After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village
to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were
with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases:
Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of
Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women
were helping to support them out of their own means.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to
Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his
seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled
on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up,
the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns,
which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good
soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear,
let them hear.”
His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the
kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so
that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing,
they may not understand.’
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of
God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and
takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on the rocky ground are the ones
who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They
believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that
fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they
are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But
the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear
the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:1-15
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