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JANUARY 19
And seeing you will see and
not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have
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13:3 parables. Parables were a common form grown dull.
of teaching in Judaism. The Greek term for Their ears are hard of hearing,
“parable” appears 45 times in the LXX. A para- And their eyes they have closed,
ble is a long analogy, often cast in the form of Lest they should see with their eyes
a story. Before this point in His ministry, Jesus and hear with their ears,
had employed many graphic analogies (see Lest they should understand
5:13–16), but their meaning was fairly clear in with their hearts and turn,
the context of His teaching. Parables required So that I should heal them.’
more explanation (see v. 36) and Jesus
employed them to obscure the truth from 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and
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unbelievers while making it clearer to His dis- your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say
ciples (vv. 11,12). For the remainder of His to you that many prophets and righteous men
Galilean ministry,He did not speak to the mul- desired to see what you see, and did not see
titudes except in parables (v. 34). Jesus’veiling it, and to hear what you hear, and did not
the truth from unbelievers this way was both hear it.
an act of judgment and an act of mercy.It was 18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
“judgment” because it kept them in the dark- 19 When anyone hears the word of the king-
ness that they loved (see John 3:19),but it was dom, and does not understand it, then the
“mercy”because they had already rejected the wicked one comes and snatches away what
light, so any exposure to more truth would was sown in his heart. This is he who received
only increase their condemnation.
seed by the wayside. But he who received
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the seed on stony places, this is he who hears
the word and immediately receives it with joy;
multitudes were gathered together to Him, so
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures
that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole only for a while. For when tribulation or per-
multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in secution arises because of the word, immedi-
ately he stumbles. Now he who received
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parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to seed among the thorns is he who hears the
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sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the word, and the cares of this world and the
wayside; and the birds came and devoured deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he
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them. Some fell on stony places, where they becomes unfruitful. But he who received
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did not have much earth; and they immediate- seed on the good ground is he who hears the
ly sprang up because they had no depth of word and understands it, who indeed bears
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earth. But when the sun was up they were fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some
scorched, and because they had no root they sixty, some thirty.”
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withered away. And some fell among thorns, 24 Another parable He put forth to them,
and the thorns sprang up and choked them. saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a
8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a man who sowed good seed in his field; but
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crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” tares among the wheat and went his way.
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10 And the disciples came and said to Him, 26
But when the grain had sprouted and pro-
“Why do You speak to them in parables?” duced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
He answered and said to them, “Because it 27 So the servants of the owner came and said
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has been given to you to know the mysteries to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has your field? How then does it have tares?’ He
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not been given. For whoever has, to him said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The
more will be given, and he will have abun- servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to
dance; but whoever does not have, even what go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No,
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he has will be taken away from him. There- lest while you gather up the tares you also
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fore I speak to them in parables, because see- uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow
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ing they do not see, and hearing they do not together until the harvest, and at the time of
hear, nor do they understand. And in them harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gath-
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the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: er together the tares and bind them in bun-
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not dles to burn them, but gather the wheat into
understand, my barn.” ’ ”
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