Chapter 14
The Use of Parables
Verse 1: When Jesus spoke to the crowds, he told them everything in parables; without parable he told them nothing. | Matthew 13:34
2 “No one pours new olive oil into a lamp whose wick is charred and and crusted; otherwise the flame will sputter and die, and the oil is wasted, and the lamp gives no light. New oil is poured into a lamp with a fresh wick. | Mark 2:21
3 Similarly, new grain poured into a jar that still holds old, damp grain will rot alongside it. You must empty and dry the jar before the new harvest goes in.” | Mark 2:22
4 He also told them another parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment to mend the old one; if they do, not only will the new garment tear, but the patch from the new will not match the old. | Luke 5:36
5 In the same way, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the newer wine will burst the skins and will be lost, and the skins will also be ruined. | Luke 5:37
6 Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins. | Luke 5:38
7 And no one having drunk old wine desiring new wine then says, ‘The old is better.’” | Luke 5:39
The Purpose of the Parables
8 Then he left the crowds and went into a nearby house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” | Matthew 13:36, Matthew 13:10
9 He answered, “Truth did not come into the world naked, but it came in types and images. The world will not receive truth in any other way.”
10 And then said to them, “I have given to you the hidden mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them. | Matthew 13:11
11 For whoever has, to them more shall be given, and they shall have an abundance, but from those who have next to nothing, even what little they possess will be taken away. | Matthew 13:12
12 For this reason I speak to them in parables, in doing so, ‘they look but do not see, they hear but do not listen and neither do they understand. | Matthew 13:13
13 For the hearts of the people outside have grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes so they are prevented from knowing the truth and that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ | Matthew 13:15, Mark 4:12
14 For at least one of you, blessed are your eyes, for they truly see, and your ears, for they truly hear; | Matthew 13:16
15 For I tell you, that many righteous people longed to see what you are seeing but could not see it and to hear what you are hearing but could not hear it.” | Matthew 13:17
The Parable of the Sower Explained
16 And then his disciples began to ask him what this parable meant. | Luke 8:9
17 And he asked them, “Do you not understand the meaning of this parable? And how then will you understand all the parables? | Mark 4:13
18 Listen then, to the parable of the sower. | Matthew 13:18
19 When anyone hears the word of my Father's kingdom and does not understand it, the devil of this world comes and steals away what is sown in their heart; this is what was sown along the path. | Matthew 13:19
20 The seed that was sown on stony ground, this is the one who listens to the word and instantly receives it with joy, | Matthew 13:20
21 but since they have no root, they can only endure it for only a short time, and when trouble of persecution arises because of the word, they immediately stumble and fall away. | Matthew 13:21
22 And that which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they make their way through the world, are choked with cares, lure of riches, pleasures of life and thus do not bear any fruit. | Matthew 13:22, Luke 8:14
23 But as for the seed which was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, keeps it and produces good fruit, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. | Matthew 13:23, Luke 8:15
24 Then the righteous will shine brightly like the sun in the kingdom of my Father. Let anyone who has ears, hear!” | Matthew 13:43
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
25 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of my Father can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, | Matthew 13:24
26 but while he asleep the enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then slipped away. | Matthew 13:25
27 So when the plants sprouted and produce grain, the weeds also appeared as well. | Matthew 13:26
28 And the householder's servants came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ | Matthew 13:27
29 He answered, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servant said, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ | Matthew 13:28
30 But he said, ‘No, if you gather the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. | Matthew 13:29
31 Let them both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, First collect the weeds and tie them into bundles to be burned, and then gather the wheat into my barn.’” | Matthew 13:30
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
32 Another disciple approached Jesus, saying, “Explain to us simply the parable of the weeds of the field.” | Matthew 13:36
33 He answered them, “The Son of Man is the one who sows the good seed; | Matthew 13:37
34 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children that do the will of my Father; the weeds are wicked children who are of the world, | Matthew 13:38
35 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil of this world; the harvest is when the body dies.
36 The Son of Man will separate all who stand before him, casting out from his kingdom all who caused harm and those who refused to do his will,
37 and in the outer darkness the devil of this world will claim his own and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
38 Then the righteous shall shine brightly like the sun in the kingdom of my Father. | Matthew 13:43
What Is Concealed Will Be Revealed
39 There is nothing hidden that will not come to light; and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. | Mark 4:22
40 And he said to them, “Pay careful attention to what you hear. With the measure by which you give will be exactly the measure you receive, and it will be added to you. | Mark 4:24
41 For whosoever has, more will be given, and whosoever have nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.” | Mark 4:25
42 The kingdom of my Father is like a certain woman carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking on a road, still a long way from home, | Gospel of Thomas 97
43 the handle of the jar broke. Behind her the meal leaked out emptied out on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed her misfortune. | Gospel of Thomas 97
44 When she reached her house, she put the jar down and found it empty. | Gospel of Thomas 97
45 Let all who have ears to hear, had better listen!” | Mark 4:23