That day Jesus went and sat at the sea shore. And a big flock of people came so he went onto a ship and the people stood on the shore. And he spoke of many things in parables.
A sower went to sow, and as he sowed some seed fell by the wayside, and birds ate them, some fell on the stony ground where there wasn’t much dirt, and they pushed to surface because there wasn’t a whole lot of dirt under them. When the sun came up, they were scorched, because they were so close to the surface, and they withered away because their roots weren’t deep. Some fell in the thorns, and totally got choked out. And others fell onto the good earth and bore some fruit, some bore a whole lot of fruit and others a boatload of fruit! If you have ears, you can hear these parables.
The disciples came and asked JC why do you have to speak in parables? He tells his disciples; I can tell you the secrets of the kingdom of heaven but not hem. Oh then it’s a classic line! To he who has shall be given and to he who has not shall be taken even that which has. That is cold! Snap JC, how is that fair?
So I speak in parables, because they don’t see or hear or understand. The prophecy of Esaias says by hearing you will hear, but not understand, you shall see but not perceive. These people hearts have hardened, and they don’t listen, and they close their eyes, rather than see and listen and open their ears to be converted, so I can heal them.
But you are blessed because, you see and hear. Many prophets would love to have seen and heard what you have seen and heard.
So hear the parable of the sower… again.
When one hears the word of the kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, then the wicked one comes and takes it right out of his heart. This is the seed that fell by the wayside. If the stone fell in the stony place, the person hears the word and receives it with joy. But he doesn’t have roots in himself, so the second there is trouble, he leaves the word behind. If he received the seed among the thorns, he hears the word, but the riches and the cares of the world get in the way, he can’t bear fruit. But those who receives the seed on the good earth is one who hears the word and understands it, bears fruit, and a lot of fruit, and a boatload of fruit.
Oh good another parable about sowing. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed into his field. While the man slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (a kind of weed that looks like wheat) and went his way. So as the wheat grew the weeds appeared too. The servants told the master, that he didn’t sow good seed in the field. He told them an enemy did it. The servants asked him should we gather up all of the stuff? No, if you gather the tares, you’ll root up the wheat too. First gather the tares, bundle them and burn them. Then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.
Another parable is about how the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man sowed in his field. Mustard seed is the least of all seed, but when it’s grown it’s the best of the herbs, and becomes a tree, and birds and live on it. Um mustard is really tasty… I never thought of it as a lesser anything.
Another parable compared the kingdom of heaven to making leaven (kind of like a sourdough starter). A woman takes the leaven, dividing it between three measure of flour, until all of it is leavened. JC spoke to the flock of people in parables, like he said earlier in the chapter. Like the prophet said, I’ll speak in parables, I will tell the things that have been secrets from the beginning of time. Ooo I want to know the secrets!
Jesus sent everyone away, and went into the house. His disciples came up to him to ask him to tell them the parable of the tares in the field. Sigh. Because hearing it once isn’t good enough. You know if the masses have to hear the story in parable format, and have to figure it out on their own; shouldn’t the disciples have to do that too? I don’t want to hear this parable again. I don’t want to write about it again. I’m sick of it already.
Back to the parable. The man who sewed the seed is the Son of man, of course it is, he’s the hero. The field is the world, the good seeds are the children of the kingdom of heaven and the tares are the children of the kingdom of hell. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the worlds, and the reapers are angels. So at the end of the world we will burn the wicked people. And I Jesus, Son of man, will send the angels, to gather the all the offensive thing and cast them into a furnace of fire, where there will be a wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous good folk will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, who can hear them with his ears.
Heaven is like the treasure man finds hidden in the field, and sells all that he has so he can buy the field of treasure. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking pearls, who when he found a really expensive pearl, he sold all that he had to buy that super pearl. What? Are pearls really a great investment, pigs don’t like them and they loose their luster in about 100 years, or if you don’t take care of them and vinegar destroys them.
The kingdom of heaven is like a net that gathered everything. When it was full they brought it in the shore, and put the good stuff in the boats and threw the bad stuff away. That’s how it will be at the end of the world… the angels will come and sort the good from the evil, and throw the bad fold into the furnaces, and more wailing and gnashing of teeth.
JC asked his disciple if they understood this and they all said yes Lord. Probably because they didn’t want to be the seeds on the stone or in the thorns who eventually get thrown in a furnace with wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus left when he was through talking and went back to his own country. He went and spoke in the synagogue, everyone was astonished asking “Where did this guy come from with his wisdom and mighty deeds? Is that Mary’s boy? The carpenters son? With those brothers… James, Joses, Simon and Judas? Where are his sisters? Why aren’t they here? Where’d he some from? They were offended by him. But Jesus told them a prophet has no honor in his own country and house. So he didn’t do any of his big tricks because they didn’t believe in him. Boo.
Jesus really loves a parable, well, at least for those stupid masses who can't understand a straight word. I must be really stupid because I can never understand the parables!
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