Mark 4:23-33

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.