Matthew Chapter 13

From The Open Bible Project

13:1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.

13:2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

• (1) Christ shows in putting forth this parable of the sower, that the seed of life which is sown in the world does not do as well in one as in another, and the reason for this is that men for the most part, either do not receive it, or do not permit it to ripen. - Geneva Bible Note: when great care is taken in analyzing the word "world", we discover that it references the pre-AD 70 Mosaic Jewish "world" in which the gospel was being sown in Jesus' day. - JM

13:3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

13:4 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

13:5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

13:6 When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

13:7 Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

13:8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

13:9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

13:10 The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

13:11 He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

• (2) The gift of understanding and faith is given only to the elect, and all the rest are blinded through the just judgment of God. - Geneva Bible Note: the "elect" in this case were, specifically, the original disciples/followers of Christ. There is a particularly pre-AD 70 Jewish/Israelite context to these statements, verified in the reference to the Israelite prophet Isaiah, speaking to the future (pre-AD 70) spiritual state of his fellow Israelites. - JM

13:12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand.

13:14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:

13:15 for this people's heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.'[64]

• (3) "THIS people's heart" speaks to the spiritual state of the pre-AD 70 Israelites. Here we see a highly specific contextual limiter introduced. It cannot be deduced from this prophecy that God's cryptic approach to His People, in the parabolic teachings of Christ, has any specific application or relevance to His introduction of Truth to humanity in general. - JM

13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

• (4) The condition of the Church under and since Christ, is better than it was in the time of the fathers under the law. - Geneva Bible In reality, the Church "under Christ" was highly unique. The Church "since Christ" experienced a removal from this realm and planet to the heavenly City of Zion. Yes, the "remnant or elect" enjoyed far greater privelege than their spiritual forefathers "under the Law", but "the Church", in essence, did not exist till Pentecost, at which time it was conceived through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. - JM

13:17 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.

13:18 "Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

13:19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

• (a) Though there is mention made of the heart, yet this sowing is referred to as hearing without understanding. For whether the seed is received in the heart or not, yet he that sows, sows to the heart. - Geneva Bible Again, the "evil one" no longer exists, so we must take care in our application of this text to exclude it from the spiritual experience of anyone post-AD 70. - JM

13:20 What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

• (b) This verse speaks to the spiritual oppression and persecution endured by the original follower of Christ under the Jewish leadership of the latter-day, pre-AD 70 Mosaic Covenant "world". - JM

13:22 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

• (c) The "cares of this age" specify the unique and particular concerns of the Jews under the Old, Mosaic Covenant system of worship and relationship with God. - JM

13:23 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."

13:24 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

• (5) Christ shows in another parable of the evil seed mixed with the good, that the Church will never be free and rid of offences, both in doctrine and manners, until the day appointed for the restoring of all things comes, and therefore the faithful have to arm themselves with patience and steadfastness. - Geneva Bible As we know the "day appointed for the restoring of all things" came in 70 AD, and the Church (the pre-AD 70 one, true Church) was finally perfected and freed/rid of all offences in both doctrine and manners. - JM

13:25 but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed [65>]darnel weeds[<65] also among the wheat, and went away.

• (a) The "enemy" is identified as Satan later in this parable. Satan was destroyed, forever, by Christ Himself in 70 AD, thus this text has no specific application to believers beyond 70 AD. - JM

13:26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also.

13:27 The servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from?'

13:28 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?'

13:29 "But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

• (b) The angelic "reapers" performed this function in 70 AD, as the "false believers" were differentiated from the real, truly born again ones and the final Judgment took place. - JM

13:31 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;

• (6) God begins his kingdom with very small beginnings so that by its growing (even though men neither hope nor expect it to) his mighty power and working may be displayed all the more. - Geneva Bible

13:32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

13:33 He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three [66>]measures[<66] of meal, until it was all leavened."

13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn't speak to them,

13:35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."[67]

13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field."

13:37 He answered them, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

• (7) He expounds the first [actually, SECOND - JM] parable of the good and evil seed. - Geneva Bible

13:38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

13:39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

13:40 As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

• (8) Note the reference to the "end of THIS age". That "end" took place in 70 AD, as the Mosaic Covenant Age eternally passed away in the destruction of the Temple and all authority involved with it. - JM

13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,

13:42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

13:43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

13:44 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

• (9) Few men understand how great the riches of the kingdom of heaven are, and that no man can be a partaker of them but he that redeems them with the loss of all his goods. - Geneva Bible

13:45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,

13:46 who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

13:47 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,

• (10) There are many in the Church who nevertheless are not of the Church, and therefore at length will be cast out: but the full and perfect cleansing of them is deferred to the last day. - Geneva Bible Within the immediate context (pre-AD 70), the immediately preceding foot-note has meaning and objective significance. BEYOND 70 AD, it has none. There is NO further "full and perfect cleansing" of any "church" existing after 70 AD which will yet come in any, future "last day".- JM

13:48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

13:49 So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

13:50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth."

13:51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They answered him, "Yes, Lord."

• (11) They ought to be diligent, who have to be wise not only for themselves, but who have to dispense the wisdom of God to others. - Geneva Bible Indeed. This principle may still apply to a degree, but in reality, the accountability and responsibilities of these initial, original disciples of Christ were highly unique to THEM and their spiritual situation. - JM

13:52 He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

13:53 It happened that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there.

13:54 Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?

• (12) Men not only sin because of ignorance, but also knowingly and willingly they lay stumbling blocks in their own ways, that when God calls them, they may not obey, and so most plainly destroy and cast away themselves. - Geneva Bible This sort of non-contextual application is typical of futurism's casual mis-rendering of the original intent of these texts. It is subtle, but the "sins" of the pre-AD 70 Jews, as described in these verses, were highly unique to THEM. Thus, it is not legitimate to extrapolate a universal application to all "sinners" among mankind from these texts. - JM

13:55 Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and [68>]Judas[<68]?

13:56 Aren't all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?"

13:57 They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house."

• (13) The focus of Christ's ministry and teaching was primarily His own Old Covenant Israelite/Jewish People. - JM

13:58 He didn't do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.