When people from many towns were gathered together, He told them a
parable. A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell by
the wayside. It was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Some of the seed fell upon rock. As soon as it sprang up, it withered
away because it lacked moisture. Some of the seed fell among thorns.
The thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Other seed fell on good
ground. It sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold. Then He finished by
saying, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
His disciples asked Him, What might this parable mean? He said, To you
it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But, to
others, it is given in parables that looking, they might not see, and
hearing, they might not understand.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the
wayside are they that hear; then the devil comes and takes the word out
of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Those on the
rock are they, who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. They
have no root. For a while they believe but in time of temptation they
fall away.
The seed which fell among thorns are they, who, when they have heard,
they go forth. But they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures
of this life; and they bring no fruit to perfection.
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