NLT One Year Bible - Flipbook - Page 74
J A N U A R Y
1 9
Who are my brothers?” 49 Then he
pointed to his disciples and said, “Look,
these are my mother and brothers.
50Anyone who does the will of my Father
in heaven is my brother and sister and
mother!”
13:1Later that same day Jesus left the
house and sat beside the lake. 2A large
crowd soon gathered around him, so he
got into a boat. Then he sat there and
taught as the people stood on the shore.
3He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant
some seeds. 4As he scattered them across
his field, some seeds fell on a footpath,
and the birds came and ate them. 5Other
seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying
rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants
soon wilted under the hot sun, and since
they didn’t have deep roots, they died.
7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew
up and choked out the tender plants.
8Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and
they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty,
and even a hundred times as much as had
been planted! 9Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.”
10His disciples came and asked him,
“Why do you use parables when you talk
to the people?”
11He replied, “You are permitted to
understand the secrets* of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To
those who listen to my teaching, more
understanding will be given, and they
will have an abundance of knowledge.
But for those who are not listening, even
what little understanding they have will
be taken away from them. 13 That is why
I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really
see.
They hear, but they don’t really
listen or understand.
14This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah
that says,
70
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are
hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their
eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot
understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’*
16“But
blessed are your eyes, because
they see; and your ears, because they
hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see
what you see, but they didn’t see it. And
they longed to hear what you hear, but
they didn’t hear it.
18“Now listen to the explanation of the
parable about the farmer planting seeds:
19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message
about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and
snatches away the seed that was planted
in their hearts. 20The seed on the rocky
soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.
21But since they don’t have deep roots,
they don’t last long. They fall away as
soon as they have problems or are
persecuted for believing God’s word.
22 The seed that fell among the thorns
represents those who hear God’s word,
but all too quickly the message is
crowded out by the worries of this
life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is
produced. 23 The seed that fell on
good soil represents those who truly
hear and understand God’s word and
produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even
a hundred times as much as had been
planted!”
12:47 Some manuscripts do not include verse 47.
Compare Mark 3:32 and Luke 8:20. 13:11 Greek the
mysteries. 13:14-15 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
