1 Jesus went down to the lake again and started to teach the people. There were so many people standing there, that Jesus got into a boat and his friends pushed it away from the land. From there, the people standing next to the water could see him and hear him.
2 Jesus used picture stories that have special meanings inside them to teach the people about God. Jesus sat on a boat while he was teaching people|src="CN01705B teaching from boat.TIF" size="col" copy="David Cook" ref="4:2"
3 He said, “Listen, a man wanted to grow some food plants.
4 So he got the paddock ready and then he spread the seeds out all over the ground.
7 Another lot of seeds fell into prickle grass growing next to the paddock. Those little plants tried to grow but the prickle grass blocked them so that they could not grow any new seeds.
8 But some of the seeds fell onto the really good ground, and those seeds grew and became strong plants. At the end of the growing time, the man went to the paddock to pick all the new seeds from the plants. There were plants that had some seeds but other plants had a lot more seeds.” 4 lots of ground and seeds|src="image000000(1) 4 soils Janet Thompson.tif" size="col" copy="Janet Thompson Canteen Creek artist" ref="4:8"
9 Then Jesus said to the people, “You all have ears, so listen to what I say.”
10 Later on, Jesus was sitting down with his 12 close followers, and there were other people sitting with them. His close followers said to Jesus, “We don't understand the stories that you tell us. Can you tell us what they mean?”
11 Jesus said, “These stories have a secret meaning. The stories are all about how God will be the king over everything in a new way. You men follow me, so I will tell you what those stories mean. People that are not in God's family will hear the stories but they will not understand them.
12 That way, what God told Isaiah to say a long time ago will come true.”
13 Jesus said to them, “Why can't you understand the story I just told you? If you can't understand this easy story, you will not understand the other stories that I am going to tell you.
14 In my story, the man that spread the seeds out all over the ground is like a person that is telling people about God.
15 At the start of my story, the seeds are a picture for God's word. The road is a picture of some people and the birds are a picture of the Devil. And so when the seeds fell onto the road, the birds came and took the seeds away. That means God's word is given out to people, but the Devil comes along and takes those words away so that people cannot take them deep into their lives.
20 In the last part of my story, the seeds that fell onto good ground, grew into strong plants with lots of new seeds. This is a picture of people that are like that good ground. They are ready to listen to God's word, and they do what it says. They learn more and more of God's story and grow strong for him.”
21 Then Jesus said, “Do you reckon someone might light a candle, and then put a billycan over it? Would they put the candle under their bunk bed? No! People always put candles up high, so that everyone can see clearly.Light makes everything clear|src="tlc-034 light.tif" size="col" copy="Global Recordings Network ( Australia)" ref="4:20"
22 There are a lot of things that are hidden and there are things that God has not told us yet. God's light will show all the hidden things and God will tell us what he wants us to know at the right time.
23 You all have ears, so listen to what I say.”
30 Then Jesus said, “I have been thinking about another story to help you understand how God's family is growing.
35 Later that day, as the sun started to go down, Jesus stopped teaching and asked his close followers to take him across the lake.
36 They left all the other people behind on the land, and his followers took Jesus across the lake in their boat. But some of the other people got into their boats and followed them.
37 A little bit later, the wind started to get really strong, and it made the waves come up over the sides of the boat so that it was nearly full of water.
38 Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow. His followers were so frightened they woke him up and said, “Teacher, don't you care that we are all going to die?”
39 Jesus opened his eyes and then he got up. He growled at the wind, and said to the water, “Stop. Sit down and be quiet.” Straight away, the wind stopped and the sea went flat. And everything was quiet.
40 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Why are you so frightened? You really don't trust me, do you?”
41 But they were still frightened and they said to each other, “Who is this man? How come the wind and the water listen to him and do what he says?” Jesus made the wind stop and the sea water sit down flat|src="lll6-18 jesus calms storm.tif" size="col" copy="Global Recordings Network ( Australia)" ref="4:41"