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Mark 4:1-20
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Teaches The Multitudes In Parables
4 And again He began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd is gathered-together with Him so that He, having gotten into a boat, sits-down in the sea [to teach]. And all the multitude were near the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables.
The Sower’s Seed Falls On Different Kinds of Soil. Only The Good Soil Produces Fruit
And He was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold— the one sowing went out to sow. 4 And it came about during the sowing that some seed fell along the road. And the birds came and ate it up. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky place where it was not having much soil. And immediately it sprang-up because of not having a depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched. And because of not having a root, it was dried-up. 7 And other seed fell into the thorns. And the thorns came-up and choked it, and it did not give fruit. 8 And others fell into the good soil, and were giving fruit while coming up and growing. And they were bearing thirty fold and sixty fold and a hundred fold”. 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”.
Jesus Tells The Disciples The Purpose of Parables
10 And when He came-to-be alone, the ones around Him with the twelve were questioning Him as to the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But all things come in parables to those outside 12 in order that while seeing, they may be seeing and not perceive, and while hearing, they may be hearing and not understanding, that they may not ever turn-back and it be forgiven them”.
Jesus Explains The Parable of The Sower
13 And He says to them, “Do you not know this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The one sowing sows the word. 15 Now these people are the ones along the road, where the word is sown. And when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word having been sown into them. 16 And these people are the ones being sown the seed on the rocky places— who, when they hear the word, immediately are receiving it with joy. 17 And they do not have a root in themselves, but are temporary. Then affliction or persecution having come about because of the word, immediately they are caused-to-fall. 18 And other people are the ones being sown the seed into the thorns. These are the ones having heard the word— 19 and coming-in, the anxieties of the age and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires with respect to the other things are choking the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those people are the ones having been sown the seed on the good soil, who are hearing the word and accepting it and bearing-fruit— thirty fold and sixty fold and a hundred fold”.
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It is so simple to believe that might makes right, but that is not so either.
A police officer has died from injuries sustained in the senseless Capitol riot, five deaths now.
Are we to the point in our national life where we can look in the mirror and see what we are becoming?
Grace and Truth escape us, but is it too much to hope that Shame can wake us to begin leaving behind us our certitudes and our politics of hatred?