Matthew 13
13
A Story about a Farmer
(Mark 4:1–20; Luke 8:4–15)
1That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee. 2The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore. 3Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things.
He said, “Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. 4Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren’t deep enough. 7Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them. 8But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. 9Let the person who has ears listen!”
10The disciples asked him, “Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?”
11Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. 12Those who understand ⌞these mysteries⌟ will be given ⌞more knowledge⌟, and they will excel ⌞in understanding them⌟. However, some people don’t understand ⌞these mysteries⌟. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. 13This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they’re blind. They hear, but they don’t listen. They don’t even try to understand. 14So they make Isaiah’s prophecy come true:
‘You will hear clearly but never understand.
You will see clearly but never comprehend.
15These people have become close-minded
and hard of hearing.
They have shut their eyes
so that their eyes never see.
Their ears never hear.
Their minds never understand.
And they never return to me for healing!’
16“Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. 17I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God’s people longed to see what you see but didn’t see it, to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it.
18“Listen to what the story about the farmer means. 19Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn’t understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates. 20The seed planted on rocky ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. 21Since he doesn’t have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls ⌞from faith⌟. 22The seed planted among thornbushes ⌞is another person who⌟ hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can’t produce anything. 23But the seed planted on good ground ⌞is the person who⌟ hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted.”
A Story about Weeds in the Wheat
24Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. 26When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared.
27“The owner’s workers came to him and asked, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
28“He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’
“His workers asked him, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’
29“He replied, ‘No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I’ll have them bring the wheat into my barn.’ ”
Stories about a Mustard Seed and Yeast
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–21)
31Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone planted in a field. 32It’s one of the smallest seeds. However, when it has grown, it is taller than the garden plants. It becomes a tree that is large enough for birds to nest in its branches.”
33He used another illustration. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until the yeast worked its way through all the dough.”
34Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story. 35So what the prophet had said came true:
“I will open my mouth to illustrate points.
I will tell what has been hidden since the world was made.”
The Meaning of the Weeds in the Wheat
36When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means.”
37He answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. 39The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels. 40Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. 41The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. 42The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. 43Then the people who have God’s approval will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!
Stories about a Treasure, a Merchant, and a Net
44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man discovered it, he buried it again. He was so delighted with it that he went away, sold everything he had, and bought that field.
45“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. 46When he found a valuable pearl, he went away, sold everything he had, and bought it.
47“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea. It gathered all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, they pulled it to the shore. Then they sat down, gathered the good fish into containers, and threw the bad ones away. 49The same thing will happen at the end of time. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from people who have God’s approval. 50Then the angels will throw the evil people into a blazing furnace. They will cry and be in extreme pain there.
51“Have you understood all of this?”
“Yes,” they answered.
52So Jesus said to them, “That is why every student of the Scriptures who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
53When Jesus had finished these illustrations, he left that place.
Nazareth Rejects Jesus
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:14–30)
54Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in the synagogue in a way that amazed them. People were asking, “Where did this man get this wisdom and the power to do these miracles? 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary? Aren’t his brothers’ names James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where, then, did this man get all this?” 57So they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown and in his own house.”
58He didn’t work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9Let anyone with ears#13.9 Other ancient authorities add to hear listen!”
The Purpose of the Parables
10Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets#13.11 Or mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ 14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
‘You will indeed listen, but never understand,
and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
15For this people's heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.#13.21 Gk stumbles 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with#13.33 Gk hid in three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
The Use of Parables
34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:#13.35 Other ancient authorities read the prophet Isaiah
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”#13.35 Other ancient authorities lack of the world
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears#13.43 Other ancient authorities add to hear listen!
Three Parables
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Treasures New and Old
51“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” 53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
54He came to his hometown and began to teach the people#13.54 Gk them in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? 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 are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” 58And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.