Studying the Synoptic Problem: the Sower.

The Sower (Mt 13:1-23; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:4-15)

Mk 4 ¹ Καὶ πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν. καὶ συνάγεται πρὸς αὐτὸν ὄχλος πλεῖστος, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς πλοῖον ἐμβάντα⸃ καθῆσθαι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἦσαν. ² καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς πολλά, καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ· ³ Ἀκούετε. ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων σπεῖραι. ⁴ καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ σπείρειν ὃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἦλθεν τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτό. ⁵ καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ πετρῶδες ὅπου οὐκ εἶχεν γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξανέτειλεν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς· ⁶ ⸂καὶ ὅτε ἀνέτειλεν ὁ ἥλιος⸃ ⸀ἐκαυματίσθη καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ῥίζαν ἐξηράνθη. ⁷ καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ συνέπνιξαν αὐτό, καὶ καρπὸν οὐκ ἔδωκεν. ⁸ καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν ⸂ἓν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν. ⁹ καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.

¹⁰ Καὶ ὅτε ἐγένετο κατὰ μόνας, ⸀ἠρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν σὺν τοῖς δώδεκα ⸂τὰς παραβολάς. ¹¹ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον δέδοται τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐκείνοις δὲ τοῖς ἔξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὰ πάντα γίνεται, ¹² ἵνα βλέποντες βλέπωσι καὶ μὴ ἴδωσιν, καὶ ἀκούοντες ἀκούωσι καὶ μὴ συνιῶσιν, μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς.

¹³ Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε; ¹⁴ ὁ σπείρων τὸν λόγον σπείρει. ¹⁵ οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὅπου σπείρεται ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ Σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς. ¹⁶ καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν ὁμοίως οἱ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπειρόμενοι, οἳ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς λαμβάνουσιν αὐτόν, ¹⁷ καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ῥίζαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιροί εἰσιν, εἶτα γενομένης θλίψεως ἢ διωγμοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς σκανδαλίζονται. ¹⁸ καὶ ἄλλοι εἰσὶν οἱ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπειρόμενοι· οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον ἀκούσαντες, ¹⁹ καὶ αἱ μέριμναι τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου καὶ αἱ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπιθυμίαι εἰσπορευόμεναι συμπνίγουσιν τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται. ²⁰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρέντες, οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τὸν λόγον καὶ παραδέχονται καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἓν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν.

And again he began to teach along the sea, and the crowds began to gather together around him, so that he got into a boat to sit in the sea, and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And he taught them in many parables, and he said to them in his teaching, “Listen, behold the sower sows. And some of the seeds fell on the road, and the birds came and ate them.  And other fell on the rocky ground where there was not much earth. And immediately they sprung up because there was no deep soil. And when the sun rose they were scorched and since they did not have roots they withered. And other landed in the thorn brush and the thorns grew and choked them, and they bore no fruit. And others landed in the good earth and they produced fruit and carried thirty and sixty and a hundred.” And he said to them, “Those who have an ear to hear, hear.”

And as soon as he was alone, his followers along with the twelve asked his about the parables. And he said to them, “To you the mysteries of the Kingdom of God have been given, and those who are outside received everything in parables, so that, “Seeing they see and do not behold, and hearing they hear and do not understand, otherwise they would believe and they would forgiven.

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you know all the parables? The sower the word he sows. And these are the ones who are beside the road,  where the word is sown, also wherever they hear, Satan comes and destroys the sown word amongst them. And they are the ones sown on the rocky ground, who hear the word immediately with joy receive it and they do not have roots in themselves and are not lasting. Then tribulation or persecution come because of the word immediately they turn away. And others are those sown in the thorn brush, those are the ones hearing the word, and the cares of the age and the love of wealth and the remaining desires come and choke the word and they bear no fruit. And there are the ones sown in the good earth and whoever hears the word and accepts it and bears fruit in thirty and sixty and one hundred.

Mt 13 ¹ Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῆς οἰκίας ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν· ² καὶ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὄχλοι πολλοί, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς πλοῖον ἐμβάντα καθῆσθαι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν εἱστήκει. ³ καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγων· Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν. ⁴ καὶ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ἃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἐλθόντα τὰ πετεινὰ κατέφαγεν αὐτά. ⁵ ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη ὅπου οὐκ εἶχεν γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλεν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς, ⁶ ἡλίου δὲ ἀνατείλαντος ἐκαυματίσθη καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ῥίζαν ἐξηράνθη. ⁷ ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ ἔπνιξαν αὐτά. ⁸ ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν, ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα. ⁹ ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω.

¹⁰ Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Διὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς; ¹¹ ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὅτι ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐκείνοις δὲ οὐ δέδοται. ¹² ὅστις γὰρ ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ περισσευθήσεται· ὅστις δὲ οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ. ¹³ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς λαλῶ, ὅτι βλέποντες οὐ βλέπουσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες οὐκ ἀκούουσιν οὐδὲ συνίουσιν· ¹⁴ καὶ ἀναπληροῦται αὐτοῖς ἡ προφητεία Ἠσαΐου ἡ λέγουσα· Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε. ¹⁵ ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν· μήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς. ¹⁶ ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὅτι βλέπουσιν, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν ὅτι ἀκούουσιν. ¹⁷ ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε καὶ οὐκ εἶδαν, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν.

¹⁸ Ὑμεῖς οὖν ἀκούσατε τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ σπείραντος. ¹⁹ παντὸς ἀκούοντος τὸν λόγον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ μὴ συνιέντος, ἔρχεται ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ ἁρπάζει τὸ ἐσπαρμένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς. ²⁰ ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ εὐθὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς λαμβάνων αὐτόν, ²¹ οὐκ ἔχει δὲ ῥίζαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιρός ἐστιν, γενομένης δὲ θλίψεως ἢ διωγμοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς σκανδαλίζεται. ²² ὁ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων, καὶ ἡ μέριμνα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου συμπνίγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται. ²³ ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς, ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα.

In that day Jesus went into the house and he sat down by the sea, and a great crowd gathered together before him, so that he went to sit down in a boat, and the entire crowd was standing on the shore. And he spoke to them in many parables saying, “Behold a sower of seed went out. And in his sowing some fell along the road, and birds came to eat it. And others fell on the rocky ground where there was not much earth. And the sun arose scorching because they did not have roots they withered.  And other fell in the thorn brush and they came up and the thorns also choked them. And others fell on the good earth and gave fruit, this one a hundred and another sixty and another thirty.

And the disciples approached him to say, “Why do you speak to them through parables?” And he answered saying to them, “In order that you may receive the knowledge of the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven but they may not receive.” For whoever has, he receives and has in abundance, and whoever does not have, and whoever does not have that will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables, that seeing they would not see and hearing they would not hear and understand, and bring to pass the prophecy of Isaiah, the one who saying to them, “In hearing you hear and do not understand and seeing you see and do not behold. For calloused is the heart of these people, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes are shut. Lest they behold with their eyes and their ears hear and their heart understand and they repent and I heal them. But blessed are your eyes that see and your ears that hear. Amen, for I sat to you that many prophets and just ones desired to behold what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and they did not hear.”

Therefore you hear the parable of the sower. Anyone hearing the message of the Kingdom and not understanding, the Evil One comes and snatches what has been sown away from their heart. This is the one on the side of the road. And the one sown on the hard ground, this is the one who hearing the message also immediately with joy receives it, and he does not have roots in himself but is temporary, and when tribulation comes or persecution because of the message immediately he stumbles. And the one who is sown in the thorn brush, this is the one who hearing the message, also the anxiety of this age and the seduction of riches strangle the message, and he becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good earth, this one is the one who hears the message and understands, who indeed bears fruit and produces this one a hundred and another sixty and another thirty.

Lk 8 ⁴ Συνιόντος δὲ ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ τῶν κατὰ πόλιν ἐπιπορευομένων πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν διὰ παραβολῆς· ⁵ Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτὸν ὃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ κατεπατήθη καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατέφαγεν αὐτό. ⁶ καὶ ἕτερον ⸀κατέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν, καὶ φυὲν ἐξηράνθη διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἰκμάδα. ⁷ καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν, καὶ συμφυεῖσαι αἱ ἄκανθαι ἀπέπνιξαν αὐτό. ⁸ καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθήν, καὶ φυὲν ἐποίησεν καρπὸν ἑκατονταπλασίονα. ταῦτα λέγων ἐφώνει· Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.

⁹ Ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ ⸀αὐτοῦ τίς ⸂αὕτη εἴη ἡ παραβολή⸃. ¹⁰ ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς, ἵνα βλέποντες μὴ βλέπωσιν καὶ ἀκούοντες μὴ συνιῶσιν.

¹¹ Ἔστιν δὲ αὕτη ἡ παραβολή· Ὁ σπόρος ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ. ¹² οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν εἰσιν οἱ ⸀ἀκούσαντες, εἶτα ἔρχεται ὁ διάβολος καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν. ¹³ οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας οἳ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν μετὰ χαρᾶς δέχονται τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὗτοι ῥίζαν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, οἳ πρὸς καιρὸν πιστεύουσιν καὶ ἐν καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ ἀφίστανται. ¹⁴ τὸ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας πεσόν, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκούσαντες, καὶ ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν καὶ πλούτου καὶ ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου πορευόμενοι συμπνίγονται καὶ οὐ τελεσφοροῦσιν. ¹⁵ τὸ δὲ ἐν τῇ καλῇ γῇ, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἵτινες ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον κατέχουσιν καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν ὑπομονῇ. ^[1] 

And a great crowd gathered together and those from cities traveled to him. He spoke in parables, “A sower of seed went out to sow his seed. And in his seed some fells along the road, and they were trampled and the birds of heaven consumed them. And others fell on the rocks, and growing withered because they did not have moisture. And other fell in the midst of thorn brush, and the thorn brush grew up and choked it. And another fell into the good earth, and grew up to yield a hundred times as much fruit. Saying this he cried out, “The one who has ears to hear, hear!”

And the disciples asked him, “What do you mean by this parable?” And he said, “You receive knowledge of the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but the others in parables, in order that seeing they will not see and hearing they will not understand.”

And this is the parable: The seed is the word of God. And those along side the road are those hearing, then the devil comes and he takes the word from their hearts, in order that mt might hear with joy receive the word, and these do not have roots, who in a season believe and in a season of testing fall away. And the one in the falling in the thorn brush, they are the ones hearing, and from anxiety and wealth and the pleasure of life proceed to choke and not grow the maturity. And those in the good earth, they are those who are hearing the word in a good and noble heart hold fast and bear fruit in endurance.

Juxtaposing Mk and Mt:

Mk transitions to this with the choosing of the disciples and enters into other parables about seed. Mt transitions from the crowd asking for signs and Jesus redefining who is his true family and he goes to parables about tares and wheat, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, the pearl, and the dragnet. In Mk Jesus is teaching by the sea and a crowd gathers so he gets in a boat and teaches from the water. He tells the story of a sower sowing seed. Some fall on the side of the road and they’re eaten by birds. Others falls on rocky ground and they spring up but die because they aren’t rooted. They are scorched by the sun and wither. Others fall into thorn brush and they are choked to death.  Others fall on good soil and bring crop of thirty, sixty, and a hundred times. In Mt Jesus leaves a house, sits by the sea, large crowds fathers, he gets into a boat and teaches the crowds standing on the shore. He tells basically the same parable. In Mk Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mt provides a shortened form. In Mk the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parables. Mk makes a distinction between Jesus’ followers and the twelve. Jesus talks about them receiving the mystery of the Kingdom of God while speaking to everyone else in parables. Then he quotes Isaiah 6.9-10. Mt follows this path but refers the Kingdom of Heaven. He adds a bit about those who have having more and those who don’t have losing what they have. Jesus provides more of an explanation ion Mt and he gives a blessing. Also, Jesus tells them that prophets and righteous men of the past wanted to see what they are seeing. In Mk he explains the parable that the road side seed are those who lost the message when “Satan” comes. The seeds on rocky ground receive it immediately with joy but lose the message when they face trials. Those who are choked by thorns are distracted by the world’s cares. Those who land in good soils are those who receive the word and bear fruit. In Mt Satan is “the evil one”. Other than this the story is essentially the same. Also, he reverses his order from thirty to sixty to one hundred.

Juxtaposing Mk and Lk:

Mk transitions to this with the choosing of the disciples and enters into other parables about seed. Lk transitions from John’s final question about Jesus’ Messiahship and the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair that led to the parables to the debtors and a discussion about women ministers. He transitions into the parables of the lamp, Jesus’ calming the sea, and the healing the demoniac. In Mk Jesus is teaching by the sea and a crowd gathers so he gets in a boat and teaches from the water. He tells the story of a sower sowing seed. Some fall on the side of the road and they’re eaten by birds. Others falls on rocky ground and they spring up but die because they aren’t rooted. They are scorched by the sun and wither. Others fall into thorn brush and they are choked to death.  Others fall on good soil and bring crop of thirty, sixty, and a hundred times. In Lk a large crowds from other cities comes and he speaking to them the same parable with slight alternations. For instance the seed along the road is trampled before the birds eat it. The seed that withers has no moisture, but nothing is said of the sun. And the final seed bears “one hundred times” the fruit. In Mk Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In Lk it is the same. In Mk the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parables. Mk makes a distinction between Jesus’ followers and the twelve. Jesus talks about them receiving the mystery of the Kingdom of God while speaking to everyone else in parables. Then he quotes Isaiah 6.9-10. Lk has basically the same sequence with a shorten quotation from Isaiah. He clarifies that the seed is “the word of God”. Satan is “the devil”.

Juxtaposing Mt and Lk:

Mt transitions from the crowd asking for signs and Jesus redefining who is his true family and he goes to parables about tares and wheat, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, the pearl, and the dragnet. Lk transitions from John’s final question about Jesus’ Messiahship and the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair that led to the parables to the debtors and a discussion about women ministers. He transitions into the parables of the lamp, Jesus’ calming the sea, and the healing the demoniac. In Mt Jesus leaves a house, sits by the sea, large crowds fathers, he gets into a boat and teaches the crowds standing on the shore. Mk Jesus is teaching by the sea and a crowd gathers so he gets in a boat and teaches from the water. He tells the story of a sower sowing seed. Some fall on the side of the road and they’re eaten by birds. Others falls on rocky ground and they spring up but die because they aren’t rooted. They are scorched by the sun and wither. Others fall into thorn brush and they are choked to death.  Others fall on good soil and bring crop of hundred times, sixty times, and thirty times. In Mt Jesus says, “He who has ears, let him hear.” Lk follows Mk’s version saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In Mt the disciples ask Jesus why he speaks in parables, he tells them they have been granted the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, talks about those who have receiving more and those who don’t have losing what they had, and providing explanation before quoting Isaiah 6.9-10. He then gives a blessing and tells them prophets and righteous men wished they could have seen what the disciples now see. Lk basically follows Mk’s sequence with less details. Jesus explains that they receive the knowledge of the Kingdom of God (not “of Heaven”) and has an abbreviated quote from Isaiah. He gives basically the same explanation of the parable with slight alternations. For instance the seed along the road is trampled before the birds eat it. The seed that withers has no moisture, but nothing is said of the sun. And the final seed bears “one hundred times” the fruit. In Lk the seed is “the word of God”. While Mt has “the evil one” Lk has “the devil”. 

Unique to Mk: 

Mt and Lk follow Mk closely. Mk differs in identifying “Satan” whereas Mt calls him “the evil one” and Lk “the devil”. 

Unique to Mt:

Mt is longer in his explanation. He refers to the “Kingdom of Heaven” while Mk and Lk say “Kingdom of God”. Mk talks about those who have receiving more and those who don’t have losing what they had, and providing explanation before quoting Isaiah 6.9-10. He then gives a blessing and tells them prophets and righteous men wished they could have seen what the disciples now see.

Unique to Lk:

Lk refers to Satan as “the devil”.

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^[1] Holmes, M. W. (2010; 2010). The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition (Lk 8:4–15). Logos Bible Software.