A Story about a Farmer^(A)

13 That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee. ² The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore. ³ Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things.

He said, “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. ⁴ Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren’t deep enough. ⁷ Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them. ⁸ But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. ⁹ Let the person who has ears listen!”

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. ¹² Those who understand ⌞these mysteries⌟ will be given ⌞more knowledge⌟, and they will excel ⌞in understanding them⌟. However, some people don’t understand ⌞these mysteries⌟. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but they don’t listen. They don’t even try to understand. ¹⁴ So they make Isaiah’s prophecy come true:

¹⁶ “Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God’s people longed to see what you see but didn’t see it, to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it.

¹⁸ “Listen to what the story about the farmer means. ¹⁹ Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates. ²⁰ The seed planted on rocky ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. ²¹ Since he doesn’t have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls ⌞from faith⌟. ²² The seed planted among thornbushes ⌞is another person who⌟ hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. ²³ But the seed planted on good ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.”

A Story about a Farmer^(A)

⁴ When a large crowd had gathered and people had come to Jesus from every city, he used this story as an illustration: ⁵ “A farmer went to plant his seeds. Some seeds were planted along the road, were trampled, and were devoured by birds. ⁶ Others were planted on rocky soil. When the plants came up, they withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Others were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up with them and choked them. ⁸ Others were planted on good ground. When they came up, they produced a hundred times as much as was planted.”

After he had said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears listen!”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this story meant. ¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of God’s kingdom has been given ⌞directly⌟ to you. But it is given to others in stories. When they look, they don’t see, and when they hear, they don’t understand.

¹¹ “This is what the story illustrates: The seed is God’s word. ¹² Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. They hear the word, but then the devil comes. He takes the word away from them so that they don’t believe and become saved. ¹³ Some people are like seeds on rocky soil. They welcome the word with joy whenever they hear it, but they don’t develop any roots. They believe for a while, but when their faith is tested, they abandon it. ¹⁴ The seeds that were planted among thornbushes are people who hear the word, but as life goes on the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke them. So they don’t produce anything good. ¹⁵ The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring.