Logion 21

21. Mary said unto Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like unto?"
He said, "They are like unto children who have settled a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us have back our field.' They will undress in their presence that they may let them have back their field and that they may give it back to them. Therefore I say to you, if the owner of a house knoweth that the thief cometh, he will begin his vigil before he cometh and will not that he dig through into his house of his domain that he carry away his goods. Ye, then, be on your guard against the world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way that they come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will surely come to pass. Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and reaped it. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Lk 12:39: "…if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through…." (Cf. Mt 24:43)
Mk 4:26-29: And he said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."/tr>

There appear to be three parables in this one logion. 1) The person without the truth will not recognize the world for what it is and will act like a child among intimate family members. 2) When temptations (robbers) come, the truth will make the believer ready and empowered to withstand them. 3) When the message was delivered, then was the best time to learn its lessons.

The admonition of the Savior for him to take heed who has ears to hear occurs frequently in Thomas (8, 21, 63, 65, 96), as it does also in Mark. The word meaning ‘obey’ in Aramaic is an intensive form of the word meaning ‘hear.’ Some people are spiritually attuned to the message; these are to obey his words with that same spirit in which they are given.

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