Matthew 13:36

36 Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field."

Matthew 13:36 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 13:36

Then Jesus sent the multitude away
That his disciples might have the opportunity of conversing with him alone, about the sense of the parables he had delivered; and that he might instruct them by some others hereafter mentioned.

And went into the house:
left the ship in which he had been preaching to the multitude, came on shore, and returned to the house he came out of, ( Matthew 13:1 )

and his disciples came to him;
and being alone, make an humble request to him,

saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field:
by which they mean, not a rehearsal of it, but an explication of the sense and meaning of it: they ask nothing about the parables of the mustard seed and leaven, either because they better understood them; or because there were some things very remarkable and striking in this, which made them very desirous to be particularly informed of the several parts of it, and their meaning.

Matthew 13:36 In-Context

34 All Jesus did that day was tell stories - a long storytelling afternoon.
35 His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world's first day.
36 Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field."
37 So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil,
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.