Thematic Bible: To seed


Thematic Bible



He then spoke many things to them in figurative language. "The sower goes out," He said, "to sow. As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. Some falls on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly shows itself above ground, because it has no depth of earth; read more.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched by the heat, and through having no root it withers up. Some falls among the thorns; but the thorns spring up and stifle it. But a portion falls upon good ground, and gives a return, some a hundred for one, some sixty, some thirty.

"The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up. Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture. Another part falls among the thorns, and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it. read more.
But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!" The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant. "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand. The meaning of the parable is as follows. The seed is God's Message. Those by the way-side are those who have heard, and then the Devil comes and carries away the Message from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully; but they have no root: for a time they believe, but when trial comes they fall away. That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection. But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

"Listen: the sower goes out to sow. As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up. Some falls on the rocky ground where it finds but little earth, and it shoots up quickly because it has no depth of soil; read more.
but when the sun is risen, it is scorched, and through having no root it withers away. Some, again, falls among the thorns; and the thorns spring up and stifle it, so that it yields no crop. But some of the seed falls into good ground, and gives a return: it comes up and increases, and yields thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold." "Listen," He added, "every one who has ears to listen with!" When He was alone, the Twelve and the others who were about Him requested Him to explain His figurative language. "To you," He replied, "has been entrusted the secret truth concerning the Kingdom of God; but to those others outside your number all this is spoken in figurative language; that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not understand, lest perchance they should return and be pardoned.'" "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?" "What the sower sows is the Message. Those who receive the seed by the way-side are those in whom the Message is sown, but, when they have heard it, Satan comes at once and carries away the Message sown in them. In the same way those who receive the seed on the rocky places are those who, when they have heard the Message, at once accept it joyfully, but they have no root within them. They last for a time; then, when suffering or persecution comes because of the Message, they are immediately overthrown. Others there are who receive the seed among the thorns: these are they who have heard the Message, but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. Those, on the other hand, who have received the seed on the good ground, are all who hear the Message and welcome it, and yield a return of thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold."

"To you then I will explain the parable of the Sower. When a man hears the Message concerning the Kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil one comes and catches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who has received the seed by the road-side. He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy. read more.
It has struck no root, however, within him. He continues for a time, but when suffering comes, or persecution, because of the Message, he at once stumbles and falls. He who has received the seed among the thorns is the man who hears the Message, but the cares of the present age and the delusions of riches quite stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful. But he who has received the seed on good ground is he who hears and understands. Such hearers give a return, and yield one a hundred for one, another sixty, another thirty.")

"The sower of the good seed," He replied, "is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed--these are the sons of the Kingdom; the darnel, the sons of the Evil one.

Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground: he spends days and nights, now awake, now asleep, while the seed sprouts and grows tall, he knows not how. Of itself the land produces the crop-- first the blade, then the ear; afterwards the perfect grain is seen in the ear. read more.
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come." Another saying of His was this: "How are we to picture the Kingdom of God? or by what figure of speech shall we represent it? It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world; yet when sown it springs up and becomes larger than all the herbs, and throws out great branches, so that the birds build under its shadow."