Mt 12:46-13:23

• v50: 'whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'
• 13:3-8: parable of the sower--seed scattered from farmer landed:
• on the path -> ate by the birds;
  
• on rocky places-> sprang up quickly, scorched by the sun;
• among thorns -> choked by them;
• on good soil -> crop 100, 60, 30 times what was sown;
• Jesus' conclusion here was: He who has ears, let him hear (v9).
• v12: spiritual law--more given to those who have, and take away from those who doesn't have. What's the meaning of 'whoever does not have'? How can anything be taken away if one 'does not have'? It seems contradictory! Perhaps what he 'has' and what is 'taken away' are two different things. Example, if one doesn't have faith, then his privilege to heaven will be taken away. Make sense?
• v13-15: who are 'they?'
• v19-23: explanation of the parable:
• on the path -> those who heard the message about the kingdom and do not understand it; the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.
• on rocky places -> heard the word and at once receives it with joy, but only last a short time; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
• among thorns -> heard the word, butthe worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
• on good soil -> heard the word and understood it; he produces a crop 100, 60, 30 times what was sown.