Mark 4:21-40

²¹Who puts a lamp under a bucket, or beneath a bed?” Jesus asked them. “No, you put a lamp up on a lamp-stand.

²²Everything that is hidden will be revealed, and everything that is secret will be brought out into the open.

²³If you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying!

²⁴Pay attention to what you're hearing,” he told them, “for you will be given according to how much you want to receive, measure for measure.

²⁵More will be given to those who already have understanding, but those who don't want to know will have what little understanding they have taken from them.

²⁶God's kingdom is like a man sowing seed in the ground,” Jesus said.

²⁷“He goes to bed and gets up, day after day, but the man has no knowledge of how the seeds sprout and grow.

²⁸The earth produces a harvest by itself. First a shoot appears, then the heads of grain, and then the heads of grain ripen.

²⁹When the grain is ripe, the farmer reaps it with a sickle, because the harvest is ready.

³⁰What can we compare God's kingdom to? What illustration shall we use?” he asked.

³¹“It's like a mustard seed, the tiniest seed of all.

³²But when it's sown it grows into a plant that's larger than other plants. It has branches big enough that birds can roost in its shade.”

³³Jesus used many of these illustrated stories when he spoke to the people so they would understand as much as they could.

³⁴In fact, when he spoke publicly, he only used stories; however in private he explained everything to his disciples.

³⁵Later that day, in the evening, he said to his disciples, “Let's go across to the other side of the Sea.”

³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, the disciples went with Jesus and got into a boat. Other boats went with them.

³⁷Soon a terrible storm started blowing, and waves crashed against the boat, filling it with water.

³⁸Jesus was asleep in the stern, resting his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting at him, “Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?”

³⁹Jesus woke up. He told the wind to die down and told the waves, “Be quiet! Be still.” The wind stopped, and the water became completely calm.

⁴⁰“Why are you so frightened? Haven't you learned to trust me?” he asked them.