Mark 4:26-41

26Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground;

27and he goes to bed at night and gets up every day, and [in the meantime] the seed sprouts and grows; how [it does this], he does not know.

28The earth produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head [of grain], then the mature grain in the head.

29But when the crop ripens, he immediately puts in the sickle [to reap], because [the time for] the harvest has come.”

30And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?

31It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, even though it is smaller than all the [other] seeds that are [sown] on the soil,

32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden herbs; and it puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky are able to make nests and live under its shade.”

33With many such parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear and understand it;

34and He did not say anything to them without [using] a parable; He did, however, explain everything privately to His own disciples.

35On that [same] day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].”

36So leaving the crowd, they took Him with them, just as He was, in the boat. And other boats were with Him.

37And a fierce windstorm began to blow, and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already being swamped.

38But Jesus was in the stern, asleep [with His head] on the [sailor’s leather] cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?”

39And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness].

40Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith and confidence [in Me]?”

41They were filled with great fear, and said to each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”