All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the mult.i.tudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
"I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."
Then he left the mult.i.tudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, "Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field."
And he answered and said, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and them that do iniquity and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears let him hear."
THE HID TREASURE.
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
THE DRAG NET.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
"Have ye understood all these things?"
They say unto him, "Yea."
And he said unto them, "Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
A DAY OF MIRACLES BY THE LAKE
JESUS STILLS THE STORM.
And on that day, when even was come, he saith unto them, "Let us go over unto the other side."
And leaving the mult.i.tude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, "Save, Lord; we perish."
And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still."
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, "Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith?"
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
THE LEGION OF DEMONS.
And they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he was come forth upon the land, there met him a certain man out of the city, who had demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in any house, but in the tombs.
And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High G.o.d? I beseech thee, torment me not." For he was commanding the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For oftentimes it had seized him; and he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters; and breaking the bands asunder, he was driven of the demon into the deserts.
And Jesus asked him, "What is thy name?"
And he said, "Legion;" for many demons were entered into him.
And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Now there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. And the demons besought him, saying, "If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine."
And he said unto them, "Go."
And they came out, and went into the swine: and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea.
And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pa.s.s. And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid. And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.
And they began to beseech him to depart from them; for they were holden with great fear.
And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him. And he suffered him not, but saith unto him, "Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee."
And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men marvelled.
THE DYING CHILD AND THE SUFFERING WOMAN.
And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat unto the other side, the mult.i.tude welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him; and he was by the sea.
And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet, and beseecheth him much, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live."
And he went with him; and a great mult.i.tude followed him, and they thronged him.
And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched the border of his garment. For she said, "If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole." And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague.
And straightway Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?"
And when all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, "Master, the mult.i.tudes press thee and crush thee, and sayest thou, "Who touched me?""
But Jesus said, "Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me."
And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people for what cause she touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
And he said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
While he yet spake, they come from the ruler of the synagogue"s house, saying, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Teacher any further?"
But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, "Fear not: only believe, and she shall be made whole."
And he suffered no man to follow with him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And when Jesus came into the ruler"s house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd making a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly, he said, "Give place: why make ye a tumult and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth."
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was.