Matthew 13

Matthew 13

“THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW”

Chapter Thirteen Jesus began teaching in parables regarding the kingdom, seven recorded in this chapter (Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-33; Matthew 13:36-52). His goal appeared to separate the truth seekers from the curiosity seekers, as He explained the parables privately to His disciples (Matthew 13:10-17; Matthew 13:34-35). At Nazareth, He taught in the synagogue where He found an unreceptive audience (Matthew 13:53-58).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The purpose of parables

• What the parables reveal about the kingdom of heaven

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• Seven parables concerning the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-33, 36-52
• The purpose of parables - Matthew 13:10-17; Matthew 13:34-35- Jesus rejected at Nazareth - Matthew 13:53-58

2. List the seven parables of Jesus found in this chapter (Matthew 13:3; Matthew 13:24; Matthew 13:31; Matthew 13:33, 44,45,47)

• The parable of the sower
• The parable of the wheat and tares
• The parable of the mustard seed
• The parable of the leaven
• The parable of the hidden treasure
• The parable of the pearl of great price
• The parable of the dragnet

3. What was Jesus two-fold purpose in teaching in parables? (Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35,51-52)

• To keep truths of the kingdom hidden from those not seeking the truth
• To illustrate truths of the kingdom to those with ears and hearts willing to listen

4. What does the parable of the sower illustrate? (Matthew 13:3-9; Matthew 13:18-23)

• Different types of listeners and their response to the word of the kingdom

5. What does the parable of the wheat and tares illustrate? (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

• The efforts of the devil to undermine the work of the Son of Man

6. What do the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven illustrate? (Matthew 13:31-34)

• The growth and spread of the kingdom heaven

7. What about the parables of the hidden treasure and pearl of great price? (Matthew 13:44-46)

• The great worth of the kingdom, found accidentally or after diligent search

8. What does the parable of the dragnet illustrate? (Matthew 13:47-52)

• The final makeup of the kingdom will be determined at the end of the age

9. Why was Jesus rejected by many at Nazareth? (Matthew 13:53-58)

• They were apparently blinded by their familiarity with Him and His family

Matthew 13:1-58 Verse 1 Mat 13:1-58THE SEVEN OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside. And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. (Matthew 13:1-2)On sitting down to teach with the audience standing, see under Matthew 5:1. Dummelow and others believe “the house” in this case was that of Peter and Andrew in Capernaum. For the Sermon on the Mount, Christ went to the hills; but on this occasion, he went to the seashore. The use of the boat, anchored in a quiet place offshore, and with the placid water providing a perfect sounding board for his words, made it possible for Jesus to be distinctly heard by a vast throng of people.

Verse 3 And he spake to them many things in parables, saying …Here Christ began a new type of teaching, using , partly for concealment, partly for illustration. His reasons for this methods will be noted more fully under Matthew 13:10, below. There are, to be sure, parables in the Old Testament, but Christ’s use of this device exceeded any previous conception of it, and are still, some 2,000 years afterward, the marvel of all who study them. A parable is a story which is made the vehicle of a spiritual message, it differs from a fable in that the parable COULD have happened, and probably DID. In a fable, there are many impossibilities, such as an animal talking, etc. The parable also differs from the myth in that the latter bears no relation whatever to reality. Allegory, such as Paul’s reference to Sarah and Hagar, the wives of Abraham, builds a spiritual analogy upon well known historical facts. Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them: and others fell upon rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, they were scorched: and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit; some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. I. Parable of the Sower, verses Matthew 13:3-9 :Some commentators accept the rule of “ONE parable, ONE point!” For example, Henry H. Halley wrote, “Ordinarily, a parable was meant to show one point, and should not be pressed for lessons in every detail."[1] This view of expositors is probably due to the excesses of some who went too far, using incidental and inert elements of the parable for advancing all kinds of notions and speculations; but, whatever caused the widespread opinion that only one lesson, or point, is to be sought in a parable, it is clear that Christ, in the cases where he explained his parables, made many points. It is the view here that one is always safe in following the example of the Saviour instead of the opinions of men. This parable of the sower is a vivid picture of a farmer, sowing wheat from a bag strapped over his shoulder, scattering seed by thrusting his hand into the bag and hurling the seeds in an arc, somewhat in front of him, as he walked through the field. A hard, trampled path crossed the field, and some of the seeds fell upon it, where they were quickly gathered by the birds. Part of the field had very thin soil; and the seed that fell there sprouted quickly and withered quickly. A portion of the field was infested with thorns; and the seed in that area, after a long struggle with the hardier thorns, failed to produce a harvest. The good ground was the productive part of the field which rewarded the sower’s efforts. There is no reason to suppose Jesus invented this story.

He saw it, as travelers to that part of the world may still see it. The genius and divinity of our Lord lie in the fact that he saw so much more in such an incident than any man ever saw before. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. This was Christ’s invitation to study that innocent story for its hidden meaning. Even yet, the true and full implications of this rich narrative come only to those with perceptive minds and hearts, attuned to the detection of spiritual truth. ENDNOTE:[1] Henry H. Halley, Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Press, 1959), p. 404.

Verse 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?Of the seven parables in this chapter, the first four were addressed to the multitudes, and the last three were spoken to the disciples. The apostles were quick to notice the dramatic change in the Saviour’s teaching methods and promptly asked the reason for it.

Verse 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.Christ turned to teaching in parables after opposition developed against his divine mission; and this verse shows that Christ designed the parables, at least in part, to conceal his teachings from those who were not sincerely seeking to know and do his will. The harmless and innocent stories which the Great Teacher told gave nothing at all for the Pharisees’ spies to report. of the kingdom mentioned here refer generally to Christ’s redemptive message which appeared mysterious enough to those secular and materialistic persons who had no proper conception of the Messiah’s purpose. “Mystery,” as used in the New Testament, referred to things concerning the kingdom of God, hidden from all previous generations; but then, in Christ, revealed to the apostles, and later to all mankind (Romans 16:25-27; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8). Verse 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.This means that those who had perceptive and willing hearts and truly desired to know God’s will could, by proper application, know more of the kingdom of heaven and thus be richly rewarded; but that those who did not have such character would consider the parables as mere riddles and so lose their chance to know the Lord.

Verse 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.How wonderfully were the parables designed to accomplish Christ’s purpose! They were marvelous devices for the separation of his hearers and polarizing them with reference to the approaching kingdom. Those who desired and expected some worldly conqueror who would break the back of Roman tyranny and restore secular power to the Jews were repelled by the innocent and innocuous descriptions of such prosaic and commonplace things as those which formed the basis of the parables. On the other hand, spiritually minded disciples would read the deeper meaning and know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Verse 14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. - Isaiah 6:9-10; Acts 28:26-27 Thus, as in everything else, Christ was acting in full accordance with the ancient prophecies which foretold his coming into the world. Significantly, Paul also quoted this passage (Acts 28:26-27), making the same application to the self-induced blindness and deafness of Israel and their obdurate unwillingness to accept the King when he appeared among them. The words “turn again” near the end of the prophecy above are also translated “be converted” in the King James Version. See more under Matthew 18:3.

Verse 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.The blindness and sin of the many shall not militate against the joy and blessing of those who heeded our Lord. Israel, as a nation, indeed rejected the Christ; but some of her more noble sons, including the apostles, shall receive the full measure of the heavenly gift. The principle holds for all who truly love and seek Christ.

Verse 17 For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.Here, as in Matthew 13:11, above, Christ referred to the hidden nature of God’s eternal purpose for man’s salvation. Paul frequently wrote of this, and a more particular attention to that “mystery” can be quite rewarding. The New Testament refers to these mysteries: The mystery of Christ and his church (Ephesians 6:12) The mystery of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7) The mystery of the seven stars and seven candlesticks (Revelation 1:20) The mystery of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51) The mystery of the blindness of Israel (Romans 11:25) The mystery of the harlot church (Revelation 14:7) The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:1-58) Containing all those mysteries, and exceeding them, is a greater and more comprehensive mystery referred to by Paul as: The great mystery (1 Timothy 3:16) The mystery (Romans 16:25) The mystery of his will (Ephesians 1:9) The mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4) The mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19) The mystery of God (Colossians 2:3) The mystery of faith (1 Timothy 3:9) The mystery of gods (1 Timothy 3:16) Peter also elaborated the fact that the ancient prophets, and even the angels of God, desired to “look into” those things which they could not fully understand (1 Peter 1:10-12). In view of such things, how blessed indeed were the disciples of the Lord who were privileged in him to see the embodiment of the total mystery of redemption. Neither men nor angels knew it until Christ revealed it to the Twelve.

Verse 18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower.Explanation of the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:18-23 : Christ named this parable. It is not, therefore, the parable of the soils, or of the birds gobbling up the seed, nor of the rocky ground, or the thorny ground, but the Parable of the Sower. The sower in this analogy stands for God, the Great Architect of redemption. The central place belongs to him. People may or may not receive his word; but the seeds still fall, and the harvest is still produced, regardless of human failure, indifference, or opposition.

Verse 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the wayside.From this, it is plain that the various classes of soil represent the various conditions of human hearts. The birds stand for the evil one. The seed is the “word of the kingdom.” The hardness of the trampled path suggests unreceptive and evil men.

Verse 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.The shallow soil, overlaying rock, produced quick but impermanent results. This stands for the easy convert, easily lost. The sun’s scorching heat in the analogy stands for tribulations and persecutions because of the word. The shallowness of the ground represents impressionable, easily influenced persons, who have little stability. Verse 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.The thorns that choke out the words and cause unfruitfulness in hearers of the word of God are the cares, riches, and pleasures of life. (Luke adds “cares,” Luke 8:14.) This represents a class of hearers which may be described as capable of salvation, possessing many excellent qualities, but who subordinate the most important things to secondary considerations and are thus robbed of eternal life. Cares, riches, and pleasures are not, in and of themselves, evil; but a well may be as effectively choked and stopped with a load of flowers as by a load of rotten carcasses. Verse 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.In this part of the analogy, the good ground stands for the fruit-bearing hearer of God’s word; but why the varying degrees of yield? Christ’s repetition of this in the explanation shows that it has spiritual significance. Anyone familiar with the causes of various productivity in the agricultural industry cannot fail to be aware of the answer. Such things as preparation of the soil, cultivation, protection from enemies, the rains and the weather, and promptness in harvesting - all these things, and others, enter into the yield of a given crop. By analogy, Christians who have been properly cultivated by home training and education, who are protected from spiritual enemies by wise choice of friends and companions, who begin to serve the Lord early in life, and who are blessed with favorable opportunities for teaching and influence of others, may well reap a more bountiful harvest than others who had not such advantages.[2] Since this is the first parable explained in the New Testament, it is appropriate to note that in this single parable Christ pointed out the following comparisons: The seed is the word of God. The wayside soil is the hardened hearer. The shallow soil is the unstable hearer. The thorny ground is the hearer who permits other things to choke out the word. The good ground is the faithful hearer who bears fruit. The birds of the air are the evil one. The sun’s heat is tribulation and persecution. The thorns are the cares, riches, and pleasures of life. The various multiples of yield are the variable fruitfulness of hearers. The sudden sprouting of seed on shallow soil stands for the ease with which unstable souls are converted. The sower stands for God. In view of the above, it is futile to talk of “one parable, one point.” Yet it is plain that one might go too far and make deductions unwarranted by a parable. This would always be the case where inert or unstressed incidentals should be made to convey a message where none was indicated. For example, no reference is made to the bag out of which the sower took the seed; therefore, it would not be correct to make some lesson to hinge on that. On the other hand, it is perfectly clear that each one of the Lord’s parables was a genuine work of art from the mind of the Master Teacher, and that everything stressed in a parable is worthy of careful attention and study. ENDNOTE:[2] J. W. McGarvey, The New Testament Commentary (copyrighted by Chase and Hall in 1875; republished by Gospel Light Publishing Company, Delight, Arkansas).

Verse 24 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.II. The Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30 :Christ fully explained this parable, and for the notes on the explanation, see under Matthew 13:36 below.

Verse 31 Another parable set he before them saying. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof. III. The Parable of the Mustard SeedThis and the parable of the leaven which immediately followed it constitute a pair with these similarities: (1) both stress the small beginning of the kingdom; (2) its gradual increase, and (3) the extensiveness later attained. Comparison of a great kingdom to a tree was not new. Daniel 4:10-12 and Ezekiel 31:3-9 reveal similar analogies. The mustard seed may be viewed as the word of God, or Christ himself, who is the Word (John 1:1). Clement of Alexandria chose the latter application[3] which is also followed by Trench: Not Christ’s doctrine, merely, nor yet even the church which he planted on earth, is the grain of mustard seed in its central meaning. He is himself at once the mustard seed and him who sowed it.[4] However, the church itself is the “body of Christ”; and, therefore, it is no violence to refer this parable primarily to the church or kingdom of God. Christ said the “kingdom of heaven” is like, etc. The wonder of how the kingdom began in an obscure province by the birth of a child to humble and obscure parents in a stable, and how the kingdom grew to encompass people of every kindred and nation is aptly illustrated by this parable. No difficulty is seen in the fact that some seeds might actually be smaller than a mustard seed. This trifling quibble disappears in the ancient proverb, “small as a grain of mustard seed.” Besides, in the relative sense in which Christ spoke, it was a literal fact. And if that is not enough, it could easily be explained as an example of hyperbole, exaggeration for the sake of emphasis. None of the commentaries, as far as determined, make anything of the birds lodging in the branches, other than an illustration of the kingdom’s ultimate magnitude; however, in the parable of the sower, Christ used the birds to represent the devil, and upon that it would seem wise to seek a meaning here. Coupled with John’s prophecy of the apostate church, that it should become “a hold of every unclean and hateful bird” (Revelation 18:2), this parable makes it very likely that the ultimate corruption of the kingdom of heaven is intended; that is, as manifested in the so-called Christendom of modern and medieval times. A glance in any direction during the current century will afford many glimpses of foul birds that have built their nests in the kingdom! Yet, just as the birds could not, in fact, corrupt the mustard tree, neither can evil men succeed in thwarting God’s purpose, however closely they may be allied with the visible church and its activities. Chrysostom noted that this and the parable of the leaven were parables outlining the success of God’s kingdom and were thus designed to alleviate the distress of the disciples and to encourage them, such distress arising from the fact that in the parable of the sower, three-fourths of the soils were unproductive, and that in the parable of the tares, an enemy succeeded in corrupting the whole field with tares! It is as though Christ had said by means of these two short parables, “Nevertheless, my kingdom shall not fail but shall attain marvelous success!” Note the following analogies in this parable: The small seed shows the small beginning of the kingdom. The large plant shows its ultimate glory and success. The birds of the heaven in its branches suggest an identification of evil and extraneous operations closely connected with the kingdom, yet not a part of it. The field is the world. The one who sowed the seed is Christ, or God. The seed is the word of God. The mustard tree stands for the visible church in all ages. [3] Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor in the Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956), Vol. II, p. 234. [4] Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Parables (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953), p. 112.

Verse 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened. IV. The Parable of the Leaven in Three Measures of MealThere is a long list of expositors who make the leaven in this parable something evil and the parable itself a prophecy of the ultimate corruption of the church during the apostasy, basing their claims upon the fact that leaven is almost always used in Scripture as a type of something evil. Thus, the Israelites were commanded to purge out the old leaven during Passover; and the disciples were warned by the Saviour against the leaven of the Pharisees. All these considerations should be rejected in the light of Christ’s word that “the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, etc.” The figures in the Bible are not so stereotyped that symbols must invariably follow common patterns. It does seem bold and startling that Christ, in this parable, would reverse the usual meaning of leaven and make it something good, holy, and desirable; but another example of the same reversal is seen in the fact that Christ is “a lion” (Revelation 5:5), and so is the devil (1 Peter 5:8)! In the parable of the mustard seed, one may impart some meaning of demerit to the birds, because they form no essential part of a mustard tree; but in this parable the leaven becomes a part of the whole three measures of meal; and, therefore, to construe the leaven as evil would be to make this a prophecy of the complete, final, and total corruption of the church itself, which cannot be. “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). One difference in these two short parables is that, whereas a man sowed the mustard seed in his field, it was a woman who took and hid the leaven in three measures of meal. This may indicate that the church is meant, since the church is represented often as a woman, and as the bride of Christ. This view would make the leaven to be the word of God which the church preaches, or the influence emanating from it. Many ancient commentators made much of the “three measures of meal,” seeing in them the three dispensations of God’s grace, the racial composition of the human family in the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and the three-fold nature of man as a being with a spirit, soul, and body! Such deductions appear as too speculative; and it is much easier, and as likely true, that the three measures were mentioned only because that was the usual amount a woman would have taken on an ordinary occasion. It was the excessive pressing of such details as these that resulted in a retreat to the position mentioned earlier of seeing only one point in a parable. The following analogies would appear to be valid: The leaven (yeast) represents the kingdom of heaven in its influence. The leaven imparts its character to the whole loaf, the church changes the character of people influenced by it. The leaven rises silently, unostentatiously, suggesting the manner of the church’s growth. A little leaven is capable, given time, of leavening a vast amount. The influence of the church will become very wide and extensive. The fact that a woman took the leaven may not be a vital part of the illustration; but, if so, probably represents the church.

Verse 34 All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. - Psalms 78:2 This concluded the first four parables which were addressed to the multitudes. This restriction of Jesus’ teachings to parables only was confined to certain occasions, especially this one. Halley pointed out, “Christ’s teachings that day were parabolical."[5] But, of course, there were other occasions when he did not use parables exclusively. The quotation from Psalms 78:2 showed that even in the choice of that teaching method Christ was following exactly the guide laid down in prophecy. The things “hidden from the foundation of the world” were mysteries mentioned earlier in this chapter. See under Matthew 13:17. ENDNOTE:[5] John W. Haley, Discrepancies of the Bible (Nashville: B. C. Goodpasture, 1951), p. 331.

Verse 36 Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.The desire of the disciples for an explanation of that parable is understandable. Even with the Lord’s explanation, men do not fully understand it, as evidenced by the most diverse opinions regarding it. It must have appeared dark indeed before the Lord illuminated it. Explanation of the Parable of the Tares of the Field:

Verse 37 And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man.The identity of the one who sowed the good seed is plain. It is Christ. The problem concerns the true meaning of “the field.” Christ said the field is “the world,” and from this it is alleged that the parable has no reference to prohibitions against the disciples’ exercise of discipline against members of the church. Note, however, that authority for church discipline does not require any support from this parable, since it stands on more than sufficient authority mentioned otherwise throughout the New Testament. Besides, gathering tares into bundles to burn them is far too strong a figure for church discipline and has even less application to proposed activities of disciples without and beyond the confines of the church, namely, “in the world.” Therefore, to make “the world” in Christ’s explanation to mean the unregenerated portion of humanity would mean that Christ here forbade his disciples to exterminate unregenerates, a temptation which it is very unlikely any disciples ever had. It is possible that the “world-wide church” is intended or meant by this, a view supported by the fact that Christ said, “The kingdom of heaven is like” this, and also from the statement in Matthew 13:41 that the angels shall gather “out of his kingdom,” indicating that purging tares out of the kingdom is actually the thing under consideration. More bitter controversies have been waged over this portion of the Scriptures than over any other, with the exception, perhaps, of “this is my body”! Some fierce upholders of purity in the church have applied the prohibition against tare pulling to the purging of those without, namely in “the world” and have proceeded to arrogate to themselves the business of gathering the tares into bundles and burning them - even doing so literally in the case of thousands of heretics burned at the stake! Others have taken a different view and have made this parable an excuse to contain within the church every evil thing on the basis that to remove them would root up the wheat also! Neither view, it appears to this writer, is correct. We have seen that the mild and loving discipline to be exercised by the church of our Lord is amply provided for in other New Testament writings, apart from this parable; and, it seems, what is forbidden here is exactly the thing that was done in the brutal, savage excommunications so characteristic of the church of the Middle Ages, which mounted the Spanish Inquisition and many other diabolical institutions upon the pretense of purifying the church. It is in this frame of reference that the view is held which makes “the field” the church in the whole world. It appears that Christ did not give this parable to warn his disciples against casting “out of the world,” but “out of the church,” since it is only in the church that any such power, opportunity, or temptation exists for disciples to do any casting out. It is freely confessed that there are difficulties in this view, but they seem less insurmountable to this expositor than some of the difficulties inherent in the other view which, in effect, removes any prohibition against tare pulling within the church itself. Thus, it may be said that this parable puts a terminator on church discipline in that there is a point beyond which it cannot go. Plucking up, binding into bundles - this is not allowed to Christians, however urgent the considerations of discipline. The wretched history of both Catholicism and Protestantism points up the wisdom of this restriction. With Richard Trench, we hold this parable to be primarily a prohibition against using “violent means for the suppression of error."[6] Aside from the area of widest controversy, mentioned above, the parable is laden with many other significant and helpful teachings. ENDNOTE:[6] Richard C. Trench, op. cit., p. 99.

Verse 38 And the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one.The fact that the tares did not appear until fruit was “brought forth” (Matthew 13:26) shows that they were indistinguishable from the wheat until that time, a fact strongly indicating that they were “in the church,” else they could not have been confused with the wheat. The “tares” were actually “darnel” (English Revised Version (1885), margin), a type of bastard wheat bearing a close resemblance to the noble grain and impossible to detect until harvest. It is this proximity of the tares and wheat and the lack of identification separating them that forces one to look “in the church” for the area under consideration.

Verse 39 And the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. The enemy who operated while men slept is the devil. The tares are people, sons of the devil, masquerading as Christians. The harvest is the end of the world, when the Lord will send his angels and gather “out of his kingdom” all things that cause stumbling ( Matthew 13:41). Note that the final separation of the good from the bad is not a prerogative of men but of God and his angels.

Verse 40 As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.The fire into which the tares will be cast is hell, the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 21:8; Mark 9:44; Matthew 25:41 ff). The ultimate fate of the wicked is a doom so intolerable and overwhelming that Christ came down from heaven and endured the pangs of suffering and death to deliver men from such a fate. Only a fool could set aside such warnings, delivered at such cost, and authenticated in every conceivable manner. “Fear him who hath power to cast both soul and body into hell” (Luke 12:5). This is a valid admonition. The end of the world, mentioned here, is noted in more detail under Matthew 28:18-20, which see.

Verse 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity.Here again, in Jesus’ explanation, are the words “out of his kingdom,” indicating the area under consideration to be primarily the church, but on a world-wide scale. The burden of teaching in the parable seems to be that God and his angels, rather than men and their devices, are to separate the wicked from the just. As to how evil persons get into the kingdom, it is stated in Matthew 13:25, above, that an enemy, the devil, planted them there. Significantly, this was done only “while men slept” (Matthew 13:25), and shows the limitation upon Satan’s activity in this endeavor. Most of the sorrows and shortcomings in the church occur when men are asleep, failing to keep watch as the Master commanded.

Verse 42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.This shows the terror and frustration of the doomed. The furnace of fire refers to hell (see more under Matthew 13:40).

Verse 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.This entire parable sets forth the divinity and glory of Christ. He is the Son of man who sends his angels to sever the wicked from the righteous. It is his angels who cast the wicked into torment. Such assumptions of prerogative on the part of a mere man would be unthinkable. The following analogies are explicitly set forth in this parable: Gathering into his barn represents salvation of the righteous. He that sowed the good seed is Christ. He that sowed the evil seed is the devil. The good seed are Christians. The bad seed are children of the devil. The field is the world. The harvest is the end of the world. The burning of the tares represents hell. The reapers are the angels in the end of the world. “While men slept” suggests that Satan must abide his opportunity and may not fully countermand the truth except with God’s permission and man’s inattention. Gathering “out of his kingdom” suggests purging of the church at the last day, in the judgment. From the above, it further appears that Christ expected many analogies, not merely one, to be deduced from a parable.

Verse 44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. V. Parable of the Treasure Hidden in the FieldThese parables, this one and the two immediately following, were spoken in the house, not to the multitudes by the seashore. In the case of the treasure, it was found when the finder was not looking for it; but in the case of the pearl, its discovery followed a long and diligent search for it. There are other notable differences. In the treasure is a likeness of the kingdom; but in the other, it is the merchantman searching for the pearl. The treasure hidden in the field teaches the supreme regard men should have for the kingdom of heaven; and that, whatever incident or opportunity leads to the knowledge of it, the finder should exercise every human effort to obtain it, even to selling all that he has, if necessary, to come into possession of it. The great consideration is that the kingdom of heaven is indeed a treasure, a treasure surpassing all others in riches and desirability. Analogies: The kingdom of heaven is a treasure. It is hidden to some, indeed to many. Some find it accidentally, or unintentionally, while doing something else. Once found, a man should obtain it, regardless of cost.

Verse 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. VI. The Parable of the Merchantman Seeking Goodly PearlsAlthough it is not stated here that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl of great price, a number of analogies suggest themselves. The pearl is a symbol of difficulties overcome, since it is caused by an annoyance to an oyster. It is a life-created thing of great value and beauty. Significantly, the gates of the Eternal City are said to be “each one a pearl” (Revelation 21:21). Thus, through obstacles overcome, one may enter the home of the soul. The prime comparison, however, regards the merchant. man engaged in the search. This was Jesus’ emphasis: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God!” Seeking is a vital and very necessary part of knowing and sharing the mysteries of God’s kingdom; but so is decision! The merchantman is held up for our approval and emulation because: (1) he did not waste his time admiring the pearl, or wishing he had it; (2) he did not propose to obtain it at a reduced price; (3) he did not delay or postpone his decision; (4) he did not reject it as too expensive - none of these things, he simply sold all he had and bought it! Some search all their lives for the truth and at last find it. Others, as in the hidden treasure, are not looking for it at all, as, for example, when some sinner marries a Christian wife or husband, but then, in the light of opportunity, rises to claim the prize! Analogies suggested: Seeking is an essential part of finding the kingdom. Once found, it should be obtained, regardless of cost. A pearl of great price suggests the kingdom because: It is not of the earth, like gold, but of life. It is created by the overcoming of a difficulty. It will form a gate to the Eternal City. The merchantman set a good example because: He was not content with admiring, or wishing. He did not shrink from the cost. He sold all he had and bought it. He did so at once, then and there, with no delay.

Verse 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.VII. The Parable of the Net That Was Cast into the Sea: This is another of the parables Jesus explained, and again, not one analogy but many are noted: The sea is the world. The net is the church. The enclosed fish of “every kind” are members of the church. The good fish are the truly spiritual children of their Father. The bad fish are like the tares, sons of the evil one. The fact that both kinds are in the net shows the proximity of the good and bad in the kingdom, who are all accounted by men to be “in” it, but some of whom are wicked. The beach represents the end of time. The net’s being “filled” shows that God will attain his full purpose in the redemption of men. The sorting of the fish represents the judgment of the last day. The sorters are the angels. The casting away of the bad is the casting of the wicked into hell. The gathering into vessels represents the salvation of the godly. The vessels represent heaven. There is a subtle change of emphasis in the parable in which the fishermen, who may be understood to be the Lord’s disciples of all ages, draw the net upon the beach; and yet, it is not THEY but the angels who are said to sever the wicked from the just. That is why no definite mention of the fishermen is made in the parable, indicating that those elements of a narrative which are not stressed by Christ are to be construed as serving no analogy. One overwhelmingly important deduction to be obtained from this remarkable parable is seen in the fact that no fishes were taken into the vessels that had not first been captured in the net. In the large analogy of the sea as the world, the net as the church, and the vessels as heaven, it is thus quite plain that Christ intended to teach that membership in the church is prerequisite to entry into the eternal kingdom in heaven. God’s church, or kingdom, is the appointed way of gathering from the great seas of human population the number of the redeemed. Furthermore, not all so-called Christians will be saved. A great many are in the net, “the church,” who must be accounted as “bad,” and who shall suffer eternal banishment from the face of the Father. First glance may leave the impression that this parable covers the same ground as that of the tares, but there are marked differences. The emphasis on that one is upon the present intermixture in the church, and in this one upon the certainty of the final separation of the righteous and the wicked. The emphasis in the former is upon “who” will make the separation, and in this one upon the “certainty” of that separation. In both cases, it is clear that angels, not men, shall effect the separation. Both in this and in that of the tares is stressed the puzzling containment within the church herself of both good and bad elements. This ought not, however, to appear overly strange to students of the word of God, because: (1) there was a Ham in the ark; (2) a Judas among the Twelve; (3) a man of sin in the temple of God; (4) a mystery Babylon within the historical perimeter of the church; (5) Esau contended with Jacob in the very womb of Rebekah; and, as in her case, the church may often cry, “Why am I thus?” ( Genesis 25:22). The parable of the drag net is Christ’s pledge that, whatever doubts and perplexities may arise from this mixture of good and bad in the church, there will at last occur the thorough and dramatic separation of the one from the other, and that it will be accomplished by beings most eminently qualified to do it, namely, by the angels of God.

Verse 51 Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea. And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.Both ancient and modern commentators refer these words to the Old and New Testaments. Victorinus said, “Things new and old - the new, the evangelical words of the apostles; the old, the precepts of the law and the prophets."[7] Dummelow identified the old and the new as “the old truths which God had long made known to the Jews, as well as the new truth declared by Christ."[8] There is another meaning in this place, and it is contained in the unceasing wonder that the same things can be both old and new simultaneously! What is older, or newer, than conversion? the birth of a child? a wedding? or the manner in which some soul reacts to a crisis? What is newer, or older, than the great thoughts of the Eternal God which men of each passing generation are privileged to think after him, by means of the Scriptures? It is certainly not amiss to see this “new and old” aspect of every sermon. This suggests that teachers and preachers should adapt messages to hearers. [7] Victorinus from the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VII, p. 345. [8] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 675.

Verse 53 And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.This verse concludes a section of Matthew’s gospel, that pertaining to the proclamation and inauguration of his kingdom, appointment of its officers, enunciation of its principles, and statement of its laws. The last seven parables, recorded in this chapter, constitute a remarkably comprehensive and detailed presentation of the guide of faith; and there is a strong temptation to find in these seven parables some mystical or secret meaning. The efforts of men to do this, however, are far from convincing. Unity and harmony do indeed appear in the group taken as a whole. THE SOWER stresses the obstacles to be overcome by the word, which succeeds anyway. THE TARES presents the enemy opposing God’s purpose, even within the church itself, and warns the church against taking matters into its own hands. THE MUSTARD SEED and LEAVEN show the growth of the kingdom from small beginnings to great power and influence, both outwardly and visibly, as shown by the tree, and also inwardly and secretly, as shown by the leaven.

THE MUSTARD SEED and LEAVEN concern the general impact of the kingdom upon the whole world, whereas the next two, THE HIDDEN and PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, show the impact of the kingdom upon the individual and the supreme worth of God and his kingdom to the individual person. THE DRAW NET presents the final end of God’s purpose when the precious shall be separated from the vile, and each class shall inherit the destiny it deserves.

Verse 54 And coming into his country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that their were astonished and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? IVTHE OF THE PEOPLE TO CHRIST; SOME AND SOME HIM (Matthew 13:54-58; Matthew 14:1-36; Matthew 15:1-39; Matthew 16:1-20)What a paradox it is that Jesus’ rejection by his own community is also an eloquent testimony to the greatness of his deeds. WHY did they reject him? Among other reasons, because of the very magnitude of his wonderful deeds, his wisdom and mighty works, which they held to be inconsistent with the humble environment in which they had seen him grow up. Thus, their very rejection of Christ is a witness to his power and glory. He was such a wonderful person that they simply could not reconcile him with the obscurity and humility of his childhood and youth.

Verse 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?Well, there it is. This was the first council of unbelief ever held against Jesus the Son of God. It occurred not in some ivory tower of learning, nor in some gathering of wise and learned men, ah, no! It occurred in the wretched and miserable village of Nazareth; and the protagonists of this dark drama of rejection were not intellectuals, nor educated and cultured men, but were prejudiced gossips, vulgar, and ignorant buffoons, but still entitled to one marvelous distinction: THEY WERE THE OF ALL THE WHO EVER LIVED! Satan has long sponsored the lie that unbelief is sophistication, intellectuality, erudition, and “smartness”! But in this original pilot-project for the rejection of the Christ, the truth is evident. Unbelief is not a courageous rejection of ancient dogma; it is not a brilliant conclusion of philosophical intelligence. Nazareth rejected no doctrine, manifested no intelligence, and could lay claim to no particular power, culture, or worth of any kind that could have endowed their rejection with any semblance of justification or honesty. Those who fancy that the rejection of Christ is the result of comparing all religions, let them note that at Nazareth there was no study, no comparison, no investigation, precious little information, and a dreadful suspicion of intellectual mediocrity, if not indeed downright stupidity. It is clear as the sun at perihelion that the blighting unbelief of Nazareth which blinded their eyes against the only Person who saved that town from oblivion - their unbelief was not intellectual superiority, nor moral courage. nor logic, nor philosophy, nor honest doubt. What was it? (1) It was unworthiness. That town had justly earned an unsavory reputation. As Christ said, “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). (2) It was egotism. Look at the self-glory of the words, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” What ridiculous snobbery of an inflated ego is implicit in such words as those! Ah, yes; who was speaking?

The burgomaster’s daughter, no less, or the local salt merchant, or some owner of a wine shop, or of a brothel! Fit citizens indeed to look down upon the carpenter’s boy! (3) It was mental laziness.

They could easily have ascertained the truth by a little investigation; but no, it was far easier to deny the news filtering down to that wretched little village than to check up on it and find it true. To have done THAT would really have created a problem. The lazy mind takes the lazy way out. (4) It was illogical. Strange that Nazareth should have rejected the Holy One who was welcomed with “Hosannas” in Jerusalem; but the same illogical phenomenon is yet seen in men who will blindly reject a faith that was held by men like Paul, Washington, Newton, and countless others of the greatest minds ever known on earth. (5) It was moral cowardice. The gossips of Nazareth did not have the moral courage to kneel at the feet of Jesus. The rich young ruler did so, but the citizens of Nazareth had no such grace. (6) It was the opiate of the people.

Where have we heard that before? Unbelief sealed Nazareth off from what was happening in the world.

It was an escape mechanism by which they avoided doing anything. If they had believed, it would have involved them in all kinds of activity; but, with one good drag on the opium-pipe of infidelity, all was quiet in Nazareth! Satan, by his emissaries, has sought to reverse this truth, but it won’t work. Infidelity or atheism is the opium of the people. (7) It is self-pity. They were offended in him. Christ had not consulted them; his success had bruised their local pride. This characteristic whine of unbelief is everywhere noticed, even in famous infidels such as H. G.

Wells, who said, “The universe is getting bored with man.” In view of such plain and indisputable facts as these, what blindness is it that allows Satan to embellish atheism with some aura of intellectual respectability? The epic falsehood of the devil that unbelief is any form of intellectual activity is surely and certainly destroyed by a careful analysis of this classic example of it at Nazareth! The problem of the identity of the four brothers and three sisters of Jesus, mentioned in this place, did not exist in ancient times. Helvidius, the most ancient commentator on this passage, said that they were all the children of Mary and Joseph, born after Jesus was born. It was only in ages after men had invented religious doctrines incompatible with the obvious truth of Matthew’s words, that ingenious interpretations were devised to relieve the embarrassment. All such efforts fail in the light of the simple, obvious, and necessary meaning of Mat 13:55-56. The truth was built into the passage by the Holy Spirit and is incapable of destruction. As the noted Dr.

Adam Clarke so ably expressed it, “Why should the children of ANOTHER family be brought in here to share the reproach which it is evident was designed for Joseph the carpenter, Mary his wife, and their son Jesus?"[9] Cousins or lodge brothers simply do not fit into the picture here at all, nor would their being pulled in have aided the reproach in any way. No, the reproach was directed at Jesus and his immediate family; those others named were his literal brothers and sisters. See more on this under Matthew 1:25. Note, three sisters must be assumed from the words, “are they not all with us?” This rejection at Nazareth occurred on the second visit of Jesus, the first being described in Luke 4:16 ff. This second rejection, recorded also by Mark (Mark 6:1-6), was final and determinative. Mark’s words, “He marveled at their unbelief,” show the shock and amazement which attended the conduct of the people of Nazareth. Christ himself was made to marvel at it. ENDNOTE:[9] Adam Clarke, Commentary (New York and London: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. V, p. 152.

Verse 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.Christ quoted this same proverb on his other visit to Nazareth (Luke 4:16 ff). The human side of Christ’s dual nature was foretold by Isaiah who noted that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3). Nazareth provided the first in a series of rejections; but it should be remembered that this was precisely what was prophesied, the very unbelief of the people becoming, therefore, a further testimony of his divinity.

J.W. McGarvey Commentary For Matthew Chapter ThirteenA Series of Parables, Matthew 13:1-52 Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:1-9. (Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:1-8) 1, 2. sat by the sea.—The sitting posture which Jesus habitually assumed in his public addresses, rendered it impossible for him to be seen or heard at a great distance when the people thronged him. On this occasion, as the crowd became great, he moved from his seat on the shore to a more conspicuous place on the prow of the fishing boat, where the people could not press very closely to him, and whence he could be seen and heard by all as they stood or sat on the sloping shore. 3. in parables.—A parable is a species of allegory. An allegory is a discourse in which an object is described by describing another which resembles it, or which is analogous to it. Parables differ from other allegories in that they are taken from actual occurrences, while most others are taken from imaginary occurrences. Every parable contains an illustrating example, and indicates certain points of resemblance between it and the subject which it illustrates. The interpretation of a parable consists in pointing out the subject illustrated and the points of analogy intended by the author. These are to be ascertained from the context, and from the terms of the parable itself.

In interpreting the parables of Jesus two fundamental rules must be observed: first, when Jesus himself gives an interpretation, it must be accepted as final and exhaustive; second, only those points of analogy which were certainly in the mind of the author should have a place in the interpretation. The chief error to be guarded against is a violation of the latter rule; and in order to successfully guard against it, one must have a well balanced judgment and an accurate knowledge of the subjects which the parables illustrate. No rules can be given which will enable a person who is deficient in either of these two qualifications, to become a successful interpreter of these wonderful discourses. 3-9. a sower went forth.—As Jesus himself gives an interpretation of the parable of the Bower (18-23), we attempt none of our own. We note here only the fidelity to nature which is maintained throughout. Every person acquainted with farming operations must be struck with the faithfulness of the picture. 9. i.—This warning, habitual with Jesus when he desired to direct especial attention to a speech or a remark, was necessary to prevent the people from regarding the parable as merely a beautiful and lifelike description. It warns them of a meaning beneath the surface, and hidden as yet from their view. Why He Spoke in Parables, Matthew 13:10-17. (Mark 4:10-13; Luke 8:9-10)10. Why speakest thou… in parables?—The question of the disciples shows that this method of teaching had not been employed by Jesus before, and the question was extorted by the obvious fact that the people could not understand the parables. It is not likely that the question is inserted by Matthew in its chronological place, but that it was propounded after this entire series of parables had been spoken. 11. it is given unto you.—Jesus proceeds to give several reasons for speaking in parables, the first of which is that it was given to the disciples, but not to the unbelievers, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This is merely an assertion of the fact that it was so ordered by God, without assigning a reason why he so ordered. By the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, are not meant things incomprehensible; for, in that case, the disciples could not know them; but the yet unrevealed truths of the kingdom, which were mysteries only because they were as yet unrevealed. 12. whosoever hath.—This verse contains the reason why it was given to the disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom, and not given to the unbelievers. It is a law of God’s moral government, often repeated by the Savior, that to him who has, more shall be given, and from him who has not, even that he has shall be taken away. In order to understand this singular phraseology, we must observe that the thing which is taken away from him who has not, is necessarily something that he has. He has, and at the same time he has not. Now the unbelieving Jews had, in common with the believers, the heavenly privilege of hearing Jesus and seeing his miracles; but, unlike the believers, they had not the faith and the knowledge which they should have derived from these opportunities. These opportunities were now to be taken from them by a kind of teaching which they could not understand, and which would not be explained to them.

But to the disciples, who had some profit from previous opportunities, more instruction was to be given by means of the parables. In general terms, the law is, that to those who have made improvement by their opportunities, other opportunities will be given; but from him who has made no improvement, the opportunities themselves will be taken away. (For further illustration of this law, see the note on 25:29.) 13. Therefore speak I… in parables.—The illative therefore (διὰτοῦτο, on this account) refers not to the preceding, but to the statement which follows. Another reason for speaking in parables is given: because, when the people saw they saw not, and when they heard they heard not; that is, though they saw the miracles, they saw them not in their true light, and when they heard his words, they heard them not in their true meaning. This was a good reason for speaking to them in parables; for it showed that it was immaterial whether he spoke intelligibly or unintelligibly; and it left him free to speak as best suited the wants of his disciples alone. It may be observed, also, that he spoke more for future readers than tor present hearers. 14, 15. in them is fulfilled.—In these verses Jesus gives the fourth and final reason for speaking to the people in parables, and at the same time he points out the cause of those facts on which the preceding reasons were based. As Isaiah had written concerning his own generation (Isaiah 6:9-10), this people’s heart had “waxed gross;” that is, it has become filled with earthly and sensual desires, and especially so with reference to the expected kingdom of the Messiah. This state of heart made their ears dull of hearing; that is, it made them indisposed to hear with favor the words of Jesus. It led them also to close their eyes; that is, to refuse to see the evidences of his messiahship and his divinity. This closing of their eyes is treated (15) as the fatal act; for he proceeds to say, “their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should turn, and I should heal them.” The evil state of the heart might have been overcome, had it not been for closing their eyes. Their continuance in sin and unbelief, therefore, was the result of having voluntarily closed their eyes against the light which had come into the world, causing parables and dark sayings to be as intelligible to them as the simplest lessons which Jesus taught; their ears were equally closed against both. 15. be converted.—This rendering is incorrect. The original word (ἐπιστρέφωσιν) is in the active voice, and means turn. The rendering “be converted” was first employed in English by Wickliffe, who followed the Latin Vulgate from which his translation was made. Tyndal and the Geneva translators both rejected it, using turn; but King James’s translators restored the rendering of Wickliffe, being led thereto, no doubt, by their conception of conversion as a change in which the sinner is perfectly passive. Only in one passage, Matthew 18:3, is the passive rendering correct. 16, 17. blessed are your eyes.—Here we have a cheering contrast between the spiritual condition of the disciples, and that of the unbelieving multitude. They were seeing with profit, and hearing with delight, not only that which the multitude would neither see nor hear, but things which the prophets and righteous men of many generations had desired to see and had not seen. The disciples, doubtless, failed to realize the full measure of their blessedness, so little do the men of any generation know their own privileges. Parable of the Sower Explained, Matthew 13:18-23. (Mark 4:14-20; Luke 8:11-15)18, 19. by the wayside.—The disciples are now taught the meaning of the parable of the sower— to them more is given. They learn that the different places in which the seed fell represent different classes of persons who hear the “word of the kingdom.” The peculiarity of him who is represented by the wayside consists in the two circumstances, that he does not understand the word, and that the wicked one catches away that which was sown in his heart. The word reaches his heart, which fact implies some favorable impressions on him; but his not understanding it, implies a want of proper attention to it. Failing of proper attention, he allows the devil, by taking it away, to deprive him of the little good which he had received, and of all that he might have received in the future. (Comp. Luke 8:12.) Satan catches the word away by means of all those worldly allurements through which men are led to be inattentive to the word of God. The class of persons represented are those whose ideas of Scripture teaching are too crude for an intelligent faith, or who allow good impression made by the word to speedily pass away. 20, 21. into stony places.—The fault of the stony ground hearer consists in allowing trouble or persecution on account of the word to make him stumble and fall away from the word which he had previously received with joy. In the statement, “he hath not root in himself,” there is a metaphor drawn from the shallow roots of the grain which grows on stony ground, and it means that he is deficient in tenacity of purpose. Sometimes very slight opposition from friends or relatives turns a person back into partial or total apostasy. The class represented are those who are turned back by opposition, whether slight or severe. 21. offended.—The term here rendered is offended (σκανδαλίζεται) means, is made to stumble. There is nothing in tribulations and persecutions to make one feel offended at the word; but there is, to cause him to stumble, as when his foot is caught in a snare. (See the note on 5:29, 30.) 22. among the thorns.—Those represented by the thorny ground, do not, like the first class, allow Satan to catch away the word, nor do they, like the second, allow persecutions to cause them to stumble; but, while retaining the word, they allow care about worldly matters, and the deceitfulness of riches— that is, the deception which love of riches causes men to practice on themselves— or both these combined, to render the word unfruitful. Men who are engaged in the eager pursuit of wealth, as well as those already in possession of it, are in danger from the deceitfulness of riches; while those engaged in a hard struggle for a mere livelihood, or in buffeting the waves of misfortune, are most in danger from the care of this world. The great majority of the disciples of every age and country have been more or less chargeable with the sin of this class. We need constant and earnest exhortations on the subject from our religious teachers. 23. into the good ground.—The man represented by the good ground differs from the wayside man in that he “understands” the word, and does not allow Satan to take it from him. His understanding it is the result, not of some natural superiority, but of the superior attention which he gives to it. He differs from the stony ground character, in that, though assailed by tribulation and persecution because of the word, and often more violently assailed than his vacillating neighbor, he overcomes them instead of allowing them to overcome him. He differs from the thorny ground character, in that he endures the cares of life so patiently, and resists the deceitful influences of riches so successfully, that the word of God in him triumphs over both. Finally, he differs from all, in that he alone “beareth fruit.” Some of this class bear more fruit than others, “some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty;” but the characteristic of the class is that they bear fruit. The fruit is the course of life which the word requires; therefore, dropping the figure, the fourth class continue to obey the word of God, while the others either never begin, or, beginning, sooner or later discontinue their obedience. The parable is a prediction of the manner in which the word of God would be dealt with by those who would hear it; and it warns us against the examples of the first three characters, while it stimulates us to imitate the fourth. Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-3025. sowed tares.—It has been doubted by some whether such an act of enmity as sowing a neighbor’s field with tares ways ever perpetrated; and consequently it has been supposed that this parable, unlike the others, is drawn from imaginary incidents. But Trench, in his work on the parables, adduces one instance in India, and one in Ireland; and Alford, in his Commentary, mentions one that occurred in a field of his own in England. It is likely that the practice was somewhat common in the days of Christ. The word tare is now obsolete, having been supplanted by darnel. (For the explanation of this parable, see below, 36-43.) Parable of the Mustard Seed, Matthew 13:31-32. (Mark 4:30-32) 31, 32. least of all the seeds.—The mustard seed is not the smallest known seed, but it was the smallest usually sown in Jewish fields. In the same limited sense, the mustard plant was the “greatest among herbs” (32); that is, the greatest herb grown by the Jews. kingdom… is like.—As the emphasis, in this parable, is placed on the smallness of the seed and the greatness of its subsequent growth, we must take these as the points of significance and resemblance. The kingdom of heaven, like the seed, was very small in its beginning on the day of Pentecost, but afterward it became a very great kingdom. The parable is prophetic, and is still in process of fulfillment. Parable of the Leaven, Matthew 13:3333. till the whole is leavened.—It is a property of leaven that it quietly but certainly diffuses itself through the mass in which it is placed. The kingdom of heaven is like it, in that it spreads itself in like manner through human society. This parable is also prophetic, and its fulfillment is constantly going on. The reason why three measures of meal are supposed, rather than any other number, is doubtless because this was the quantity that the women usually made up for one baking; and the reason why a woman rather than a man is mentioned, is because it was the business of women to make bread. Speaking in Parables a Fulfillment of Prophecy, Matthew 13:34-35. (Mark 4:33-34)34. without a parable spake he not.—This remark has reference only to that particular occasion. Both before and after this he taught much without parables. 35. that it might be fulfilled.—Jesus is the only great teacher known to history who is distinguished in a high degree by the use of parables, and his skill in their use has never been approached by any other person. He fills up the measure of the prediction here quoted from Psalms 78:2; it has not been filled by another; and therefore Matthew’s application of it is manifestly correct. We may further add that Jesus can not have chosen to speak in parables in order to make a false appearance of fulfilling the prediction; for to speak in such parables is beyond the unaided powers of any man. Parable of the Tares Explained, Matthew 13:36-4336. Declare unto us.—This parable and that of the sower are the only two that Jesus explained to his disciples, the others being so simple as not to be easily misunderstood; yet, strange to say, these two, notwithstanding his explanations, are more frequently misconstrued than any others of the series. 37-39. He that soweth.—In these verses the individual correspondenees between the parable and the kingdom are stated. The field in which the seeds were sown represents the world of mankind; the man who sowed good seeds represents Jesus; the enemy who sowed tares, the devil; the good seed, Christians: the tares, wicked persons; the harvest, the end of this world; the reapers, the angels. These explanations are preliminary to the chief lesson of the parable; they do not teach it. 40-43. As therefore.—Here is introduced a formal comparison which presents the chief lesson of the parable: “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.” This being the intended point of comparison, he proceeds to state, in unfigurative language, how it will be in the end of the world: “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.” In brief, the final separation of the wicked from the righteous, and the destruction of the latter in fire, is the burden of the parable. Whether reference is made to all the wicked in the world, or only to those in the Church, has been a matter of dispute. In favor of the latter supposition is the fact that the wicked are to he gathered by the angels “out of his kingdom.” the term kingdom being usually limited to the Church. But inasmuch as “all authority in heaven and on earth” is given to Christ (28:19), his kingdom in reality includes the whole earth, and in at least one of the parables, that of the pounds (Luke 19:14-15 Luke 19:27). the term is used to include both his willing subjects, and those who “will not have this man to rule over them.” We are to know, then, by the nontext, whether the term is here used in its wider or in its narrower sense. That the former is the sense here, we think, is clear from two considerations: first, the field in which the seeds, both good and bad, were sown, and the kingdom out of which both were gathered, are evidently the same; but the field is the world, and therefore the kingdom is the world.

Second, while the good seed represent the “children of the kingdom,” that is, those who accept and submit to the reign of Christ over the world, and all of these, the tares represent all of the children of the wicked one within the field, that is, all the wicked in the world. If it be objected to this, that the enemy sowed after the good seed had been sown, and therefore the wicked represented by the tares must be the wicked who sprang up among the disciples after the kingdom was established: we answer, that, this point of comparison is not found in the Savior’s interpretation, and this is sufficient proof that it was not in his mind. The most common interpretation of this parable makes its chief significance depend on the prohibition against pulling up the tares lest the wheat should be rooted up with them, and supposes it to teach a lesson of caution in church discipline. Some understand the parable as prohibiting all exclusions from the Church, and others, with less consistency, understand it to prohibit exclusions only in doubtful cases, as the exclusion of one would lead to the exclusion of others who are more worthy, but who sympathize with the guilty party. The latter view is condemned by the very promises on which it is based: for it was not until the tares were unmistakably known as such, that the question about plucking them up was raised. If the exclusion of any from the Church is prohibited, it must be those who are known to be children of the wicked one, and the conclusion comes into direct conflict with the teaching both of Jesus and the apostles on the subject of withdrawing from the disorderly. (See Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:5 1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6.) There are also two other insuperable objections to both of the views above stated. In the first place, Jesus makes the servants of the householder, who made the proposition to pull up the tares, and who were the reapers of the harvest, represent, not the officers of the Church, but the angels of God— “the reapers are the angels.” (39, 41.) In the second place, this interpretation ignores the fundamental rule, that when Jesus himself expounds a parable, his exposition must be accepted without modification. Now, in his exposition he passes by this prohibition and gives it no part whatever in the significance of the parable. It is true, that gathering out the tares at the end of the world implies that they will be allowed to grow until that time, but it implies nothing at all as to whether such of them as can be shall be excluded from the Church. 43. shine forth as the sun.—In this verse, and the last clause of the preceding verse, Jesus presents some additional thoughts not foreshadowed in the parable— that in the furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, and that the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. On the significance of wailing and gnashing of teeth, see note on Matthew 8:12. Shining forth as the sun, is expressive of the glory which shall attach to the saints in their resurrection bodies. Who hath ears.—A note of warning to arrest the attention of the wicked, and to cheer the hearts of the saints. Parable of the Hid Treasure, Matthew 13:4444. hid in a field.—In the absence of the iron safes and vaults of modern times, the ancients frequently buried articles of value in the ground. The case supposed is one in which, by the death of the original owner of the field and the treasure, all knowledge of the treasure had perished; otherwise the present owner would not sell the field without an equivalent for the treasure. he hideth.—The man must again hide the treasure, after finding it, lest some one else should discover it, or lest its existence should become known to the owner of the field before the purchase. like unto treasure.—The kingdom is not like the treasure in being hid, for although its provisions are unknown to many, they have always been known to some. But the man’s joy at discovering the treasure, and the eagerness with which he sold his other possessions in order to obtain the treasure, are the points of significance. Similar joy is experienced by every one who discovers the blessedness of the kingdom, and all such make every sacrifice necessary to gain possession of its privileges. Parable of the Precious Pearl, Matthew 13:45-4645. like unto a merchant.—The thought in this parable, though similar to that in the preceding, is distinct from it. The merchant is represented as seeking goodly pearls, and as already in possession of a number, while the man of the hid treasure had nothing which he especially prized before he found the treasure. There is a comparison in this parable between things of great value already sought and obtained, and a new prize which excels them all. It teaches that whatever a man may have sought for and obtained before becoming acquainted with the kingdom of God, whether it be wealth, or fame, or a system of religion, the kingdom of God will be cheaply obtained by the loss of all. Parable of the Net, Matthew 13:47-5047. like unto a net.—Here again, as in the parable of the tares, it is taught that at the end of the world the angels shall sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire (49, 50); but now it is only the wicked in the Church. The kingdom is like the net, in that it gathers both good and bad into it, and in that there will eventually be a separation of the two classes. 50. the furnace of fire.—The furnace of fire mentioned here and at the close of the parable of the tares (42), can be no other than the final abode of the wicked; for the casting of the wicked into it is to take place “at the end of the world.” The term rendered world (αἰων) can not here mean the Jewish age; for no such separation of the wicked from the righteous took place at the end of the Jewish age, nor has it taken place since then. It means the Christian age, which terminates with time itself. The Parables Understood, Matthew 13:51-5251. Have ye understood.—By the help of his explanation of two of the parables, the disciples were able to answer that they understood all of them; but while this was true in a limited sense, they doubtless failed to gather the full import of some whose meaning needed the light of experience in order to be clearly seen. 52. every scribe.—Not every Jewish scribe, but every disciple possessed of the information and powers of thought which would enable him to rank as the Jewish scribes did. instructed unto the kingdom.—More correctly rendered by Mr. Green “schooled for the kingdom of heaven”— possessed of such instruction as fits him for a teacher in the kingdom of heaven. things new and old.—The allusion is to the fact that a good householder, in entertaining his guests, brings forth from his treasure of provisions and drinks, both old articles long laid away for special occasions, and new ones recently provided. So the Christian scribe or teacher brings forth for the instruction of his hearers both the old lessons with which he has long been familiar, and new ones which he has but recently acquired. While teaching others, he is himself a learner, and he is able, out of the new or the old, to find something suitable to every class of hearers. Argument of Section 10In this section Jesus is presented both as a prophet and a subject of prophecy. By speaking in parables he fulfilled a prediction of David Concerning him (34, 35). and each of the parables which he spoke contains a prediction. In the parable of the sower he predicted the future effects of preaching the word of God; in that of the tares, the final separation of the good and bad, and the destruction of all the latter; in that of the mustard seed, the future growth of the kingdom; in that of the leaven, the certainty that the principles of his kingdom would permeate human society; in that of the hid treasure, the peculiar joy and prompt self-sacrifice with which men would lay hold on the blessings of the kingdom; in that of the precious pearl, the exalted estimate which men would place on the kingdom; and in that of the net, the intermingling of bad men with the good in the Church until the final day, when they will be removed into the furnace of fire. All of these predictions, with the exception of the two concerning the last day, have been in process of fulfillment before the eyes of the world from the apostolic ago to the present time, and they present, therefore, a continuing demonstration of the divine foresight of Jesus. Opinion of the Nazarenes, Matthew 13:53-5853. he departed thence.—As we learn from Mark, the disciples took him even as he was in the ship, and started across the lake on that voyage during which the tempest was stilled. (Mark 4:34-37.) Matthew, with his usual disregard of chronology, having already described that event (8:23-27), now follows Jesus to Nazareth. 54. in their synagogue.—It seems from this expression that there was only one synagogue in Nazareth, which argues hut a small population. 54-57. Whence hath this man.—By the question, “Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works,” they admitted his wisdom and his miracles, but they claimed to be at a loss to account for them; and they were offended (57) at his pretensions. They knew his father the carpenter, and his mother Mary; and his brothers and sisters they knew by name. They had also known him from his childhood; and until recently he had exhibited no such powers. They were filled with envy that he should suddenly be lifted so high above themselves and above his humble origin. Their extreme familiarity with his humanity made them blind to the evidences of his divinity, while their unwillingness to admit his divinity made them incapable of answering their own question; and so, from that day to this, the words and miracles of Jesus have proved an unsolved mystery to all who deny that he was literally the Son of God. his brethren… his sisters.— On the relationship between Jesus and these persons, see note, Mark 6:3. 57. not without honor.—That which prevents a prophet from being honored as such in his own country and among his own kindred, is jealousy. Base as this passion is, it is one of the most prevalent of our passions, and is not easily subdued by even the best of men. In Nazareth Jesus was no more than the son of the carpenter, and the brother of certain very common young men and girls; while abroad he was hailed as the prophet of Galilee, mighty in word and deed. Similar misjudgment had been the lot of all or nearly all the prophets of the Old Testament period. (Comp. Luke 4:24-27.) 58. not many mighty works.—See note on Mark 6:5. In this paragraph Matthew exhibits a degree of candor which is one of the surest marks of honesty. Had it been his purpose to deceive, he would not have admitted that Jesus was rejected and dishonored by the people who had known him from his childhood. He would have been afraid that such an admission would throw suspicion on his representation of the character of Jesus. That he does make this admission, not, indeed, in the form of an admission, but as a fact which existed, and for the record of which he makes no apology, proves that he had an unvarnished story to tell, and that he told it as it was. The facts admitted, moreover, when rightly considered, contain a strong argument in favor of Jesus: for if the Nazarenes, who had known him from his childhood, when making their best efforts to find fault with him, could bring against him nothing worse than his humble family connections, this is proof that he had been guilty of no perceptible wrongdoing.

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Matthew 131. To what place did Jesus resort? 2. What about the privacy permitted him here ? 3. Tell where he seated himself. 4. And where was his audience ? 5. By what method did he speak? 6. State the subject of his first lesson. 7. Name the places on which seed fell. 8. Which did the fowls devour? 9. Why did some spring up too quickly ? 10. What happened to it? 11. Which seed was choked? 12. On what did the other part fall ? 13. Did it all produce in equal amount? 14. Account for this. 15. What use should be made of ears? 16. State the question the disciples asked. 17. Who is “them” in eleventh verse? 18. What were they not to know at this time? 19. How were they prevented from knowing them? 20. Describe the manner of their blindness. 21. What other faculty was thus affected? 22. Who prophesied of this? 23. To whom will more be given? 24. Where will something be taken from nothing? 25. How had the people’ s heart become? 26. What closed their eyes ? 27. State the motive. 28. What might have been the final result ? 29. Why were the disciples pronounced blessed ? 30. State their advantage over other people. 31. What did Jesus now explain? 32. Who represents the wayside? 33. Tell what becomes of the seed. 34. What destroys the seed in the stony place ? 35. Tell what constitutes the thorns. 36. What constitutes the good ground? 37. Who is the “ man” of 24th verse? 38. What is the good seed? 39. What happened in course of the man’ s sleep 40. At what time did the tares appear? 41. Who reported it to the householder? 42. What question did they ask ? 43. Why were they told no? 44. They were to grow together till when ? 45. At that time what will happen? 46. Did the disciples understand this parable? 47. Does the field represent the church ? 48. What are the tares? 49. Who sowed them? 50. At what time will the harvest be ? 51. Who are the reapers? 52. State the destiny of the tares? 53. For whom do the reapers work? 54. What gathering will they do? 55. What shows the suffering will be conscious? 56. State the glory of the righteous? 57. Who are expected to hear? 58. To what article is the kingdom next likened 59. Did the field produce it ? 60. Was “ finders are keepers” true here? 61. Tell how the man obtained the price. 62. What did he buy beside the treasure? 63. State the next object used for comparison. 64. Tell how it is to be obtained? 65. What was taken in the net? 66. How were they disposed of? 67. What institution is like this? 68. How do the bad get into it? 69. Tell what will be done with them. 70. Will they realize it afterward? 71. What did Jesus ask his disciples? 72. How should one come into the kingdom? 73. To whom is such compared? 74. What is he able to do? 75. Into what country did Jesus now come? 76. And what did he there do? 77. How were the people affected? 78. What fact increased their wonderment? 79. Did Jesus have any brothers and sisters? 80. What limited his activities at this time?

Matthew 13:1

13:1 The conversation reported at the close of the preceding chapter took place in a house. It was on that same day that Jesus went out and sat down on the shore.

Matthew 13:2

13:2 A person as interesting as Jesus would not be left to himself very long if the people know where he is, so we are told that great multitudes came unto him. The second word is from a Greek original that means the populace or people in general, and that alone would indicate a goodly number of men and women. Then the other word emphasizes the expression so that we understand that a very large audience came together. Jesus wished to be heard by the multitude and that suggested also that he be seen. For this twofold purpose he entered a ship where he could be in the position of a public speaker with his audience on the shore that doubtless was elevated rearward on the order of an inclined floor of an auditorium.

Matthew 13:3

13:3 The literal meaning of the original for parable is, “A placing of one thing by the side of another.”–Thayer. As to the results of such a placing, or the reason or reasons why it is done, that has to be determined by the context in each case. (See the comments at verse 11.) Caution should be observed in the study of the parables not to make them mean more than was intended. Jesus spoke about thirty parables all pertaining to the plan of salvation that he intended to set up among men. Surely that many would not have been necessary just for the sake of emphasis. The conclusion is that different parts of that plan were considered in the various parables. No one illustration could be large enough to cover all the phases of the one plan of salvation that was to be given to the world.

As a result of the above truths, there may be some features of one parable that do not fit in with the Gospel plan at all. That is because the whole story had to be told in order to make it understood at the point where it does apply. Then another parable will be given that will cover the points in its application where the other one seemed not to be fitting. The parables of our Lord were drawn both from nature and art, and from the customs of man in the conduct of his public and private affairs in all of life’s relations.

Matthew 13:4

13:4 In the days before machinery, seed was sown by the system known as broadcasting, even as such seeding is done sometimes today. In such a work a man could not have full control of the direction of the seed and hence did not always deposit it where it might have been desired. Way side is from HODOS which Thayer defines, “A traveled way.” In such a place the surface would be packed down and hard so that the seeds could not find any opening to bury themselves in the soil. Being thus exposed, they would soon catch the eyes of the birds and be devoured.

Matthew 13:5

13:5 Stony ground is that where small rocks are mixed with the surface of the soil, thereby limiting the amount of earth at any given spot. Forthwith means “immediately,” and the seed sprang up in that way because it ran out of material for growth in the ground, hence it had to come up into the open where it could feed on air and sunlight. But having been thus impelled upward prematurely, the root part of the plant was incomplete and therefore was weak.

Matthew 13:6

13:6 Sunlight is necessary for plant life and growth, but other elements must accompany it; it must have a “balanced diet.” This plant was deprived of the moisture and mineral food that should have been supplied in the ground. Not having such necessities, the one article in the menu (that of the sun) was too much and the result was fatal.

Matthew 13:7

13:7 Thorn is from AKANTHA which Thayer defines, “A thorn, bramble-bush, brier.” It is a plant that grows near the ground in the nature of coarse grass. That is why the soldiers could plat it into a wreath or crown to place on the head of Jesus (Matthew 27:29). The seeds of this plant were not visible at the time of the sower’s work, but when the growing season came they sprang up with all other vegetation. Being more rugged and wild than the good seed deposited by the farmer, they soon choked out all the other plants just as weeds will often smother out the good grass today.

Matthew 13:8

13:8 The good ground would be that where the three forementioned obstacles were not present. Yet with all that advantage it should be noted that the crop was not the same in every place as to the amount, which will be explained at verse 23.

Matthew 13:9

13:9 See comments for this statement at Matthew 11:15.

Matthew 13:10

3:10 Attention is called to the fact that the question the disciples asked pertained to them, the multitude.

Matthew 13:11

3:11 A familiar statement that may be heard on the parables is as follows: “Jesus spoke in parables in order to make his teaching easier to be understood by the people.” Such a statement is exactly opposite of the truth, for this very verse says, in answer to the question of the disciples, that it was not given to the multitudes to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. It may be replied that it was because this knowledge of the mysteries was not possessed by the multitudes that the parables were given to explain them. But that is not correct, for even the disciples did not understand the meaning of the parables until Jesus had them to himself and explained them. A natural question now is in regard to the present day. May we speak of the parables as a means of making the subject plainer in our teaching of the subjects of the New Testament? The answer is that we may, and the reason is that we have both the illustration (the parable) and the thing illustrated with us which is the church and the Gospel, and we can show the comparison. The kingdom had not yet been started when Jesus spoke to the multitudes and hence it was not time to introduce them to all of its mysteries or un-revealed truths.

Matthew 13:12

3:12 Jesus had told the disciples that it was not given to the multitudes to know the mysteries of the kingdom, and in this verse he begins to tell them why. We would think it impossible to take from a man something that he hath not, hence we must look for some figurative or accommodative use of this language. A useful illustration of the subject is in John 15:2. Every branch had been given an opportunity to bear increase but it did not do so. Hence the branch itself was to be removed from the vine. The multitudes had been given the words of Moses and the prophets, yet they refused to see in them the beauties of the kingdom of heaven in predicted form. Now it was certainly just to keep them still in the dark as to those beauties (mysteries) until such time as the whole world would have a full description of the system in detail.

Matthew 13:13

3:13 The first clause of this verse is similar in meaning to verse 11. Seeing see not, etc., means that they were given the ability and opportunity to see and hear but they would not use them.

Matthew 13:14

3:14 Failing to use the means of information within their reach is the subject of this verse. The prophecy referred to is in Isaiah 6:9-10.

Matthew 13:15

3:15 The condition described is with reference to their moral or spiritual situation, but the natural organs are named by way of illustration. Gross means “To make fat; to make stupid (to render the soul dull or callous).” And this was not an accident that came to them, for the verse states the motive they had for bringing on the condition. It was done deliberately for fear they might hear some truth that would expose their evil deeds and later lead them into the service of Christ.

Matthew 13:16

3:16 The disciples were willing to use their opportunities for obtaining information and hence were pronounced as blessed of the Lord. That was why they were admitted into the explanation of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, while the multitudes were not permitted to receive anything but the unexplained parables.

Matthew 13:17

3:17 This verse sounds as if some others who were righteous were in the same class as these multitudes in that they had not seen or heard either. The apparent difficulty is ex plained by going back to the time when the Lord did not expect the people to have a full knowledge of the divine plan. But even the things they could have discerned by proper attention to what was revealed, the Pharisees had failed to grasp because of their hardness of heart. Which ye see and which ye hear is spoken in prospect as if Jesus said, “which ye are going to hear,” meaning the explanation of the parables which comes in the next and following verses.

Matthew 13:18

3:18 This verse invites the disciples to listen and they will hear the inner meaning of some of the “mysteries” that had not been told even to the prophets.

Matthew 13:19

3:19 Failure to understand might not always be a fault, yet we know it is used as one in this case. The original word is SUNIEMI, and its general meaning is, “to set or bring together,” and the definition is explained to mean, “to put the perception and the thing perceived together: to set or join together in the mind.” It denotes that the hearer will give careful attention to what is said so as to arrive at the thought intended by the speaker. Of course a person will not understand what is said to him if he refuses to give it due consideration. As a further result, that person will soon forget all that was said to him and the thought will be lost as was the seed that fell on the hard or beaten ground.

Matthew 13:20-21

0-21 Anon is from a word that is defined “immediately” in Thay-er’s lexicon. It does not indicate that one can be too ready to accept the word, but he may be influenced more by enthusiasm than serious consideration. Such a person may be sincere in his motives, but he has failed to consider that the same word that he received with so much joy for the present, will need to be retained as firmly in the future. He will have to endure opposition from the enemies because of his devotion to the truth, and when that comes if he yields to the foe he becomes offended which means to stumble and reject the word he had heard so joyfully.

Matthew 13:22

3:22 See the comments at verse 7 for a description of these thorns. Care is from MERIMNA and Thayer’s simple definition is, “Care, anxiety,” and he explains his definition to mean, “anxiety about things pertaining to this earthly life.” Robinson defines it, “Care, anxiety, anxious thought,” and his comment on it is, “as dividing up and distracting the mind.” It means to be so concerned about the things of worldly interest that one neglects to give proper attention to spiritual matters. Deceitfulness. of riches means the false pleasures that one may have by means of his wealth. He should not be thus deceived because “the fashion of this world passeth away” (1 Corinthians 7:31).

Matthew 13:23

3:23 The good ground is the heart or mind that understands, and this word is explained at verse 8. The hundred, sixty and thirty fold is different in amount only. It is all good wheat, but not all men even in the good class have the same ability or capacity for producing results. The Lord is not concerned about the amount of work a man accomplishes in the vineyard just so he does what he can.

Matthew 13:24

3:24 The reader should first see the comments at verse 3 about the right use of parables. The one now before us is for a different purpose from the one just concluded. The main point in this is to show what is going to take place at the judgment day. But in order to explain why that will be done it is necessary to tell what was going on in the world before that. In relating those details the Lord mentions some things that do not represent the activities within the church. The items of the parable will first be given and the explanation will follow a little later in the chapter. It starts with the simple fact that a man sowed good seed in his field as no man would sow any other kind in his own territory.

Matthew 13:25

3:25 While men slept means the time when mankind was usually asleep, and that would be the most likely time for an enemy to get in his evil work. Tares is from , and Thayer’s description of it is, “A kind of darnel, bastard wheat, resembling wheat except that the grains are black,” and Robinson says of it, “At first having a close resemblance to them” [good grain]. A common idea is that the tares were growing in such a way that the roots of them and the wheat were entwined so that a man could not pull up the one without uprooting the other. This is a mistake, and instead, it is the resemblance that is considered and which will be considered also below.

Matthew 13:26

3:26 There was enough difference as the growing proceeded that some informed servants recognized the presence of the tares and were puzzled about it.

Matthew 13:27

3:27 The servants asked their master for an explanation.

Matthew 13:28

3:28 He explained that an enemy had done it. The natural conclusion with the servants was that he would want them to gather the tares out of the field.

Matthew 13:29

3:29 The close resemblance between the tares and the wheat might cause some of the servants to mistake the one for the other while the plants were not fully matured.

Matthew 13:30

3:30 By harvest time the growth will be completed and hence no harm can be done to the wheat even if it is pulled up. Also by that time the distinction will be clearer so that the reapers whose experience guides them in the harvesting work will be able to make the separation between the things that should not remain together.

Matthew 13:31

3:31 The parable of the tares was dropped for the present because the multitudes were still present and the explanation was not to be for them. Before dismissing them Jesus spoke two shorter parables, one of which was about the mustard seed.

Matthew 13:32

3:32 The point in this parable is the extent to which the kingdom of heaven was to grow from a very small beginning. The variety of mustard that is considered is the garden kind or that which is cultivated. The word is from SINAPI and Thayer describes the plant as follows: “The name of a plant which in oriental countries grows from a very small seed and attains to the height of ‘a tree’–ten feet or more.” The birds of the air need not be thought as being the largest kind for the text does not require such a conclusion. There are many varieties of small birds that could easily perch in the branches of a plant ten feet high. The kingdom of heaven started in one city and with only a few hundred members at most, but it spread until it became universal and people of all nations sought spiritual shelter in it.

Matthew 13:33

3:33 The next parable is con-tained in this one verse. The meaning is somewhat the same as the preceding one but from a different standpoint. The nature of leaven is to work its way through the mixture in which it has been deposited. If nothing interferes with its operation it will continue until it converts all of the material into a nature like itself. The leaven of the Gospel was deposited at Jerusalem and it spread its influence until it reached to the extremities of “the whole” world or was carried out according to the great commission (Romans 10:18; Colossians 1:23).

Matthew 13:34

3:34 Without a parable applies to the multitudes at such times as Jesus was using to talk about the kingdom of heaven (verse 11).

Matthew 13:35

3:35 In speaking the parables Jesus fulfilled a prophecy spoken by David in Psalms 78:2. World is from KOSMOS and means the people of the earth.

Matthew 13:36

3:36 The first verse of this chapter states that Jesus went out of the house where he spoke to the multitudes. He now dismissed them and went back into the house, and when the disciples came to him they asked for an explanation of the tares and wheat.

Matthew 13:37

3:37 The sower is the Son of man or Jesus the Christ.

Matthew 13:38

3:38 The field is the world (mankind in general) and not the church as some people teach. Good seed are the children means the good seed (which is the divine truth) produces children for the kingdom of heaven. The tares are the children or product of evil teaching. These evil men are people of the world who would not accept the kingdom of heaven and the Lord’s teaching.

Matthew 13:39

3:39 Devil is from which means Satan or Beelzebub. He has always been an enemy of righteousness and has used his influence to keep men out of the kingdom of the Lord. World in this and the following verse is from AION and means age; specifically the age of the earth. Angels have been instruments of God since the human family has existed. They are said to be the reapers, and the same prediction is made of their part in the last harvest as recorded in Revelation 14:14-20.

Matthew 13:40

3:40 All refuse material that accumulates in the course of a growing season generally is disposed of at the time of harvest. Thus it will be done with the tares at the harvest time which will be at the end of the world.

Matthew 13:41

3:41 One meaning of the word for kingdom is, “The territory sub ject to the rule of a king,” and Jesus said (chapter 28:18) that “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” This shows that the whole inhabited earth is the kingdom of Christ in this broad sense. Hence the wicked characters in the world will be taken out of it at the last day and cast into the fire.

Matthew 13:42

3:42 Wailing and gnashing of teeth. The subject of endless punishment will be fully considered at chapter 25:46. It will be stated here however, that the phrase in italics indicates a condition of conscious torment.

Matthew 13:43

3:43 Then is an adverb of time and refers to the condition just after the harvest which is at the end of the world. In 1 Corinthians 15:24 Paul says that Jesus will give up his kingdom when he comes and deliver it to his Father. That is why this verse says that the righteous will then shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Matthew 13:44

3:44 The lesson in this parable is the value of salvation, and hence the sacrifice that one should make willingly in order to obtain it. The treasure represents the salvation which Jesus brought and deposited in the same field that is a part of the parable of the tares. When a man “finds” that salvation through hearing the Gospel and desires to obtain it, he will devote all his time and talents for that purpose.

Matthew 13:45

3:45 This parable teaches the same lesson as the preceding one on the value of salvation. One word in the definition for goodly is, “genuine.” There are many things that appear as pearls but are only imitation. This merchant was not wishing anything but the real and hence he was seeking for it.

Matthew 13:46

3:46 Salvation also is something for which a man should seek (chapter 6:33), and he should be just as careful to find the genuine and not some imitation. Like the parable, there are systems made by man that have the appearance of being good, like “simulated pearls,” but upon examination will be found to be false. And there is no reason for anyone to be deceived for the Scriptures will make it very clear as to what the salvation from God is like. When a man finds it he must devote his entire attention to it in order to retain this pearl of great price.

Matthew 13:47

3:47 When a man casts a net into the water he does not know what may be taken because he cannot see the fish until the net is drawn out. Likewise, no man can read the mind of another, and when he offers the Gospel to the world he cannot see the hearts of those who profess to accept it.

Matthew 13:48

3:48 After the fishing time Is over the net will be drawn out and taken to the shore where the good fish can be separated from the others. In like manner the Gospel fish net will be spread out on the shore of the judgment. Then all those persons who have deceived their fellow men will be exposed before the eye of the great Judge.

Matthew 13:49

3:49 As in the parable of the tares, the angels are represented as the servants of the Lord in separating the good from the bad at the end of the world.

Matthew 13:50

3:50 This verse takes the same comments as verse 42.

Matthew 13:51

3:51 Jesus was still talking to his disciples, the multitudes having been dismissed (verse 36), hence it was appropriate for him to ask them if they understood what had been said. We recall that the disciples who were following Jesus had shown enough sincere attention to the things that had been recorded to have formed a commendable idea of the matters, which entitled them to the explanation of the “mysteries” of the kingdom. But some of the teaching of Jesus was more literal or direct so that honest minds like these would be able to grasp it without special explanation. Hence we are not surprised that they answered his question with yea Lord.

Matthew 13:52

3:52 One important key word in this verse is scribe, and I shall give some information from the writings of learned authors upon the work of this special class of men. The word is from and Thayer’s general definition of it is, “1. A clerk, scribe, especially a public scribe, secretary, recorder . . . 2. In the Bible, a man learned in the sacred writings, an interpreter, teacher.” This definition of the word is based on the special work of these men. On this subject Robinson in his lexicon says the following: “The scribes had the charge of transcribing the sacred books; whence naturally arose their office of interpreting difficult passages, and deciding in cases which grew out of the ceremonial law. Their influence was of course great, and many of them were members of the Sanhedrin.” As further consideration of this subject, we observe that mechanical means of recording literature were not in existence in Biblical times, hence the copies of the law had to be made by hand.

Such frequent contact with the sacred writings naturally made these men familiar with the text, and they could be relied on to quote from it when occasion called for it. With this knowledge of the Old Testament to begin with, after a scribe received the instruction belonging to the kingdom of heaven he would be qualified to offer the treasures of sacred knowledge from both the New and Old Testaments.

Matthew 13:53

3:53 Finished these parables refers to the ones in this chapter.

Matthew 13:54

3:54 Jesus was in Galilee all the time he was teaching these parables and hence he was already in his own country with reference to the province. Thus the term has specific reference to the vicinity of Nazareth where he had been brought up. Having lived there in his boyhood and early manhood, the people were acquainted with his humble life and hence they were astonished when they heard his teaching and saw his works.

Matthew 13:55

3:55 The people were acquainted with much of the family history of Jesus and never knew of any training he had gone through to give him the talents he was now displaying. There could be no question about his general standing as a citizen for they knew all of these nearest relatives and could mention them by name. For comments on the term brethren see those at chapter 12:46.

Matthew 13:56

3:56 The Romanists insist that Mary always remained a virgin, and that when his “brethren” are mentioned it means his disciples since they are known by the name of brethren also. That is true, but when so used it includes all of the disciples regardless of sex. If that had been the meaning intended in verse 55 there would have been no reason to mention sisters in this verse for they would have been included in the other.

Matthew 13:57

3:57 Offended is from SKANDA-LIZO and Thayer’s definition at this place is, “To find occasion of stumbling,” and he explains his definition to mean, “To see in another what hinders me from acknowledging his authority.” Jesus uttered the familiar proverb about a prophet’s honor in his own country. People are inclined to have more, respect for a teacher who is unknown to them than for their acquaintances. Jesus did not state any reason for this and hence I am unable to explain it.

Matthew 13:58

3:58 Pretended miracle workers try to explain their failure at performing certain miracles on the ground of the unbelief of the multitude. They will refer to such passages as the present verse and try to hide behind it. They ignore the point that Jesus did do some of his works in spite of the unbelief of the multitude. The reason their unbelief restricted his mighty works so that he did not many of them was their unbelief which rendered them unworthy. (See chapter 7:6 and Mark 6:5.)