Harmony of The Gospels: Topic 65

The Four Gospels arranged into a single narrative
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(65) The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15

      [A]That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. [B]As He began to teach by the side of the sea, great multitudes from every city began to gather around Him. The crowd became so large that He got into a boat and sat in the sea while all the people stood on the shore. [C]And He taught them many things by parables. In His doctrine, He said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow his seed. [D]As he scattered them, some fell by the wayside; they were trampled on and the birds of the air came and devoured them. [E]Some fell on the stony ground, where the soil was shallow. They immediately sprang up, because the earth had no depth. But when the sun came up, they were scorched and withered away, for they lacked moisture and had no root. [F]And some fell among thorns. The thorns sprang up with them and choked them, and they produced no fruit. [G]But other seed fell on good ground, sprang up, increased, and yielded fruit. Some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold.”

      And when He had said these things, He cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

      [H]When He was alone, His disciples and the twelve came and asked Him, “What’s the meaning of this parable? And why do you speak to them in parables?”

      [I]And He said to them, “Because it is granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but this understanding is not given to those outside the kingdom of God. So I speak to them in parables. [J]For whoever has understanding, it shall be given in more abundance. But whoever does not have it, even what he has will be taken away from him. [K]Therefore, I speak to them in parables because they see but cannot perceive; they hear but do not listen; neither do they understand; otherwise they would be converted and their sins would be forgiven, even now. [L]But in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says:


    Hearing you will hear, but not

  understand; seeing you will see, but

  not perceive. [M]For the heart of

  this people has hardened, and their

  ears are dull of hearing, and they

  have closed their eyes, lest at any

  time they would see with their eyes

  and hear with their ears and would

  understand with their heart and

  would be converted, and I would heal

  them.[1]


      [N] “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. [O]For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, but they have not seen, and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard.”

      [P]Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this, the parable of the sower? How then will you understand all the other parables? Therefore, hear me. The parable of the sower means this: The seed is the word of God, and the sower spreads the word. [Q]The hard ground by the wayside is where the word is sown and received. But when they hear the word about the kingdom, they don’t understand it. So Satan, the wicked one, immediately comes and snatches away the word that was sown in their hearts. For he, the devil, is fearful that they will believe and be saved.

      [R]“Likewise, the stony places that received the seed are the ones who hear the word and immediately receive it with joy and gladness. But they only endure for a while, for when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they are immediately offended and fall away in the time of temptation. They are shallow believers and have no root within themselves.

      [S]“Those who received the seed among the thorns are the ones who hear the word and go out. But the cares of this world, the pleasures of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things enter in and choke the word. It becomes unfruitful in those who hear it, and they do not mature.

      [T]“But the good ground that received the seed are those with an honest and good heart. For having heard the word, they understand and keep it. They also bear fruit with patience and bring in a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”


(65) The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23, KJV

 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 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. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 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. 12 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. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 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: 15 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. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 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. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 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. 22 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. 23 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.


(65) The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20, KJV

And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 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 an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 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: 12 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. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.


(65) The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:4-15, KJV

4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.


(1) Isa. 6:9-10


[A] Mt 13:1 [B] Mt 13:2, Mk 4:1, Lk 8:4 [C] Mt 13:3, Mk 4:2-3 [D] Mt 13:4, Mk 4:4, Lk 8:5 [E] Mt 13:5-6, Mk 4:5-6, Lk 8:6 [F] Mt 13:7, Mk 4:7, Lk 8:7 [G] Mt 13:8-9, Mk 4:8-9, Lk 8:8 [H] Mt 13:10, Mk 4:10, Lk 8:9 [I] Mt 13:11, Mk 4:11, Lk 8:10a [J] Mt 13:12 [K] Mt 13:13, Mk 4:12, Lk 8:10b [L] Mt 13:14 [M] Mt 13:15 [N] Mt 13:16 [O] Mt 13:17 [P] Mt 13:18, Mk 4:13-14, Lk 8:11 [Q] Mt 13:19, Mk 4:15, Lk 8:12 [R] Mt 13:20-21, Mk 4:16-17, Lk 8:13 [S] Mt 13:22, Mk 4:18-19, Lk 8:14 [T] Mt 13:23, Mk 4:20, Lk 8:15


Harmony of The Gospels: The Four Gospels arranged into a single narrative

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