Matthew 13

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.

2 Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore.

3 Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: "A farmer went out to plant his seed.

4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up.

5 Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn't much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.

6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots.

7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants.

8 Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.

9 You people who can hear me, listen."

10 The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you use stories to teach the people?"

11 Jesus answered, "You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets.

12 Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them.

13 This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really hear or understand.

14 So they show that the things Isaiah said about them are true: 'You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not learn.

15 For the minds of these people have become stubborn. They do not hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me and be healed.'

16 But you are blessed, because you see with your eyes and hear with your ears.

17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and good people wanted to see the things that you now see, but they did not see them. And they wanted to hear the things that you now hear, but they did not hear them.

18 "So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer.

19 What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person's heart.

20 And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy.

21 But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.

22 And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruitn in that person's life.

23 But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more."

24 Then Jesus told them another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field.

25 That night, when everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and then left.

26 Later, the wheat sprouted and the heads of grain grew, but the weeds also grew.

27 Then 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 pull up the weeds?'

29 The man answered, 'No, because when you pull up the weeds, you might also pull up the wheat.

30 Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest time. At harvest time I will tell the workers, "First gather the weeds and tie them together to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it to my barn."'"

31 Then Jesus told another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.

32 That seed is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it is one of the largest garden plants. It becomes big enough for the wild birds to come and build nests in its branches."

33 Then Jesus told another story: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in a large tub of flour until it made all the dough rise."

34 Jesus used stories to tell all these things to the people; he always used stories to teach them.

35 This is as the prophet said: "I will speak using stories; I will tell things that have been secret since the world was made."

36 Then Jesus left the crowd 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."

37 Jesus answered, "The man who planted the good seed in the field is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, and the good seed are all of God's children who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those people who belong to the Evil One.

39 And the enemy who planted the bad seed is the devil. The harvest time is the end of the world, and the workers who gather are God's angels.

40 "Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all who cause sin and all who do evil.

42 The angels will throw them into the blazing furnace, where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.

43 Then the good people will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. You people who can hear me, listen.

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure, and then he hid it in the field again. He was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned to buy that field.

45 "Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls.

46 When he found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

47 "Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish.

48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put all the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish.

49 It will be this way at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people.

50 The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain."

51 Jesus asked his followers, "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes, we understand."

52 Then Jesus said to them, "So every teacher of the law who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings out both new things and old things he has saved."

53 When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, he left there.

54 He went to his hometown and taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. They said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and this power to do miracles?

55 He is just the son of a carpenter. His mother is Mary, and his brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

56 And all his sisters are here with us. Where then does this man get all these things?"

57 So the people were upset with Jesus. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and in his own home."

58 So he did not do many miracles there because they had no faith.

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Matthew 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

The parable of the sower. (1-23) The parable of the tares. (24-30; 36-43) The parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven. (31-35) The parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net cast into the sea, and the householder. (44-52) Jesus is again rejected at Nazareth. (53-58)

Verses 1-23 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence allots to us. Christ taught in parables. Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant. The parable of the sower is plain. The seed sown is the word of God. The sower is our Lord Jesus Christ, by himself, or by his ministers. Preaching to a multitude is sowing the corn; we know not where it will light. Some sort of ground, though we take ever so much pains with it, brings forth no fruit to purpose, while the good soil brings forth plentifully. So it is with the hearts of men, whose different characters are here described by four sorts of ground. Careless, trifling hearers, are an easy prey to Satan; who, as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we take not care to keep it. Hypocrites, like the stony ground, often get the start of true Christians in the shows of profession. Many are glad to hear a good sermon, who do not profit by it. They are told of free salvation, of the believer's privileges, and the happiness of heaven; and, without any change of heart, without any abiding conviction of their own depravity, their need of a Saviour, or the excellence of holiness, they soon profess an unwarranted assurance. But when some heavy trial threatens them, or some sinful advantage may be had, they give up or disguise their profession, or turn to some easier system. Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin, and are a fruit of the curse; they are good in their place to stop a gap, but a man must be well armed that has much to do with them; they are entangling, vexing, scratching, and their end is to be burned, ( Hebrews 6:8 ) . Worldly cares are great hinderances to our profiting by the word of God. The deceitfulness of riches does the mischief; they cannot be said to deceive us unless we put our trust in them, then they choke the good seed. What distinguished the good ground was fruitfulness. By this true Christians are distinguished from hypocrites. Christ does not say that this good ground has no stones in it, or no thorns; but none that could hinder its fruitfulness. All are not alike; we should aim at the highest, to bring forth most fruit. The sense of hearing cannot be better employed than in hearing God's word; and let us look to ourselves that we may know what sort of hearers we are.

24-30, 36-43 This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them in the other world. So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced. The servants complained to their master; Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? No doubt he did; whatever is amiss in the church, we are sure it is not from Christ. Though gross transgressors, and such as openly oppose the gospel, ought to be separated from the society of the faithful, yet no human skill can make an exact separation. Those who oppose must not be cut off, but instructed, and that with meekness. And though good and bad are together in this world, yet at the great day they shall be parted; then the righteous and the wicked shall be plainly known; here sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them. Let us, knowing the terrors of the Lord, not do iniquity. At death, believers shall shine forth to themselves; at the great day they shall shine forth before all the world. They shall shine by reflection, with light borrowed from the Fountain of light. Their sanctification will be made perfect, and their justification published. May we be found of that happy number.

Verses 31-35 The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter end would greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the soul where grace truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like leaven in the hearts of those who receive it. The leaven works certainly, so does the word, yet gradually. It works silently, and without being seen, ( Mark 4:26-29 ) , yet strongly; without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but without fail. Thus it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel, hid a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was made powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into the soul, it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all the powers and faculties of the soul, and alters the property even of the members of the body, ( Romans 6:13 ) . From these parables we are taught to expect a gradual progress; therefore let us inquire, Are we growing in grace? and in holy principles and habits?

Verses 44-52 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid in the field. Many slight the gospel, because they look only upon the surface of the field. But all who search the Scriptures, so as in them to find Christ and eternal life, ( John 5:39 ) , will discover such treasure in this field as makes it unspeakably valuable; they make it their own upon any terms. Though nothing can be given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake of it. 2. All the children of men are busy; one would be rich, another would be honourable, another would be learned; but most are deceived, and take up with counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price; in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. A man may buy gold too dear, but not this Pearl of great price. When the convinced sinner sees Christ as the gracious Saviour, all things else become worthless to his thoughts. 3. The world is a vast sea, and men, in their natural state, are like the fishes. Preaching the gospel is casting a net into this sea, to catch something out of it, for His glory who has the sovereignty of this sea. Hypocrites and true Christians shall be parted: miserable is the condition of those that shall then be cast away. 4. A skilful, faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who brings forth fruits of last year's growth and this year's gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over again, and new ones also.

Verses 53-58 Christ repeats his offer to those who have repulsed them. They upbraid him, Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is true he was reputed to be so; and no disgrace to be the son of an honest tradesman; they should have respected him the more because he was one of themselves, but therefore they despised him. He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Unbelief is the great hinderance to Christ's favours. Let us keep faithful to him as the Saviour who has made our peace with God.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)