73. A Word to the People in Parables. Mt. 13:1–3; Mk. 4:1–2; Lk. 8:4

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered around Him, so that He got into a boat and sat there, while all the crowd stood on the beach. And He told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen!”

Behold, a sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path, and it was trampled on, and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, on the rocky places, where there was not much soil, and it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow; but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root and no moisture, it withered. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it bore no fruit. And some fell on good soil and brought forth fruit, which grew up and increased and bore fruit—some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred.

Having said this, He called out: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

He presented another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left. When the grain sprouted and bore fruit, then the weeds appeared as well. The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where then did these weeds come from?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Again He said: “The kingdom of God is like this: a man scatters seed on the ground, and sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

According to the Gospel of Matthew. He presented to them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field, which is smaller than all other seeds, but when it has grown, it becomes greater than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

According to the Gospel of Mark. And He said, “How shall we liken the Kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown in the earth, is smaller than all the seeds upon the earth; but when it is sown, it springs up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

Another parable He spoke to them: The Kingdom of Heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like to treasure hidden in a field; which a man finding, hid, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a merchant seeking goodly pearls; who, having found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering of every kind of fish; which, when it was full, they drew to the shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the age: the Angels shall come forth, and shall separate the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables, and with many such parables He spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to hear; and without a parable spoke He not to them concerning His Kingdom; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world” (Ps 77:2). But to His disciples He explained all things privately.