Matthew 13-14; Psalms 87 - Prayer Tents

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

13Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.G1161G1722G1565G2250G1831G2424G575G3614G2521G3844G2281 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.G2532G4183G3793G4863G4314G846G5620G846G1684G1519G4143G2521G2532G3956G3793G2476G1909G123 3He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.G2532G2980G4183G846G1722G3850G3004G2400G4687G1831G4687 4As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.G2532G1722G846G4687G3739G3303G4098G3844G3598G2532G4071G2064G2532G2719G846G2719 5Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.G1161G243G4098G1909G4075G3699G2192G3756G4183G1093G2532G2112G1816G1223G2192G3361G899G1093 6But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died.G1161G2246G393G2739G2532G1223G2192G3361G4491G3583 7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.G1161G243G4098G1909G173G2532G173G305G2532G638G846 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!G1161G243G4098G1909G2570G1093G2532G1325G2590G3739G3303G1540G1161G3739G1835G1161G3739G5144 9Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."G3588G2192G3775G191G191 10His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"G2532G3101G4334G2036G846G1302G2980G846G1722G3850 11He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.G611G1161G2036G846G3754G1325G5213G1097G3466G932G3772G1161G1565G1325G3756G1325 12To 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.G1063G3748G2192G846G1325G2532G4052G1161G3748G2192G3756G575G846G142G2532G3739G2192 13That 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.G1223G5124G2980G846G1722G3850G3754G991G991G3756G2532G191G191G3756G3761G4920 14This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.G2532G1909G846G378G4394G2268G3588G3004G189G191G2532G4920G3364G4920G2532G991G991G2532G1492G3364G1492 15For 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.'G1063G5127G2992G2588G3975G2532G3775G917G191G2532G846G3788G2576G3379G1492G3788G2532G191G3775G2532G4920G2588G2532G1994G2532G2390G846 16"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.G1161G3107G5216G3788G3754G991G2532G5216G3775G3754G191 17I 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.G1063G281G3004G5213G3754G4183G4396G2532G1342G1937G1492G3739G991G2532G1492G3756G1492G2532G191G3739G191G2532G191G3756G191 18"Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds.G191G5210G3767G3850G4687 19The 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.G3956G191G3056G932G2532G4920G3361G2064G4190G2532G726G3588G4687G1722G846G2588G3778G2076G4687G3844G3598 20The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.G1161G4687G1909G4075G3778G2076G191G3056G2532G2117G3326G5479G2983G846 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.G1161G2192G3756G4491G1722G1438G235G2076G4340G1161G2347G2228G1375G1096G1223G3056G2117G4624 22The 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.G1161G4687G1519G173G2076G3778G191G3056G2532G3308G5127G165G2532G539G4149G4846G3056G2532G1096G175 23The 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!"G1161G4687G1909G2570G1093G2076G3778G191G3056G2532G4920G3739G1211G2592G2532G4160G3739G3303G1540G1161G3739G1835G1161G3739G5144

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

24Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.G243G3850G3908G846G3004G932G3772G3666G444G4687G4687G2570G4690G1722G846G68 25But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.G1161G1722G444G2518G846G2190G2064G2532G4687G2215G303G3319G4621G2532G565 26When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.G1161G3753G5528G985G2532G4160G2590G5119G5316G2215G2532 27"The farmer's workers went to him and said, 'Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?'G1161G1401G3617G4334G2036G846G2962G4687G3780G4687G2570G4690G1722G4674G68G4159G3767G2192G2215 28"'An enemy has done this!' the farmer exclaimed. "'Should we pull out the weeds?' they asked.G1161G5346G846G2190G444G4160G5124G1161G1401G2036G846G2309G3767G565G4816G846G4816 29"'No,' he replied, 'you'll uproot the wheat if you do.G1161G5346G3756G3379G4816G2215G1610G4621G260G846 30Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.'"G863G297G4885G3360G2326G2532G1722G2540G2326G2046G2327G4816G4412G2215G2532G1210G846G1519G1197G4314G2618G846G1161G4863G4621G1519G3450G596

Parable of the Mustard Seed

31Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.G243G3850G3908G846G3004G932G3772G2076G3664G2848G4615G3739G444G2983G4687G1722G846G68 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."G3739G3303G2076G3398G3956G4690G1161G3752G837G2076G3187G3001G2532G1096G1186G5620G4071G3772G2064G2532G2681G1722G2798G846

Parable of the Yeast

33Jesus also used this illustration: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."G243G3850G2980G846G932G3772G2076G3664G2219G3739G1135G2983G1470G1519G5140G4568G224G2193G3650G3739G2220 34Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.G3956G5023G2980G2424G3793G1722G3850G2532G5565G3850G2980G3756G846 35This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: "I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world."G3704G4137G3588G4483G1223G4396G3004G455G3450G4750G1722G3850G2044G2928G575G2602G2889

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained

36Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field."G5119G2424G863G3793G863G2064G1519G3614G2532G846G3101G4334G846G3004G5419G2254G3850G2215G68 37Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.G611G1161G2036G846G4687G2570G4690G2076G5207G444 38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.G1161G68G2076G2889G1161G2570G4690G3778G1526G5207G932G1161G2215G1526G5207G4190 39The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.G1161G2190G4687G846G2076G1228G1161G2326G2076G4930G165G1161G2327G1526G32 40"Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.G5618G3767G2215G4816G2532G2618G4442G3779G2071G1722G4930G5127G165 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.G5207G444G649G846G32G2532G4816G1537G846G932G3956G4625G2532G4160G458 42And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.G2532G906G846G1519G2575G4442G1563G2071G2805G2532G1030G3599 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!G5119G1342G1584G5613G2246G1722G932G846G3962G3588G2192G3775G191G191

Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G2344G2928G1722G68G3739G444G2147G2928G2532G575G5479G846G5217G2532G4453G3956G3745G2192G2532G59G1565G68 45"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G1713G444G2212G2570G3135 46When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!G3739G2147G1520G3135G4186G565G4097G3956G3745G2192G2532G59G846

Parable of the Fishing Net

47"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G4522G906G1519G2281G2532G4863G1537G3956G1085 48When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.G3739G3753G4137G307G1909G123G2532G2523G4816G2570G1519G30G1161G906G4550G1854 49That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,G3779G2071G1722G4930G165G32G1831G2532G873G4190G1537G3319G1342 50throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.G2532G906G846G1519G2575G4442G1563G2071G2805G2532G1030G3599 51Do you understand all these things?" "Yes," they said, "we do."G2424G3004G846G4920G3956G5023G3956G3004G846G3483G2962 52Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old."G1161G2036G846G1223G5124G3956G1122G3100G1519G932G3772G2076G3664G444G3617G3748G1544G1537G846G2344G2537G2532G3820

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.G2532G1096G3753G2424G5055G5025G3850G3332G1564 54He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?"G2532G2064G1519G846G3968G1321G846G1722G846G4864G5620G846G1605G2532G3004G4159G5129G3778G4678G2532G1411 55Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.G2076G3756G3778G5045G5207G3004G3780G846G3384G3004G3137G2532G846G80G2385G2532G2500G2532G4613G2532G2455 56All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"G2532G846G79G1526G3780G3956G4314G2248G4159G3767G5129G3956G5023 57And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family."G2532G4624G1722G846G1161G2424G2036G846G4396G2076G3756G820G1508G1722G846G3968G2532G1722G846G3614 58And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.G2532G4160G3756G4183G1411G1563G1223G846G570