Matthew 13
MCGARMatthew 13:1-3
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.)
M 1-3; M 1, 2; L 4. [It is possible that Matthew here refers to the house mentioned at . If so, the events in Sections XLVIII.-LVI. all occurred on the same day. There are several indications in the gospel narratives that this is so] [By the Sea of Galilee.] [that the multitudes might be better able to see and hear him] [While Jesus had used parables [328] before, this appears to have been the first occasion when he strung them together so as to form a discourse. Parable comes from the Greek which means, “I place beside” in order to compare. It is the placing of a narrative describing an ordinary event in natural life beside an implied spiritual narrative for the purpose of illustrating the spiritual.] [FFG 328-329]
Matthew 13:24-30
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.)
M 24-30. [336] [while they innocently rested, not while they were negligent] [darnel, which closely resembles our cheat] [Though not common, there have been instances of such malignant mischief as is here indicated.] [The difference between darnel and wheat does not become apparent until the two kinds of grain are nearly ripe.] [The roots of wheat and darnel so intertwine that they can not be separated without pulling up both. Jesus’ explanation of this parable will be found below in .] [FFG 336-337]
Matthew 13:31-35
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.)
M 31-35; M 30-34. [These questions are intended to emphasize the superior excellence of the kingdom.] [337] [that is, the smallest of all the seeds that are sown in a garden] [in Palestine it attains the height of ten feet] [This parable sets forth the smallness of the beginning of the kingdom, and the magnitude of its growth.] [In Oriental housekeeping, yeast is not preserved in a separate form. A piece of leavened dough saved over from the last baking is added to the new dough to ferment it. Three measures contained the quantity usually taken for one baking. Leaven represents the quickness, quietness, thoroughness, and sureness with which gospel truth diffuses itself through human society. A woman is named because baking was part of her household duty.] [that is, as they had leisure or opportunity to listen] [that is, he used nothing but parables on that occasion, for both before and after this he taught without parables] [at which is usually attributed to Asaph, who is called a seer . His teaching typified that of Christ] [Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in a notable manner, being the only teacher in history distinguished in any marked degree by the use of parables.] [338] [FFG 337-338]
Matthew 13:36-43
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.)
M 36-43. [probably Simon Peter’s house] [This parable and its explanation are sometimes urged as an argument against church discipline, but such a use of them is clearly erroneous. The field is not the church, but the world, and the teaching of the parable is that we are not to attempt to exterminate evil men. Any who attempt to exterminate heretics in the name of Christ by physical force are condemned by this parable.] [FFG 339]
Matthew 13:44-53
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.)
M 44-53. [339] [The three parables in this section appear to have been addressed privately to the disciples. In the absence of banks and other trust repositories, the men of that day hid their treasures as best they could. The sudden death of the hider often resulted in the loss of all knowledge as to the whereabouts of the treasure. The parable speaks of such a lost treasure. Technically it belonged to the owner of the field, but practically it belonged to him who found it. Hence the finder conceals it again until he had made perfect his title to it by the purchase of the field.
The gist of the parable does not require us to pass upon the conduct of the finder, which was certainly questionable.] [In the preceding parable the treasure was found by accident; in this, the pearl was sought. Some find without seeking, as did the Samaritan woman ; some only after diligent search, as did the eunuch– .] [Like the parable of the tares, this one indicates the continuance of the mixture of bad and good, and points to the final separation. The contents of a net can not be sorted while it is being drawn. The tares indicate such evils as can be seen and as tempt us to uproot them. The net shows that in the dark and turbulent waters, and in the hurry-skurry of its teeming life, there are things which can not be seen. The judgment shall be with care, as when men, in the broad light of day, on the [340] quiet beach, sit down to sort the fish.
If the parable of the tares emphasizes the waiting, the parable of the net emphasizes the careful sorting.] [As a householder graces his banquet with things already in the house, and with other things which have just been provided, so a religious teacher must refresh his hearers out of both his past and his present experiences and study. Old lessons must be clothed in new garments.] [He went from the house to the sea in the afternoon, and entering a boat a little later, he stilled the storm.] [FFG 339-341]
Matthew 13:54-58
M 54-58; M 1-6; L 16-31. [from Capernaum] [As to this city, see , , ). For comment on this usage of the synagogue see , ; but the quotation embraces other lines from Isaiah.] [Anointing was the method by which prophets, priests, and kings were consecrated or set apart to their several offices. This prophecy says that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus because he was appointed to do [358] a work of divine helpfulness] [The prophecy set forth in physical terms what Jesus should perform in both the physical and spiritual realms. The prophecy closes with a reference to the jubilee year, which, being a time of liberation, forgiveness, and fresh starts, was a type of Christ’s ministry and kingdom.] [This officer corresponded to our sexton. Part of this duty was to take charge of the synagogue rolls] [Reader and congregation both stood during the reading; then, usually, both sat down to hear the passage explained. They stood out of reverence for God’s word] [They had heard of his miracles, and were curious to see what he would say and do.] [The word grace refers rather to the manner than to the matter.
The speech of Jesus flowed easily, and gracefully] [They admitted his marvelous teaching and miraculous works, but were at a loss to account for them because their extreme familiarity with his humanity made it hard for them to believe in his divinity, by which alone his actions would be rightly explained. Twice in the early part of his ministry Jesus had been at Cana, within a few miles of Nazareth, and turning away from it had gone down to Capernaum.
He did not call upon his townsmen to believe in him or his divine mission until [359] the evidences were so full that they could not deny them.] [They brought forth every item of trade and relationship by which they could confirm themselves in their conviction that he was simply a human being like themselves. The question as to his identity, however, suggests that he may have been absent from Nazareth some little time. As to Jesus’ kindred, see , and the second at . Palestine was filled with poor people even in times of plenty, so there must have been large numbers of hungry people during the long-continued period of famine. There has always been a large number of lepers in the land, and surely if any disease ought to prompt a man to lay aside his prejudices that he might obtain healing it was leprosy; but as Nazareth was now rejecting Jesus, so their ancestors had despised the two mighty prophets. Not one of all the hungry would have received bread from Elijah by an act of faith, nor did one of all the lepers ask healing from Elisha.] [The Nazarenes were jealous enough of the claims of Jesus when put in their most modest dress; but when Jesus placed himself alongside Elijah and Elisha, and likened his hearers to widows for want, and lepers for uncleanness, they were ready to dash him to pieces] [they evidently had hold of him] [Near the eastern end of Nazareth there is a cavern in the rock which forms a precipice down which, if a man were hurled, he would be killed.
At the western end there is a perpendicular cliff about forty feet high, with a naked floor of rock at the bottom. To which place they led Jesus we can not decide.] [361] [A simple statement of a marvelous fact.
Miracles are not explained in the Bible.] [As to this statement that Jesus felt surprised, see . “It should also be borne in mind,” says Canon Cook, “that surprise at the obtuseness and unreasonableness of sin is constantly attributed to God by the prophets.” The statement, therefore, is perfectly consonant with the divinity of Jesus.] [We have followed the chronology of Mark, according to which Jesus had already been living in Capernaum for some time. Luke tells of the rejection early in his narrative, and adds this line to show that from the earlier days of his ministry Jesus made Capernaum his headquarters.] [FFG 358-362]