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.”
22. One day, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat, and he said, “Let's cross the lake.” They started out,
23. and while they were sailing across, he went to sleep.Suddenly a storm struck the lake, and the boat started sinking. They were in danger.
24. So they went to Jesus and woke him up, “Master, Master! We are about to drown!”Jesus got up and ordered the wind and waves to stop. They obeyed, and everything was calm.
25. Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Don't you have any faith?”But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, “Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey him!”
26. Jesus and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa.
27. As Jesus was getting out of the boat, he was met by a man from that town. The man had demons in him. He had gone naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard.
28. The man saw Jesus and screamed. He knelt down in front of him and shouted, “Jesus, Son of God in heaven, what do you want with me? I beg you not to torture me!”
29. He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of him.The man had often been attacked by the demon. And even though he had been bound with chains and leg irons and kept under guard, he smashed whatever bound him. Then the demon would force him out into lonely places.
30. Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”He answered, “My name is Lots.” He said this because there were “lots” of demons in him.
31. They begged Jesus not to send them to the deep pit, where they would be punished.