Then Peter said unto Jesus, "Lord, speak you this parable unto us, or even to all?"

And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But and if that servant say in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming;’ and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looked not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will severely lash him, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

"And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many lashes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of beating, shall be beaten with few lashes. For unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

"I am come to send fire on the earth; and I…wish, that it be already kindled. But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I constrained till it be accomplished!

"Suppose…that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but rather division: For from here on there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

And Jesus said also to the people, "When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, ‘There comes a shower’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be heat’; and it comes to pass. You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this time?"

There were present at that time some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, "Suppose you that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think you that they were sinners above all men that lived in Jerusalem? I tell you, no: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Jesus spoke also this parable; "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and looked for fruit there, and found none. Then said he unto the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why wastes it the ground?’

"And the vine keeper answering said unto the man, ‘Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and fertilize it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that you shall cut it down.’ "

And Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, look, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent together, and could…not…lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, "There are six days in which men should…work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day."

The Lord then answered him, and said, "You hypocrite, does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And should not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" And when Jesus had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

And Jesus began again to teach by the seaside: and there was gathered unto him a great crowd, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea, and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, "Listen; behold, there went out a farmer to scatter seed.

"And it came to pass, as he sowed the seed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred." And Jesus said unto them, "He that has ears to hear, let him hear."

And when Jesus was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

And Jesus said unto those around him, "Know you not this parable? …How then will you know all parables?

"The farmer sows the word. And these are the ones by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are the ones likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; But have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

"And these are the ones which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

"And these are the ones which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

And Jesus said unto them, "Is a candle brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be made visible; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

And Jesus said unto them, "Take note what you hear: with what measure you measure out, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has."

And Jesus said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately the man puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

Another parable put Jesus forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

"But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? From where then has it tares?’

"He said unto them, ‘An enemy has done this.’

"The servants said unto him, ‘Desire you then that we go and gather them up?’

"But he said, ‘No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’ "

And Jesus said, "With what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

And again Jesus said, "Unto what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."

Then Jesus sent the crowd away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field."

He answered and said unto them, "He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall throw them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; …which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy of it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into baskets, but threw the bad away.

"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said unto them, "Have you understood all these things?" They say unto him, "Yes, Lord."

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old." And with many such parables spoke Jesus the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spoke he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

REFERENCES

Luke 12:41-56; Luke 13:1-17; Mark 4:1-29; Matthew 13:24-30; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13:36-52; Mark 4:33-34.

CHAPTER 70