Story About the Kingdom

E be like sey na Capernaum Jesus dey when e condemn the Pharisees. Later that day, e comot for house, come go the Sea of Galilee. For there, plenty people gather am. Jesus come enter one boat. When the boat don enter the water small, e start to teach dem about the Kingdom wey dey heaven. E use many example or story teach dem. The people know many of the things wey Jesus take do example. This one really make truth about God Kingdom easy for dem to understand.

The first story wey Jesus talk na about one farmer wey dey plant seed. Some of the seed fall for corner of road and bird chop dem. Some still fall for ground wey stone full. Them start to grow but their root no see enough sand to enter. So when sun beat the plants, dem come die. Some seed still fall for where chuku-chuku dey. When this ones start to grow, the chuku-chuku kill dem. Finally, some seed fall for better ground. This seeds come produce well well, “this one 100 times, that one 60, the other 30.”—Matthew 13:8.

For another story, Jesus sey the Kingdom be like when farmer dey plant seed. But for this one, whether the man sleep o, or e no sleep, the seed must grow. How e take happen, “e no know.” (Mark 4:27) Dem grow by theirself and produce fruit wey e fit harvest.

Jesus still talk another story about person wey dey plant seed. This time, the man plant better seed, but “when people dey sleep,” one enemy come plant grass join the wheat. The man servants ask am whether make dem uproot the grass. But e tell dem sey: “No, because by mistake, una fit uproot the wheat as una dey uproot the grass. Leave dem make dem grow together until the harvest season. And for the harvest season, I go tell the people wey go harvest am sey: Make una first comot the grass and tie dem separate separate to burn dem; after make una gather the wheat put inside my storehouse.”—Matthew 13:24-30.

Many people wey dey listen to Jesus know about farm work. And e still talk another thing wey the people still know, na the small seed wey dem dey call mustard seed. When this seed grow, e go be big tree wey birds fit stay for im branch. Jesus talk sey: “The Kingdom wey dey heaven be like mustard seed wey one man collect, come plant am for im farm.” (Matthew 13:31) But Jesus no dey teach people how to plant mustard seed. But, e use this story teach dem sey something wey small well well fit grow or expand well well.

The next thing wey Jesus talk about na something wey many of the people know. E sey the Kingdom wey dey heaven be like ‘yeast wey one woman collect come use am mix three big container of flour.’ (Matthew 13:33) After person mix yeast with flour, e no go fit see the yeast again. But the yeast go enter every part of the flour and e go make am rise. So yeast dey make something change and increase even though sey people no dey quick notice am.

After Jesus talk all this example, e come tell the people make dem go, and e go back to the house wey e dey stay. E no tey, im disciples come meet am. Dem want understand the meaning of this things.

DEM GAIN FROM THE STORY WEY JESUS USE

Im disciples don hear am before when e use story teach, but e never teach dem with this kind plenty story at once. Na im make dem ask am sey: “Why you dey use story teach dem?”—Matthew 13:10.

One reason why Jesus use story teach people na because, e want do wetin Bible don talk. Matthew write sey: “E no go teach without story, so that e go do wetin the prophet talk wey sey: ‘Na story I go use dey talk; I go talk wetin people never know since dem make this world.’”—Matthew 13:34, 35; Psalm 78:2.

But e get other things wey make Jesus dey use story teach people. E dey make people show their real character. Many people dey follow Jesus because e sabi talk story well well, and e dey do miracle. Dem no dey see Jesus as Lord wey dem suppose follow and obey with all their heart. (Luke 6:46, 47) Dem no want change the way dem dey think, and the way dem dey do things. Dem no even want make Jesus message touch their heart.

Jesus answer the question wey im disciples ask. E sey: “Na im make I dey use story dey teach dem; because dem dey look, but dem no dey see. Their ear open, but dem dey hear for nothing, and dem no dey understand am. Wetin prophet Isaiah talk dey happen to dem sey: ‘. . .Nothing dey enter this people heart again.’”—Matthew 13:13-15; Isaiah 6:9, 10.

This thing wey Jesus talk no concern people wey really dey listen to am. Jesus explain why. E sey: “Una dey happy because una eye dey see, and una ear dey hear. Na true I dey tell una, many prophet and righteous people really get the mind to see the things wey una dey see, but dem no fit, and to hear wetin una dey hear now, but dem no fit.”—Matthew 13:16, 17.

The 12 apostles and other disciples wey be Jesus tight friend, really get better mind. Na im make Jesus talk sey: “Na una dem give the opportunity to understand the holy secret about the Kingdom wey dey heaven, but e no reach their hand.” (Matthew 13:11) Jesus see sey the disciples really want understand wetin e talk. So e come explain the story about the farmer to dem.

Jesus tell dem sey, ‘the seed na God word.’ (Luke 8:11) And the ground wey the seed fall put na people heart. This thing wey Jesus talk go help person know the meaning of the story.

Jesus come explain the meaning of the seed wey fall for corner of the road wey people dey march. E sey: “Devil come comot wetin dem don hear from their mind make dem no believe, so that dem no go save.” (Luke 8:12) When Jesus talk about the seed wey fall for ground wey stone dey, e dey talk about people wey happy when dem hear the word, but e no enter their heart well. So when wahala and suffer come because of God word, dem come fall. True true, “when problem come,” like when people for their family and other people dey give dem problem, dem stop to dey follow Jesus.—Matthew 13:21; Luke 8:13.

What about the seed wey fall for where chuku-chuku dey? Jesus tell im disciples sey this ones na people wey hear the word. But “the wahala wey dey this world and the way money fit deceive people, no let the word grow” for their heart. (Matthew 13:22) Even though sey dem hear the word and e enter their heart, e no fit grow or produce fruit.

The last type of ground wey Jesus talk about na better ground. This one stand for people wey hear the word of God and dem accept am, and dem use all their heart understand am. Wetin come happen? Dem “produce fruit.” This people get different condition for life. Some fit don old or dey sick, so all of dem no go fit produce the same amount. One fit produce reach 100 times, another one go produce reach 60 times, and another one go produce reach 30 times. The truth be sey, the people wey God go bless ‘na people wey hear the message with better mind, and dem no leave am. And because dem endure, dem come fit produce fruit.’—Luke 8:15.

The disciples go really happy well well as dem know wetin this story mean. Now dem don really understand everything for the story. Jesus want make dem understand am because that one go make dem fit teach other people the truth. Jesus ask im disciples sey: “Dem dey light lamp come put am for under basket or for under bed? No be ontop lampstand dem dey put am?” Jesus come advice dem sey: “Anybody wey get ear, make e hear.”—Mark 4:21-23.

JESUS TEACH DEM MORE THINGS

After Jesus explain the story of the farmer wey dey plant, the disciple want still learn more. Dem come beg Jesus sey: “Explain the story of the grass for us.”—Matthew 13:36.

Wetin the disciples do show sey dem no be like the other people. E clear sey the other people hear, but dem no get the mind to really know the meaning of Jesus story, and how e take affect dem. The small one wey dem hear reach dem. But Jesus disciples want know more and this one make dem different from the rest people. Na im make Jesus talk sey:

“Put mind for wetin una dey hear. The way una dey measure for person, na so dem go take measure for una. Dem go even add join for una.” (Mark 4:24) The disciples really dey listen to wetin Jesus dey tell dem. As dem dey take time to listen to Jesus, dem dey hear many things and dem dey understand am pass before. Jesus come explain wetin the story of the wheat and the grass mean:

‘The farmer wey dey plant the fine seed na the Son of man. The farm na this world; the better seed na the sons of the Kingdom; but the grass na the sons of the wicked person, and the enemy wey plant dem na Satan. The harvest na the ending of the system of things, and people wey go harvest am na angels.’—Matthew 13:37-39.

After Jesus explain the different things for the story, e come talk wetin go happen. E sey for the last days, the angels go come separate people wey dey do like sey dem be true Christian, from the true “Sons of the kingdom.” “Dem go gather the righteous people,” and dem go come shine for the Kingdom of their Father. What about “the sons of the wicked person”? E sey dem go “cry and dey grind their teeth” because na destruction dey wait for dem.—Matthew 13:41-43.

Jesus still tell im disciples three other story. For the first one, e sey: “The Kingdom wey dey heaven be like something wey get value well well, wey dem hide inside field. One man see am, come hide am, and because e sweet am, e come go sell everything wey e get, come buy the field.”—Matthew 13:44.

E still talk sey “The Kingdom wey dey heaven be like one businessman wey dey travel dey find precious stones. As e see one wey get value well well, e comot, sell everything wey e get at once, come buy am.”—Matthew 13:45, 46.

Jesus use this two story show sey we suppose ready to make sacrifice to get something wey really dey important. The businessman no waste time “sell everything wey e get” and buy one precious stone. Jesus disciples understand the example about the precious stone. And the man wey see the precious stone wey dem hide “sell everything” to get am. Something wey get value dey the two story. And na wetin person go like to get and value. E just be like when person make sacrifice to become God friend. (Matthew 5:3) Some of the people wey hear when Jesus dey talk this story don already show sey dem ready to do anything wey go help dem near God and to be Jesus disciples.—Matthew 4:19, 20; 19:27.

For the last story, Jesus sey the Kingdom wey dey heaven be like big net wey dey catch all kind of fish. (Matthew 13:47) When dem separate the fish, dem go keep the good one for inside container, and dem go trowey the bad ones. Jesus sey na so e go be when the world end. That time, the angels go separate wicked people from good people.

Jesus work just be like fisherman work. Na im make am tell im first disciples sey make dem become “fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) But when the things for the story about the big net go take happen? Jesus talk sey na “for the end of this system of things.” (Matthew 13:49) So the apostles and other disciples go don know sey better things dey for front.

Jesus disciples hear the story wey Jesus talk from the boat, and dem still learn many other things. Wetin Jesus do show sey e ready to explain everything to im disciples later. (Mark 4:34) Jesus just be like the master for one house wey “keep better things for store. Na from there e dey bring new things and old things come out.” (Matthew 13:52) Jesus no talk all this story to show sey e sabi teach. But, e use am teach im disciples truth wey get value well well. True true, Jesus na “teacher” wey pass other teachers.