₂₆Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. ₂₇He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens. ₂₈The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the ear, and finally the ear full of corn. ₂₉When the corn is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.

₃₀“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? ₃₁It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. ₃₂After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”

₃₃Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. ₃₄He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.