A Story about a Farmer
(Matthew 13.1-9Luke 8.4-8)1 The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:
3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was scattered.
9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”
Why Jesus Used Stories
(Matthew 13.10-17Luke 8.9Luke 10)10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories. 11 He answered:
I have explained the secret about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12 The reason is,
“These people will look
and look, but never see.
They will listen and listen,
but never understand.
If they did,
they would turn to God
and be forgiven.”
Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer
(Matthew 13.18-23Luke 8.11-15)13 Jesus then told them:
If you don't understand this story, you won't understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 17 But they don't have roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was planted.
Light
(Luke 8.16-18)21 Jesus also said:
You don't light a lamp and put it under a clay pot or under a bed. Don't you put a lamp on a lampstand? 22 There is nothing hidden that will not be made public. There is no secret that will not be well known. 23 If you have ears, pay attention!
24 Listen carefully to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated—and even worse. 25 Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose what little they have.
Another Story about Seeds
26 Again Jesus said:
God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. 27 The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how. 28 It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. 29 Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.
A Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13.31Matthew 32Luke 13.18Luke 19)30 Finally, Jesus said:
What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. 32 But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.
The Reason for Teaching with Stories
(Matthew 13.34Matthew 35)33 Jesus used many other stories when he spoke to the people, and he taught them as much as they could understand. 34 He did not tell them anything without using stories. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
A Storm
(Matthew 8.23-27Luke 8.22-25)35 That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the east side.” 36 So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. 37 Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.
38 Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”
39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.
40 Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?”
41 Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Tjifaniso ngekwe ndzwali
(Matewu 13:1-9Luke 8:4-8)1 Jesu katangisa kakale kudiya ali pejo ne gungwa. Mbunga usinshoma we bathu ukakubungana panli kwaakati kangina mu n'goro kagala muuli mu gungwa. Bathu bose bakabe bali pa phili ye gungwa. 2 Kabadiya zwithu zwinjinji eshingisa zwifaniso, ngono mu kudiya kukwe kati:
3 “Hwililani! Ndzwali wakabhuda enodzwala. 4 Ngono kati edzwala imwe mbewu ikawila mu zila ngono nyuni dzikazha dzikaija. 5 Imwe mbewu ikawila mu lushale, ikashaya mavu manjinji ngono ikatjimbidza yamela, ngobe kwakabe kusina mavu manjinji akaivukidza. 6 Kukati zhuba libhuda, mmela ukatshwa ngono ukaswaba, ngobe usina midzi. 7 Imwe mbewu ikawila pakati kwe matenjana e mihwa ngono matenjana akakula akaimanikanya ndizo ikasiyite zwizwalo. 8 Imwe mbewu ikawila mu mavu mabuya. Ikamela ikakula, zwizwalo zwikapaphidzika ne kungabe makumi matatu kunoti makumi ali matathatu ne kunoti ku zana.”
9 Ipapo Jesu kati ku bali, “Iye una zebe dze kuhwa ngaahwe!”
Nshingo we zwifaniso
(Matewu 13:10-17Luke 8:9-10)10 Jesu kati aliyega, bamwe bakabe bali panli bana badiyiwa babe bali gumi lina babili, bakambhuzwa ngekwe zwifaniso. 11 Kabadwa kati, “Masazibgwe e bushe gwe Ndzimu makaapiwa, koga kuna ibabo bakuzhe tjimwe ne tjimwe tjolebgwa nge zwifaniso, 12 kuti ndizo,
“ ‘Babone koga basibonesese,
kakale bahwe koga basihwisise.
Nge kuti ha bangahwa bangadwa beshanduka mu matjinyo abo,
bakazwiibhatigwa nge Ndzimu.’ ”
Jesu unotjenesa tjifaniso tje ndzwali
(Matewu 13:18-23Luke 8:11-15)13 Ipapo Jesu kababhuzwa kati, “Apa amutohwisisa tjifaniso itjetji kene? Mowohwisisa zwimwe zose tjini ngono? 14 Ndzwali unodzwala dama. 15 Aba ndibo banonga mbewu yawila mu zila, banoti baamutjila dama bakalihwa; Satani kazha tjinyolotjo kadusa dama labaamutjila. 16 Koga aba bamwe nge zila inofanana, ndibo banonga mbewu yakadzwagwa mu lushale. Banoti ha behwa dama, bakaliamutjila tjinyolotjo nge kushatha. 17 Koga abana midzi, ndizo banobhatilila tjibaka tjifutshwanana koga. Ha kudziyidzika nenge kuhwisiwa zogwadza ngekwe dama kuzha, tjinyolotjo banowa. 18 Kakale bamwe banonga mbewu yakadzwagwa pakati pe mihwa, ndibo banohwa dama, 19 koga kudziyidzika nge zwe shango nenge kutjengeleka ngekwe fumwa nenge kuyemula zwimwe zwithu, kozha kukadzipa dama, likasibe ne zwizwalo. 20 Koga ibabo banonga mbewu yakadzwagwa mu mavu mabuya, ndibo banohwa dama bakaliamutjila, bakadusa zwizwalo, makumi ali matatu kene matathatu kene ali zana etjadzwagwa.”
Luvone gwakatshibikigwa nge itundu
(Luke 8:16-18)21 Jesu kabadwa kati, “Apa uyapo ungazhisa luvone kakogutshibikila nge itundu, kene kagubiga kusi kwe bulawo wali? Apa aangagubige patjena kene? 22 Tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakasumbikika tjowodzutunugwa, tjakasitilika tjowodusigwa patjena. 23 Ha kuna mmwe una zebe dze kuhwa ngaahwe.”
24 Kadwilila eti, “Yelani njele tjamunohwa! Tjilizanyo tjamunoshingisa mu bamwe nditjo tjinowoshingisiwa mu muli nenge kunopinda ikoko. 25 Iye una tjaanatjo unowopaphidzigwa, koga iye usina tjaanatjo, tjitukununu tjaanatjo unowotjitolegwa.”
Tjifaniso tje mbewu inomela
26 Kapapha kati, “Bushe gwe Ndzimu gonga nlume unodzwala mbewu mu mavu. 27 Busiku ne masikati ali lele kene amuka, mbewu inomela ikula, koga asingazibe kuti inokula tjini. 28 Mavu nge kwawo anokudza zwizwalo. Kotanga mmela, shule kukazha shotje, shule likazhala shanga. 29 Ha mathunde ebidwa koga, unovuna, ngobe tjabe tjibaka tje kuvuna.”
Tjifaniso tje mbewu tukununu
(Matewu 13:31-32, Matewu 34Luke 13:18-19)30 Kakale Jesu kabhuzwa kati, “Towoti bushe gwe Ndzimu gofanana neni kene? Tingauyelesedza nge tjifaniso tjipi wali? 31 Gofanana ne shanga ye mbewu ye lusaba, iyo tukununu mu mbewu dzose dzinodzwagwa mu shango. 32 Koga ha yadzwagwa, inokula ikabe iyo hwulu mu matenjana wose ne thabi dzalo dzikabe hwuluhwulu kunoti ne nyuni dzikabaka mashaka mu ntutshi walo.”
33 Jesu kasumikila dama nge zwifaniso zwakajali, elizanyidza kuhwisisa kwabo. 34 Aana tjaakaleba ku bali asingashingise zwifaniso. Ngono wakabe eti ana badiyiwa babe koga, etjenesa tjimwe ne tjimwe.
Jesu unotjemela dutu
(Matewu 8:23-27Luke 8:22-25)35 Zhuba ilelo kuli madekwana kati ku badiyiwa babe, “Ngatitjulukileni seli.” 36 Bakasiya mbunga we bathu bakayenda naye bali mu n'goro sekwa akabe ali gele. Kwakabe kuna mimwe migoro inoyendabo kwabakabe beyenda. 37 Kukamuka dutu gulu, mapundu e vula kangina mu n'goro, ngono n'goro wakabe wozhala vula. 38 Jesu wakabe akaizela tjandishule, akasazamila nsazamilo, badiyiwa babe bakammusa bakati kunli, “N'diyi, amuna hanya naswi kene ha tiloba?”
39 Kamilika katjemela phepo, kadwa gungwa kati, “Nyalala! Udzikame!” Ndizo phepo ikama kukabe ne kudzikama kukulu. 40 Kabadwa kati, “Motjisiwa ngeni, amuna kugalamoyo kene?”
41 Bakabe ne kutja kukulu, bakabhuzwana beti, “Ndiani iwoyu unohwiligwa nge phepo nenge gungwa!”