The Pharisees have asked for a sign from Jesus to prove His identity, and the division between them and Him has grown to the point that we begin to hear Jesus speaking solely in parables to the public now. We see the interesting reason for that here in Matthew 13, along with several parables about the Kingdom of God; and the chapter ends with Jesus back in His hometown, where unbelief stifles His miraculous deeds. Let’s take a look.
1) V1-23 – 1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear.” 10The disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” 11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’ [Isaiah 6:9-10]. 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Jesus speaks from a boat just offshore to take advantage of the natural amphitheater, and He speaks to the crowd in parables. This first parable is one of the most memorable, often called “The Parable of the Sower,” or “The Four Soils.” V3-9 tell the story. A farmer sowed seed, and it fell on four different types of ground (path, rocky/shallow soil, among thorns, and good soil), with four different results. Before we examine the results and the meaning of the parable as a whole, which Jesus explains in v18-23, let’s consider the arguably more important thing to learn from this passage, namely the reason for Jesus’ speaking in parables.
In v10, immediately after the parable is told, Jesus’ disciples ask Him why He speaks in parables; and v11-17 represent Jesus’ answer to them, definitely worthy noticing, because there is a lot of disagreement from a theological perspective as to the reason for the parables. First Jesus says in v11-13, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” So Jesus acknowledges that the disciples have been given the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but He says that others have not been given the same. We need to understand the identity of the others, the “them” in v11. “They” definitely includes the Pharisees, but I think the group includes those who aren’t willing to pursue Jesus’ wisdom as well. That’s why Scripture teaches everyone to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8); we can’t see unless we taste; the disciples were tasting and seeing, but the Pharisees and the majority of the crowd surrounding Jesus waiting for the next big miracle, weren’t interested in tasting the teachings of the Lord. In John 5:24, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” Those who hear and believe, as evidenced by their pursuit of the meaning of the parables, are those who have been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, and they have spiritual life; but those who hear Jesus and do not believe, as evidenced by their disinterest in learning the meaning of the parables, are those who lack this knowledge and remain spiritually dead.
We’re not talking about some early form of gnosticism here. It’s a foundational understanding – a worldview – that grows and builds on itself. Thus, Jesus adds, “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.” If you start the process of building a Christian worldview as a follower – not just a fan – of Jesus Christ, then you “have” and you will be given more. Though I just said, “If you start,” we must realize that it’s actually God starting the building in us. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1); and “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). This is the point where regeneration (being spiritually born again), intersects with new found faith in a new believer; chronologically, they seem to come about simultaneously, but logically, the new birth must precede faith. As knowledge and wisdom by faith in God is the foundation, the knowledge by faith grows on itself, and soon, there is abundance. We understand by faith (Hebrews 11:3). And, by grace, we grow in our understanding (2 Peter 3:18).
Jesus adds to this truth, “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” If we lack a foundation of faith, we will never understand even the most basic of spiritual truths, because even the natural understanding we have as humans will be confounded and corrupted by the sin nature. Jesus gives an example of this truth with Nicodemus in John 3:12, asking rhetorically while simultaneously condemning one of the leaders of the Jews, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” And Paul explains the same thing in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
Next, Jesus says, “This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” The entire audience of Jesus sees Him and hears His words, but their continued unbelief and disinterest in the truths the parables convey prove that they really don’t see Him for who He really is – the Messiah, the Son of God – and they don’t really hear Him. It might be akin to reading C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia without realizing that Aslan represents God in the story. You can still hear the story and be entertained by it, but you miss the rich meaning intended by the author.
Don’t miss that this is the reason Jesus gives for speaking in parables! It’s a hardening purpose! As with the ministry of Isaiah, so Jesus’ ministry hardened so many of those who lacked spiritual life. Thus, Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 in v14-15, saying, “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”
“In them” refers to the hardened ones, those who see but don’t see and hear but don’t hear. Those who disbelieve prove Jesus’ authenticity! Had everyone who heard Jesus believed in Him, we could be sure then that Jesus was not who He claimed to be. That sounds hard, but this is the reason for the parables – to harden the unbelievers and thereby prove that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Savior of mankind. Furthermore, as Calvin says of the Isaiah passage, “The Lord, therefore, merely forewarns Isaiah that he will have to do with obstinate men, on whom he will produce little effect; but that so unusual an occurrence must not lead him to take offense, and lose courage, or yield to the rebellion of men; that, on the contrary, he must proceed with unshaken firmness, and rise superior to temptations of this nature. For God gives him due warning beforehand as to the result; as if He had said, ‘You will indeed teach without any good effect; but do not regret your teaching, for I enjoin it upon you; and do not refrain from teaching, because it yields no advantage; only obey Me, and leave to My disposal all the consequences of your labors. I give you all this information in good time, that the event may not terrify you, as if it had been strange and unexpected.’ Besides, he is commanded openly to reprove their blind obstinacy, as if he purposely taunted them.” In other words, just as this message of God to Isaiah was to strengthen Isaiah for the daunting task he had to endure, so this prophesy fulfilled in Jesus’ lifetime was to strengthen Him in His humanity to endure the ridicule and persecution that came with the rejection of His teaching and moreso the rejection of His person.
One last point with this quote from Isaiah: don’t miss the last part, that God would heal those who turn in repentance. If the hardening didn’t come from the teaching in parables, the people might have repented and God would have healed them. This sounds harsh, but God seems to have desired the hardening to ensure that He wouldn’t be obligated, by His promise of forgiveness to the penitent, to forgive them! This theology fits with the reformed understanding of predestination, election, and reprobation, all matters of God’s sovereignty in salvation. And Calvin’s lengthy comments on the Isaiah passage confirm this understanding:
“By his instruction [Isaiah, and likewise Jesus] will also blind the people, so as to be the occasion of producing greater insensibility and stubbornness, and to end in their destruction. [God] declares that the people, bereft of reason and understanding, will perish, and there will be no means of obtaining relief; and yet He at the same time affirms that the labors of the Prophet, though they bring death and ruin on the Jews, will be to Him an acceptable sacrifice. This is a truly remarkable declaration; not only because Isaiah here foretold what was afterwards fulfilled under the reign of Christ, but also because it contains a most useful doctrine, which will be of perpetual use in the Church of God; for all who shall labor faithfully in the ministry of the word will be laid under the necessity of meeting with the same result. We too have experienced it more than we could have wished; but it has been shared by all the servants of Christ, and therefore we ought to endure it with greater patience, though it is a very grievous stumbling-block to those who serve God with a pure conscience. Not only does it give great offense, but Satan powerfully excites his followers to raise a dislike of instruction on the pretense of its being not merely useless, but even injurious; that it renders men more obstinate, and leads to their destruction. At the present day, those who have no other reproach to bring against the doctrine of the gospel maintain that the only effect produced by the preaching of it has been, that the world has become worse.
“But whatever may be the result, still God assures us that our ministrations are acceptable to Him, because we obey His command; and although our labor appear to be fruitless, and men rush forward to their destruction, and become more rebellious, we must go forward; for we do nothing at our own suggestion, and ought to be satisfied with having the approbation of God. We ought, indeed, to be deeply grieved when success does not attend our exertions; and we ought to pray to God to give efficacy to His word. A part of the blame we ought even to lay on ourselves, when the fruits are so scanty; and yet we must not abandon our office, or throw away our weapons. The truth must always be heard from our lips, even though there be no ears to receive it, and though the world have neither sight nor feeling; for it is enough for us that we labor faithfully for the glory of God, and that our services are acceptable to Him; and the sound of our voice is not ineffectual, when it renders the world without excuse….
“We ought also to attend to this circumstance, that Isaiah was not sent to men indiscriminately, but to the Jews…. It is undoubtedly a harsh saying, that God sends a prophet to close the ears, stop up the eyes, and harden the heart of the people; because it appears as if these things were inconsistent with the nature of God, and therefore contradicted his word. But we ought not to think it strange if God punishes the wickedness of men by blinding them in the highest degree. Yet the Prophet shows, a little before, that the blame of this blindness lies with the people; for when he bids them hear, he bears witness that the doctrine is fitted for instructing the people, if they choose to submit to it; that light is given to guide them, if they will but open their eyes. The whole blame of the evil is laid on the people for rejecting the amazing kindness of God; and hence is obtained a more complete solution of that difficulty to which we formerly adverted.
“At first sight it seems unreasonable that the Prophets should be represented as making men’s hearts more hardened…. Such blinding and hardening influence does not arise out of the nature of the word, but is accidental, and must be ascribed exclusively to the depravity of man. As dim-sighted people cannot blame the sun for dazzling their eyes with its brightness; and those whose hearing is weak cannot complain of a clear and loud voice which the defect of their ears hinders them from hearing; and, lastly, a man of weak intellect cannot find fault with the difficulty of a subject which he is unable to understand; so ungodly men have no right to blame the word for making them worse after having heard it. The whole blame lies on themselves in altogether refusing it admission; and we need not wonder if that which ought to have led them to salvation become the cause of their destruction. It is right that the treachery and unbelief of men should be punished by meeting death where they might have received life, darkness where they might have had light; and, in short, evils as numerous as the blessings of salvation which they might have obtained. This ought to be carefully observed; for nothing is more customary with men than to abuse the gifts of God, and then not only to maintain that they are innocent, but even to be proud of appearing in borrowed feathers. But they are doubly wicked when they not only do not apply to their proper use, but wickedly corrupt and profane, those gifts which God had bestowed on them.
“John quotes this passage as a clear demonstration of the stubbornness of the Jews. He does not indeed absolutely give the very words, but he states the meaning clearly enough (John 12:39-40). True, this prediction was not the cause of their unbelief, but the Lord foretold it, because he foresaw that they would be such as they are here described. The Evangelist applies to the Gospel what had already taken place under the law, and at the same time shows that the Jews were deprived of reason and understanding, because they were rebels against God. Yet if you inquire into the first cause, we must come to the predestination of God. But as that purpose is hidden from us, we must not too eagerly search into it; for the everlasting scheme of the divine purpose is beyond our reach, but we ought to consider the cause which lies plainly before our eyes, namely, the rebellion by which they rendered themselves unworthy of blessings so numerous and so great.
“Paul, too, shows from this passage, on more than one occasion (Acts 28:27; Romans 11:8), that the whole blame of blindness rests with themselves. They have shut their ears, says he, and closed their eyes. What Isaiah here ascribes to doctrine, Paul traces to the wicked disposition of the nation, which was the cause of their own blindness; and accordingly, I have stated that this was an accidental and not a natural result of the doctrine…. Now, however ungodly men may bark against us with their reproaches, that our doctrine ought to bear the blame, because the world is made worse by the preaching of it, they gain nothing at all, and take nothing away from the authority of the doctrine; for they must at the same time condemn God Himself and the whole of His doctrine. But their calumnies will not hinder His justice from being displayed, or hinder Him from vindicating itself, and at the same time vindicating us.
“…He expressly declares that he did not send the Prophet because He intended to save the people; but, on the contrary, because He intended to destroy them. But the word of God brings salvation; at least some benefit must arise from the preaching of it, that it may do good to some, though many are deprived of the advantage by their own unbelief. I answer, the subject treated of is the whole body, which had already been condemned and devoted to destruction; for there were always some whom the Lord exempted from the general ruin; to them the word brought salvation, and on them it actually produced its proper effect; but the great body of the people were cut off and perished through obstinate unbelief and rebellion. So, then, we perceive that the word of God is never so destructive that there are not a few who perceive that it brings salvation to them, and feel that it does so in reality…. We ought also to observe from the order and connection of the words, that the first step of healing is repentance. But in the first place, we must understand what he means by the word healing; for he uses it in reference to the chastisements which had been inflicted on the people on account of their sins. Now, the cause of all the evils which we endure is our rebellion against God. When we repent, He is reconciled to us, and the rods with which He chastised us are no longer employed. This is our healing. And this order ought to be carefully observed, from which it is evident what object the Lord has in view in inviting us to Himself, and what is the design of the heavenly doctrine, namely, that we may be converted. …Then, offering reconciliation He holds out remedies for all diseases, not only of the body but of the soul. And such being the eminent advantage derived from the word of God, if we are not reconciled to God as soon as His word sounds in our ears, we have no right to lay the blame on any other, for it rests wholly with ourselves. Indeed, the Prophet here speaks of it as unnatural and monstrous, that, by the doctrine of the word, the native tendency of which is to heal and soften, men should become insolent and obstinate and altogether incurable. It is undoubtedly true, that when we are drawn inwardly (John 6:44), it is an extraordinary gift of God, and that the arm of God is not revealed to all (Isaiah 53:1), but by this dreadful punishment of obstinate malice, Isaiah intended to teach, that we ought earnestly to beware of despising when God calls.”
Finally, Jesus concludes His reasoning for the parables in v16-17, saying, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Jesus says effectively that the disciples were not victims of the hardening ministry in which He was engaging. Instead, they were “blessed.” Specifically, their eyes were blessed, because they really saw Jesus for who He is; and their eyes were blessed, because they heard His teachings and believed. Scripture says, “Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both” (Proverbs 20:12; cf. Deuteronomy 29:4). In other words, if we have faith in Jesus, if we believe His words and seek His instruction, and test His will by doing it, then it’s only because God has blessed us. That’s confirmation that regeneration precedes faith (Acts 18:27); and it’s hard teaching. But it’s throughout Scripture. Take just one example, when Jesus spoke to the crowd after feeding the 5000, in John 6:35-37(44), saying, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away… No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them (the drawn ones) up at the last day.”
There’s one more reason to see the disciples as “blessed.” Not only did God bless them with spiritual life when they were dead in their sins, enabling (and ensuring) that they would see and hear and believe in Jesus; but also, they lived in the time of the Messiah’s coming on earth. The faithful Old Testament Prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, longed to understand in the way that the disciples got to understand, and because the former didn’t but the latter did, they were considered blessed. Just think, we who live 2000 years on the other side of the cross are far more blessed than even the disciples, for we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guard and guide us in our journey in this still broken world.
Now, returning to “The Parable of the Sower,” let’s see how Jesus explains it in v18-23. The farmer sowing his seed is anyone who speaks “the message about the kingdom.” So Jesus was a farmer during His earthly ministry, and the disciples were farmers, especially throughout the Book of Acts, and today, preachers and laymen are farmers when we talk about Jesus and spiritual truths related to the Gospel. Our speaking is the sowing, and it goes into the hearts of our hearers. But our hearers have four different responses, depending on the kind of soil by which they are represented. First are those who do not understand the message. The path represents them, and the reason they don’t grasp the gospel truth is that Satan, represented by the birds in the parable, snatches the message away from them. Paul understood this well, and he expressed it in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
There are those who hear the gospel and receive it with joy, thinking, “Hey, this is great news! I’m saved by Jesus and get to go to heaven!” The rocky, shallow soil represents these hearers, because, lacking depth in their understanding (no root), they don’t maintain their faith very long. “When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away” (v21). If you were to go on vacation and hear the gospel, receiving it with joy, and then return home where you reveal the good news to your friends, then you might be like this if they mock and ridicule you causing you to forget all about Jesus.
The third type of soil is thorny soil, and Jesus says this is “the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Jesus despises lukewarmness, an unfruitful faith, and much of the New Testament is written to guard against it. Sadly, there are many professing Christians who exhibit unfruitful faith, usually because of worldly concerns or laziness, perhaps even lack of energy due to being “choked!” And though Jesus doesn’t give a declaration of condemnation upon these hearers, this type of soil does not yield what the Gospel is intended to produce. So most commentators suggest that these hearers either lack possession of Christ – despite their profession of faith – and end up with eternal destruction in hell, or have a genuine possession of Christ and merely escape the fires of hell by the skin of their teeth, thereby missing out on the great rewards God will have for those who have grown in faithful fruitfulness (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
The final hearer is represented by good soil, and this person not only understands the message of the Gospel, but also responds to it in faithful fruitfulness, applying the instructions of God found within the Gospel to good use. These hearers earn interest on their efforts, and they will reap reward here and/or there, by God’s grace and in His perfect timing. Elsewhere, Jesus says to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, and having a fruitful faith is certainly one way to do that (Consider George Muller).
2) V24-43 – 24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” 31He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” 33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world” [Psalm 78:2]. 36Then He left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
In this passage, we have a series of three parables (v24-30; v31-32; and v33) along with a remark (v34-35) adding to Jesus’ purpose for speaking in parables. Finally (v36-43), we hear an explanation of the first parable, which is often called “The Wheat and the Tares.” He begins all three of these parables by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Jesus wants to explain the workings of His kingdom, over which He reigns as king, because it doesn’t work the same way as earthly kingdoms. In the first parable, Jesus effectively describes how perceived injustices will be handled; it’s an image of the rest of this earthly existence along with a foreshadowing of Judgment Day. Jesus pictures a man who sowed good seed in his field and adds an enemy sneaking in at night to corrupt the field by sowing weeds. Nobody would know it happened until the plants started to sprout. Only then would the questions be asked of the owner, “Didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weed come from?” The wise owner/farmer would realize that “an enemy did this.” His livelihood was vandalized. The servants would inquire about pulling up the weeds, but again the wise owner/farmer would know that any weed-removal at this point would risk the fruitfulness of the wheat crop. Therefore, the owner instructs the servants to wait until harvest time when the weeds could be pulled up and burned, separated from and without damaging the wheat.
Let’s skip ahead and see in v36 that the disciples again privately approach Jesus to get an explanation of His parable, proving their genuine faith and spiritual life. We must all strive to be truth-seekers. Jesus reveals that He, “the Son of Man,” is the owner/farmer who sowed good seed, and His “the world” is His field; He owns all things and reigns over all things. The good seed, Jesus says, “stands for the sons of the kingdom.” Don’t miss the hint at predestination and election here; God knew His own before the foundation of the world and determined the times and places for them to live in the world, right alongside the “sons of the evil one,” the weeds in the story, scattered throughout Jesus’ field by “the devil.” Jesus says, “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.” At Judgment Day, the servants of Jesus – the angels – will “weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” The weeds, “sons of the evil one,” will be thrown “into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” But the wheat, “the righteous” who grew up tested in the difficulty of a weed-laden field, “will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” once the weeds are removed at Judgment Day. Why not pull up the weeds right away? Not only do you risk harming the wheat crop, but it’s also really hard to tell which sprouts are wheat and which sprouts are weeds when they are first growing. Only when the wheat ripens for harvest does the weight of its head of grain cause it to bow humbly in the breeze; meanwhile, the weeds have no weighty head, so they stand proud and tall. The difference is significant for the harvesters; they see humility before the Lord and pass by, while arrogance before God brings destruction. It’s very similar imagery to the historical event of Passover!
Jesus concludes His explanation with a command – “He who has ears, let him hear” – to heed His instruction, to pay attention and apply this lesson to present living. It seems unnecessary, because what Jesus teaches is clearly interesting and important; but sadly, the effects of sin on the human intellect and attention span are significant. We often fail to grasp the meaning of Jesus’ instruction, and even more frequently fail to apply what we do understand to our lifestyles. May God add His blessing to our reading!
Returning to v31-35, we have 2 shorter parables and an addendum to Jesus’ reason for speaking in parables. First, “the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.” It starts off small and insignificant, but grows to be “the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” Many commentators have put this parable into different words in various ways. The general understanding is that Jesus’ kingdom, over which He reigns, does not seem significant at first, in light of the world around us, but we find, as we grow in our understanding of His kingdom, that it grows and provides shelter and blessing (Daniel 2:44). One commentator says, “Though the dominion [of Jesus] appeared small like a seed during Jesus’ ministry, it would inexorably grow into something large and firmly rooted, which some would find shelter in and others would find obnoxious and try to root out.”
The next parable Jesus tells relates the same truth, regarding the spread of influence of the kingdom of heaven. He says it is “like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Only a small amount of yeast to impact the whole lump of dough; likewise, the kingdom of God, though small and insignificant at its coming with Jesus, will eventually reach the entire world. We might consider the Word of God in a similar light; prior to becoming a Christian (and by that, I mean a devoted follower of Christ, a possessor and not just a professor), God’s word had very little, if any significance to us, but as we grow in Christ, God’s word also grows in significance to us and becomes our shelter and resting place. So the kingdom of heaven starts small and grows, influencing nations and impacting individuals from the inside out.
Finally, we have already studied in detail the reason for Jesus’ speaking in parables, but v34-35 add to our understanding of this topic. He spoke in parables to reveal mysteries, in fulfillment of Psalm 78. In other words, Jesus explains things that were not understood about the kingdom of God prior to His coming. One author sums it up nicely, “Through Christ’s word, we see into the ancient Scriptures of the Old Testament, and new things are also revealed to us there that were not apparent to its earlier readers. This is the nature of inspired Scripture. It applies to time in a timeless sense: that is, what is used to explain to one understanding continues to reveal and enlighten to those who will come later, and those who come later find new meaning and light in what was written of old. This is the nature of mystery, and at the very heart of Jesus’ words, in His use of parables. The mysteries open to us, but only if we have ears to hear. What we hear and see really depends on what we have within us.”
3) V44-58 – 44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” 53When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. 54Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in His hometown and in His own house is a Prophet without honor.” 58And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Jesus adds three more parables in v44-52, to further explain the kingdom of heaven. First, it is “like treasure hidden in a field.” And when a man finds that treasure, he will joyfully sell everything he has in order to buy the field containing the treasure. Jesus is saying that when a person finds the kingdom of heaven, seeing it with eyes that see and hearing about it with ears that hear, reborn from above, that person will be filled with joy and will lose their life having found new life. They will do whatever it takes to possess citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Amazingly, all it takes is faith, which comes by grace! I wonder why so many professing Christians lack this joyfully attitude about the kingdom of heaven. Could it be that they are like the rocky and shallow, or thorny soil, being choked by the cares of this world and failing to produce the fruit of the Spirit because they lack roots? May we all rejoice over the kingdom of God!
Next, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.” Finding the greatest pearl ever, of course, the merchant will sell everything else just to possess this one. And he does it with joy! May we who belong to Jesus joyfully sacrifice our time, talents, and treasure in order to possess Jesus Himself. May we be found in possession of the kingdom of heaven, just as Jesus possesses us.
Finally, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a net that…caught all kinds of fish.” This parable returns to the theme of the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, speaking of what will happen when Judgment Day comes. The kingdom of heaven, which came with Jesus and has grown since the day of Pentecost, has, like a great net, gathered up lots of different kinds of fish, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Soon, the net will be full, reeled in by Jesus’ servants – the angels – and the fish (people God has created) will be separated, good from bad. The bad fish will be thrown “into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It’s a glimpse of hell, separation from God, something no one has any idea how horrible it would be. But the good fish, those people who belong to Jesus, will be collected.
Having finished with His parables for the moment, Jesus then asks if His audience has “understood all these things.” I’d like to think, had I been there, that I would have asked for more explanation, rather than declared with the rest that I did fully understand; but the truth is, we think we understand, but we have trouble with the application, and that reveals that we lack understanding. But Jesus concludes here with one last parable. And this one is not about the kingdom of heaven, but rather about “every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says that teacher is “like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” An amplified version of the Bible refers to the owner bringing out “the fresh and the familiar.” In other words, as one commentator notes, “Jesus was commending those who were able to bridge the gap between their intense training in the traditions of the Old Testament with the freshness of New Testament discipleship. Jesus definitely [challenged them] with His approach, and those scribes who were not open to a new perspective would have resented the reactions people had to Him.” Another commentator says, “Jesus was indicating [to His disciples] that to become a ‘Master,’ the scribe – the disciple (not teacher) – of the kingdom of heaven – must be fully conversant with the new revelation (the gospel of Jesus Christ) as well as the preceding one (the Old Covenant).” Christian truth is inexhaustible; we must become lifelong learners, both unafraid to open our minds to new teachings, as long as they are compatible with the old truths – regularly revisited – that have become foundational to our faith, and able to converse with those familiar with the Old Covenant, the New Covenant, both, or neither.
In v53-58, Jesus moves on in His travels and arrives at His hometown – Nazareth. As was His custom as an itinerant preacher (a rabbi), He taught in the synagogue. And as was typical with Jesus, His audience was amazed at both His teaching wisdom and His miraculous healing power. Ultimately, because they knew Him from childhood, and were acquainted with His family – Jesus had at least four brothers (named here in v55) and two sisters (unnamed in Scripture) – His authority offended them. Though Jesus taught with wisdom and performed a few miracles, they did not want Him taking any authority over them, since, from their perspective, He was a son of their town and not its master.
This passage causes many to think the Jesus was a troublemaker as a youth, or that He somehow showed during His youth that He was not exceptional and unworthy to be considered as such now that He was older. But there is no evidence to validate such claims; on the contrary, we know Jesus was sinless. Jesus simply acknowledged that this circumstance was not surprising to Him, saying, “Only in His hometown is a Prophet without honor.” Because few people accepted His authority, “He did not do many miracles there.” Perhaps we can learn that lack of faith results in a withdrawal of God’s miraculous power. That’s a tough lesson to learn, because we often have faith that God is able to do anything. But we resist the desire to declare His will with certainty. If a friend has cancer, we know that God could heal; we pray that He would heal. But we stop short, oftentimes, of declaring that He will heal, because we simply lack faith (confidence) that healing is His will at this particular moment. Jesus healed many people during His earthly ministry. They believed He was able. But countless more went unhealed, perhaps due to absence from the region of Jesus’ ministry; or perhaps because of unbelief; perhaps for another reason unbeknownst to us. May we never be found guilty of lacking faith that prevents God from working miracles in our midst.
Bible text from
Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society.