MARK IV-PARABLE OF THE SOWER

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35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Chapter 4

1 The parable of the sower, 14 and the meaning thereof. 21 We must communicate the light of our knowledge to others. 26 The parable of the seed growing secretly, 30 and of the mustard seed. 35 Christ stilleth the tempest on

the sea.

ND 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.1

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 Änd 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.

The Revised Version makes the latter half of this verse read "lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forg.ven them."

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MARK IV-SERMON BY THE SEA

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.

21 ¶ And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustardseed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

The Pharisees Oppose Jesus

BY BERNARDO LUINI, THE ITALIAN MASTER, DIED 1530. THE ORIGINAL IS IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON.

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“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up."-John, 2, 19.

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ROM the very first public announcement of His mission, Jesus encountered doubt and enmity. When the Jews on that first occasion demanded of Him "What sign shewest thou?" His answer offended their prejudice and pride of race. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Jesus thus referred mystically to the temple of His body, the sacrifice He was to make, and that divinest of all proofs or "signs," His resurrection. But many of the Jews thought He ridiculed the splendor of their holy Temple, and was merely evading proof; for surely they would not destroy their Temple so as to test Him. "Forty and six years,” said they, "was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days." That first prophetic word of Christ's was never forgiven Him. In His final trial before the high priest, one of the charges brought against Him was that He sought to destroy the Temple.

Causes of dissatisfaction with Jesus more deep rooted than this trivial charge soon arose among the priests and the Pharisees, their upholders with the people. The teachings of Christ served to belittle the importance and power of the priesthood. He charged them openly with hypocrisy and selfishness. He preached that all these sacrificial offerings brought to the Temple were unimportant as compared with a pure heart and a generous life of self sacrifice.