One day a big red dragon with seven heads flew from his lair and landed in front of King Frederick the Great’s great castle. The dreadful dragon spread his scary wings, and with his fiery breath blew down the front door. The castle guards fell dead and the princess was captured.

Jesus told stories. But not stories like that. He told a lot of stories a lot of the time. Some of his stories have scary endings, but none of his stories are about red dragons. He told simple, short stories about ordinary people and everyday events—a woman baking bread, fishermen casting their nets, a shepherd watching his sheep, a farmer sowing seed. These stories are called parables. Jesus often ended his parables, saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). He wanted people to listen and learn about the kingdom of God through his stories. But he knew that people needed his help to understand what he was saying. The parable of the soils, which we will listen to today, teaches us about the ways people either accept or reject Jesus’s teachings. Listen up!