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Chapter 6—The Answer Lies in the Soil
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the
lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat
and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he
told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went
out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the
birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where
they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they
had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and
since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on
good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty,
some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the
word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown
on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one
who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a
person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or
persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately
falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who
hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth
choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown
on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands
it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in
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another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
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A crowd had gathered by the Sea of Galilee, eager to see and
hear Jesus. Among them were many sick hoping to be healed. It
was a joy for Jesus to exercise His right to restore them to vibrant
health
As the crowd grew larger and pressed closer, Jesus finally had
no room on the beach. So He stepped into a fishing boat and asked
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