12. What is the seed that fell beside the road? It is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but then the devil comes and takes it away from their hearts. So they cannot believe the teaching and be saved.
13. What is the seed that fell on rock? It is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly. But they don’t have deep roots. They believe for a while, but then trouble comes. They stop believing and turn away from God.
14. What is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? It is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing. So they never produce good fruit.
15. And what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like those who hear God’s teaching with a good, honest heart. They obey God’s teaching and patiently produce good fruit.
16. “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, he puts the lamp on a lampstand so that those who come in will have enough light to see.
17. Everything that is hidden will become clear. Every secret thing will be made known.
18. So be careful how you listen. The person who has something will be given more. But to the person who has nothing, this will happen: Even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
19. Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. There was such a crowd that they could not get to him.
20. Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you.”
21. Jesus answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God’s teaching and obey it!”
22. One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat. He said to them, “Come with me across the lake.” And so they started across.
23. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A big storm blew up on the lake. The boat began to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24. The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, “Master! Master! We will drown!”Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. The wind stopped, and the lake became calm.
25. Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”The followers were afraid and amazed. They said to each other, “What kind of man is this? He commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!”
26. Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from Galilee to the area where the Gerasene people live.
27. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man from the town came to Jesus. This man had demons inside him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He lived in the burial caves, not in a house.
28. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. The man said with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please don’t punish me!”
29. He said this because Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. Many times it had taken hold of him. He had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot. But he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon out into the desert.