Luke 8:12-19

¹²The seeds that fall on the road are those who hear the message, but then the devil comes and steals away the truth from their minds so they won't trust in God and be saved.

¹³The seeds that fall on the stony ground are those who hear and welcome the message with joy but don't have any roots. They trust for a while but when difficult times come they give up.

¹⁴The seeds that fall among thorns are those who hear the message but it's choked out by life's distractions—worries, wealth, pleasure—so they don't produce anything.

¹⁵The seeds sown on good earth are those who are honest and do what is right. They hear the message of truth, hold on to it, and through their perseverance produce a good harvest.

¹⁶You don't light a lamp and then cover it with a bucket, or hide it under a bed. No, you put it on a stand, so that anyone who comes in can see the light.

¹⁷For there's nothing hidden that won't be revealed; there's nothing secret that won't become known and obvious.

¹⁸So pay attention how you ‘hear.’ To those who have received, more will be given; from those who don't receive, even what they think they have will be taken away!”

¹⁹Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived, but they couldn't get through the crowd to see him.