16. But God has blessed you. You understand what you see with your eyes. And you understand what you hear with your ears.
17. I can assure you, many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you now see. But they did not see it. And many prophets and godly people wanted to hear what you now hear. But they did not hear it.
18. “So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer:
19. “What about the seed that fell by the path? That is like the people who hear the teaching about God’s kingdom but do not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in their hearts.
20. “And what about the seed that fell on rocky ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it.
21. But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
22. “And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.
23. “But what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and understand it. They grow and produce a good crop, sometimes 100 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more.”
24. Then Jesus used another story to teach them. Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like a man who planted good seed in his field.
25. That night, while everyone was asleep, the man’s enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left.
26. Later, the wheat grew, and heads of grain grew on the plants. But at the same time the weeds also grew.
27. Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’
28. “The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’ “The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’
29. “He answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat.
30. Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At the harvest time I will tell the workers this: First, gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.’”
31. Then Jesus told the people another story: “God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his field.
32. It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree big enough for the birds to come and make nests in its branches.”
33. Then Jesus told them another story: “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour to make bread. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
34. Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people. He always used stories to teach them.