JESUS PREACHING BY THE SEASIDE
V
THE GREAT TEACHER
How the Lord Jesus Told the People Stories by the Sea.
And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there was gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, which was on the sea, and sat in it; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things in stories, and told them in his teaching,--
The Story of the Sower.
"Behold, the sower went forth to sow: and, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other seed fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."
And he said, "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Afterward he explained the parable to them thus):--
"The sower soweth the word. And these are they by [{134}] the wayside, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it; and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."