26. Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who plants seed in the ground.
27. The seed comes up and grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is asleep or awake; the seed still grows. The man does not know how it grows.
28. Without any help, the earth 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, “How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it?
31. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
32. But when you plant this seed, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches. Even the wild birds can make nests in it and be protected from the sun.”
33. Jesus used many stories like these to teach them. He taught them all that they could understand.