286 - The parables of Jesus.

Kathleen's thoughts

Matthew 12: 46-50, 13: 1-23
Mark 3: 31-35, 4: 1-29
Luke 8 19-21, 8: 4-18

Jesus' mother and brothers But He replied to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father is heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother."

The parable of the sower as a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking t Him from every town, He said in a parable;
A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing some fell along the path, It was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground, when it sprang up, it produced a crop 100 times what was sown. As He said this, He called out, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen."

The purpose of the parables Then the disciples came up and asked Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?"
He answered them, "Because the secrets of the kigdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.

You will listen and listen, yet never understand;
and you will look and look, yet never perceive
For this people's heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back and I would cure them.

The explanation 
The seed is the word of God.

A lamp under a basket He also said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed/ Isn't it to be put on a lamp stand/\? For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen! Then He said to them, Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured and added to you. For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

The growing seed The kingdom of God is like this He said. "A man scatters seed on the ground; he sleeps and rises night and day, and the see sprouts and grows. he doesn't know how. The soil produces a crop by itself first the blade, then the head and then the ripe grain on the head. But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because harvest has come.

The parable of the weeds An enemy did this! he told them, "So do you want us to go and gather them up?" the slaves ask him.
"No, he said. When you gather up the weeds you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I'll tell the reapers; Gather the weeds first sand tie them in bundles to burn them. but store the wheat in my barn.

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head - Christ Eph. 4: 15

Blessings
Kathleen.