Matthew

Parable of the sower
The purpose of the parables
Parable of the sower explained
Parable of the wheat and tares
Parable of the mustard seed
Parable of the leaven
Prophecy and the parables
The parable of tares explained
The parable of hidden treasure
The parable of the pearl of great price
Parable of the dragnet
Jesus rejected in Nazareth

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ² And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Matthew continues to make the point that the crowd is growing and pressing in on Jesus more and more.  Matthew uses this word for multitude 47 times in his epistle.  The news about this teacher and healer named Jesus was spreading far and wide.  People were coming great distances to hear and see and to be healed by Him. 

To escape the press of the crowd and settle them, Jesus got into a boat while the multitude stood on the shore.  This allowed Him to speak and teach them. In those days, the teacher sat and the people stood.  But this wasn't the normal setting for a teacher.  Teachers taught in the synagogue, not from a boat on the shoreline; you can imagine the cry of the religious crowd that Jesus was breaking tradition.

 

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

These people all would have been familiar enough with farming that they could envision this picture of a sower sowing seeds.  The wayside would have been the path where one walked on the side of the crops.  It would be hard packed and not open to receive seed.  Some of the seed fell there, some was eaten by birds, some fell among the rocks, some fell among thorns and some of this seed fell on good ground.  The crop was different for each case, each bearing fruit differently. 

This parable is a new way of speaking for Jesus, although it was widely used by Rabbis and teachers.  This was story designed to create a visual picture for the hearer.  It was for the purpose of illustrating a truth.  To bring the hearer to that point of truth the parable used simile, comparison, model or analogy.  We remember pictures much easier than we remember words.  Pictures help us to see words and understand concepts and ideas.  In some cases it helps is to see a truth we may not be willing to see or desire to see.  Think about the prophet Nathan after David's sin with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah.  Nathan told David a parable of a rich man who stole a poor man's only little lamb that he loved.  David was angered and ready to execute judgment on this man when Samuel informed David that he was that man (2 Samuel 12:1-7).  By use of a parable David came to an understanding of his sin; he was able to see a picture of himself that he otherwise couldn't see. 

Nathan led David to a truth that David didn't want to admit.  It was a sin he couldn't see.  Nathan could have just pointed his finger at David and made an accusation in which case David's defenses would have went up and an all out war could have ensued. 

 

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

If we return to the picture of David as he sat in sin, guilty of murder and yet justifying it as if Uriah were killed in battle.  We could say David was seeing, but didn't see.  He in fact, designed the entire episode.  But he never saw it for the sin that it was.   David was fully aware but he didn't allow himself to fully understand.  The parable opened David's eyes and ears to the real understanding of what he had done.  This drove him to write Psalm 51 (take time to go read it).

Jesus wasn't using parables to hide anything.  Parables were designed to reveal something, not hide it.  The disciples heard and understood the mysteries of the kingdom.  Because their eyes and ears were opened they would have understand even more in abundance.    But that's not so to others.  Their eyes and ears are closed to the things of the kingdom.  They are ruled by fear and emotions and money and life.  The truth sails right by them and they can't or won't see it.  When a parable is presented, the hearer has a story to grasp.  Within a story we can relate to people and places and our mind will study and attempt to glean something.

Jesus said blessed are those that see and He spoke in parables so that those who couldn't see might have their eyes opened to the truth and would understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.  Here this multitude stood before Jesus, the messiah; where many prophets and righteous men would love to be standing.  So many had passed away longing to see the coming of their messiah king.  These people had that chance, yet only a few had eyes to see and ears to hear that they might understand who Jesus was.

 

¹⁸ â€œTherefore hear the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. ²⁰ But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²² Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³ But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The Lord gives us the interpretation of this parable.  He doesn't however tell us who the sower is in this parable.  It is verse 37, interpreting the Tares and wheat, the sower is revealed as the Son of Man.  While we know that God alone is the sower, we also know he uses men.  We had just seen in Mathew where Jesus was sending the disciples into the world to preach the kingdom and to do similar works as He.  Its as if they stood in his place, doing His work in His Name.  This would be in important lesson for these disciples who would take the word of God and, very soon, the gospel message of resurrection to dark and dying world. 

The message is that several things are possible when someone hears the word of God.  The first place the seed of the word may fall is 'by the wayside'.  The birds came and devoured the seed.  This is like an accidental and chance encounter one might have with the word.  Seed wouldn't grow in the roadway.  While we might think the sower wasted seed when it hit the road, in reality this is what happened when you sowed right to the edge of the good soil, some was lost in the roadway.  It was acceptable loss, so to speak.  This person who received the word, had no understanding; they weren't looking for the word; there was no preparation to receive it.  It was as if it were an accidental encounter and the enemy quickly snatched it away. 

The word seems to make sense and have affect when it is spoken in their presence but they quickly forget this.  They don't grasp the word and hold onto it and let it change them.  There is no root, therefore no nourishment for it to grow.  When trouble comes into this life or the cost of discipleship is realized, they stumble.  Imagine the man whose friends began to treat him different because he received this word; or a woman that was persecuted at her job because she was a believer.  With no depth, no root, Jesus said they withered away.  This person might someday say, "I tried Christianity, but it just wasn't for me."

The third place that seed fell is among thorns.  We know from other places in the bible that thorns are the picture of sin.  Jesus said 'among thorns' is among the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches.  We can see this is someone with their eyes on this world and its priorities and not on things eternal.  In this case we don't know the condition of the soil so much as we know that it proper for the growth of thorns.  The seed of the word won't grow and flourish where thorns are growing.  One will choke the other.  It's as if to ask, which will you fertilize and cultivate, the thorns or the good seed?  It doesn't say the seed doesn't grow, it just isn't fruitful.  it produces nothing.  All the nourishment for growth is going to the thorns.

And finally, the fourth soil is the good ground.  The seed fell there and grew and yielded a crop.  This is where the sower was aiming, the good ground, prepared and fertile and ready to receive the seed.  Jesus said this is the one who hears the word and understands it.  The evidence of the hearing and understanding is the bearing of fruit.  It's worth noting that not everyone bears the same degree of fruit; some hundredfold, some sixty, some forty, some thirty.  The message to the other soils isn't that they don't deserve the seed but that they need to change the conditions to receive it. 

The seed is the word of God; the place where the seed lands is the heart of man; the birds are the enemy, the wicked one, Satan; thorns are sin and the world. 

What is the truth conveyed? 

1. The sowers, or those bringing the word, aren't responsible for the condition of the soil; some of the seed will grow, some will not. 
2. The same seed is casts by the sower; good seed, seeking a place to grow.
3. The parable begs the question, "What soil type have you prepared for this seed?"  What is the condition of your heart?"  What is the evidence?  Is there fruit one hundredfold, sixty, or thirty?

 

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” â€™ â€

Jump down and read verses 36 through 43 as Jesus explains the meaning of this parable to his disciples.  The kingdom of God is a like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  The people of the multitude Jesus spoke this to would understand the picture of a man sowing a field.  They could visualize this and relate to it.  The seed was sown and expected to bear fruit.  But there were complications.  While men slept, the enemy came in and sowed tares in his field.  It is said that this was done in those times.  Someone that wanted to harm you might sneak into your field and sow tares among your wheat.  The thing about tares is that they looked just like wheat.  You wouldn't even know this was done without close examination.  The tares grew right in among the wheat and you couldn't readily tell them apart.  It wasn't until harvest that you could see that the tares bore no fruit and that's when they were seen for what they really were. 

Jesus explains that He is that sower and the good seeds are sons of the kingdom planted in the field of this world.  The tares are the son of the wicked one, Satan.  The harvest that is coming in the end of this age and the reapers are angels. 

As long as good seed was sown, it will grow in the good soil, but the enemy will sow tares among the good wheat.  We need to be aware of that.  Among the disciples listening to this parable was Judas, the most famous of tares.  The initial thought was to rip all these tares out and cast them out of the field.  But to do so would also rip out some of the wheat and harm it.  The owner said, let them grow up together until the harvest.  Then the reapers will sort it out.  The tares will be thrown into the fire and the wheat gathered into my barn.  Notice that the field, the crop, the barn and the fruit of the harvest all belonged to the owner.  

You must look at your life to see if the there is evidence of fruit.  Has the word taken root and grown in your life?  We must then know that there will be tares growing right along side us.  They look like us, dress like us, sing like us, function very much like us as we go about life in the church.  The difference is, they don't bear fruit and that some day, they will be thrown into the fire.  It is not your job to rip the tares out of your presence.  It is not you responsibility to point out people you think are tares.  It is simply for you to understand, they will grow up among us.  The rest is God business. 

This is a picture of the Kingdom of heaven for those who would hear it.  This is what it would look like in this world and this life.  But there was the time of harvest coming.  While it might seem like a long time coming; and while it seems as though the tares are getting just fine growing among the wheat; there is a day coming when the tares will be thrown into the fire.  This results in weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

It's interesting that the field is defined as the world and the angels will gather out of God's kingdom all 'who offend and practice lawlessness'.  While we think of this world as being Satan's - and he is certainly running free for a time - we see at the end the Lord lay claim to his creation.  The kingdom of heaven then is like this field where righteousness and evil are growing together, but in the end righteousness shines forth. 

 

³¹ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, ³² which indeed is the least of all the 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 nest in its branches.”

The mustard seed was very small, one of the smallest.  The hearers of this parable would recognize it as being a seed that grew an herb and became a bushy tree.  Sometimes this parable is interpreted as being an example of this seed of God's word going out and growing to great proportions way beyond what could be imagined by such a tiny seed.  While this is true, it's not likely that is what this parable is conveying. 

With consistency of what's been defined by Jesus, we see the seed is the word of God, although with the tares it is righteous men.  The field is the world.  When this seed grows up, it actually grows into a tree that becomes a place where the birds come and nest.  Well, we saw earlier that birds represent the enemy.  It appears that this seed grew into something that wasn't normal.  It wasn't a bush but a tree.  It grew to something unexpected and unnatural.  In the Old Testament the tree is a picture of a vast kingdom (Ezekiel 17:23; 31:3-9; Daniel 4:10-12).  This tree is then so large that even the enemy comes and makes a home in its branches. 

Is this a picture of the Roman Catholic Church?  Is it a picture of a mega church?  How about some of the television based ministries?  Can we just return to the idea that good seed planted in good soil will bring much fruit?  The Lord said, the kingdom of heaven is like this little seed.  It will grow, even beyond what it is supposed to; because we live in a sin-fallen world.  Because we are all sin-fallen and the church is made of sinners, we will pollute the purity of our own faith. 

So far we've seen, the kingdom of God is like a wheat field full of weeds. The kingdom of God is like a tree that grew inappropriate size, even becoming a place for evil.   

 

³³ Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Some would say this again represents the affect of the gospel on the world; as if the gospel were like leaven that spread throughout the entire measure of meal.  This would imply the gospel is taking over every aspect of this world and has a vast influence on all of our culture.  The problem is that is not the case.  In fact, we see it going the other way.  The gospel is reaching the world but it is becoming darker as we daily approach the end. 

In those days, when making bread, the meal was prepared.  Then a pinch of leaven that was saved from the loaf yesterday is added.  This is the yeast that, when mixed with today's loaf, will permeate it entirely.  The leaven would work its way throughout the entire batch.  The affect on bread was to puff it up, the doe would rise.  It was fluffy and made good bread.  Leaven caused fermentation which is a sort of rotting or corruption. 

This leaven is always a picture of sin in the bible.   Leaven is corruption, rotting or breaking down.  This is the affect of sin on a life.  (1 Cor 5:6-8).  Many times a woman is used as a picture in the bible of an evil influence. This woman hid the leaven.  Why hide it, why is she trying to slip it in unnoticed?  This would have been offensive to the Jew that a woman would hide leaven in the bread (Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?).  We should also note that three measures of meal was an inordinate amount.  This would have been enough for a hundred people. 

This picture seems very similar to the mustard tree.  It appears the church will grow large and that sin will pervade every aspect of church.                                                          

G. Campbell Morgan said that leaven represents the paganizing influences brought into the church.

 

We notice the Psalm has nothing to do with hiding anything and everything to do with God revealing Him self to His people.  This is what Jesus was doing.  The Psalmist spoke of a Jesus although he was concealed.  Jesus is unveiling these truths to the multitudes.

I can't help but wonder what this multitude is thinking.  Jesus and his disciples were declaring the Kingdom of Heaven had come to them.  And then he said it's like field full of weeds, an overgrown mustard tree and a giant loaf of leavened bread.  This isn't what folks wanted to hear.  They wanted a kingdom to come that would kick out the Romans; they wanted wealth and prosperity; they wanted joy and health and happiness.  These parables announced that the kingdom would exist within the existing kingdoms of the world and that it would threatened, infected and influenced by the evils of this world.  Yet, in the end it would prevail and remain. 

 

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

³⁷ He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing 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!

This section was discussed above with verses 24 through 30. 

 

⁴⁴ â€œAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Jesus is now talking to His disciples only and He gives them more parables.  They may have wondered why Jesus spoke to them in parables.  Well, parables were for those who saw but didn't really see; heard but didn't perceive it; those with no real understanding that brought a change of heart.  This describes the disciples (and some of us).

In the previous explanation, the field is the world.  And there is a treasure hidden in this world.  A man finds this treasure, hides it and for joy over it, sells all that he has and buys the field.   There are several scriptures that go with this parable but one that specifically comes to mind is John 3:16:

 

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life^[2

The field is the world and the treasure hidden is you and I.  We are hidden in Christ until that day when the transaction is complete.  God so loved us that it was His great joy to come to this world as a man and purchase back that which was really always His.  The Lord redeemed the world and all that is in it.  He conquered sin and death.  The price has been paid, but the rightful owner hasn't taken possession yet.

Others see this treasure in the parable as the word of God or salvation.  The man finds it, hides it and then goes and buys the field.  There are several problems with this.  If we find our salvation we aren't to hide it we are to shout it to the world.  And there is nothing about the word, the truth of salvation that is for sale.  We can sell all we have a million times over and not come close to any real value in comparison.  We are left with the idea that the treasure is out there somewhere and the man has to find it and go to great lengths to obtain it.  This just doesn't come close to describing the gospel.  Christ did the work, once and complete at the cross for each of us.  

 

⁴⁵ â€œAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A pearl starts as a tiny spec that is an irritation in the oyster.  It's a foreign substance that is lodged in the oyster.  The reaction of the oyster is to cover this irritation.  It is covered with the secretions of the oyster until it is no longer recognizable.  What started as a worthless spec of nothing is now a beautiful pearl of great price.  It grew gradually over time and was not visible to anyone until it is removed.  God's kingdom is like this.  The children of the kingdom; the church is this foreign substance in this world.  It's an irritation to a sin-fallen world.  It grows in this persecution of the environment it was born in.  It grows quietly and over time and becomes a pearl of great price.  Jesus is this great merchant that gave His all to purchase this pearl of great price. 

It's worth noting that oysters and clams weren't kosher and would not have been something the Jews took part in.  The mains source of pearls was the shores of the Red Sea in those days.  The Pearl was the loveliest thing and prized and valued above all.  The pearl was valued more in the rest of the world and may be seen as representative to the gentile church.  It's also worth noting the gates of the New Jerusalem are made from one pearl. 

There are songs about the pearl of great price and they see this pearl as the Lord Jesus.  But the Lord Jesus isn't hidden.  We don't find the Lord and purchase Him; He found us and purchased us. 

 

⁴⁷ â€œAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, ⁴⁸ which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰ and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

This would once again create a very clear picture to this crowd.  Within the multitude most were probably fisherman or had been involved in fishing.  The dragnet was a large net cast out and then drawn back in to the shore.  At this time the fishermen would sit down and sort out the fish, keeping the good and throwing out the bad. 

Jesus said, it will be the same at the end of the age.  We can see this dragnet as the church.  The church is earthly presence of God's kingdom.  The sea is often used to picture the multitudes of men - a great sea of people.  Like the net the church captures many indiscriminately.  Unfortunately the catch isn't pure.  There are some captured that don't belong.  At the end of the age the angels will come and separate the wicked from the just.  The wicked will be thrown into the fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

 

⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

⁵² Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

⁵³ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

The disciples said they got it.  This is hard for us to understand when we know of the church and history; we have the bible and prophecy all at our fingertips.  Jesus didn't dispute that they understood, so we won't either.  To say they understand means they have heard with their eyes, seen with their eyes and now had understanding in their heart.  And we remember Jesus said those who have will receive more.  This understanding brings about a change.  Now that they knew, they were as a 'scribe instructed' and they had a responsibility to teach this to others.  A good teacher taught both the old and the new from his storehouse of knowledge.   

 

⁵⁴ When He had come to 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? ⁵⁵ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 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 own country and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Jesus had left the area around Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee to return to Nazareth.  Jesus brought his teaching to his hometown where He and His family were known.  They recognized His wisdom yet despised Him for it.   They referred to Him as "this man" as if He were of a lower class or not worthy of such wisdom.  It's almost as if they acted like He stole it.  They knew He was a carpenter's son, they knew Mary, they knew the rest of the family. The prophet isn't honored in His own house and His own country.  They didn't believe; they couldn't get past what they knew about Him as a man to see that He was the Son of God and trust in the amazing works He was doing among them. 

 

©2015 Doug Ford