4Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.G2532G756G3825G1321G3844G2281G2532G4863G4314G846G4183G3793G5620G846G1684G1519G4143G2521G1722G2281G2532G3956G3793G2258G4314G2281G1909G1093 2He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one.G2532G1321G846G4183G1722G3850G2532G3004G846G1722G846G1322 3"Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.G191G2400G1831G4687G4687 4As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.G2532G1096G1722G4687G3739G3303G4098G3844G3598G2532G4071G3772G2064G2532G2719G846G2719 5Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.G1161G243G4098G1909G4075G3699G2192G3756G4183G1093G2532G2112G1816G1223G2192G3361G899G1093 6But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died.G1161G393G2246G393G2739G2532G1223G2192G3361G4491G3583 7Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.G2532G243G4098G1519G173G2532G173G305G2532G4846G846G2532G1325G3756G2590 8Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"G2532G243G4098G1519G2570G1093G2532G1325G2590G305G2532G837G2532G5342G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G1540 9Then he said, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."G2532G3004G846G2192G3775G191G191 10Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.G1161G3753G1096G2651G4012G846G4862G1427G2065G846G3850 11He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,G2532G3004G846G5213G1325G1097G3466G932G2316G1161G1565G1854G3956G1096G1722G3850 12so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: 'When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.'"G2443G991G991G2532G3361G1492G2532G191G191G2532G3361G4920G3379G1994G2532G265G863G846 13Then Jesus said to them, "If you can't understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?G2532G3004G846G1492G3756G5026G3850G2532G4459G1097G3956G3850 14The farmer plants seed by taking God's word to others.G4687G4687G3056 15The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.G1161G3778G1526G3844G3598G3699G3056G4687G2532G3752G191G4567G2064G2112G2532G142G3056G4687G1722G846G2588 16The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.G2532G3778G1526G3668G4687G1909G4075G3739G3752G191G3056G2112G2983G846G3326G5479 17But 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.G2532G2192G3756G4491G1722G1438G235G1526G4340G1534G2347G2228G1375G1096G1223G3056G2112G4624 18The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word,G2532G3778G1526G1526G4687G1519G173G3778G191G3056 19but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.G2532G3308G5127G165G2532G539G4149G2532G1939G4012G3062G1531G4846G3056G2532G1096G175 20And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"G2532G3778G1526G4687G1909G2570G1093G3748G191G3056G2532G3858G2532G2592G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G1540 21Then Jesus asked them, "Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.G2532G3004G846G3385G3088G2064G2443G5087G5259G3426G2228G5259G2825G3756G2443G2007G1909G3087 22For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.G1063G2076G3756G2927G5100G3739G5319G3362G5319G3761G1096G614G235G2443G2064G1519G5318 23Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."G1536G2192G3775G191G191 24Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.G2532G3004G846G991G5101G191G1722G3739G3358G3354G3354G5213G2532G5213G191G4369 25To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."G1063G302G3739G2192G846G1325G2532G3739G2192G3756G575G846G142G2532G3739G2192 26Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.G2532G3004G3779G2076G932G2316G5613G1437G444G906G4703G1909G1093 27Night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.G2532G2518G2532G1453G3571G2532G2250G2532G4703G985G2532G3373G846G1492G3756G5613 28The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.G1063G1093G2592G844G4412G5528G1534G4719G1534G4134G4621G1722G4719 29And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come."G1161G3752G2590G3860G2112G649G1407G3754G2326G3936 30Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?G2532G3004G5101G3666G932G2316G2228G1722G4169G3850G3846G846 31It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds,G5613G2848G4615G3739G3752G4687G1909G1093G3398G3956G4690G2076G1909G1093 32but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade."G2532G3752G4687G305G2532G1096G3187G3956G3001G2532G4160G3173G2798G5620G4071G3772G1410G2681G5259G4639G846 33Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand.G2532G4183G5108G3850G2980G3056G846G2531G1410G191 34In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.G1161G5565G3850G2980G3756G846G1161G2398G2596G1956G3956G846G3101 35As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."G2532G1722G1565G2250G3798G1096G3004G846G1330G1519G4008 36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind .G2532G863G3793G3880G846G5613G2258G1722G4143G1161G2258G2532G3326G846G243G4142 37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.G2532G1096G3173G2978G417G1161G2949G1911G1519G4143G5620G846G1072G2235G1072 38Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?"G2532G846G2258G1909G4403G2518G1909G4344G2532G1326G846G2532G3004G846G1320G3199G4671G3756G3754G622 39When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.G2532G1326G2008G417G2532G2036G2281G4623G5392G2532G417G2869G2532G1096G3173G1055 40Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"G2532G2036G846G5101G2075G3779G1169G4459G2192G3756G4102 41The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!"G2532G5399G5401G3173G2532G3004G240G4314G240G5101G686G2076G3778G3754G2532G417G2532G2281G5219G846
5So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.G2532G2064G1519G4008G2281G1519G5561G1046 2When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him.G2532G846G1831G1537G4143G2112G528G846G1537G3419G444G1722G169G4151 3This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.G3739G2192G2731G1722G3419G2532G3762G1410G1210G846G3777G254 4Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.G1223G846G4178G1210G3976G2532G254G2532G254G1288G5259G846G2532G3976G4937G2532G2480G1150G846G3762 5Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.G2532G1275G3571G2532G2250G2258G1722G3735G2532G1722G3418G2896G2532G2629G1438G3037 6When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.G1161G1492G2424G575G3113G5143G2532G4352G846 7With a shriek, he screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!"G2532G2896G3173G5456G2036G5101G1698G2532G4671G2424G5207G5310G2316G3726G4571G2316G928G3165G3361 8For Jesus had already said to the spirit, "Come out of the man, you evil spirit."G1063G3004G846G1831G1537G444G169G4151 9Then Jesus demanded, "What is your name?" And he replied, "My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man."G2532G1905G846G5101G4671G3686G2532G611G3004G3427G3686G3003G3754G2070G4183 10Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.G2532G3870G846G4183G3363G649G3363G649G846G649G1854G5561 11There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.G1161G2258G1563G4314G3735G3173G34G5519G1006 12"Send us into those pigs," the spirits begged. "Let us enter them."G2532G3956G1142G3870G846G3004G3992G2248G1519G5519G2443G1525G1519G846 13So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.G2532G2112G2424G2010G846G2010G2532G169G4151G1831G1525G1519G5519G2532G34G3729G2596G2911G1519G2281G1161G2258G5613G1367G2532G4155G1722G2281 14The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened.G1161G1006G5519G5343G2532G312G1519G4172G2532G1519G68G2532G1831G1492G5101G2076G1096 15A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.G2532G2064G4314G2424G2532G2334G1139G2192G3003G2521G2532G2439G2532G4993G2532G5399 16Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.G2532G1492G1334G846G4459G1096G1139G2532G4012G5519 17And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.G2532G756G3870G846G565G575G846G3725 18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.G2532G846G1684G1519G4143G1139G3870G846G2443G5600G3326G846 19But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."G1161G2424G863G846G3756G235G3004G846G5217G1519G3624G4675G4314G4674G2532G312G846G3745G2962G4160G4671G2532G1653G4571 20So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.G2532G565G2532G756G2784G1722G1179G3745G2424G4160G846G2532G3956G2296 21Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.G2532G2424G1276G3825G1722G4143G1519G4008G4183G3793G4863G1909G846G2532G2258G3844G2281 22Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,G2532G2400G2064G1520G752G2383G3686G2532G1492G846G4098G4314G846G4228 23pleading fervently with him. "My little daughter is dying," he said. "Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live."G2532G3870G846G4183G3004G3754G3450G2365G2079G2192G2064G2443G2007G5495G846G3704G4982G2532G2198 24Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him.G2532G565G3326G846G2532G4183G3793G190G846G2532G4918G846 25A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.G2532G5100G1135G1722G4511G129G5607G1427G2094 26She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.G2532G3958G4183G5259G4183G2395G2532G1159G3956G1438G3844G2532G5623G3367G5623G235G3123G2064G1519G5501 27She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.G191G4012G2424G2064G1722G3793G3693G680G846G2440 28For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed."G1063G3004G3754G2579G680G2579G846G2440G4982 29Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.G2532G2112G4077G846G129G3583G2532G1097G4983G3754G2390G575G3148 30Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"G2532G2424G2112G1921G1722G1438G1411G1831G1537G846G1994G1722G3793G3004G5101G680G3450G2440 31His disciples said to him, "Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'"G2532G846G3101G3004G846G991G3793G4918G4571G2532G3004G5101G680G3450 32But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.G2532G4017G1492G4160G5124 33Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.G1161G1135G5399G2532G5141G1492G3739G1096G1909G846G2064G2532G4363G846G2532G2036G846G3956G225 34And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over."G1161G2036G846G2364G4675G4102G4982G4571G4982G5217G1519G1515G2532G2468G5199G575G4675G3148 35While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."G2089G846G2089G2980G2064G575G752G3004G3754G4675G2364G599G5101G4660G1320G2089 36But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith."G1161G2112G2424G191G3056G2980G3004G752G5399G3361G5399G3440G4100 37Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James).G2532G863G3756G3762G4870G846G1508G4074G2532G2385G2532G2491G80G2385 38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing.G2532G2064G1519G3624G752G2532G2334G2351G2799G2532G214G4183 39He went inside and asked, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead; she's only asleep."G2532G1525G3004G846G5101G2350G2532G2799G3813G599G3756G599G235G2518 40The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.G2532G2606G846G2606G1161G1544G537G1544G3880G3962G2532G3384G3813G2532G3326G846G2532G1531G3699G3813G2258G345 41Holding her hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!"G2532G2902G3813G5495G3004G846G5008G2891G3739G2076G3177G2877G3004G4671G1453 42And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.G2532G2112G2877G450G2532G4043G1063G2258G1427G2094G2532G1839G3173G1611 43Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat.G2532G1291G846G4183G2443G3367G1097G5124G2532G2036G1325G846G5315
Dublin, OH
of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,G2532
