Mark 4:21–34

Parable of the Lamp

Luke 8:16–18

^21kAlso He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? ^22lFor there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. ^23mIf anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

²⁴Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. ⁿWith the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ^25oFor whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶And He said, ^p“The kingdom of God is as if a man should ⁶scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and ^qgrow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸For the earth ^ryields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹But when the grain ripens, immediately ^she puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matt. 13:31–35

³⁰Then He said, ^t“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; ³²but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

^33uAnd with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. ³⁴But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, ^vHe explained all things to His disciples.