The Way To Learn From Jesus

Jesus taught his disciples, saying, "Do not think that I came to set

aside the old law or the teachings of the prophets. I did not come to

set them aside but to complete them.



"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give

you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am kind and

sympathetic, and you will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden

light.

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"He who hears these words of mine and keeps them in mind will be like a

wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain fell, the floods

came, the winds blew and beat upon that house; yet it did not fall, for

its foundation was built on the rock.



"He who hears these words of mine but does not keep them in mind will be

like a foolish man who built his house upon sand. The rain fell, the

floods came, the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and

great was its downfall."



At another time when Jesus was teaching beside the lake, such a large

crowd gathered about him that he entered a boat and sat in it, while the

crowd stayed on the shore. He then taught them many truths by means of

stories, and said, "Listen to me. The sower went out to sow, and as he

sowed, some of the seed fell on the road where birds came and ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it had but little soil, and because

there was no depth of earth it began to grow at once; but when the sun

rose, it was scorched with the heat, and having no root it withered

away. Some of the seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and

choked it so that it bore nothing. Other seed fell on good soil, and

sprouted and grew and bore at the rate of thirty, sixty, and a

hundredfold." And he said to them, "Let him who has ears to hear,

remember this."



When Jesus was alone, those who were with him and the twelve disciples

asked him what this story meant. He said to them, "Do you not see the

meaning of this? How then will you understand all my other stories? The

sower sows his teaching. The teaching that is sown along the road is

like some people who hear but immediately Satan comes and takes away the

teaching which has been sown in them.



"And the seed that has been sown on rocky places, is like those people

who hear the teaching and receive it at once with joy, but it takes no

root in them and they remember it only for a short time.



"The seed sown among thorns is like those who hear the teaching but the

pleasures of this life, the desire for wealth and other things makes

them forget the teaching, and so it bears no fruit.



"But the seed sown on good soil is like those people who hear the

teaching and remember it, and it bears fruit; some thirty, some sixty,

and some a hundredfold.



"Can a blind man guide a blind man? Will not both fall into a ditch? A

disciple is not above his teacher; but every pupil when perfectly

trained will be like his teacher.



"No good tree bears rotten fruit; neither does a rotten tree bear good

fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered

from thorns, nor grapes picked from a bramble-bush. From the good stored

in his heart the good man brings forth goodness, but the evil man

from his evil store brings forth evil; for the mouth speaks that with

which the heart is filled.



"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. One

does not light a candle to put it under a basket but on a stand, where

it shall give light to all who are in the house. So let your light shine

before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your heavenly

Father."