The Life of Jesus

Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow in his field,

which less, indeed, is than all the seeds, but when it may be grown, is greatest of the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven do come and rest in its branches.'

Another simile spake he to them: `The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'

All these things spake Jesus in similes to the multitudes, and without a simile he was not speaking to them,

that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying, `I will open in similes my mouth, I will utter things having been hidden from the foundation of the world.'

Then having let away the multitudes, Jesus came to the house, and his disciples came near to him, saying, `Explain to us the simile of the darnel of the field.'

And he answering said to them, `He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Man,

and the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, and the darnel are the sons of the evil one,

and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is a full end of the age, and the reapers are messengers.

`As, then, the darnel is gathered up, and is burned with fire, so shall it be in the full end of this age,

the Son of Man shall send forth his messengers, and they shall gather up out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing the unlawlessness,

and shall cast them to the furnace of the fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

`Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the reign of their Father. He who is having ears to hear--let him hear.

`Again, the reign of the heavens is like to treasure hid in the field, which a man having found did hide, and from his joy goeth, and all, as much as he hath, he selleth, and buyeth that field.

`Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a merchant, seeking goodly pearls,

who having found one pearl of great price, having gone away, hath sold all, as much as he had, and bought it.

`Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a net that was cast into the sea, and did gather together of every kind,

which, when it was filled, having drawn up again upon the beach, and having sat down, they gathered the good into vessels, and the bad they did cast out,

so shall it be in the full end of the age, the messengers shall come forth and separate the evil out of the midst of the righteous,

and shall cast them to the furnace of the fire, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.'

Jesus saith to them, `Did ye understand all these?' They say to him, `Yes, sir.'

And he said to them, `Because of this every scribe having been discipled in regard to the reign of the heavens, is like to a man, a householder, who doth bring forth out of his treasure things new and old.'

And it came to pass, when Jesus finished these similes, he removed thence,

and having come to his own country, he was teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and were saying, `Whence to this one this wisdom and the mighty works?

is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?