1 Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowd were at the lakeside on land.
2 He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,
3 'Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow.
4 Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was no depth of earth;
6 and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away.
7 Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop.
8 And some seeds fell into rich soil, grew tall and strong, and produced a good crop; the yield was thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.'
9 And he said, 'Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'
10 When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant.
11 He told them, 'To you is granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables,
12 so that they may look and look, but never perceive; listen and listen, but never understand; to avoid changing their ways and being healed.'
13 He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14 What the sower is sowing is the word.
15 Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan at once comes and carries away the word that was sown in them.
16 Similarly, those who are sown on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy.
17 But they have no root deep down and do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once they fall away.
18 Then there are others who are sown in thorns. These have heard the word,
19 but the worries of the world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing.
20 And there are those who have been sown in rich soil; they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.'
21 He also said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under a tub or under the bed? Surely to be put on the lamp-stand?
22 For there is nothing hidden, but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.
23 Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'
24 He also said to them, 'Take notice of what you are hearing. The standard you use will be used for you -- and you will receive more besides;
25 anyone who has, will be given more; anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.'
26 He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the land.
27 Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know.
28 Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 And when the crop is ready, at once he starts to reap because the harvest has come.'
30 He also said, 'What can we say that the kingdom is like? What parable can we find for it?
31 It is like a mustard seed which, at the time of its sowing, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.
32 Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.'
33 Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it.
34 He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.
35 With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'
36 And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.
37 Then it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.
38 But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.
39 They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are lost!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm.
40 Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?'
41 They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'
Versículos relacionados com Mark, 4:
St. Mark 4 presents several parables of Jesus about the Kingdom of God and His message. The first parable is about the sower that spreads the seed in different soil types. The second parable is about the seed that grows on its own. The third parable is on the mustard grain that becomes a large tree. Jesus also calms the storm at sea and heals the demonic gerasene.
Luke 8:15: "But the one who has fallen into good earth are those who, with good and perfect heart, hear the word, retain it and bear fruit with perseverance." This verse relates directly to Jesus' first parable over the sower. He emphasizes the importance of listening to God's Word and having an open and receptive heart for the message to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7: "I planted, Apollo watered; but God has gone growth. So, neither what plants is something, nor what to irrigate, but God, who gives growth." These verses relate to Jesus' second parable over the seed that grows for itself. They remember that God is the one who gives growth and life, regardless of human labor.
Ezekiel 17:22-24: "Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take from the top of the high cedar cup, and put him; of the main of his renews I will cut a branch, and plant him over a tall and sublime. From Israel I will plant him, and he will give branches, and produce fruit, and shall be a superb cedar; and under him shall dwell birds of all sorts; in the shadow of their branches they will dwell all birds of heaven. " These verses relate to Jesus' third parable over the mustard grain that becomes a large tree. They remember that God can use small things to do great works and that His work is fruitful and welcoming.
Psalm 107:29: "The storm has ceased, and their waves are soothed." This verse relates to the episode in which Jesus calms the storm in the sea. He shows Jesus' power over the forces of nature and the confidence we can have in him, even in times of fear and danger.
Acts 16:18: "And this she did for many days. But Paul, disturbed, turned and said to the Spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ, I send you out of her. And at the same time came out." This verse relates to the cure of the demonic gerasene. He highlights Jesus 'authority over evil spirits and Jesus' ability to bring healing and liberation to people in need.
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