Jesus delivered some of his most important teachings as somewhat cryptic mini-lectures or parables.
When he was alone, the Twelve (disciples) and the others around him asked him about the parables.
He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ...
Two versions of The Parable of the Sower, both taken from the fourth chapter of St. Mark's Gospel, will now be presented together with alternative endings to this key parable from St Luke's Gospel - which could well be considered to better explicate aspects of the teaching.
The Parable of the Sower as it appears in "beautiful but somewhat old-fashioned English" is immediately followed by
selections from a more modern presentation available here
The Parable of the Sower
From The Standard King James Bible
And he began to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered
unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and
sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was beside the sea on the
land.
And he taught them many things by parables, and he said unto
them in his doctrine,
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side,
and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and
immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no
root, it withered away.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked
it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang
up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, some sixty, and
some an hundred.
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear.
And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve
asked of him the parable.
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery
of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these
things are done in parables:
That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they
may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be
converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then
will ye know all parables?
The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but
when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away
the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground;
who, when they have heard the word immediately receive it with
gladness;
And have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time:
afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear
the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches,
and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it
becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear
the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold,
some sixty, and some an hundred.
And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a
bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested;
neither was anything secret, but that it should come
abroad.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that
hear shall more be given.
For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not,
from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast
seed into the ground;
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should
spring and grow up, he knoweth not how,
For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in
the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Jesus Mark 4: 1-29
Alternative ending ~
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which
enter in may see the light.
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
~ as set out in St Luke's gospel Chapter 8
The Parable of the Sower
Selections from The New International Version of The Bible
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path,
where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and
at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others,
like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making
it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
Jesus teaching as set out in St. Mark Chapter 4
Alternative ending ~
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the
light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."
~ as set out in St Luke's gospel Chapter 8
This "Parable of the Sower" could be said to suggest that Enlightenment does not appear to be Intellectual but may
principally arise from keeping to spiritual teachings!!!
"The Parable of the Sower" is a teaching which shows Jesus' own words as
suggesting that individual Human Beings could well react differently to hearing it!
Some will not understand it for any length of time
(and its message will fall by
the way side) others will understand it and respond positively but will subsequently prove to be "stony ground with no depth of
earth - when affliction or persecution ariseth" or thorny ground "where the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches
... choke the word", or good ground "such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit."
Can this be said to effectively suggest that spirituality is relative to other facets
of human being?
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