Hear and Hold Fast

1And it happened soon afterward that he was traveling through city after city and village after village, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God, and the Twelve were with him.

2and some women who had been healed from evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

3and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who were serving them out of their possessions.

4And when a large crowd was gathering, and people from town after town were coming to him, he spoke by a parable:

5The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some fell beside the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

6And another fell on the rock, and after it sprang up, it withered because it had no moisture.

7And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

8And another fell into the good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”

11This is the parable: the seed is the word of God.

12And those beside the road are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a time, and in a time of testing they fall away.

14And the one that fell among the thorns—these are those who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity.

15But the seed in the good soil—these are the ones who, having heard the word with a good and noble heart, hold fast to it and bear fruit with perseverance.

16No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.

17For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

18Therefore, pay attention to how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.

19Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they were not able to reach him because of the crowd.

20And it was reported to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21But he answered and said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”