A sower went forth to sow, and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. And some fell upon rocky places, where they had not much earth; and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth; and when the sun was risen, they were scorched and withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. But some fell upon good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
As the disciples did not understand the meaning of this parable, Jesus gave them this explanation: The seed is the Word of God; when any one hears the Word and does not understand it, then comes the evil one and snatches away that which is sowed in his heart. This is the seed sown by the wayside.—That which fell upon rocky places is he that hears the Word, and straightway with joy receives it; and when tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word, he straightway stumbles.—That which is sown among thorns is he that hears the Word, and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.—But that sown in the good ground is he that hears the Word and keeps it in his heart, and it bears fruit. (Matt. 13:1-23.)
The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field. But in the night an enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat. When the seed sprang up, the tares appeared also. And the servants went to the householder and said: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence has it then tares? He answered: An enemy has done this. The servants said: Wilt thou, then, that we go and gather them up? He answered: Nay, lest haply ye root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until harvest; then I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.
Jesus has explained also this parable: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; the good seed is the children of the kingdom, and the tares are the children of the evil one; and the enemy that sowed the tares is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the servants are the angels. As the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be in the end of the world. Then shall the Son of Man send forth His angels, and they shall gather the ungodly, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matt. 13:24-43.)
A lawyer came to Jesus and said: Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said: What is written in the law? He answered; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Jesus said: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus: Who is my neighbor? Jesus answered: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down that way, and he saw him, but passed by on the other side. A Levite did the same thing. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. And he went to him, bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. And he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow when he left, he took out two pieces of money, gave them to the host and said: Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more I will repay thee when I come back again.—Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor to him that fell among the robbers? And he said: He that showed mercy on him. Jesus said: Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:25-37.)
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he reasoned within himself: What shall I do, because I have not room to bestow my fruit? And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns and build them greater, and there will I bestow all my grain and goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry! But God said unto him: Thou fool, this night is thy soul required of thee, and whose shall those things be which thou hast prepared? (Luke 12:16-20.)
A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. Then he said to the vinedresser: Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none. Cut it down! Why shall it take the strength from the ground to no use? But the vinedresser answered: Lord, let it alone this year also, till I dig about it and dung it; perhaps it may then bear fruit; if not, thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:6-9.)
Peter once asked Jesus: How often shall I forgive my brother that sins against me? Are seven times enough? Jesus answered: Not seven times, but seventy times seven. And He told the following parable: A king would make reckoning with his servants, and there came one that owed him ten thousand talents.[5] But as he had not wherewith to pay, the king commanded that he and his wife and children and all that he had should be sold, and payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him and said: Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And his lord, being moved with compassion, forgave him the debt. But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants that owed him a hundred shillings,[6] and he laid hold on him and took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what thou owest! So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him and said: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me; shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? And his lord cast him into prison, till he should pay all that was due. So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. (Matt. 18:21-35.)
The Pharisees considered themselves righteous, and were therefore offended because Jesus received publicans and sinners and ate with them. Jesus therefore spoke the following parables: A certain man had two sons. The younger said to the father: Father, give me that part of thy substance that falls to me. And he divided unto them. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all his goods and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted his substance in riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate; and no man gave him anything. When he came to himself he said: How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. While he was yet far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said: Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight; I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants: Bring forth the best robe, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and make merry. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
The elder son was in the fields, and as he came home and heard music and dancing, he asked one of the servants what these things might be. And he was told that the father had made a feast for his son who had returned. Then he was angry, and would not go in. His father came out and entreated him; but he answered: Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed thy commandments, and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends; but when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou killedst for him the fatted calf. But his father said: My son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine; but it was meet to make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive; and was lost, and is found.
When a man has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go after the lost sheep? And when he hath found it, he lays it on his shoulders and bears it home, and rejoices more over that one than over the ninety and nine which were not lost. So shall there be greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repenteth, than over ninety and nine who need no repentance. (Luke 15.)
There was a rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a poor man named Lazarus, that was laid at his gate, full of sores, and he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died, and he was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died also, and was buried. When he lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham answered: Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime hast received thy good things, and Lazarus likewise evil things; but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they who would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. And he said: I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham answered: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. But he said: Nay, Father Abraham; but if one go to them from the dead they will repent. Abraham answered: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead. (Luke 16:19-31.)
To certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at naught, Jesus spake this parable: Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed thus: God, I thank Thee, that I am not as the rest of men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, and give tithes of all that I get. But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast and said: God, be merciful to me a sinner! I say unto you: This man went down to his house justified, but not the Pharisee; for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14.)
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with them for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the marketplace idle, and said to them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. Again he went out about the sixth and about the ninth hour and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out again and found others standing, and he said: Why stand ye here all the day idle? They said: Because no man hired us. He said unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. When even was come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. They that were hired about the eleventh hour came and received every man a shilling. And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling. Then they murmured against the householder and said: These last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. He answered: Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a shilling? Take up that which is thine, and go thy way. But I will give the last as much as thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Or doth it hurt thee that I am good? (Matt. 20:1-15.)
The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a certain king who made a marriage feast for his son. He sent his servants forth to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast. But they would not come, but went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise, and the rest laid hold on his servants and treated them shamefully and killed them. But the king was wroth, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. And he said to his servants: The wedding is ready; but they that were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore to the crossroads, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. And the wedding was filled with guests. When the king went in to behold the guests, he saw one who had not on a wedding garment. And he said to him: Friend, how comest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. Then the king said to the servants: Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 22:1-13.)
A man going into another country called his servants and delivered unto them his goods. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent. After a long time the lord of those servants came home, and made a reckoning with them. He that received five talents came and said: Lord, thou gavest me five talents; lo, I have gained other five talents. His lord said unto him: Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Likewise he said to the servant who received two talents and with them gained two other talents. Then came also the one that had received the one talent and said: Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter. Therefore I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, here it is. His lord said: Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I am a hard man; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, so I could have received back mine own with interest. And he commanded that the unprofitable servant be cast out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 25:14-30.)