Matthew 13
13
A Story About a Farmer Sowing Seed
(Mk. 4:1–9; Lk. 8:4–8)
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2A large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat and sat down. All the people stayed on the shore. 3Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He told them this story:
“A farmer went out to sow seed. 4While he was scattering the seed, some of it fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was not enough dirt. It grew very fast there, because the soil was not deep. 6But when the sun rose, it burned the plants. The plants died because they did not have deep roots. 7Some other seed fell among thorny weeds. The weeds grew and stopped the good plants from growing. 8But some of the seed fell on good ground. There it grew and made grain. Some plants made 100 times more grain, some 60 times more, and some 30 times more. 9You people who hear me, listen!”
Why Jesus Used Stories to Teach
(Mk. 4:10–12; Lk. 8:9–10)
10The followers came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you use these stories to teach the people?”
11Jesus answered, “Only you can know the secret truths about God’s kingdom. Those other people cannot know these secret truths. 12The people who have some understanding will be given more. And they will have even more than they need. But those who do not have much understanding will lose even the little understanding that they have. 13This is why I use these stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand. 14So they show that what Isaiah said about them is true:
‘You people will listen and listen,
but you will not understand.
You will look and look,
but you will not really see.
15Yes, the minds of these people are now closed.
They have ears, but they don’t listen.
They have eyes, but they refuse to see.
If their minds were not closed,
they might see with their eyes;
they might hear with their ears;
they might understand with their minds.
Then they might turn back to me and be healed.’ Isaiah 6:9-10
16But God has blessed you. You understand what you see with your eyes. And you understand what you hear with your ears. 17I can assure you, many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you now see. But they did not see it. And many prophets and godly people wanted to hear what you now hear. But they did not hear it.
Jesus Explains the Story About Seed
(Mk. 4:13–20; Lk. 8:11–15)
18“So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer:
19“What about the seed that fell by the path? That is like the people who hear the teaching about God’s kingdom but do not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in their hearts.
20“And what about the seed that fell on rocky ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it. 21But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
22“And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.
23“But what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and understand it. They grow and produce a good crop, sometimes 100 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more.”
A Story About Wheat and Weeds
24Then Jesus used another story to teach them. Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25That night, while everyone was asleep, the man’s enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left. 26Later, the wheat grew, and heads of grain grew on the plants. But at the same time the weeds also grew. 27Then the man’s servants came to him and said, ‘You planted good seed in your field. Where did the weeds come from?’
28“The man answered, ‘An enemy planted weeds.’
“The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’
29“He answered, ‘No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat. 30Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At the harvest time I will tell the workers this: First, gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn.’”
What Is God’s Kingdom Like?
(Mk. 4:30–34; Lk. 13:18–21)
31Then Jesus told the people another story: “God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree big enough for the birds to come and make nests in its branches.”
33Then Jesus told them another story: “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour to make bread. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
34Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people. He always used stories to teach them. 35This was to make clear the full meaning of what the prophet said:
“I will speak using stories;
I will tell things that have been secrets since the world was made.” Psalm 78:2
Jesus Explains a Hard Story
36Then Jesus left the people and went into the house. His followers came to him and said, “Explain to us the meaning of the story about the weeds in the field.”
37He answered, “The man who planted the good seed in the field is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seed are the people in God’s kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. 39And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest is the end of time. And the workers who gather are God’s angels.
40“The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. It will be the same at the end of time. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will find the people who cause sin and all those who do evil. The angels will take those people out of his kingdom. 42They will throw them into the place of fire. There the people will be crying and grinding their teeth with pain. 43Then the godly people will shine like the sun. They will be in the kingdom of their Father. You people who hear me, listen!
Stories About a Treasure and a Pearl
44“God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure. He hid it again and was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned and bought the field.
45“Also, God’s kingdom is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46One day he found a very fine pearl. He went and sold everything he had to buy it.
A Story About a Fishing Net
47“Also, God’s kingdom is like a net that was put into the lake. The net caught many different kinds of fish. 48It was full, so the fishermen pulled it to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets. Then they threw away the bad fish. 49It will be the same at the end of time. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the godly people. 50They will throw the evil people into the place of fire. There the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.”
51Then Jesus asked his followers, “Do you understand all these things?”
They said, “Yes, we understand.”
52Then Jesus said to the followers, “So every teacher of the law who has learned about God’s kingdom has some new things to teach. He is like the owner of a house. He has new things and old things saved in that house. And he brings out the new with the old.”
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
(Mk. 6:1–6; Lk. 4:16–30)
53When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there. 54He went to the town where he grew up. He taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and this power to do miracles? 55Isn’t he just the son of the carpenter we know? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56And don’t all his sisters still live here in town? How is he able to do these things?” 57So they had a problem accepting him.
But Jesus said to them, “People everywhere give honor to a prophet, but in his own town or in his own home a prophet does not get any honor.” 58Jesus did not do many miracles there, because the people did not believe in him.
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Matthew 13: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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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