27. The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is sleeping or awake, the seed still grows. He doesn’t know how it happens.
28. Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head.
29. When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time.”
30. Then Jesus said, “What can I use to show you what God’s kingdom is like? What story can I use to explain it?
31. God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed, which is smaller than any other seed on earth that you can plant.
32. But when you plant it, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants in your garden. It has branches that are very big. The wild birds can come and make nests there and be protected from the sun.”
33. Jesus used many stories like these to teach the people. He taught them all they could understand.
34. He always used stories to teach them. But when he was alone with his followers, Jesus explained everything to them.
35. That day, at evening, Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me across the lake.”
36. So they left the crowd behind and went with Jesus in the boat he was already in. There were also other boats that went with them.
37. A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water.
38. Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”