embracethecross

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John 8:12 "I am the light of the world."

Thursday, July 16, 2026

The Kingdom of God

 Matthew Ch. 13

1 That same day, Jesus left the house and

sat by the lakeside,


2 but such large crowds gathered round him

that he got into a boat and sat there. The

people all stood on the shore,


3 and he told them many things in parables.

He said, "Listen, Sower went out to sow.


4 As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge

of the path, and the birds came and ate

them up.


5 Others fell on patches of rock where they

found little soil and sprang up at once,

because there was no depth of earth;


6 but as soon as the sun came up, they were

scorched and, not having any roots, they

withered away.


7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the

thorns grew up and choked it.


8 But some seed fell on rich soil, and 

produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.


9 Whoever has ears ought to hear."


10 Then the disciples went up to him and 

asked, "Why do you talk to them in

parables?"


11 In answer, he said, "Because to you is

granted to understand the mysteries of the

kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not

granted.


12 Anyone who has will be given more and 

will have more than enough; but anyone who

has not will be deprived even of what he

has. 


13 The reason I talk to them in parables is

that they look without seeing and listen

without hearing or understanding.


14 So in their case what was spoken by the

prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled; listen and 

listen, but never understand! Look and look,

but never perceive!


15 These people's heart has grown coarse,

their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes

tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their

ears to hear, their heart to understand,

changing their ways and being healed

by me.


16 "But blessed are your eyes because they

see, your ears because they hear!


17 In truth I tell you, many prophets and 

upright people longed to see what you see,

and never saw it; to hear what you hear,

and never heard it.


18 "So, pay attention to the parable of the

Sower.


19 When anyone hears the word of the 

kingdom without understanding, the Evil

One comes and carries off what was sown

in his heart; this is the seed sown on the

edge of the path.


20 The seed sown on patches of rock is

someone who hears the word and 

welcomes it at once with joy.


21 But such a person has no root deep down

and does not last; should some trial come,

or some persecution on account of the 

word, at once he falls away.


22 The seed sown in thorns is someone who

hears the word, but the worry of the world

and the lure of riches choke the word and so

it produces nothing.


23 And the seed sown in rich soil is

someone who hears the word and 

understands it; this is the one who yields a

harvest and produces now a hundredfold,

now sixty, now thirty.'


24 He put another parable before them, 'The

kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a

man who sowed good seed in his field.


25 While everybody was asleep his enemy

came, sowed darnel all among the wheat,

and made off.

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The {Darnel is a toxic and fatal weed

that looks similar to a stalk of 

wheat in the stages of its growth}

{Darnel is a particularly troublesome

kind of weed which resembles wheat.

It can be easily understood why the land

owner instructs the laborers to remove

the weed only at harvest-time, for to pull

it out beforehand would probably uproot

the wheat and thus destroy the crop.}

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26 When the new wheat sprouted and 

ripened, then the darnel appeared as well.


27 The owner's laborers went to him and

said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you

sowed in your field? If so, where does the

darnel come from?"


28 He said to them, "Some enemy has done

this, "And the laborers said, "Do you want 

us to go and weed it out?"


29 But he said, "No, because when you weed

out the darnel you might pull up the wheat 

with it. 


30 Let them both grow till the harvest; and at

harvest time I shall say to the reapers; First

collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be

burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."


31 He put another parable before them, "The

kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed

which a man took and sowed in his field.


32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but 

when it has grown it is the biggest of shrubs

and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the

air can come and shelter in its branches."


36 Then, leaving the crowds, he went to

the house; and his disciples came to him

and said, 'Explain to us the parable about

the darnel in the field.'


37 He said in reply, 'The Sower of the good

seed is the Son of man.


38 The field is the world; the good seed is

the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the

subjects of the Evil One;


43 Then the upright will shine like the sun in

the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has

ears should listen!


50 to throw them into the blazing furnace,

where there will be weeping and grinding of

teeth. (meaning evil doers)


51 'Have you understood all these? 'They

said, 'Yes.'


52 And he said to them, "Well then, every

scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom

of Heaven is like a householder who brings

out from his storeroom new 

things as well as old."


53 When Jesus had finished these parables

he left the district;

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