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Parables of the Kingdom
13
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And large crowds were gathered together to Him, so He got into a boat to sit down; and the whole crowd stood on the shore.
Parable of the soils
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables saying: “Listen, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell alongside the road, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Others fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; so they sprouted quickly because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and smothered them. 8 But others fell on the good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The reason for parables
10 And the disciples approached and said to Him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”* From Mark 4:10 it appears that this occurred later, probably after verse 33. Mark has two parables that Matthew does not—Mark 4:21-29. 11 So in answer He said to them: “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given and he will have abundance;† But he will have to give an accounting for it all. but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.‡ Spiritual growth is like going up an incline on a bicycle without brakes; if you stop pedaling you go backwards. We must keep learning and growing; if we stop, we start losing. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, that seeing they not see and hearing they not hear nor understand.§ This is in response to their choice, as verses 14-15 make clear. But Jesus only started using parables after the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit—they formally rejected Jesus as Messiah. Notice that the declared purpose of the parables is that the people not understand. It follows that doctrine should never be based on a parable, unless Jesus interprets it—the interpretation may be used, but not the parable itself. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘By hearing you (ye) will hear and not understand,
and seeing you will see and not perceive.
15 Because the Ahearts of this people have grown dull,
and their Bears hard of hearing,
and their Ceyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their Ceyes
and hear with their Bears
and understand with their Ahearts,
and turn around; and I would heal them.’* A triple chiasmus—ABC,CBA. The Text is clear to the effect that if they turn around He will heal.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear; 17 for assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous ones desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.
Parable of the soils explained
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the malignant one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart—this is the seed sown alongside the road.† In sowing, the seed is scattered on top of the soil, not planted, and is therefore vulnerable—maybe that is why the great commission is to disciple. Observe that Jesus is teaching that the devil can invade a person's mind. 20 But the seed sown on stony places—this is he who hears the word and directly receives it with joy, 21 but he has no root in himself and is short-lived; for when trial or persecution comes because of the word, directly he is offended.‡ This is typical of the ‘prosperity gospel’. 22 But the seed sown among the thorns—this is he who hears the word, but the care of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word, and it becomes fruitless.§ Both the seed on stony places and among thorns sprouted—there was life. 23 Now the seed sown on the good ground—this is he who hears the word and understands, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”* Not all saved persons serve the Lord at the same level of intensity; some are more committed, others less.
Wheat and tares
24 He put another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while the people were sleeping his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. 26 But when the stalk sprouted and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared.† It is only when the ‘fruit’ appears that you can tell the difference. “By their fruits you shall know them.” 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy did it.’ The servants said to him, ‘So do you want us to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said: ‘No, lest gathering up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
Mustard seed
31 He put another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 which indeed is smaller than all the seeds,‡ That is, seeds normally planted in gardens. but when it is grown it is greater than all the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and rest§ The verb I have rendered ‘to rest’ is a compound form. The noun root refers to a temporary shelter, like a tent or a hut. The verbal form means to make use of such a shelter. Here the preposition κατα is prefixed to the verb, emphasizing, as I suppose, the temporariness. In Mark 4:32 the Text says that the birds can use the shade, not the branches. But shade moves with the sun, and with the wind—how can you build a nest in something that keeps moving around (the Text actually says ‘under its shade’)? in its branches.”
Yeast
33 He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of the heavens is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet should be fulfilled, namely:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.”* The quote is from Psalm 72:2—Matthew calls Asaph a prophet.
“Wheat and tares” explained
36 Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples approached Him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 So He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of the Man. 38 The field is the world; as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, while the tares are the sons of the malignant one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Therefore just as the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of the Man will send out His angels,† The angels are going to be busy. and they will collect out of His kingdom everything that is offensive, and those who perpetrate lawlessness;‡ I take it that the “kingdom” here is physical (not merely ‘spiritual’) and includes the whole planet, because it contains “offensive” things and “lawless” people. 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire. There there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Treasure and pearl
44 “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in a field,§ Although 70% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘the’ field, the best line of transmission has ‘a’ field, which is correct. which a man found and re-hid, and in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who upon finding one very valuable pearl went and sold everything he had and bought it.* Both of these parables are to the same point, and in Philippians 3:7-9 Paul illustrates that point.
A seine
47 “Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a seine that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they pulled upon the shore; and sitting down they collected the good into vessels, but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and will separate the malignant out from among the righteous, 50 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire. There there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
51 Jesus says to them, “Did you understand all these things?” They say to Him, “Yes, Lord.”† Perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘Lord’, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc. 52 So He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been discipled into the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a householder, who brings out of his reservoir things new and old.”‡ A ‘scribe’ was instructed in the Law and the prevailing interpretations of it (the ‘old’), but if he had also been discipled into the Kingdom, his thinking would be reoriented about many things (the ‘new’).
A visit to Natsareth
53 Now it happened, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 And coming into His hometown He began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said: “Where did this man get this wisdom, and the mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James and Joses and Simon and Jude?§ Here we have the names of Jesus' four half-brothers, and the plural ‘sisters’ means there were at least two of them (the use of ‘all’ probably indicates more than two). Joseph and Mary had a normal family. 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 58 And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

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*13:10 From Mark 4:10 it appears that this occurred later, probably after verse 33. Mark has two parables that Matthew does not—Mark 4:21-29.

†13:12 But he will have to give an accounting for it all.

‡13:12 Spiritual growth is like going up an incline on a bicycle without brakes; if you stop pedaling you go backwards. We must keep learning and growing; if we stop, we start losing.

§13:13 This is in response to their choice, as verses 14-15 make clear. But Jesus only started using parables after the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit—they formally rejected Jesus as Messiah. Notice that the declared purpose of the parables is that the people not understand. It follows that doctrine should never be based on a parable, unless Jesus interprets it—the interpretation may be used, but not the parable itself.

*13:15 A triple chiasmus—ABC,CBA. The Text is clear to the effect that if they turn around He will heal.

†13:19 In sowing, the seed is scattered on top of the soil, not planted, and is therefore vulnerable—maybe that is why the great commission is to disciple. Observe that Jesus is teaching that the devil can invade a person's mind.

‡13:21 This is typical of the ‘prosperity gospel’.

§13:22 Both the seed on stony places and among thorns sprouted—there was life.

*13:23 Not all saved persons serve the Lord at the same level of intensity; some are more committed, others less.

†13:26 It is only when the ‘fruit’ appears that you can tell the difference. “By their fruits you shall know them.”

‡13:32 That is, seeds normally planted in gardens.

§13:32 The verb I have rendered ‘to rest’ is a compound form. The noun root refers to a temporary shelter, like a tent or a hut. The verbal form means to make use of such a shelter. Here the preposition κατα is prefixed to the verb, emphasizing, as I suppose, the temporariness. In Mark 4:32 the Text says that the birds can use the shade, not the branches. But shade moves with the sun, and with the wind—how can you build a nest in something that keeps moving around (the Text actually says ‘under its shade’)?

*13:35 The quote is from Psalm 72:2—Matthew calls Asaph a prophet.

†13:41 The angels are going to be busy.

‡13:41 I take it that the “kingdom” here is physical (not merely ‘spiritual’) and includes the whole planet, because it contains “offensive” things and “lawless” people.

§13:44 Although 70% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘the’ field, the best line of transmission has ‘a’ field, which is correct.

*13:46 Both of these parables are to the same point, and in Philippians 3:7-9 Paul illustrates that point.

†13:51 Perhaps 2% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘Lord’, to be followed by NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.

‡13:52 A ‘scribe’ was instructed in the Law and the prevailing interpretations of it (the ‘old’), but if he had also been discipled into the Kingdom, his thinking would be reoriented about many things (the ‘new’).

§13:55 Here we have the names of Jesus' four half-brothers, and the plural ‘sisters’ means there were at least two of them (the use of ‘all’ probably indicates more than two). Joseph and Mary had a normal family.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD