Matúš 13

1 V ten deň vyšiel Ježiš z domu a posadil sa pri mori.2 Okolo neho sa zhromaždili veľké zástupy. Preto nastúpil na loďku a sadol si; a celý zástup stál na brehu.3 Hovoril im veľa v podobenstvách: „Rozsievač vyšiel rozsievať.4 Ako sial, niektoré zrná padli na kraj cesty; prileteli vtáky a pozobali ich.5 Iné padli na skalnatú pôdu, kde nemali veľa zeme, a hneď vzišli, lebo neboli hlboko v zemi;6 ale keď vyšlo slnko, zahoreli, a pretože nemali koreňa, uschli.7 Zasa iné padli do tŕnia, ale tŕnie vyrástlo a udusilo ich.8 Iné zrná padli do dobrej zeme a priniesli úrodu: jedno stonásobnú, iné šesťdesiatnásobnú a iné tridsaťnásobnú.9 Kto má uši, nech počúva!“10 Tu pristúpili k nemu učeníci a spýtali sa ho: „Prečo im hovoríš v podobenstvách?“11 On im odpovedal: „Preto, že vám je dané poznať tajomstvá nebeského kráľovstva, ale im nie je dané.12 Lebo kto má, tomu sa pridá a bude mať hojne. Ale kto nemá, tomu sa vezme aj to, čo má.13 Im hovorím v podobenstvách, lebo hľadia, a nevidia, počúvajú, a nepočujú, ani nechápu.14 Tak sa na nich spĺňa Izaiášovo proroctvo: »Budete počúvať, a nepochopíte, budete hľadieť, a neuvidíte.15 Lebo otupelo srdce tohto ľudu: ušami ťažko počujú a oči si zavreli, aby očami nevideli a ušami nepočuli, aby srdcom nechápali a neobrátili sa - aby som ich nemohol uzdraviť.«16 Ale blahoslavené sú vaše oči, že vidia, aj vaše uši, že počujú.17 Veru, hovorím vám: Mnohí proroci a spravodliví túžili vidieť, čo vidíte vy, ale nevideli, a počuť, čo vy počúvate, ale nepočuli.18 Vy teda počujte podobenstvo o rozsievačovi:19 Keď niekto počúva slovo o kráľovstve a nechápe ho, prichádza Zlý a uchytí, čo bolo zasiate do jeho srdca. To je ten, u koho bolo zasiate na kraji cesty.20 U koho bolo zasiate do skalnatej pôdy, to je ten, kto počúva slovo a hneď ho s radosťou prijíma,21 ale nemá v sebe koreňa, je chvíľkový. Keď nastane pre slovo súženie alebo prenasledovanie, hneď odpadne.22 U koho bolo zasiate do tŕnia, to je ten, kto počúva slovo, ale svetské starosti a klam bohatstva slovo udusia a ostane bez úžitku.23 A u koho bolo zasiate do dobrej zeme, to je ten, kto počúva slovo a chápe ho a ono prináša úrodu: jedno stonásobnú, druhé šesťdesiatnásobnú a iné tridsaťnásobnú.“24 Predniesol im aj iné podobenstvo: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá človeku, ktorý zasial na svojej roli dobré semeno.25 Ale kým ľudia spali, prišiel jeho nepriateľ, prisial medzi pšenicu kúkoľ a odišiel.26 Keď vyrástlo steblo a vyháňalo do klasu, ukázal sa aj kúkoľ.27 K hospodárovi prišli sluhovia a povedali mu: »Pane, nezasial si na svojej roli dobré semeno? Kde sa teda vzal kúkoľ?«28 On im vravel: »To urobil nepriateľ.« Sluhovia mu povedali: »Chceš, aby sme šli a vyzbierali ho?«29 On odpovedal: »Nie, lebo pri zbieraní kúkoľa by ste mohli vytrhnúť aj pšenicu.30 Nechajte oboje rásť až do žatvy. V čase žatvy poviem žencom: Pozbierajte najprv kúkoľ a poviažte ho do snopov na spálenie, ale pšenicu zhromaždite do mojej stodoly.«“31 Predniesol im ešte iné podobenstvo: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá horčičnému zrnku, ktoré človek vzal a zasial na svojej roli.32 Ono je síce najmenšie zo všetkých semien, ale keď vyrastie, je väčšie než ostatné byliny a je z neho strom, takže prilietajú nebeské vtáky a hniezdia na jeho konároch.“33 Ďalšie podobenstvo im povedal: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá kvasu, ktorý žena vezme a vmiesi do troch mier múky, až sa všetko prekvasí.“34 Toto všetko hovoril Ježiš zástupom v podobenstvách. Bez podobenstva im nehovoril nič,35 aby sa splnilo, čo predpovedal prorok: „Otvorím svoje ústa v podobenstvách, vyrozprávam, čo bolo skryté od stvorenia sveta.“36 Potom rozpustil zástupy a vošiel do domu. Tu k nemu pristúpili jeho učeníci a vraveli mu: „Vysvetli nám podobenstvo o kúkoli na roli.“37 On im povedal: „Rozsievač dobrého semena je Syn človeka.38 Roľa je svet. Dobré semeno sú synovia kráľovstva, kúkoľ sú synovia Zlého.39 Nepriateľ, ktorý ho zasial, je diabol. Žatva je koniec sveta a ženci sú anjeli.40 Ako teda zbierajú kúkoľ a pália v ohni, tak bude aj na konci sveta:41 Syn človeka pošle svojich anjelov a vyzbierajú z jeho kráľovstva všetky pohoršenia a tých, čo pášu neprávosť,42 a hodia ich do ohnivej pece. Tam bude plač a škrípanie zubami.43 Vtedy sa spravodliví zaskvejú ako slnko v kráľovstve svojho Otca. Kto má uši, nech počúva!44 Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá pokladu ukrytému v poli. Keď ho človek nájde, skryje ho a od radosti z neho ide, predá všetko, čo má, a pole kúpi.45 Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá aj kupcovi, ktorý hľadá vzácne perly.46 Keď nájde veľmi cennú perlu, ide, predá všetko, čo má, a kúpi ju.47 A zasa nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá sieti, ktorú spustia do mora a ona zachytáva všetky druhy.48 Keď je plná, vytiahnu ju na breh, posadajú si, dobré vyberú do nádob a zlé vyhodia von.49 Tak bude aj na konci sveta: vyjdú anjeli, oddelia zlých od spravodlivých50 a hodia ich do ohnivej pece. Tam bude plač a škrípanie zubami.51 Pochopili ste to všetko?“ „Áno,“ odpovedali.52 A on im povedal: „Preto sa každý zákonník, ktorý sa stal učeníkom nebeského kráľovstva, podobá hospodárovi, ktorý vynáša zo svojej pokladnice veci nové i staré.“53 Keď Ježiš skončil tieto podobenstvá, odišiel odtiaľ.54 Prišiel do svojej vlasti a učil ich v synagóge. Oni sa divili a hovorili: „Skade má tento takú múdrosť a zázračnú moc?55 Vari to nie je tesárov syn? Nevolá sa jeho matka Mária a jeho bratia Jakub a Jozef, Šimon a Júda?56 A nie sú u nás všetky jeho sestry? Skadeže má toto všetko?“57 A pohoršovali sa na ňom. Ale Ježiš im povedal: „Proroka si všade uctia, len nie v jeho vlasti a v jeho dome.“58 A pre ich neveru tam neurobil veľa zázrakov.

MATTHEW 13

A Story about a Farmer

(Mark 4.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)

1 That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach.t 2 t Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore.

3 Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said:
A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced 100 or 60 or 30 times as much as was scattered.

9 If you have ears, pay attention!

Why Jesus Used Stories

(Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9,10)

10 Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use stories to speak to the people?”

11 Jesus answered:
I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. 12 t Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. 13 I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand.

14 t So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
“These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.

15 All of them have
stubborn minds!
They refuse to listen;
they cover their eyes.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them.”
16  t But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear!

17 Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you they did not see or hear.

Jesus Explains the Story //about the Farmer

(Mark 4.13-20; Luke 8.11-15)

18 Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer:
19 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts. 20 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once.

21 But they don't have deep roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
22 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.

23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.

Weeds among the Wheat

24 Jesus then told them this story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field.

25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left.
26 When the plants came up and began to mature, the farmer's servants could see the weeds.

27 The servants came and asked, “Sir, didn't you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?”

28 “An enemy did this,” he replied.
His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?”
29 “No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat.

30 Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I'll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I'll order them to store the wheat in my barn.”

Stories about a Mustard Seed //and Yeast

(Mark 4.30-32; Luke 13.18-21)

31 Jesus told them another story:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field.

32 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.

33 Jesus also said:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.

The Reason for Teaching //with Stories

(Mark 4.33,34)

35 t So God's promise came true, just as the prophett had said,
“I will use stories
to speak my message
and to explain things hidden
since the creation
of the world.”

Jesus Explains the Story //about the Weeds

36 After Jesus left the crowd and went inside, t his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.”

37 Jesus answered:
The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one,

39 and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest.
40 Weeds are gathered and burned. That's how it will be at the end of time. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. 42 Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

43 t But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

A Hidden Treasure

44 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds a treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. Such a person is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field.

A Valuable Pearl

46 After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.

A Fish Net

50 Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

New and Old Treasures

51 Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, “Yes, we do.”

52 So he told them, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”

The People of Nazareth Turn //against Jesus

(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)

57 t So the people were upset because of what he was doing.
But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family.” 58 And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.