Matthew 13
13
1Later that day Jesus left the house, and sat down to teach#13:1. Implied. The religious teachers sat down when they wanted to instruct their disciples. beside the sea. 2So many people gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down there to teach, while all the crowds stood on the beach. 3He explained many things to them, using stories as illustrations.#13:3. “Stories as illustrations,” literally, “parables.”
“The sower went out to sow,” he began. 4“As he was sowing, some of the seeds fell on the path. The birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on stony ground where there wasn't much earth where they sprouted quickly. 6The sun rose and scorched them and they withered because they had no roots. 7Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked them. 8Still other seeds fell on good soil. They produced a harvest—some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what had been planted. 9Anybody who has ears should be listening!”
10The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use illustrations when you speak to the people?”
11“You're privileged to have revealed to you the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but they're not given such insights,” Jesus replied. 12“Those who already have#13:12. Probably meaning “have understanding.” will have more given to them, more than enough. But those who don't have, whatever they have will be taken away from them. 13That's why I speak to them in illustrations. For even though they see, they don't see; and even though they hear, they don't hear; nor do they understand.#13:13. Jesus was referencing the Old Testament here. It could be any of these: Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 42:20, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2.
14The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in them: ‘Even though you hear, you won't understand, and even though you see, you won't perceive. 15They have a hard-hearted attitude, they don't want to listen, and they've closed their eyes. If they didn't they might be able to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand in their minds. Then they could return to me and I would heal them.’#13:15. Quoting Isaiah 6:9-10.
16Your eyes are blessed, for they see. Your ears are blessed too, for they hear. 17I'm telling you, many prophets and good people longed to see what you're seeing, but didn't see it. They longed to hear what you're hearing, but didn't hear it.
18So listen to the story of the sower. 19When people hear the message about the kingdom and don't understand it, the evil one comes along and rips out what was sown in them. This is what happens to the seeds sown on the path. 20The seeds sown on stony ground are people who hear the message and happily accept it straight away. 21They last for a while, but because they don't have roots, when problems and troubles come, they quickly fall away. 22The seeds sown among thorns are people who hear the message, but then life's worries and the temptation of money choke the message so that they become fruitless. 23The seeds sown on good soil are people who hear the message, and understand it, and who produce a good harvest—some one hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.”
24Then he told them another illustrated story: “The kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who sowed good seeds in his field. 25But while his workers were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weed seeds#13:25. Actually “darnel,” or “false wheat,” a weed that looked similar to wheat. on top of the wheat. Then they left. 26So when the wheat grew and produced ears of grain, the weeds also grew up. 27The farmer's workers came and asked him, ‘Sir, didn't you sow good seeds in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
28‘Some enemy has done this,’ he replied. ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ they asked him. 29‘No,’ he answered, ‘as you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat too. 30Let them both grow until harvest, and then at harvest-time I'll tell the reapers to first gather the weeds, tie them up into bundles and burn them, and then gather the wheat and store it in my barn.’”
31He gave them another illustration: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a farmer sowed in his field. 32Even though it's the tiniest of seeds it grows much bigger than other plants. In fact it grows into a tree big enough for birds to roost in its branches.”
33He told them another illustrated story: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed with a large quantity#13:33. Approximately 50 pounds, or 23 kilos. of flour, until all the dough was raised.” 34Jesus explained all these things to the crowds using illustrated stories—in fact he didn't speak to them without using stories. 35This fulfilled the prophet's words: “I will speak using stories, and I will explain things hidden from the creation of the world.”#13:35. Quoting Psalms 78:2.
36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into a house. His disciples came over to him, and asked him, “Please explain to us the story about the weeds in the field.”
37“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of man,” Jesus explained. 38“The field is the world. The good seeds are the children of the kingdom. The weed seeds are the children of the evil one. 39The enemy that sowed the weed seeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are harvested and burned so it will be at the end of the world. 41The Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather up every sinful thing and everyone who does evil, 42and will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. 43Then those who live right will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.#13:43. See Daniel 12:3. Anybody with ears should be listening!
44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, reburied it, and then full of joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45The kingdom of heaven is also like a trader looking for good pearls. 46When he found the most expensive pearl ever he went and sold all he had and bought it. 47Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net thrown into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full it was dragged ashore. The good fish were put into baskets while the bad ones were thrown away.
49That's the way it will be when the end of the world comes. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from the good, 50and throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
51Now do you understand everything?”
“Yes,” they replied.
52“This is why every religious teacher who's learned about the kingdom of heaven is like a house-owner who brings out from his storeroom both new and old treasures,” Jesus said.
53After Jesus finished telling these stories, he left. 54He went back to his home town#13:54. Nazareth. and taught in the synagogue there. People were amazed, and asked, “Where does he get his wisdom and miracles from? 55Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and his brothers James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? 56Don't his sisters live here among us? So where does he get all this from?” 57And so they refused to believe in him.
“A prophet is honored everywhere except in his homeland and in his family,” Jesus told them. 58Since they failed to trust in him, he did not do many miracles there.
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Matthew 13: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Matthew 13
13
Jesus Teaches in Parables
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee]. 2But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
3He told them many things in #A short story that illustrates a moral or religious principle.parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; 4and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out. 8Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. 9He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”
An Explanation
10Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” 11Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the #Things which humans cannot know or discover on their own unless God reveals it to them.mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. 14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand;
And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend;
15 For this nation’s heart has grown hard,
And with their ears they hardly hear,
And they have [tightly] closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me]
And I would heal them [spiritually].’
16 But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; 21yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. 22And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. 23And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”
Weeds among Wheat
24Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed #Lit tares.weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. 26So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. 27The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ 28He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ 29But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Mustard Seed
31He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”
The Leaven
33He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like #This is the first time leaven is mentioned in the New Testament. See Ex 12:15 for the first mention of leaven in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word (seor) refers specifically to the leavening agent (as opposed to dough containing it), which today is thought of as yeast, a type of fungi. In Jewish thinking, leaven was symbolic of impurity and corruption. Jesus used it as a symbol for the corrupt and hypocritical teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (see especially Luke 12:1; cf Matt 16:11; Mark 8:15), but He also used leaven’s ability to permeate a mass of dough many times its own size as an illustration of the spread of the kingdom of heaven as here and in Luke 13:21.leaven, which a woman took and worked into three #A measure was about a peck and a half, which would be enough bread to feed a hundred people.measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things [unknown and unattainable] that have been hidden [from mankind] since the foundation of the world.”
The Weeds Explained
36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], 42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. 43Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.
Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, 48and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. 49So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].
51 “Have you understood all these things [in the lessons of the parables]?” They said to Jesus, “Yes.” 52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of his #God’s precepts, both the old and the new, contain truths to be treasured.treasure things that are new and fresh and things that are old and familiar.”
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there. 54And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?” 57And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.
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