Saying 21: Children in a Field Not Theirs
Mary asks what the disciples are like; they are like children living in a field that is not theirs, who give it back when the owners come. Be on guard against the world like a householder expecting thieves, and when the crop is ripe bring the sickle.
Commentary
A composite saying that runs three images together. Mary Magdalene asks the question, one of two places where she speaks in Thomas; the other, saying 114, is the book’s most contested line.
Parallels
Mark 4:29; Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39
Sayings on the same themes
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