heart. They should turn around and I would heal them.' Happy and blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things that you see, and could not see them. They also desired to hear the things that you hear, and could not hear them. Listen to the illustration of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one takes away that which was sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away. He that was sown among thorns hears the word. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. He that was sown upon the good ground hears the word, and understands it. He bears fruit, producing sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes thirty. He told another illustration, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man that sowed good seed in his field. While he slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds with the wheat, and went away. When the blade sprouted and brought forth fruit, it looked like wheat. The servants of the householder said to him: 'Sir, did you sow good seed in your field? Why does it have weeds mixed in with the good wheat?' He replied: 'An enemy did this.' The servants offered to remove the weeds. He said: 'No, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. In the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather weeds first, and bind them in bundles to burn them. Then gather the wheat into my barn.' In another illustration Jesus said: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man sowed in his field. Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. Yet when it grows it becomes as large as a tree. In fact the birds of heaven lodge in the branches. He offered another illustration: The kingdom of heaven is similar to leaven. A woman hid leaven in three measures of meal until it was all leavened. Jesus spoke with illustrations to the crowds. He did not speak anything without using illustrations. That which was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled, saying: I will open my mouth in illustrations. I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples gathered near him. They said: Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field. Jesus said: He that sows the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world (the society of mankind). The good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one. The enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are angels. The weeds are gathered up and burned (destroyed) with fire. It will be this way at the end of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who stumble others and commit lawlessness. The angels will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears let him hear. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found the treasure and hid it again in the field. He is so filled with joy he sells everything he owns and buys the field. The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking valuable pearls. When he found one pearl of great value, he sold all that he had, and bought it. The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea. It gathered fish of every kind. They drew it up on the beach when it was full. They gathered the good into containers and threw away the bad. It will be that way at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous. The wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to him: Yes. And he said to them: Every scribe (journalist) (writer) who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
Some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds devoured them. Others fell on rocky places and did not have much soil. When they grew, the sun scorched them, and because they had no root they withered and died. Others fell upon the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. Some fell on good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He that has ears let him hear. The disciples asked him: Why do you speak in illustrations? He responded: You are allowed to know the divine secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it is not for others to know. (The Greek word for you is plural and is applied to the disciples as a group.) He who has shall receive more to the point of abundance. He who does not have, it shall be taken away including that which he has. I speak to them in illustrations (stories) (parables) (allegories), because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear. They just do not understand. The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. 'By hearing, you shall hear, and shall in no way understand. By seeing you shall see, and shall in no way perceive. The heart of this people is callous and dull. Their ears are plugged. They cannot hear. They closed their eyes and cannot see. They cannot see nor hear nor understand with their heart. They should turn around and I would heal them.' Happy and blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things that you see, and could not see them. They also desired to hear the things that you hear, and could not hear them. Listen to the illustration of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one takes away that which was sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away. He that was sown among thorns hears the word. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. He that was sown upon the good ground hears the word, and understands it. He bears fruit, producing sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes thirty. He told another illustration, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man that sowed good seed in his field. While he slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds with the wheat, and went away. When the blade sprouted and brought forth fruit, it looked like wheat. The servants of the householder said to him: 'Sir, did you sow good seed in your field? Why does it have weeds mixed in with the good wheat?' He replied: 'An enemy did this.' The servants offered to remove the weeds. He said: 'No, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. In the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather weeds first, and bind them in bundles to burn them. Then gather the wheat into my barn.' In another illustration Jesus said: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man sowed in his field. Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. Yet when it grows it becomes as large as a tree. In fact the birds of heaven lodge in the branches. He offered another illustration: The kingdom of heaven is similar to leaven. A woman hid leaven in three measures of meal until it was all leavened. Jesus spoke with illustrations to the crowds. He did not speak anything without using illustrations. That which was spoken through the prophet was fulfilled, saying: I will open my mouth in illustrations. I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples gathered near him. They said: Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field. Jesus said: He that sows the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world (the society of mankind). The good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one. The enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are angels. The weeds are gathered up and burned (destroyed) with fire. It will be this way at the end of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who stumble others and commit lawlessness. The angels will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The righteous will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears let him hear. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found the treasure and hid it again in the field. He is so filled with joy he sells everything he owns and buys the field. The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking valuable pearls. When he found one pearl of great value, he sold all that he had, and bought it. The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea. It gathered fish of every kind. They drew it up on the beach when it was full. They gathered the good into containers and threw away the bad. It will be that way at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous. The wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to him: Yes. And he said to them: Every scribe (journalist) (writer) who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a man that is a householder, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
He taught them many things by illustrations and said to them: Listen, the sower went out to sow. As he sowed some seed fell by the road and the birds came and devoured it. read more.
Other seed fell on the rocky ground and did not have good soil. Immediately it sprang up, because it had no good soil it became scorched when the sun came up. Then it withered because it had no root. Some seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it so it could yield no fruit. Others fell on good ground and yielded fruit. It grew up, increased and produced thirty fold, and sixty fold, and a hundred fold. He continued: He who has ears to hear let him hear. When he was alone his followers including the twelve asked about the illustrations. He told them: The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you. Illustrations are spoken to outsiders. So that seeing they may see and not perceive. And hearing they may hear and not understand. Otherwise they might repent and be forgiven. Then he asked: Do you not understand this illustration? How will you understand any of the illustrations? The sower sows the word. These are they by the wayside where the word is sown. When they have heard; Satan comes and takes away the word that has been sown in them. The same is so of the word sown upon the rocky places. When they have heard the word and receive it with joy, they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. They stumble when tribulation or persecution arise. There is the word sown among the thorns. These have heard the word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things enter in and choke the word. So it becomes unfruitful. Those who represent that sown upon the good soil hear the word and accept it. They bear fruit, thirty fold, and sixty fold, and a hundred fold. He asked them: Is the lamp placed under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on the stand? There is nothing hidden unless it should be made known. Nothing is made secret that should come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. Then he said: Be careful what you listen to. That which is portioned out by you might be portioned to you and more. He who has, to him it will be given. He who has not, from him will be taken even that which he has. He added: The kingdom of God is like this. A man plants seed in the earth. He sleeps and gets up night and day until the plants grow though he has no idea how. The earth gives fruit by itself. First comes the leaf, then the head, then full grain. When the grain is ready he immediately sends men to cut it, because the time for cutting has come. He said: What illustration should we use to picture the kingdom of God? What story will make it clear? It is like a grain of mustard seed. When it is planted in the earth it is smaller than all the seeds on the earth. But when it is planted it grows and becomes taller than all the plants. It grows out great branches so that the birds of heaven are able to take rest in its shade. He spoke the word to them with many illustrations as long as they were able to listen.
Other seed fell on the rocky ground and did not have good soil. Immediately it sprang up, because it had no good soil it became scorched when the sun came up. Then it withered because it had no root. Some seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it so it could yield no fruit. Others fell on good ground and yielded fruit. It grew up, increased and produced thirty fold, and sixty fold, and a hundred fold. He continued: He who has ears to hear let him hear. When he was alone his followers including the twelve asked about the illustrations. He told them: The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you. Illustrations are spoken to outsiders. So that seeing they may see and not perceive. And hearing they may hear and not understand. Otherwise they might repent and be forgiven. Then he asked: Do you not understand this illustration? How will you understand any of the illustrations? The sower sows the word. These are they by the wayside where the word is sown. When they have heard; Satan comes and takes away the word that has been sown in them. The same is so of the word sown upon the rocky places. When they have heard the word and receive it with joy, they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. They stumble when tribulation or persecution arise. There is the word sown among the thorns. These have heard the word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things enter in and choke the word. So it becomes unfruitful. Those who represent that sown upon the good soil hear the word and accept it. They bear fruit, thirty fold, and sixty fold, and a hundred fold. He asked them: Is the lamp placed under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on the stand? There is nothing hidden unless it should be made known. Nothing is made secret that should come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. Then he said: Be careful what you listen to. That which is portioned out by you might be portioned to you and more. He who has, to him it will be given. He who has not, from him will be taken even that which he has. He added: The kingdom of God is like this. A man plants seed in the earth. He sleeps and gets up night and day until the plants grow though he has no idea how. The earth gives fruit by itself. First comes the leaf, then the head, then full grain. When the grain is ready he immediately sends men to cut it, because the time for cutting has come. He said: What illustration should we use to picture the kingdom of God? What story will make it clear? It is like a grain of mustard seed. When it is planted in the earth it is smaller than all the seeds on the earth. But when it is planted it grows and becomes taller than all the plants. It grows out great branches so that the birds of heaven are able to take rest in its shade. He spoke the word to them with many illustrations as long as they were able to listen.
Sermon » Of jesus, "on the mount,"
Sermon » Of jesus, "on the plain,"
He came down with them, and stood on a level place. A great crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem came to hear him. Others from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were healed. The crowd tried to touch him for power came forth from him and healed them all. read more.
He looked at his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now: for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. For your reward is great in heaven. Your fathers treated the prophets the same way. Woe to you who are rich! You have received your reward. Woe to you who are full now! For you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now! You will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you! Their fathers did the same to the prophets. I tell you who listen, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you. When someone slaps you on one cheek offer the other. Give your coat to the one who takes your topcoat. Give to every one who asks of you and do not demand back your goods from he who takes from you. As you would like men to do to you, do also to them. If you love those who love you what thanks do you have? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you what thanks do you have? Even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive what thanks do you have? Even sinners lend to sinners to receive again as much. Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it shall be given to you. You will receive a good measure. It will be pressed down, shaken together, running over and they will give it to you. For with the measure that you measure out it will be measured to you also. He told them an illustration: Can the blind guide the blind? Would they both fall into a pit? The disciple is not above his teacher. Every one will be like his teacher when he is fully trained. Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye? Yet you do not consider the beam in your own eye. How can you say to your brother: 'Let me remove the speck in your eye when you do not notice the beam in your own eye?' You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. A good tree does not produce corrupt fruit and a corrupt tree does not produce good fruit. The identity of a tree is made clear by the fruit it produces. Men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good. The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil. Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Why do you call me Lord, and do not do what I tell you to do? Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man building a house. He dug and laid a deep foundation upon the rock. A flood sent a stream of water against the house and could not shake it because it was well built. He who hears but does not do is like a man who built a house upon the earth without a foundation. A flood will send a stream of water and immediately it will fall. The ruin of that house will be great.
He looked at his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now: for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. For your reward is great in heaven. Your fathers treated the prophets the same way. Woe to you who are rich! You have received your reward. Woe to you who are full now! For you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now! You will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you! Their fathers did the same to the prophets. I tell you who listen, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you. When someone slaps you on one cheek offer the other. Give your coat to the one who takes your topcoat. Give to every one who asks of you and do not demand back your goods from he who takes from you. As you would like men to do to you, do also to them. If you love those who love you what thanks do you have? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you what thanks do you have? Even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive what thanks do you have? Even sinners lend to sinners to receive again as much. Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it shall be given to you. You will receive a good measure. It will be pressed down, shaken together, running over and they will give it to you. For with the measure that you measure out it will be measured to you also. He told them an illustration: Can the blind guide the blind? Would they both fall into a pit? The disciple is not above his teacher. Every one will be like his teacher when he is fully trained. Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye? Yet you do not consider the beam in your own eye. How can you say to your brother: 'Let me remove the speck in your eye when you do not notice the beam in your own eye?' You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. A good tree does not produce corrupt fruit and a corrupt tree does not produce good fruit. The identity of a tree is made clear by the fruit it produces. Men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good. The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil. Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Why do you call me Lord, and do not do what I tell you to do? Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man building a house. He dug and laid a deep foundation upon the rock. A flood sent a stream of water against the house and could not shake it because it was well built. He who hears but does not do is like a man who built a house upon the earth without a foundation. A flood will send a stream of water and immediately it will fall. The ruin of that house will be great.