Matthew Chapter 13
Showing all 58 verses for Matthew Chapter 13.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. "
"That same day, Jesus left the house and went to sit by the shore of the lake."
I don't wait for people to come to me in a special place. I go to where life is happening - the shore, the street, the field - because wisdom that can't reach you where you actually live isn't much use to you.
"And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. "
"Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down in it, while everyone stood on the beach listening."
I don't need a stage or special status to speak the truth - a boat and a beach are enough. Real wisdom doesn't need dressing up in trappings of importance to be worth hearing.
"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; "
"He taught them many things using parables (story-illustrations), starting with: "Picture a farmer going out to plant seed.""
I teach through pictures you can carry around in your head, not lectures you forget by evening. A farmer sowing seed is something everyone here understands - let that image do the work of explaining something bigger.
"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: "
"As he scattered the seed, some fell on the hard path, and birds came and ate it up."
When you hear something that could genuinely change your life but let it slide straight past you, unexamined, it never gets the chance to take root. Guard your attention - it's the first soil the seed needs.
"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: "
"Some seed fell on rocky ground with only a thin layer of soil, and it sprang up quickly because the soil wasn't deep."
Fast enthusiasm without depth doesn't last. If you take hold of something I say, let it sink in properly rather than just feeling good about it for a moment.
"And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. "
"But when the sun came up, the young plants were scorched, and because they had no proper roots, they dried up and died."
When trouble comes - and it will - shallow commitment burns off fast. Build roots before the heat arrives, not while you're already scorching.
"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: "
"Other seed fell among thorn bushes, and the thorns grew up and choked the plants."
It isn't only bad things that can crowd out what matters - busyness, worry and chasing more can do it just as effectively. Notice what's competing for the same space as your growth.
"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. "
"But some seed fell on good soil, and produced a crop - some yielding a hundred times what was sown, some sixty times, some thirty times."
When you actually let what I say take root properly, it multiplies far beyond what you put in. Don't worry about matching someone else's hundredfold - thirtyfold done honestly is still a real harvest.
"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. "
""Whoever has ears, let them listen.""
I'm not interested in you simply hearing my words - I want you to actually let them work on you. Don't just listen; pay attention, and let it change something.
"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? "
"His disciples came up and asked him, "Why do you speak to the crowds in parables?""
I welcome honest questions about why I teach the way I do - asking "why" is never a problem, it's the beginning of understanding.
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. "
"He replied, "You have been given the ability to understand the hidden truths of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.""
Understanding deepens for those who keep asking, keep following, keep engaging with what I say - it isn't handed out at random, it grows with genuine pursuit.
"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. "
""Whoever has something will be given more, and will have more than enough. But whoever has nothing will lose even what little they have.""
What you actively use and build on grows; what you neglect withers, even if you once had it. Keep engaging with what's true to you, or you'll lose your grip on it.
"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. "
""This is why I speak to them in parables: because they look but don't really see, and they listen but don't really hear or understand.""
I speak in stories because they sort out who is genuinely paying attention from who is just going through the motions - not to punish anyone, but because a story only does its work in a mind that's actually engaged.
"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: "
""In them the prophecy of Isaiah comes true: 'You will hear again and again but never understand; you will see again and again but never perceive.'""
This isn't a new problem I've invented - people have always been able to look right at the truth and miss it because they weren't ready to receive it. Recognising that pattern in yourself is the first step out of it.
"For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. "
""This people's hearts have become dull, their ears can barely hear, and they've shut their eyes - otherwise they might see, hear, understand, turn around and be healed.""
Sometimes people close their own eyes because seeing clearly would mean having to change, and change feels risky. I'm not here to force that door open - but healing is available the moment you're willing to look honestly.
"But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. "
""But you are fortunate - your eyes see, and your ears hear.""
Being open to what's true in front of you, rather than shutting your eyes to it, is itself something worth celebrating. Don't take your own willingness to see clearly for granted - it's rarer than you think.
"For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. "
""I tell you truly, many prophets and good people longed to see what you're seeing, and never saw it, and to hear what you're hearing, and never heard it.""
You are standing in a moment that people spent their whole lives longing for and never got to see. Don't let it become ordinary to you just because you happen to be there.
"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. "
""So now listen to what the parable of the sower means.""
I don't leave you guessing forever - ask, and I'll explain. Understanding is available to anyone who genuinely wants it, not just a select few.
"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. "
""When someone hears the message about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was planted in their heart. This is the seed that fell on the path.""
If you hear something true but don't stop to actually think it through, it can vanish before it ever has a chance to help you. Give real ideas a moment of real attention.
"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; "
""The seed sown on rocky ground is someone who hears the message and immediately receives it with joy.""
I'm glad when something I say excites you - but excitement is only the beginning, not the whole journey. Let joy lead you somewhere deeper.
"Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. "
""But they have no root in themselves, so it only lasts a short time. When trouble or hostility comes because of the message, they quickly give up.""
If living by what I teach only survives while it's easy, it hasn't really taken root yet. Real conviction gets tested by hard times - don't be surprised or ashamed when that testing comes; just keep growing your roots.
"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. "
""The seed sown among thorns is someone who hears the message, but worry about daily life and the false promises of wealth choke it, so it produces nothing.""
Worry and the chase for more money are not neutral - left unchecked, they will strangle everything that actually matters to you. Be honest with yourself about which one is choking your growth right now.
"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. "
""But the seed sown on good soil is someone who hears the message, understands it, and produces a crop - a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.""
Understanding something isn't the finish line - it's what lets the fruit actually grow. Don't compare your harvest to someone else's; just make sure your ground stays good.
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: "
"He told them another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field.""
I plant good seed - what I offer is genuinely good, even when what grows up around it isn't. Don't judge the sower by the mess that later appears in the field.
"But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. "
""But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.""
Harm often creeps in quietly, while people aren't paying attention - not always through a dramatic assault. Staying alert matters, even when things seem calm.
"But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. "
""When the wheat sprouted and began to produce grain, the weeds became visible too.""
You can't always tell what's genuine and what isn't right away - sometimes you have to let things grow before the truth becomes visible. Patience isn't naivety; it's often the only way to see clearly.
"So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? "
""The farmer's workers came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? So where have these weeds come from?'""
It's fair to ask hard questions when you see trouble mixed in with something good - I'm not offended by honest confusion. The answer often isn't what you'd first assume.
"He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? "
""He replied, 'An enemy did this.' The workers asked, 'Do you want us to go and pull the weeds out?'""
Good intentions and quick action aren't always the same as wisdom. Sometimes the most caring response is to hold back, not to strike immediately.
"But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. "
""He said, 'No - because while you're pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat along with them.'""
I would rather you show patience than risk destroying something good in your rush to get rid of something bad. Judgement calls made in haste often cause damage you can't undo.
"Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. "
""'Let them both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I'll tell the reapers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to bring the wheat into my barn.'""
Not every problem needs solving by force right now. Trust that things will be sorted properly in the end, and let go of the urge to control every outcome yourself, today.
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: "
"He told them another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.""
What starts small in your life - a single honest decision, one act of kindness, one changed habit - is not to be underestimated. Small beginnings are still real beginnings.
"Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. "
""It's the smallest of all seeds, but once it's grown, it's the largest of garden plants - it becomes big enough that birds come and nest in its branches.""
Don't measure the value of something by how small it looks at the start. What grows from genuine roots can end up sheltering far more people than you'd ever expect.
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. "
"He told them another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large batch of flour until it worked all through the dough.""
You don't need to be visible or dramatic to have a real effect on the people and situations around you. Quiet, consistent influence, worked all the way through, can transform far more than a single loud gesture.
"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: "
"Jesus told all these things to the crowds in parables, and he didn't speak to them at all without using a parable."
I chose to reach people through stories they could carry with them and turn over in their minds, not one-off pronouncements. Some truths need a story's shape to really stick.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. "
"This fulfilled what the prophet had said: "I will speak in parables; I will tell things that have been hidden since the world began.""
What I'm doing here isn't random or new - it's part of something ancient, deeper than any one moment. Trust that the wisdom being handed to you has roots going back a very long way.
"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. "
"Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.""
If something I've said isn't clear to you, ask. I'm not hiding meaning from people who genuinely want to understand - I'm simply waiting for you to come and ask.
"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; "
"He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of man.""
What is genuinely good in this world traces back to what I've sown - not to accident or coincidence. Look for the source when you want to know whether something is really worth trusting.
"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 field is the world; the good seed are the people who belong to the kingdom; the weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.""
Good and bad live mixed together everywhere, in every place, not separated out into "good" groups and "bad" groups. Don't assume you can sort the world that simply - I don't.
"The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. "
""The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels.""
Final judgement isn't your job to carry out - it belongs to a much larger reckoning at the end, not to your daily verdicts on other people. Let that responsibility go.
"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. "
""Just as the weeds are gathered up and burned, that's how it will be at the end of the age.""
I'm not telling you these stories just to be gentle and comforting - some of what I say carries real weight and warning. Take seriously that how you live matters, right to the end.
"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; "
""The Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and everyone who does wrong.""
I take wrongdoing seriously, and I'm working towards a day when its damage is finally cleared away. That's not a threat aimed at scaring you - it's a promise that injustice doesn't get the last word.
"And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. "
""They will throw them into a blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.""
I won't soften hard truths just to make you comfortable - some consequences really are serious, and pretending otherwise wouldn't be loving, it would be dishonest.
"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. "
""Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Whoever has ears, let them listen.""
There's real brightness waiting on the other side of doing what's right, even when it's hard now. Don't just hear that and move on - let it actually shape today's choices.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. "
""The kingdom of heaven is also like treasure buried in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.""
When you truly grasp what matters most, giving up lesser things for it stops feeling like sacrifice and starts feeling like relief. Look for what's worth that kind of joy in your own life.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: "
""Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.""
Whether you stumble onto what matters most by accident or spend years deliberately searching for it, both paths are real and both are welcome.
"Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. "
""When he found one pearl of exceptional value, he went and sold everything he owned to buy it.""
When you recognise something as genuinely, exceptionally valuable, don't hesitate endlessly - act on it. Half-measures rarely match the value of what you've actually found.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: "
""Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.""
I don't turn anyone away at first sight - my invitation goes out wide, to all kinds of people. What happens after that invitation is a separate matter.
"Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. "
""When it was full, they dragged it onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into containers, throwing the bad ones away.""
Not everything needs sorting right now - some things only become clear once the whole process has run its course. Be patient with what still looks mixed and uncertain.
"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, "
""That's how it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.""
Trust that final sorting will happen properly, in its own time, by hands wiser than yours. That trust can free you from needing to judge and separate people yourself, today.
"And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. "
""They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.""
When I repeat a warning, it's because I mean it, not because I'm short of things to say. Pay attention to what I say twice.
"Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. "
"Jesus asked them, "Have you understood all this?" They replied, "Yes, Lord.""
I want to know that you've actually understood, not just that you've politely nodded along. It's fine to admit when you haven't - but it's good when you can honestly say you have.
"Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. "
"Then he said to them, "So every teacher of the law who has learned about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old ones.""
What I've taught you doesn't throw away everything you already knew - it adds to it. Hold onto the old wisdom that's still true, and bring it out alongside what's new, whenever it's needed.
"And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. "
"When Jesus had finished telling these parables, he left that place."
Teaching has its season, and so does moving on. I don't linger past the point where the lesson's been given - there's always somewhere else that needs reaching too.
"And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? "
"When he came to his home town, he taught in their synagogue, and the people were amazed. They said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles?""
Sometimes the people who've known you longest find it hardest to see you clearly, because they're still picturing who you used to be. That says more about their assumptions than about your growth.
"Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? "
""Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?""
Where you come from - an ordinary family, an ordinary trade, an ordinary town - is never a ceiling on what you can become or what you have to offer. Don't let people's memory of your past limit their view of who you are now, and don't let it limit your own view either.
"And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? "
""And aren't all his sisters here with us? So where does this man get all these things from?""
Familiarity can blind people to real growth and depth in someone they think they already know completely. Try to see people - including yourself - fresh, not just through old assumptions.
"And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. "
"And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own home town and his own family.""
Don't be surprised or discouraged if the people closest to you are the slowest to recognise your growth - it's a very old and common pattern, not a personal failure on your part. Keep going regardless of whose approval you don't get.
"And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. "
"And he didn't do many miracles there, because of their lack of faith."
Staying closed off, cynical or dismissive can genuinely cost you access to good things that are right in front of you. Openness isn't naivety - it's often what allows anything good to actually reach you at all.