THE PHARISEES REQUIRING A SIGN. d21

Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in that about to come. 33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 340ffspring of vipers, how can ye being evil speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35The good man out of the good treasure bringeth forth good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that every evil word that men shall speak they shall render an account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

THE PHARISEES REQUIRING A SIGN.

Matt. xii., 39-45. Capharnaum. 39BUT (Jesus) anwering, said to them, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 Men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold one greater than Solomon is here. 43But when the unclean spirit hath gone out from the man, it passeth through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. 44Then it saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out. And having come, it findeth it empty, and swept and set in order. 45Then it goeth and taketh with itself seven other spirits worse than itself, and having entered in they dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this wicked generation.

THE ANSWER OF JESUS TO THE COMING OF HIS RELATIONS. Matt. xiii., 46-48.

46 WHILE he was yet speaking to the multitudes,

e21 WHY JESUS TAUGHT IN PARABLES.

behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak with him. [47 And some one said to him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking to speak with thee.]* 48 But he answering, said to him who told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whoever shall do the will of my Father in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother.

PARABLES AT THE LAKE GENNESARET. THE SOWER. Matt. xiii., 3-9. Mark iv., 2-9. Luke viii., 4-8.

3AND he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow. 4And while he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them. 5And others fell among stones, where they had not much earth: and immediately sprung up, because they had no depth of earth: 6And the sun having risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root they withered.

7 And

others fell among the thorns: and the thorns grew up, and choked them: 8And others fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, some indeed an hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirtyfold. 9He who hath ears, let him hear.

WHY JESUS TAUGHT IN PARABLES.

Matt. xiii., 10-17.

Lake Gennesaret.

10 AND the disciples came, and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11 And he answering, said; Because it hath been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it hath not been given. 12For whoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whoever hath not, from him shall be taken even what he hath. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because seeing they do not see; and hearing they hear not, nor understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, In hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and * Bracketed as doubtful by Tischendorf, and not found in the two oldest MSS. S & V.

shall not perceive: 15For the heart of this people hath been hardened, and with their ears they heard heavily, and they closed their eyes lest at any time they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and might turn, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17Verily I say to you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what ye see, and have not seen; and to hear what things ye hear, and have not heard them.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED.

Matt. xiii., 18-23.

18HEAR ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 Every one hearing the word of the kingdom, and understanding not, the evil one cometh and catcheth away the seed sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the way side. 20But what was sown among the stones this is he who heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, immediately he falleth away. 22 And what was sown among the thorns, this is he who heareth the word; and the care of the age and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 23 But what was sown on the good ground, this is he who heareth and understandeth the word, who also beareth fruit, and yieldeth some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty fold.

Matt xiii., 24-30.

THE TARES. Near Capharnaum. 24 ANOTHER parable he set before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a man who sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while the men slept, his enemy came and over-sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and went away. 26 And when the blade sprung up, and yielded fruit, then the tares appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house coming to him, said to him, Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? 28 He said to them, An enemy did this. The servants say to him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them? 29 But he said, No; lest

e21 WHY JESUS TAUGHT IN PARABLES.

behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak with him. [47 And some one said to him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking to speak with thee.]* 48 But he answering, said to him who told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren 50 For whoever shall do the will of my Father in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother.

PARABLES AT THE LAKE GENNESARET. THE SOWER. Matt. xiii., 3-9. Mark iv., 2-9. Luke viii., 4-8.

3AND he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow. 4And while he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them. 5And others fell among stones, where they had not much earth: and immediately sprung up, because they had no depth of earth: 6And the sun having risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root they withered. others fell among the thorns: and the thorns grew up, and choked them: 8And others fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, some indeed an hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirtyfold. 9He who hath ears, let him hear.

WHY JESUS TAUGHT IN PARABLES.

Matt. xiii., 10-17.

7 And

Lake Gennesaret.

10 AND the disciples came, and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11And he answering, said; Because it hath been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it hath not been given. 12For whoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whoever hath not, from him shall be taken even what he hath. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because seeing they do not see; and hearing they hear not, nor understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, In hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and * Bracketed as dcubtful by Tischendorf, and not found in the two oldest MSS. S & V.

shall not perceive: 15For the heart of this people hath been hardened, and with their ears they heard heavily, and they closed their eyes lest at any time they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and might turn, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see and your ears, for they hear. 17 Verily I say to you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what ye see, and have not seen; and to hear what things ye hear, and have not heard them.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED.

Matt. xiii., 18-23.

18 HEAR ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 Every one hearing the word of the kingdom, and understanding not, the evil one cometh and catcheth away the seed sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the way side. 20But what was sown among the stones this is he who heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it; 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, immediately he falleth away. 22 And what was sown among the thorns, this is he who heareth the word; and the care of the age and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 23 But what was sown on the good ground, this is he who heareth and understandeth the word, who also beareth fruit, and yieldeth some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty fold.

Matt xiii., 24-30.

THE TARES.

Near Capharnaum.

24 ANOTHER parable he set before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a man who sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while the men slept, his enemy came and over-sowed tares in the midst of the wheat, and went away. 26 And when the blade sprung up, and yielded fruit, then the tares appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house coming to him, said to him, Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? 28 He said to them, An enemy did this. The servants say to him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them? 29 But he said, No; lest