The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ, by Levi H. Dowling, [1920], at sacred-texts.com

Chapter 115

Jesus teaches by the sea. He relates the parable of the sower. Tells why he teaches in parables. Explains the parable of the sower. Relates the parable of the wheat and tares.

1. And Jesus stood beside the sea and taught; the multitudes pressed close upon him and he went into a boat that was near by and put a little ways from shore, and then he spoke in parables; he said,
2. Behold, a sower took his seed and went into his field to sow.
3. With lavish hand he scattered forth the seed and some fell in the hardened paths that men had made,
4. And soon were crushed beneath the feet of other men; and birds came down and carried all the seeds away.
5. Some seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil; they grew and soon the blades appeared and promised much;
6. But then there was no depth of soil, no chance for nourishment, and in the heat of noonday sun they withered up and died.
7. Some seed fell where thistles grew, and found no earth in which to grow and they were lost;
8. But other seed found lodgement in the rich and tender soil and grew apace, and in the harvest it was found that some brought forth a hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.
9. They who have ears to hear may hear; they who hearts to understand may know.
10. Now, his disciples were beside him in the boat, and Thomas asked, Why do you speak in parables?
11. And Jesus said, My words, like every master's words, are dual in their sense.
12. To you who know the language of the soul, my words have meanings far too deep for other men to comprehend.
13. The other sense of what I say is all the multitude can understand; these words are food for them; the inner thoughts are food for you.
14. Let every one reach forth and take the food that he is ready to receive.
15. And then he spoke that all might hear; he said, Hear you the meaning of the parable:
16. Men hear my words and understand them not, and then the carnal self purloins the seed, and not a sign of spirit life appears.
17. This is the seed that fell within the beaten paths of men.
18. And others hear the words of life, and with a fiery zeal receive them all; they seem to comprehend the truth and promise well;
19. But troubles come; discouragements arise; there is no depth of thought; their good intentions wither up and die.
20. These are the seeds that fell in stony ground.
21. And others hear the words of truth and seem to know their worth; but love of pleasure, reputation, wealth and fame fill all the soil; the seeds are nourished not and they are lost.
22. These are the seeds that fell among the thistles and the thorns.
23. But others hear the words of truth and comprehend them well; they sink down deep into their souls; they live the holy life and all the world is blest.
24. These are the seeds that fell in fertile soil, that brought forth fruit abundantly.
25. You men of Galilee, take heed to how you hear and how you cultivate your fields; for if you slight the offers of this day, the sower may not come to you again in this or in the age to come.
26. Then Jesus spoke another parable; he said:
27. Then kingdom I may liken to a field in which a man sowed precious seed;
28. But while he slept an evil one went forth and sowed a measure full of darnel seed; then went his way.
29. The soil was good, and so the wheat and darnel grew; and when the servants saw the tares among the wheat, they found the owner of the field and said,
30. You surely sowed good seed; from whence these tares?
31. The owner said, Some evil one out has sown the seed of tares.
32. The servants said, Shall we go out and pull up by the roots the tares and burn them in the fire?
33. The owner said, No, that would not be well. The wheat and tares grow close together in the soil, and while you pull the tares you would destroy the wheat.
34. So we will let them grow together till the harvest time. Then to the reapers I will say,
35. Go forth and gather up the tares and bind them up and burn them in the fire, and gather all the wheat into my barns.
36. When he had spoken thus, he left the boat and went up to the house, and his disciples followed him.