Luke 8:1-25

Soon after this, Jesus was going through towns and villages, telling the good news about God's kingdom. His twelve apostles were with him, and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene, who once had seven demons in her. Joanna, Susanna, and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus and his disciples. Joanna's husband Chuza was one of Herod's officials. When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was doing it, some of the seeds fell along the road and were stepped on or eaten by birds. Other seeds fell on rocky ground and started growing. But the plants did not have enough water and soon dried up. Some other seeds fell where thorn bushes grew up and choked the plants. The rest of the seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a hundred times as many seeds. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, “If you have ears, pay attention!” Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. So he answered: I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message, and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don't have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so that people who come into a house will see the light. There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no secret that will not be well known. Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have. Jesus' mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.” Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message.” One day, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat, and he said, “Let's cross the lake.” They started out, and while they were sailing across, he went to sleep. Suddenly a storm struck the lake, and the boat started sinking. They were in danger. So they went to Jesus and woke him up, “Master, Master! We are about to drown!” Jesus got up and ordered the wind and waves to stop. They obeyed, and everything was calm. Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Don't you have any faith?” But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, “Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey him!”