10. So he answered:I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand.
11. This is what the story means: The seed is God's message,
12. and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved.
13. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don't have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.
14. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything.
15. Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.
16. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl or under a bed. A lamp is always put on a lampstand, so that people who come into a house will see the light.
17. There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no secret that will not be well known.
18. Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have.
19. Jesus' mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him.
20. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.”
21. Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God's message.”