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MATTHEW 13

Setting of the chapter
We have noticed as we have looked at chapters 11 and 12 that this section of Matthew, from chapter 11 to chapter 16, is transitional, for the Lord is increasingly being rejected, and is steadily distancing Himself from the nation of Israel, and is indicating in various ways that there is a change coming, and the Gentiles also are ordained for blessing.

One of the ways in which this change of emphasis is brought out is by the use of parables. The word parable comes from the Greek word “paraballo”, “para” being a preposition meaning “by the side of”, and “ballo” being the verb “to throw”. A parable, then, is a form of speech where a familiar thing is thrown alongside an unfamiliar thing. So in the parable of the sower the familiar thing is the sight of a farmer scattering seed on the ground, whilst the unfamiliar thing is that the seed is the Word of God and the ground is the heart of man.

The reason for this change of teaching style is given to us in verses 10-17, where the Lord explains to the disciples that He spoke in parables as a form of judgement on the nation, so that those who were not really interested would not understand, but those who genuinely sought the truth would enquire further. It is a common misconception about the Lord’s parables that they were homely stories making the truth easier to understand. This is not so, for they presented truth in such a way that only earnest seekers would understand. This is brought out more fully in verses 10-17.

We must not make the mistake of thinking that the spoken ministry of the Lord Jesus always consisted of parables. A reading of Matthew chapters five, six, and seven will show that He began by speaking precepts. Then, when the nation hardened its heart against Him, He spoke in parables. Finally, when they were determined to crucify Him, He spoke with prophecies, for the nation would have to wait a long time before the setting up of the kingdom of which the prophets spoke.

There is a connection between these three forms of teaching, however, for the precepts were the setting out of the principles of His kingdom; the prophecies told of the circumstances in which that kingdom would be set up, and the parables told out the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, giving explanations as to why the kingdom had not been set up, and the conditions upon which men may be in that kingdom.

It is noticeable that after his account of the deliverance of the blind and dumb demon-possessed man, Matthew only records in detail three other miracles performed on people. These were the release from her possessing spirit of the daughter of the woman of Canaan. But only after she ceased addressing Him as Son of David, and began calling Him Lord, 15:21-28. Then there was the curing of the child vexed by a devil, 17:14-21, when the Lord exclaimed “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?” then in 20:30-34 there was the healing of the two blind men at Jericho, who adressed Him as both Lord and Son of David. There were other instances of healing in 13:58; 14:36; 15:30; 21:14, but they are given in general terms.

There were other miracles done, of course, and Mark Luke and John record some of them, but Matthew is deliberately withholding these details in order to highlight the change from seeing miracles, to hearing parables. In fact, the Lord Himself highlights this in verses 13-17, where He explains to His disciples why He has begun to speak in this different way. Every verse in that section mentions seeing and hearing; the people have seen, and not understood, so will they hear and understand? That is what is being tested by the use of parables. Will they be content with parables as homely stories, or will they enquire further and seek the hidden meaning?

Survey of the chapter
All except the last six verses of the chapter have to do with parables in some way; either the telling of them or the explaining of them. The final incident of chapter 12, concerns His near relations, who asked to speak with Him when He was in a house teaching the people. Their request provides Him with the opportunity to formally break from the nation. He exclaims, “Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother”, Matthew 12:48-50. In this way the Lord Jesus distanced Himself from every natural relationship, and showed that only those who have the life of His Father, and who are therefore in the family of God, have any connection with Him.

How is this relationship, which is far superior to natural relationships, obtained? The answer is through the doing of the will of the Father. But how do we know what that will is? When we look in Luke’s parallel account we find the answer, for there the Lord says, “My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it”, Luke 8:21. As James would later write, “Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth”, James 1:18. And Peter wrote, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever”, 1 Peter 1:23.

We should not confuse the seed Peter refers to with the seed of the parable of the sower. Believers are born again, but that birth does not bring them into another natural generation, so that they are the seed of men, but a new spiritual one, the seed of God, which has not the corruption of sin about it. The means by which this happens is through the word of God, which has life-giving power, being itself living and abiding.

Now this is contrary to Jewish thought, for they believed that to be of the seed of Abraham was enough to secure a place in the kingdom of Messiah. And they also believed the kingdom would be brought in by force, as He overthrew all opposition, and as a Warrior-King assumed the throne. In the parables of Matthew 13 however, we learn the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, verse 13. A mystery in Scripture is truth that God has withheld until the appropriate moment has come for it to be disclosed. And when it is disclosed, it is only those who are initiates into the mystery who know it.

Structure of the chapter

(a)	Verses 1,2	Change of location
(b)	Verses 3-9	The parable of the sower
(c)	Verses 10-17	The enquiry of the disciples answered
(d)	Verses 18-23	The exposition of the parable of the sower
(e)	Verses 24-30	The parable of the wheat and the tares
(f)	Verses 31-32	The parable of the mustard seed
(g)	Verse 33	The parable of the woman and the leaven
(h)	Verses 34,35	The foretelling of the parable ministry
(i)	Verses 36-43	Change of location
		The exposition of the parable of the tares
(j)	Verse 44	The parable of the treasure
(k)	Verses 45,46	The parable of the pearl
(l)	Verses 47-50	The parable of the net
(m)	Verses 51-52	The instructed scribe
(n)	Verses 53-58	Change of location

(a) Verses 1,2
Change of location

13:1
The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

The same day went Jesus out of the house- the previous incident, recorded in Matthew 12:46-50, took place inside a house, and now the Lord Jesus moves outside to the sea shore. This has great significance, for the house would represent the House of Israel, the nation that had come from Jacob, otherwise known as Israel. The word house was used in a double sense, being the place where the family lived, but also the family itself. The word for son and the word for build are connected in the Hebrew language, so a man’s sons were the stones out of which his house was built. We see this in the expression House of Israel, meaning the sons that came from father Jacob, otherwise known as Israel. See also Exodus 1:21, where “He made them houses” means that God gave the midwives children.

In that house, as we have noticed, and on that same day, the Lord made it clear that those who were associated with Him as His brothers were not those who had a natural link, but those who had a spiritual one, as those who heard and practised the word of God.

And sat by the sea side- He now separates Himself from the house, and sits by the sea, in the district that derived its name from the Sea of Galilee, being known as Galilee of the Gentiles. The towns and cities of this part of Israel were influenced by the many Gentiles who lived there, and so the Sea of Galilee is a reminder of the wider Gentile world into which Christ will send His servants to sow the good seed of the Word of God. We should notice that the first four parables were spoken by the sea, whereas for the last three the Lord returned to the house, verse 36.

13:2
And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him- what these men are about to hear, and their response to it, will determine whether they are really in His kingdom or not. They might be gathered to Him, but it is not the “gathering of the people” that Jacob spoke of, when in the future believing Israel will surround their Messiah in recognition of His claims, Genesis 49:10.

So that he went into a ship, and sat- the position adopted here facilitated the hearing of what He had to say, for His voice would carry easily to the crowds. There is a spot on the shores of Galilee where tradition says the discourse on the Bread of Life was given. A person standing on the shore can speak normally, and crowds seated on the natural amphitheatre at that place can easily hear what is said. This is unlikely to be the same spot, but the principle is the same.

There is also the indication, yet again, that the Lord is distancing Himself from the people in these chapters, and this is indicated here by the fact that He is in the boat and they are on the shore.

There was the other consideration of course, that it was safer to be in the boat a little off-shore, than to risk being trampled by the jostling crowds. The Lord never invited danger.

And the whole multitude stood on the shore- their interest is impressive, for they do not lounge about, but stand listening intently. It is good to reverently hear the word of God; casual dress, behaviour, or talk are totally out of place. But do the people have ears to hear?

(b) Verses 3-9
The parable of the sower

Special note on the parable of the sower
There are several points of difference between the first parable and the other six, among which are these:

1. This first parable does not begin as the others, with the words, “the kingdom of heaven is like”, or similar. Although it must be said that the truth conveyed by the parable relates to “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”, verse 11, it is still true that the introduction is different.

2. Unlike the parable of the wheat and tares, where the sower is the Son of Man, we are not told in this parable who the sower is.

3. The Son of Man sows in “His field” in the parable of the wheat and tares, whereas we are not told anything about a field in the first parable, (although it is implied in the details of the parable, of course). The emphasis is on the seed and the soil.

4. There is no mention of a harvest in the first parable, where the emphasis is on growth or lack of it.

13:3
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And he spake many things unto them in parables- the people were used to hearing parables, for the rabbis used them in their teaching. But they must have been surprised to hear Him speak for the first time in parables, as were the disciples, verse 10. The reason for this change of method is given in verse 11.

Saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow- noticeably the Lord does not begin by using the sea as the basis of His parable. The expectation of the Jews was that Messiah would be a conquering hero, bringing in His kingdom by force, whereas here He speaks of seed being sown on the earth. Entrance into the kingdom is through belief of the word of truth, for it is in this way that God begets children, James 1:18, so that they are are an incorruptible seed, sharing the life and nature of God, 1 Peter 1:23.

13:4
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side- the sower makes no attempt to select where his seed will fall. The wise man said in Ecclesiastes 11:6, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they shall both alike be good”. The New Testament equivalent of this is found in 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season”.

As he made his way over his field, the sower came across a pathway, trodden by countless feet, where the ground was compacted, and the seed could not penetrate the surface.

And the fowls came and devoured them up- because the seed remained exposed, the birds soon came and ate it up. It is important to notice that in the parable the different sorts of soil are like that before the sower came along. In the application, the response of various classes of people is pictured by these soils, so the soil is their heart after they have heard the word. So we cannot criticise the sower for sowing seeds on the compacted soil of the wayside. The evangelist cannot read the hearts of men; his commission is to faithfully preach the word.

13:5
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth- patches of stony soil were likewise sown, even though there was not much earth there. Lukes account is that the seed “fell upon a rock”, so there was not only a layer of rock beneath the surface, but stones on the surface; a double hindrance to successful growth.

And forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth- this sort of soil would be known as “hot soil”, for it would be dry and poor. Seed managing to germinate there would come up quickly, since the ground was warm.

13:6
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And when the sun was up, they were scorched- the same sun that heated the soil now burnt up the plants.

And because they had no root, they withered away- because the soil was shallow, with a layer of rock beneath, there was no deepness of earth with a reserve of moisture for the few roots there were.

13:7
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

And some fell among thorns- unknown to the sower, some soil was infested with thorn seeds, waiting to grow.

And the thorns sprung up, and choked them- being already in the soil, and being more vigorous that the corn seeds, the thorns soon overwhelmed the new seedlings and they were unable to grow. Mark’s account says, “it yielded no fruit”, thus highlighting that the whole purpose of sowing the seed was not realised.

13:8
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit- the fourth kind of soil is introduced with a “but”, for now a different and better situation is in view, for the point of sowing the seed is achieved, and a harvest is reaped.

Some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold- the good ground is now sub-divided into degrees of fruitfulness. Those who are good ground hearers should not be complacent, and be content with producing something in contrast to those other soils that produce nothing. The Lord gives an indication here as to what He is looking for, because He puts “hundred-fold” first. In Mark the order is the reverse, and in Luke there is only mention of an hundred-fold. We shall think of this when we note the Lord’s explanation of the parable.

13:9
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear- in line with the words of verses 13-17, the Lord exhorts the people to hear what He has to say, and then respond with interest and enquiry to it. He is not simply telling an interesting story, but setting out truth, but in a way that only can be known by earnest enquirers. They all had ears to hear naturally, but not all had ears to hear spiritually. Sadly, none seemed to have enquired, for the explanations are given only to disciples as opposed to the multitude. Luke tells us that the Lord cried these words, Luke 8:8, telling of the deep feeling with which He saw the lack of interest of the people.

(c) Verses 10-17
The enquiry of the disciples answered

13:10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

And the disciples came, and said unto him- those who, at the end of chapter 12, were in the house, and were described as His brethren because they hear the word of God and do it, now enquire further about the things He is saying. They have a commendable keenness for the things of God, which we might well copy. Presumably the Lord has come ashore, so that He might be available to any who seek further light.

Why speakest thou unto them in parables? They have noted the change of method, and are interested to know why He teaches in a different way.

13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven- the change of method of teaching was because of a change in the method of God’s dealings with the nation. Only to those who receive the truth is more truth given, as verse 12 goes on to say. There are features about the kingdom of heaven which were unknown as yet to the disciples, and the people in general were not in a fit state to learn them.

The kingdom of heaven is not the kingdom consisting of heaven, (any more than the kingdom of God is the kingdom consisting of God), but is the sphere of those who profess to know God. That some are in this kingdom who are not genuine believers is seen from the fact that some “sons of the kingdom” are cast out into outer darkness, Matthew 8:12. It is also seen from another angle, in that only those who are born of water and of the Spirit enter into the kingdom of God, John 3:5. So only true believers are found in the kingdom of God, whereas some who are in the kingdom of heaven are not true believers. It is this truth that is one of the major mysteries of the chapter, for the Jews thought they were in the kingdom because they were Jews. A reading of John 8:30-40 will show what their thoughts were.

A mystery in scripture is truth that was unknown in the past, but is now revealed to His people. For an example, see Ephesians 3.

But to them it is not given- as a result of their national rejection of His Son, God has now ordained that only those who believe shall receive further light, as the next words show.

13:12
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance- the man that has is the one who has responded believingly to the truth given to him thus far. To such a one more light shall be given, so that he has an abundance.

But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath- these are those who do not accept Him as the true Messiah, but simply and only believe He is able to work miracles. John 2:23-25 tells us of these people, and to them the Lord did not commit Himself. From such will be taken away that which they have, meaning that their profession to be part of the kingdom of heaven will be exposed for what it is, false profession, and their claim that they believe on Him with true faith will, at last, be dismissed with the words, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity”, Matthew 7:23. This will be said even to those who say “Lord, Lord”, but who shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven even if they have worked miracles, verses 21,22. So this man “hath not” a place in the kingdom of God, and “that which he hath” is his claim to be in the kingdom.

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

Therefore speak I to them in parables- it is a common misconception about the parables that they are easy-to-understand stories. Nothing can be further from the truth. They are designed to make truth available, indeed, but only to those who enquire after it.

Because they seeing see not- they had not seen the miracles with the eye of faith, but just marvelled at wonderful acts.

And hearing they hear not- they had not responded to His precepts with the ear of faith. Matthew had begun his account of the ministry of Christ with three chapters of doctrine, and then two chapters of miracles. They saw the actual miracles, but did not see the significance of it. They heard the teaching, but did not receive and practice it. The Lord is alluding here to the words of Isaiah, which He will quote in the next verse.

13:14
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias- this prophecy from Isaiah 6:9,10, is quoted four times in the New Testament, and each time with different emphasis. Here it is the simple act of seeing, and not understanding. In John 12:40 it is “He hath blinded their eyes…that they should not see with their eyes”, for God was turning from the nation that was in a few days going to crucify their Messiah. In Acts 28:26,27 Paul warns the chief of the Jews that the prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled, and that “the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and that they will hear it”, verse 28. A critical point had been reached after a long period when God patiently waited for them to change as a nation. When he was setting out God’s dealings with the nation of Israel in Romans 9, Paul has to conclude that “God hath…given them eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear”, verse 8. As a result of this judicial blinding of the nation, they are condemned to national ignorance until Christ comes to reign. So it is that “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in”, verse 25. Notice it is “blindness in part”, not “partial blindness”. It is not that the whole nation are only able to see partially, but that the majority are not able to see at all, and the minority who are the “remnant according to the election of grace”, verse 5, are enlightened, by God’s mercy, as they hear the gospel and respond to it in repentance and faith.

Should any be reading these lines who are of Israel, then rest assured that there is salvation for you on a personal basis, if only you will acknowledge Jesus Christ as your true Messiah, and rest in the sacrifice He made for sins at Calvary.

Which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive- this is an adaptation of the Lord’s words to Isaiah when he was sent to the people, so the command begins, “Go, and tell this people”, Isaiah 6:9. Their state is summed up by God as hearing, but not understanding, and seeing, but not perceiving the significance of what they saw. And so it was at this point in the Lord’s ministry, for the people had heard His precepts as Matthew records in chapters 5-7, and they had seen His miracles, as recorded in chapters 8 and 9. Sadly, however, they had not understood His meaning, nor seen the significance of what He had done. As a result, the Lord refers to the future, and predicts that just as they did not hear and see in the past, so they would not do so in the future. The teaching in parables would ensure this would happen.

13:15
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed- the hearts of the people in Isaiah’s day were unresponsive. And this was true of Israel generally in Christ’s day, despite the fact that crowds thronged Him. The root of the problem was their heart, so it is mentioned first, being the reason they had closed their ears to the truth, and their eyes did not see because they had closed them.

Lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart- there is a vicious circle here. Their hearts have not understood in the past, and this resulted in them not understanding in the present. As the saying goes, “Light accepted bringeth light; light rejected bringeth night”.

And should be converted, and I should heal them- if they had heard and seen with faith, they would have understood, and the result would have been their conversion. Just as the Lord had healed the blind and dumb man of Matthew 12:22, so He could heal them of blindness and dumbness, which is often caused by an inability to hear and imitate speech.

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

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear- as true believers, the eyes of the disciples had been opened to see the significance of His miracles, and to hear the truth of His teaching. This meant they were truly blessed, or spiritually prosperous, and they are an example to the nation at large of what God could still do with them if they will submit to Him.

13:17
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them- notice the further emphasis on seeing and hearing. Old Testament saints, even if they were prophets, and walked in close communion with God as righteous men, had not heard the sort of teaching Christ had given, nor had they seen such miracles as He had performed. The words of the Lord Jesus as He neared the end of His earthly ministry were these: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father”, John 15:22-24.

Notice the phrase “the works which none other man did”. Despite the fact that both Elijah and Elisha had raised the dead, and worked other miracles besides, yet the Lord claims here to have done works that none other man did. How can this be true? The answer is that the works of Christ are an expression of the unity of nature and essence between the Father and the Son, and as such are on a higher level. For Elijah and Elisha were not expressing their oneness with God when they performed miracles. They were simply acting as God’s channel for the blessing to flow through; that blessing, and the power to transmit it, did not originate in them, but in the God who sent them. With Christ it was otherwise, for His miracles were an expression of who and what He was, as one with the Father.

A further insight into the uniqueness of Christ’s miracles is found in John 5:19 with the word “likewise”. It could not be said that the prophets or apostles worked miracles like God does, for they simply acted as agents. The Son is not the mere agent of the Father, but is acting in complete harmony with Him, and doing so, moreover, in manhood.

Yet another indication along this line is the use of the words “as he will”, in John 5:21. Of no mere man could it be said that he did miracles of his own will. This makes the miracles of the Son unique.

Not only were His works unique, but so were His words. He said Himself that “the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself”, John 14:10. And again, “I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him”, (meaning His Father), John 8:26. And yet again, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me”, John 7:16. Because of His oneness in nature with the Father, the Son only speaks what the Father is speaking, just as He only does what the Father is doing, John 5:19. No wonder men said, “never man spake like this man”, John 7:46.

(d) Verses 18-23
The exposition of the parable of the sower

13:18
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower- again the reminder of the urgent need to hear with the hearing of faith, so that the “By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand” of the prophet Isaiah does not condemn them. This is only found in Matthew’s account, so the command to hear comes from the King Himself with all His authority. The exhortation comes to the disciples, for they only have shown an interest, however feeble, (for it was only intitially curiosity as to why He spoke in parables, verse 10, and not an earnest enquiry as to the meaning). Mark tells us that the disciples made their enquiry “when he was alone”, Mark 4:10, so this word is only for disciples.

13:19
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom- here in Matthew the word is the word of the kingdom. In any era the Kingship of God and of Christ is set out. Even while he was preaching the gospel of the grace of God the apostle Paul “expounded and testified the kingdom of God”, Acts 28:23. In the gospel epistle, that to the Romans, he declares that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, (that is, is not to do with material matters as such), but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Romans 14:17. All who enter the kingdom of God do so by way of Calvary, as Nicodemus learned in John 3.

Mark simply calls the seed the word. The servant gospel makes clear that the service of the sower consists only of sowing the word, there is no mandate to add or take away from it. The law of Moses forbad the sowing of mixed seeds, Leviticus 19:19; if that was true under law in the physical realm, how much more is it true in the spiritual. The preaching of the gospel is Bible-centred and Christ-centred, not sinner-centred. It does not consist of a constant stream of stories, challenges, slogans and appeals. The word of God has its own power, and we should let it do its own work by that power. Since the seed is the word, then the way to “sow” is to speak. Preaching is God’s primary method, the setting forth of that which “God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching”, Titus 2,3. We have no right to alter this, and adopt schemes of our own. The apostles never adopted song and dance, or mime, or drama of other sorts, to set forth the gospel, for it is a serious matter, not entertainment.

Luke makes clear that the word in question is the word of God. The Thessalonians were commended for receiving the gospel “not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God”, 1 Thessalonians 2:13. And the apostle Peter reminds his readers that it was the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever, which was preached to them, and the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven associated himself and empowered that preaching, 1 Peter 1:12, 23-25. Notice that the seed is sown in the heart, for the various soils are different sorts of heart. There is a very real sense in which every man’s heart is the same, as the wise man said, “As in water face answereth to face, so is the heart of man to man”, Proverbs 27:19. In other words, just as when you look into a pool of water you see a reflection of yourself, so when you look into the heart of other people, you see yourself there too. So the difference with these soils is what happens when the seed falls on each sort.

And understandeth it not- this is not because the gospel is told in words difficult to understand. The lack of understanding is the result of the person hearing not being interested in what is said, for various reasons. The Lord has promised to be found by those who diligently seek Him, for He said, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”, Jeremiah 29:12,13.

Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart- those by the wayside are those who, although they hear the word physically, do not take in the word for what it is. To such no understanding is given. How important that preachers impress upon their hearers the authority of the Word of God. And they cannot do this effectively if they question its authority constantly. Repeated alterations to the wording; appeals to “the margin”; references to “better manuscripts”; all these serve only to distract the hearers, and lessen the impact of the pure word of God.

Those who have no heart to understand the word of God that is preached to them are easy prey for the enemy of God’s truth, as he snatches from their hearts that which they have not understood. He does this before they have a change of heart and seek the meaning.

Notice that the devil comes along after there has been a negative response to the word of God, so it is “when…understandeth it not, then”. Men cannot blame the devil for their ubelief, for the preaching of the word is accompanied by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, 1 Peter 1:12, and John tells us He is greater than he that is in the world, 1 John 4:4.

The last thing the devil wants is that men “hear and be saved”, as Luke puts it, whereas it should be the first thing we want in the preaching of the gospel, for that is how the maximum glory is achieved for Christ. We are not here to fill gospel halls with false professors, who have to be fed a diet of entertainment and socialising to keep them coming. An assembly is the “pillar and ground of the truth” in a locality, and has the solemn responsibility of maintaining the truth of God’s word amongst the people, both by lip and by life. The blessing of God is defined by the psalmist as “life for evermore”, Psalm 133:3. This may either be when sinners believe, and receive the gift of eternal life, or when saints progress in the things of God, and mature in His ways.

We should be on our guard, lest we detract from the preaching of the gospel by engaging in idle talk after a preaching meeting, for the Devil will use that to distract earnest seekers. We can easily become the tool of the Devil in this matter.

Notice the three titles of the enemy of God’s truth in the three accounts. Matthew calls him the wicked one, the one who drags down. Instead of being lifted to the lofty heights of the Kingdom of God, the unbeliever is dragged down to the Lake of Fire, simply by not obeying the word of God. Mark calls him Satan, for he is an adversary, warring against the truth of God in every way possible. Luke calls him the Devil, for one of his strategies is to accuse God of being unjust, or unloving, or other like things, so that men reject God and His truth unreasonably.

13:20
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it- it might seem at first thought a good thing if hearers of the gospel immediately respond and believe. Yet here the Lord Jesus wisely counsels against being too hasty with regard to such persons. There is such a thing as impulsive faith, (for Luke’s account does speak of them believing), which is like a plant which grew up in the shallow, rocky soil, and the same sun that caused it to quickly grow also caused it to wither, for it had no root in itself, the root being evidence of life within. Such “for a while believe, but in time of temptation fall away”, Luke 8:13. We might think that those of Acts 2 were like this, for they quickly responded to the gospel, but the genuineness and permanence of their faith is seen in them being “pricked to the heart”, for the word of God had produced true repentance and faith, Acts 2:37-40. From this we learn that we should not immediately dismiss those who believe the first time they hear the gospel, but caution should be exercised. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians about believing in vain, 1 Corinthians 15: 2, by which he meant believing without due consideration, and with a flippant, unthinking attitude.

13:21
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Yet hath he not root in himself- the apostle Paul told the Colossians he could rejoice in “the stedfastness of your faith in Christ”, for they were “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught”, Colossians 2:5,7. Those who preach the gospel should preach a solid message, firmly grounded on the truth of Scripture, and one which appeals not to the emotions, (although the emotions cannot be totally excluded from conversion), but to the conscience, (2 Corinthians 4:2), heart, (Romans 10:10), mind, (2 Corinthians 4:4), and will, (Romans 1:5), of those listening. True repentance must also be in evidence, as Acts 20:21 indicates.

There is a need to be especially careful in relation to the children of believers, who have been brought up under the sound of the word of God, both at home and in the assembly gatherings. It is all too easy for these to think that they are saved simply because their parents are, and they have come to many meetings. The children of believers are sinners like anyone else, “for there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, Romans 3:22,23.

But dureth for a while- one of the signs of true conversion is when, like the Colossians, souls “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel”, Colossians 1:23.

For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended- notice that it is persecution for the word’s sake. The word of God is an embarrassment to them, and when tested by the world in regard to it, they prefer the world to the word. There are those who claim to preach the gospel, yet the gospel they bring is a false one, for it denies the Deity of Christ and the value of His atoning sacrifice. They are often persecuted, but let not these say they are persecuted for the word of God’s sake.

The true believer rejoices in tribulation, for he knows it is part of God’s education process, as the apostle explains in Romans 5:3, “but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

Luke includes the phrase “in time of temptation fall away”, Luke 8:13, the literal meaning of which is that they “place away” themselves, distancing themselves from the truth they professed to believe. (It is worthy of notice that the word is not “apostasis”, meaning to apostasize). There is nothing to stop any of the different classes of hearer mentioned in this parable, (whether wayside, stony ground, or thorny ground hearers), from changing, and truly believing to the salvation of their souls. Those who it is thought have believed flippantly, should be instructed in the right way, so that they believe with saving faith. After all, not many converts are saved the first time they hear the gospel. So they start off by being wayside hearers, and then become good ground hearers. Whilst those who fall away are in a serious state, nevertheless they are still not beyond the saving grace of God, for “He is not willing that any should perish”, 2 Peter 3:9. The reverse is the case, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, John 3:16. The “whosoever” includes those who have previously fallen away.

There may be many reasons why some, claiming to be saved, associate with believers in some way. There may be the sense of loyalty to the “church” where they were taken as children, or where they were married; the sense of loyalty to parents or grandparents; the feeling of patriotism, which is satisfied by belonging to the “Established” church; the comfort which is brought to them in times of need and bereavement; the impression of authority and knowledge which professional churchman are perceived to have; the awe that is produced by fine architecture and splendid buildings; the sentimental feelings engendered by associations with the past which “the church” represents. All these things are appreciated by the natural mind, and therefore are not spiritual at all, for “the carnal mind is enmity against God”, Romans 8:7.

Special note on categories of faith
The Scriptures would indicate to us that there are various sorts of faith, and we need to be aware of these differences, for they are of vital importance.

There is impulsive faith, such as we have just noticed in Luke’s account of the parable of the sower. Then there is incorrect faith. This is the sort of faith that they have who trust in themselves that they are righteous, as the Lord Jesus indicated in Luke 18:9. Faith in works, “church” attendance, or the words of a minister of religion, whether over a cradle or over a coffin; these are the things that some sinners believe in. Such people are not eternally secure. Again, there is insincere faith, the sort of “faith” that is professed for the sake of advantage, perhaps to please parents, friends, or even the electorate in the case of politicians. Such people are not saved. It is with the heart that man believeth unto righteousness, Romans 10:10. The heart, morally considered, is the centre of man’s being, from which everything else issues, Proverbs 4:23.

Further, there is incomplete faith. John 2:23-25 reads as follows: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” He who knew the hearts of men was aware that they believed on Him only as a miracle-worker. It was Passover time, and the religious excitement of the people was at fever pitch. At the first Passover time, God had done great works through Moses- was this Jesus of Nazareth another great man of God like him? Because the people were in this frame of mind, He did not trust Himself to them. Their faith was an incomplete faith, and needed further light to become saving faith. It was not enough to believe that Jesus was a holy man of God, that He was able to work miracles, perhaps by the power of prayer, and that He was an able teacher and a fine example.

Then there is that important faith that saves and secures for ever. The Lord Jesus is too concerned about the welfare of the souls of men to leave them to think of Him only as one able to perform miracles. He went on to explain, therefore, in His conversation with Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:1-21, that the faith that saves is faith in a crucified Saviour. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:14-16. It is as one lifted up upon a cross that we must believe on Him. The reference to the serpent lifted up in the wilderness gives the clue to the meaning of this lifting up. It was because of Israel’s sin and rebellion that God provided the remedy of the serpent lifted up, Numbers 21:4-9. And it was because of the sin and rebellion of the whole world that the Lord Jesus needed to die upon the cross to deal with sins. Faith in a crucified Saviour results in everlasting life for the one exercising it. Such is the sure promise of the Saviour Himself. Those who believe like this are eternally secure.

13:22
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word- in all of the four situations set out in the parable, there is always the hearing of the word. The question is, what will those who hear do in response?

And the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful- it seems as if, as with the stony ground hearers, there was some appearance of growth with these who receive the seed among thorns, but the growth is smothered. It is not opposition from without this time, not persecution and tribulation, but cares, riches, and other things. These are things that are the response within to circumstances without. As a result the growth becomes unfruitful. This can either mean in the case of a true believer, that the potential for fruit is not realised, and the early fruitfulness is not maintained, or that there is no fruit ever at all. We should take note of the things that choke the word, for our God is looking for fruit, as the Lord Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit”, John 15:8, and we surely do not want to disappoint Him..

Matthew speaks of the care, (singular), of this world, the overall character of the struggle for existence. Mark and Luke speaks of cares in all their variety. These have a bad effect on the growth of the seed, and choke the progress that should be made. As for believers, they should heed the exhortation of the apostle Peter, and cast all their care upon the Saviour, knowing He cares for them, 1 Peter 5:7. This is no doubt an echo of the words of the psalmist who spoke of casting one’s burden on the Lord, Psalm 55:22. As for unbelievers, those overwhelmed with cares, and who do not see the over-riding importance of listening to and responding to the Word of God, will allow those cares to rob them of heaven.

There are those, however, whether believers or unbelievers, who are well furnished with the abundance this world can offer. They seem to have no cares, but they fail to realise that riches are deceitful. The Jew thought in Old Testament times that abundant harvests and personal prosperity were a sign of God’s favour, and he was right, as a reading of Deuteronomy 28 will show. Now, however, things are different. So different in fact that those who say “gain is godliness” in this age, are to be withdrawn from, 1 Timothy 6:5, for they betray an ignorance of the true character of the age in which we live, in which, for the believer, the emphasis is on unseen, spiritual things. Riches may deceive a believer into thinking that he is especially in favour with God. They may deceive an unbeliever that this life and its wealth is all there is, and the things that money can buy are able to satisfy the soul.

King Solomon was in position to test this out, and his conclusion, after accumulating everything the natural man would consider desirable, was that “all is vanity”. The truth is that, as the hymn puts it, “solid joys and lasting pleasures only Zion’s children know”, for they are only found in the spiritual realm. It is in the presence of God that fulness of joy is found; money cannot even buy happiness, let alone the far more desirable thing, spiritual joy. Let us heed the exhortation of the apostle, and “lay hold on eternal life”, 1 Timothy 6:19.

Notice that Matthew and Mark write of the care(s) of this world, whereas Luke writes of the pleasures of this life. This world is marked by the fact that it is guilty of the rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. Because men cast out the one who had the solution to life’s cares, then they are beset by difficulties. By these things the believer is beset also. The believer, however, has the resources in Christ to overcome the difficulties. This does not always happen, however, and they overwhelm him, resulting in disillusionment and despair. The god of this world exploits this situation, and too often succeeds in causing even true believers to be overcome by them, and they become distracted from the primary task of yielding fruit for God. An illustration of this is found in Demas, who forsook the companionship of the apostle Paul because he had “loved this present world”, 2 Timothy 4:10. The things of time and sense captivated him, rather that the things of eternity.

Luke speaks of the pleasures of this life. There need be nothing sinister or evil about these things, which relate to those natural things we may all enjoy in moderation. God giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Timothy 6:17, but the believer needs to be careful that he does not become obsessed with such things, to the point where they choke the word, distracting from the reading and enjoyment of the Scriptures.

13:23
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it- here is one who has ears to hear, and who is the exception to the rule that “their ears are dull of hearing”, verse 15. Notice the way the three gospels put things. In Matthew, the word is heard and understood. In Mark it is heard and received, whilst in Luke the word is heard and kept. These variations are very instructive. Matthew will teach us the importance of gaining an understanding of Divine things. This can only come from the Word of God itself, or the exposition of it, and the application of the truth to our hearts by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth. The Lord promised that He would guide into all truth, John 16:13.

In Mark the word is heard and received. There must be a hearty response to the word of God. The true believer will say with the psalmist “How I love thy law”. He will be like the spiritually prosperous man of Psalm 1 whose delight was in the law of the Lord, and in consequence, in that law he meditated day and night.

In Luke the word is kept. Jude reminds us that “the faith”, that is, the body of doctrine from God, has been committed unto the saints, Jude 3. It is not only committed to preachers, but to saints. There is a responsibility resting upon each believer to keep the faith, as the apostle Paul did, 2 Timothy 4:7. Let us be like those in Acts 2:42, who “continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship”.

Which also beareth fruit- if with the wayside hearer there is no growth, with the rocky ground hearer there is no permanent greenery, with the thorny ground hearers no grain, with the good ground hearers there is growth, greenery, grain, and a full granary. This is God’s desire from the preaching of the word. He signalled this in the words, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”, Isaiah 55:10,11.

And bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty- the Lord now details the result the sower is looking for. The plants not only bear fruit, but they bring forth, for the grain comes to maturity. They not only show promise of a harvest, but that harvest is gained. This is in contrast to the thorny ground hearers who brought no fruit to perfection.

There are degrees of yield from the seed, however. There is no fault with the seed, but the condition of the hearts of those who believe determines how much grain is produced. The soils are what they are as a result of the response they make to the word they hear. So in the case of the good soil there are degrees of response, even by believers. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian believers as follows: “the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth”, Colossians 1:5,6. They were clearly responsive to the word of God, and hence were fruitful.

These degrees of response are listed in Matthew in the order “hundredfold, sixty, thirtyfold”. In Mark it is “thirtyfold, sixty, hundred”. In Luke the result is “hundredfold”, in the telling of the parable itself, Luke 8:8, but in the interpretation there is no mention of numbers, but Luke adds two ideas, which give us the clue to the varying amounts of yield. He speaks of “an honest and good heart”, and the bringing forth of fruit “with patience”. The hundredfold which Luke speaks of, then, is the result of an honest and good heart bringing forth fruit with patience.

This leads us to enquire what an honest and good heart is, for it is the secret to the patience which produces fruit in abundance. The word for good ground in Matthew is “kalos”, whereas the good ground in Luke’s account of the parable is “agathe”. The words for honest and good in Luke’s account of the interpretation, are “kalos and agathe”. Now the Greek word kalos means “excellence in nature, being well-adapted to its ends”. In the case of soil, this would mean from a positive standpoint a good structure, well-drained, but not drought-prone, with all the necessary nutrients present. The Greek word agathe means “that which is intrinsically good, by nature good, and good in contrast to evil”. It means a soil that is neither compacted like a roadway, stony and shallow, or thorn-infested. In other words free from that which hinders the production of grain.

So both these words are applied to the good ground, and both are applied to the believer’s heart. Of no sinner’s heart can it be said that it is honest and good, so that description must refer to the subsequent state of the heart after the word has done its work. Just as the compacted, stony and thorn-infested soils were not good for productive growth, and the sowing of the seed into them showed this up, so with the good soil. Its goodness lay in its ability to provide good growing conditions for the seed.

So much for the good and honest heart that Luke refers to. We turn now to the producing of fruit with patience that marked the good soil. The word used for patience has the idea of endurance and persistence, the exact opposite of the other soils, for they represented the hearts of those who, in one way or another, did not endure and persist.

The wayside heart has the seed planted in the heart, but there is the immediate snatching away by the enemy. The stony ground heart is the heart of one who believes only for a while, so there is no persistence there. The thorn-infested heart is overwhelmed by various hindrances, and there is no fruit to perfection. James speaks of the husbandman having long patience so that a harvest is reaped, James 5:7. So in one the seed goes immediately, in the second after a while, in the third, the process takes longer, as the thorns grow up, but there is no successful harvest to reward the efforts of the sower.

In contrast to this, the good soil heart perseveres in Divine things, develops a love for the Word of God; takes every opportunity to hear it expounded, and as a consequence, produces a harvest. This ideal situation is presented to us by Luke, where the yield is only a hundred-fold- a lesser yield is not contemplated. Luke’s purpose in writing was to tell us of God’s Ideal Man, whose life was full for God. This is typified by the “corn beaten out of full ears”, of the meal offering, Leviticus 2:14. But Luke wants us to be samples of God’s Man, and it only as we “put on the new man”, Ephesians 4:24 that the hundred-fold ideal is reached.

Matthew, however, starts with a hundred-fold, but decreases to thirty fold. And it is sadly possible that true believers, enthusiastic at first, can lose that zeal as time goes by. They do not become thorn-infested, allowing the things of the world to intrude, but they allow things to slide, so that the Scriptures do not seem to have the priority they once did. Let us beware.

Mark speaks of the opposite situation, where early on there is just a moderate amount of interest, but this deepens and grows with the passage of time, so the ideal yield is reached at last. Interestingly, these two situations are mirrored in the spiritual history of Mark himself, who started well, a hundredfold so to speak, then lapsed, but later on the apostle Paul can say he was profitable for ministry, 2 Timothy 4:11. He had recovered lost ground. So there is always room for improvement, and there is always room for recovery.

(e) Verses 24-30
The parable of the wheat and the tares

Special note on the parable of the wheat and the tares
1. It is important to notice to whom the words of this chapter are spoken. The parable of the sower was spoken to the multitudes and the disciples, verses 2 and 10. The explanation as to why He was teaching by parables is given to the disciples, verse 11. The explanation of the parable of the sower was given to the disciples, verse 18. The three following parables were spoken to the disciples and the multitude, since it is “another parable put He forth unto them”, implying that He had put forth one to them before. This is confirmed in verse 34 where we read, “All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitiude in parables”. Then, significantly, we read that “Jesus sent the multitudes away”, verse 36. The rest of the section, up to verse 52, is spoken to the disciples when they were in the house, verse 36.

2. In the parable of the sower, we are not told, even in the explanation, who the sower is. Nor are we expressly told he was sowing in a field, let alone his field. Nor are we told what sort of seed he was sowing. Nor are we told about the harvest. The emphasis all the time is on the response of those who hear the word. That is the supreme test at this point, whether hearing they will hear, or not.

3. Critically, in the parable of the wheat and the tares we are told the sower is the Son of man, and that He is sowing in His field, verse 24, and that field is the world, verse 38.

4. The order in which the various events happen in this chapter, and the way Matthew records them, ensures that the parables of the sower and the dragnet form the general view of the progress or otherwise of the word, the sower being the beginning of the process and the dragnet how it all ends. In between, the telling of the parable of the wheat and tares introduces the two next parables that illustrate the way in which the enemy of God seeks to oppose and corrupt the work of God. Then the explanation of the wheat and tares introduces two parables which illustrate the character of the age when the wheat and tares are growing.

With these things in mind, we turn to the details.

13:24
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Another parable put he forth unto them- as we have just noticed, the parable was spoken to a mixed company of the people, or at least some of them, and the disciples. There has been no response from the multitude to His words so far, nor is there any response during the whole incident. This is tragic, and shows the truth of the fact that hearing they do not hear, and justifies the mode of speaking the Lord has now adopted. Nonetheless, He does give them further opportunity to respond, and speaks three more parables to them. Sadly, after this, there is no earnest enquiry from them, even though they are hearing things kept secret from the foundation of the world, verse 35.

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field- so the field belongs to the man who is sowing, and we learn who that is in the explanation. There is some feature of the kingdom of heaven that is going to be brought out in the parable.

13:25
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But while men slept- it is not the sower who sleeps, but “men”. Are they supposed to be guarding the newly sowed wheat, or is it simply another way of saying, “during the night”? The enemy is at home in the darkness, and this gives us a clue as to who he is.

His enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way- the owner of the field has an enemy, and he shows his enmity by seeking to spoil the field of wheat. He goes his way, for he has sown during the night-time, and cannot stand the light of day

13:26
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also- the tares, (usually thought of as darnel), were so like the wheat that they could not be distinguished until the plants had grown, and the ear that emerged among the leaves showed itself as being different. So it is not that the tares only grew after the wheat had come into ear, but that the tares appeared in their true character then. The Lord said elsewhere, “by their fruits ye shall know them”, Matthew 7:20. The leaves may have looked similar, but the fruit of the tares showed up the difference.

13:27
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him- once the servants of the householder have realised what had happened, they alert the householder, but it is clear that he knows what has happened. The tares were sown when “men” slept, but he was aware.

Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? They had no part in the sowing, but they knew their master would not sow a mixture, for that was forbidden by the law in Leviticus 19:19, “thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed”. They are perplexed as to where the tares came from. Only the householder knows what has happened. Notice the servants class the wheat as good seed, and imply that the tares are bad. Note also that they have an interest in the affairs of their master, and do not wish him to be adversely affected by what his enemy has done.

13:28
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this- the one who sowed the tares was “his enemy”, and now he is simply “an enemy”. Someone who is hostile to the householder has sought to spoil what he is trying to achieve by way of a good wheat harvest.

The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? Natural reasoning says that the tares should be removed as quickly as possible, but the householder does not agree.

13:29
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them- the tares were among the wheat, not in a separate part of the field, and their roots were entangled with the wheat roots to such an extent that to pull up one was to pull up the other. Such is the wickedness of the enemy, that he not only sows his own seed, but seeks to spoil the seed of the householder.

13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Let both grow together until the harvest- we shall see when we come to the explanation of the parable that this feature tells us that the application is not to this present church age, but to the remainder of the “Age before the Messiah” that is left to run after the church has been taken to heaven. God calls His people to separation at this time, and He does not wish His people to grow together with the wicked. In tribulation times it will be different.

And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers- the householder now exercises his role as the lord of the harvest.

Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them- when this present church age comes to a close, it is the “wheat” that shall be gathered first, and unbelievers will be left to await judgement later. This shows that the parable, whilst it has lessons for the present time, is mainly applicable to the tribulation period. It is at the end of that period that the wicked are judged first, and then the believers are taken into the kingdom.

This judgement takes the form of destroying fire, for the householder has no use for them. The tares are bundled together with one another, and are thus clearly distinguished from the wheat plants, being no longer entangled with them.

But gather the wheat into my barn- so his field has been sown, his enemy has sought to frustrate him, but at last the wheat is gathered into his barn. The householder has triumphed.

(f) Verses 31-32
The parable of the mustard seed

13:31
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Another parable put he forth unto them- there is no enquiry from the people as to the meaning of the parable of wheat and tares, and the Lord goes straight on to tell another parable.

The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field- now we have another man, and he has a field too. He sows a mustard seed in the field. We might think this is strange, to sow one seed in a field, but the man knows the potential of what he is sowing, and is leaving room for expansion.

13:32
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Which indeed is the least of all seeds- the Lord anticipates that His hearers might think it strange to sow one seed, and so he says “indeed”, as if to say “What I am saying is true”.

But when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree- so that which appears so small and insignificant develops into that which is large and imposing. By sowing the seed in a field, the man showed he expected that outcome. This has echoes from the Old Testament, where Israel’s enemies were likened to imposing trees. See, for example, Ezekiel 31:3-9; Daniel 4:10-12.

So that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof- the disciples will immediately see the sinister element in this, for the birds of the air of the first parable prevented the seed entering into the hearts of men. Here we are told of that which gives shelter to the birds as they wait to swoop.

We suggest that in these parables we have the Lord describing conditions that will prevail during the remaining part of the age before the Messiah, the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecy in chapter 9 of his book. It seems that Antichrist will not burst on the scene immediately, but will come peaceably, to delude men. It is as if he will imitate Christ, who ministered blessing to men for three and a half years; so Antichrist will start small, but by the end of the first half of the seven-year period, he will be like a lofty tree, dominating the landscape, and harbouring the forces of evil.

(g) Verse 33
The parable of the woman and the leaven

13:33
Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven- some have thought that because the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, then leaven, in this case at least, must be symbolic of something good. But as we read the parables we discover that it is the whole scene portrayed by the parable that gives a likeness to the kingdom of heaven, and not any particular feature.

The sacrifices and offerings detailed in the early chapters of Leviticus present to us various aspects of the person of Christ. In Leviticus 2 the meal offering typifies His sinless manhood, and the Israelite was to be careful not to put any leaven in the flour he brought to God as an offering, Leviticus 2:11. This was because the offering foreshadowed the sinlessness of Christ; there was no evil in Him at all.

Here in the parable the woman is doing the reverse, and is deliberately placing leaven in the meal. Now of course this is the way bread is made ordinarily, for it must have leaven to make the dough rise. So the woman is acting after the natural way. But the Lord made clear in other passages that leaven was a figure of evil, for He spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees, and Sadducees, by which He meant their evil doctrine, Matthew 16:11,12.

The apostle Paul used this figure also when the wrote to the Corinthian believers, saying, in connection with their allowance of evil, “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover was sacrificed for us: let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. He wrote also to the Galatians, as he corrected their tendency to go back to the law of Moses, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”, Galatians 5:9. So leaven represents evil doctrine and evil practice.

Which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened- when used figuratively in scripture, the idea of a woman is of something in the religious sphere, whether good or evil. So the apostle Paul could say that he had espoused the assembly at Corinth to one husband, that he might present them as a chaste virgin to Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:2. But he feared they might become like Eve, who was beguiled in the garden by the serpent. The way the Corinthians might be beguiled was three-fold, first, by those who preached another Jesus; second, if they received another spirit; and third, if they received another gospel, verse 4.

Another Jesus would be one other than He whom Paul preached. Another spirit would be one other than they had already received at conversion. Another gospel would be one other than they had initially received from Paul. Could we say that the three vital things here are the three measures of meal? We measure the truth by reference to Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit, and to the gospel of God. These three vital things were under attack in the assembly at Corinth, and evil things were being introduced to replace them. If the believers did not guard themselves, they would find that their whole faith would be leavened with evil.

So it shall be during the Tribulation period with the believers in that day. They will be under fierce attack, as the Antichrist casts the truth down to the ground and prospers, Daniel 8:12. In fact, it will seem as if the truth of God has been completely adulterated, so that the Lord asks the question, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”, Luke 18:8.

Now it is not difficult to see from the book of the Revelation who the woman is. She is the one who throughout the first half of the Tribulation period dominates the beast, as seen by the fact that she rides on him, controlling him, Revelation 17:3. But since he also is said to carry her, verse 7, then he is content to go where she directs. It serves his purpose to allow organized religion to hold men, until such time as he overthrows her in the middle of the seven-year period, and replaces all religion by the worship of himself.

This must have perplexed the disciples as they heard it, but it is one of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, Luke 8:10, that He will allow this to happen. Satan will over-reach himself, and God shall ultimately triumph.

(h) Verses 34,35
The foretelling of the parable ministry

13:34
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables- so this confirms that the “them” of verse 24 includes the people, as well as the disciples. This is the final opportunity to show an interest and enquire after the meaning of the parables. They fail to do so, and continue to represent the nation as it is now and will be in the future, understanding not the ways of God.

And without a parable spake he not unto them- the judgement on their unbelief and refusal to see and hear the things He brought to them is confirmed by the fact that He does not speak to them in plain terms at all. They will have to show an interest if He is to change His method, but alas they show no interest, just like Israel today and in the future.

13:35
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet- Matthew uses the word “opus” here, meaning “so that it might be”, and the fulfilment is not complete, but an event which was within the scope and intention of the prophecy. This suggests that when the Maskilim, or teachers of righteousness during the Tribulation period do their work, they will apply these parables to their own day, and thus they will have their complete fulfilment.

Saying, I will open my mouth in parables- we might have thought that this would have been a suitable scripture to quote when the disciples asked the Lord why He had begun to speak in parables. Matthew quotes it here as the last of the parables with the people present is spoken.

Interestingly, Psalm 78, from which this quotation is taken, is titled “Maschil of Asaph”, and the word Maschil is connected to the word Maskilim, the learned teachers in Israel in a day to come. We can see then why Matthew reserves this quotation to this particular place in the chapter. Asaph is burdened that that which the fathers told them should not be forgotten, and that they might not hide them from their children, verses 4 and 6, that they might not be a “stubborn and rebellious generation” as their fathers had been, verse 8. We can easily see how this will apply in Israel in a day to come, and the heart of the fathers will be turned to the children, (for they will be concerned to teach them), and the heart of the children to their fathers, (for they will have a desire to learn), Malachi 4:6. John the Baptist partially fulfilled this as he came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but he only turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, and did not succeed in turning the hearts of the children, for he had to label them a generation of vipers, those who were listening to Satan rather than God, Luke 1:17.

(i) Verse 36-43
Change of location
The exposition of the parable of the tares

13:36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away- the crowds have shown no interest in enquiring after the meaning of the parables, and thus they have ears but hear not, and as such are condemned to ignorance. They are deliberately sent away by the Lord; it is not that they drifted off by their own accord. Here is a grim foretaste of what will happen when the King comes again, and He says to the “goats”, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire”, Matthew 25:41.

And went into the house- this significant move illustrates that the rest of the teaching is reserved only for those of the house of Israel who show an interest. So it is that the disciples who “have”, because they have enquired and been given answers already, now are to have “more abundance”, whereas those who “have not”, find that even the opportunity of knowing is taken away from them, 13:12. And what was true of the people in this chapter, will be true of the majority in Israel in a day to come.

And his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field- superficially this parable is like the parable of the sower, but there are enough differences to make the disciples puzzled. They highlight the presence of the tares, and that they were in a field.

13:37
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man- in the explanation there are seven features highlighted. 1. The sower. 2. The field. 3. The good seed. 4. The tares. 5. The enemy. 6. The harvest. 7. The reapers.

As we proceed through this list, we shall see that each one shows conclusively that the coming of the Lord for His church-saints is not in view, but rather His coming to earth to reign at “the end of the world”.

So whereas we are not told who the sower is in the first parable, (either in the parable itself or the explanation), here we are expressly told the Son of Man is the sower in the parable of the wheat and tares. In the first parable the sower can be Christ, the apostles, evangelists in this age, or the preachers of the gospel of the kingdom in a day to come. All have preached or will preach “the word”.

Immediately we read of the Son of man we are thinking of the earth, for that title links Him to earth. The title is not used of Christ in the church epistles, for it is not appropriate there, the church being a heavenly people. This in itself is enough to alert us to the fact that the harvest is not the rapture.

Now it is true that the Son of Man is not coming to earth again to preach. But it is also true that He, in the exercise of His administrative rights over the earth even during the Tribulation Period, will ensure that there are sent forth 144,000 preachers worldwide, Revelation 7. This is not contradicted by the present tense of “soweth”. The reference is to the parable, not to the fulfilment.

13:38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The field is the world- in the parable, the field was “his field”, so it belonged to the sower. In what sense does the world belong to the Son of man? The answer is that as John was given visions of future events, he saw the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Himself, claim the right to judge the earth, Revelation 5:1-7. In the language of Psalm 2:8, His Father will say, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession”.

We also learn from the book of Daniel that the Son of man will be brought near to the Ancient of Days, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”, 7:14. This is the equivalent scene to that which John saw in Revelation 5. After it has happened, John records the ever-widening circle of influence of Christ, until every creature gives Him the glory, which is what will happen at the end of the millenial reign at the great white throne, Philippians 2:10,11.

So it is that at the beginning of the Tribulation Period the Lord will claim His rights over the earth, and He will declare those rights not only by judging, but also rescuing many from their sins during that time.

The good seed are the children of the kingdom- not only is He going to rescue many from their sin, He will plant them strategically throughout the earth to reinforce the message that He has claimed the world for Himself. They will be children of the kingdom, the sure sign that that kingdom is imminent and certain, for the principles of that kingdom, “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”, Romans 14:17, are already in their hearts.

But the tares are the children of the wicked one- the conflict between Satan and Christ is expressed in that he seeks to counteract the planting of righteous persons in the earth by planting his own children alongside them. By this means he tries to cancel out the work of Christ through His people. Tares are very like wheat in the early stages of their growth, but when they begin to come into ear, their true character is revealed. As the Lord said elsewhere, “by their fruits ye shall know them”. There will be much deceit in those times, and the enemy will be very active, for he realises that his time is short.

13:39
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

The enemy that sowed them is the devil- just as the Lord will have those He sends forth to evangelise, and as a result there will be converts to stand for righteousness throughout the world, so the devil will also have his agents, who will be “transformed as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works”, 2 Corinthians 11:15. This is true today, but how much more so when the church and the Holy Spirit are removed from the earth.

The harvest is the end of the world- the Jews divided time into “The Age before the Messiah”, and “The Age of the Messiah”. They knew nothing of the present period, which was undisclosed until the apostle Paul was entrusted with the task of revealing it, see Ephesians 3. So the Age before the Messiah ran until Calvary, and then will resume after the rapture during the Tribulation Period. So by the end of the world is not meant the end of time, or the end of the earth, but the end of the period from creation up to the kingdom. It is the end, also, of the Times of the Gentiles, which began when the royal tribe of Judah was taken into captivity, and the Gentiles were given dominion over the earth. Because the harvesting process is so drastic, it can indeed be said to end the world, being the climax of God’s dealings with ungodly men before Christ reigns.

And the reapers are the angels- we read of this in Revelation 14:14-16, where the Son of man has a sickle, and an angel gives Him the signal to reap the harvest of the earth. There are angelic beings known as “watchers and holy ones”, Daniel 4:23, and they superintend the affairs of earth. When they see that judgement is deserved, then judgement surely comes.

So much for the tares, the children of the wicked one. What of the wheat, the children of the kingdom? Of these we read in Matthew 24:32, for the Son of Man, when He appears in glory, “shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”.

13:40
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire- notice the Lord does not mention the entangling of the tares with the wheat. That is not an issue in the end, for when they both are cut off by the reapers, they are easily separated. To have removed the tares beforehand would have risked rooting up the wheat as well, and God desires that they co-exist, that the children of the kingdom may be a testimony for Him. They will be the sign that the kingdom is surely coming, for they have the character of kingdom-subjects already.

John the Baptist warned the people that Christ would baptise with fire, Matthew 3:11, and here is one example.

So shall it be in the end of this world- the thing is settled, “so shall it be”, and those who refuse the kingdom shall not enter into the “world to come”, the reign of Christ.

13:41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity- as John said again, “He shall throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner; but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire”, Matthew 3:12.

Notice the tares are gathered out of His kingdom, thus confirming that He has already claimed the earth for Himself, and is in the process of purging it of evil. They offend because they are a stumblingblock to the children of the kingdom, and they work iniquity because they are in league with the Man of Sin, and influenced by the mystery of iniquity, 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

13:42
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire- they are worthless, for their fruit is of no value, and they are only fit to be burnt in the fire of Divine anger. Like the men of Sodom, they shall suffer the vengeance of eternal fire even before they are consigned to the Lake of Fire at the end of time, Jude 7.

There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth- when Shadrach Meshech and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace, they were unharmed, and not even the smell of fire was on them when they came out, Daniel 3:19-27. With these it is far different. As Job said of the sinner, “But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn”, Job 14:22.

13:43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father- we learn from Daniel 12:3 that “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever”. So the wise teachers in that day, and the evangelists, shall shine in glory in different ways, but these, their converts and disciples, “the righteous”, shall shine as the sun. All shall contribute to the glory of Christ in that coming blessed day of His kingdom.

Note that although it is the kingdom of Christ, it is also the kingdom of their Father, for Christ will reign as administrator of His Father’s interests, and when He has subdued all things He shall deliver up that kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all, 1 Corinthians 15:24, 28.

These had eternal life, the life of the Father, and sought to express that life in the hostile world during the time the Antichrist dominated affairs. Their reward is to be brought to the new world, where the life of God may be expressed without hindrance.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear- again this word comes, for there is always the danger of listening to words but ignoring the truths expressed by those words. This is a word for the disciples, for the multitudes have been sent away.

(j) Verse 44
The parable of the treasure

Special note on the parables of the treasure and the pearl
The parable of the wheat and tares has introduced us to the idea of two radically different persons living side by side in the Tribulation Period. One is a righteous person, awaiting the coming kingdom, the other is a child of the wicked one, doing everything he can to frustrate the bringing in of that kingdom. One is righteous, and therefore does righteous things, whereas the other is wicked, and works iniquity, and therefore is an offence.

It is by conduct that nature is known, for we read, “he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning”, 1 John 3:7,8. The origin of the life they have determines the conduct they display. A righteous person has a righteous nature and lives like Christ. An unbeliever has a sinful nature, (derived from the fact that the devil sinned from the beginning by inciting man to sin, thus introducing the sin-principle into the heart of man), and will live according to the dictates of the devil.

So it is that in the parable of the treasure, a man acts unrighteously, whereas in the parable of the pearl a man is acting honourably, and they illustrate the two opposing attitudes of men to Divine righteousness. The idea that the treasure is Israel and the pearl is the church has great appeal, but it does not fit the context. What does Christ finding Israel, and finding the church, tell us about the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of profession?

13:44
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again- the second, third, and fourth parables began with the words “another parable”, whereas the fifth, sixth and seventh begin with “again”. The first set were spoken to the multitude as well as the disciples, whereas the last three are spoken to the disciples alone, no doubt as representing the Maskilim, righteous teachers of Israel during the Tribulation. The word “again” here links back to the explanation of the Wheat and Tares parable that was given only to the disciples, verses 36-43.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field- let us put ourselves in the same position as the owner of this field. A man comes to us and offers to buy our field knowing something about it that we do not know, namely, that there is treasure hidden in it. Would we not feel a sense of injustice if, having agreed to sell the field, the new owner immediately goes into it and “finds” buried treasure, which he knew was there before he bought the field?

Zechariah had several visions, all in one night. In one of them he saw a flying roll, or scroll, much as nowadays advertisements are trailed through the sky by light planes, Zechariah 5. On one side of the scroll the command to not steal was written, and on the other side the command to not swear, and thereby bear false witness, verse 3. This was God’s verdict on the conduct of the people, and will result in their undoing. So it shall be in the Tribulation Period, for the wicked shall flourish, and stealing and underhandedness shall be rife. As the Lord will later say, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved”, Matthew 24:12,13.

The which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field- so a man wanders across another man’s field, and stumbles on partly-hidden treasure. Wickedly, he buries it out of sight, and without disclosing what he knows to the real owner, sells all he has and buys the field. Selling all he has holds no risk for him, for he knows he will profit at the end of the day. With wicked glee he takes advantage of the ignorance of the true owner, and thus profits unrighteously.

So the man now possesses the field, but he does so by fraud and deceit. The man who sowed good seed in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares did it in “his field”; it was his by right. The Antichrist will seek to gain, by devilish cunning, that which he may then call “his field”, and establish a world-wide kingdom, but it shall come to nothing.

But what is the treasure? Israel say many, citing the words, “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another…And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels”, Malachi 3:16,17. And those who say this are surely right, with this proviso. The treasure is not Israel in relation to God, but Israel as desired by the Antichrist. The faithful in that nation are the only obstacle to his complete control of the earth. No wonder he seeks to usurp Christ’s place as owner of the field, and seize the treasure for himself by devious means.

(k) Verses 45,46
The parable of the pearl

13:45
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls- it is a very attractive idea to think that the pearl is the church. This, however, does not fit the place the parable has in the sequence. As we have suggested, the parables of this chapter, whilst they have application in a practical way at all times, are really most suited to the Tribulation Period, and form instruction for those who will be facing difficult circumstances at that time. Moreover, the explanation of the Wheat and Tares parable, and the last three parables, are all spoken in the house, symbolising a return to things that are especially Jewish, having to do with the House of Israel. Coupled with this is the fact that the disciples say they understand the parables, verse 52, whereas at that point they knew nothing about the church.

It is important to notice that the man is a merchant, not a pearl-fisher. And the pearl is being offered for sale, it is not in the depths of the ocean. Another, not the merchant, has risked his life to bring the pearl up from the depths. So we have two stages to the parable; there is the process of bringing up the pearl, and then it being possessed by an unnamed person, and then the merchantman buying it. Do we not have here Christ’s two actions regarding the nation of Israel? Calvary gives Him the right to rescue it from the sea of the nations, and make it available for Him to rightfully possess it at a later date, so that it can be put on display as His prized possession.

The man is a merchantman, carrying out his lawful business. He is earnest, for he is seeking. He is discerning, for he only seeks goodly pearls, and is not content with the second-rate. All this contrasts with the man of the previous parable. His find was by chance. He was not a professional treasure-seeker. And he obtains what he covets for himself. Crucially, he does not obtain that treasure lawfully, but by deceit. What Christ does, however, is perfectly righteous.

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

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it- the man’s quest is rewarded, and in a lawful transaction the pearl becomes his. He deems it of such value that he is prepared to exchange all that he has for it.

So if the man seizing the treasure unlawfully and deceitfully is the Antichrist, as he strives to gain control of that which is the obstacle to his schemes, the merchantman is Christ, who by giving all that He had at Calvary, (or, as the apostle Paul put it, “for your sakes he became poor”, 2 Corinthians 8:9), is able to claim Israel for Himself. The holy Jerusalem shall have twelve gates, each one consisting of a pearl, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel will be written on them, Revelation 21:12,21. So there is a link established between pearls and the twelve tribes of Israel.

Furthermore, the nation of Israel has been in the sea of the Gentiles for many centuries, but its Messiah has purchased the right to rescue it, and in a day to come will bring the nation out into full display. Caiaphas spake more than he knew when he said, “it is expedient for us, that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not”. John tells us that Caiaphas was prophesying as he said those words, and that they meant that “Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad”. In other words, that Christ was going to die for the nation that was in the land of Israel, and also for those of the ten tribes scattered around the world at the dispersion. These would all be brought together as one into the Land under their Messiah.

(i) Verses 47-50
The parable of the net

13:47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind- despite being near the sea throughout this chapter, this is the only parable based on fishing. Perhaps some amongst the crowds that the Lord sent away in verse 36 were fishermen, and had resumed their trade, uninterested in the meaning of the parables. This meant that were not present when a parable they might have understood in measure was spoken.

As we have noticed, the structure of the events of the chapter and Matthew’s record of them mean that the parable of the wheat and tares, either in its telling or its explaining, preface the following two parables, whereas the parable of the sower, (spoken when the Lord was sitting in a boat), and the parable of the net, (spoken when the Lord was in the house), form the introduction and climax to the other five parables.

The fisherman in this parable is not using a rod and line, by which, in the hands of a skilled angler, a specific sort of fish may be caught. This is a mode of fishing in which a net catches all that is in its path and brings them to shore. The net knows no respect of fishes, just as God’s judgement knows no respect of persons. For the fish, this is the end, and they are entirely at the mercy of the fisherman.

13:48
Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away- the time of reckoning and assessment has come. The good are the children of the kingdom of God, whereas the bad are only in the kingdom of heaven, and are mere professors, and are therefore the children of the wicked one. The good are put into vessels, secured for the entrance into the kingdom. The bad are cast away into judgement.

13:49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

So shall it be at the end of the world- again we have the time given when these things shall happen, namely the end of the Age before the Messiah, at the point just before He returns to earth to rule in righteousness.

The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just- we now learn who the “they” of verse 49 represent. When the King sits upon the throne of His glory, the righteous and the wicked will be on separate sides. We are told here by what process that is brought about. The angels will have done their work.

13:50
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth- again there comes the solemn warning of future judgement by fire, as the unjust, unworthy to enter Messiah’s kingdom, are despatched to everlasting fire. The mention of weeping forcibly reminds us that, graphic as the imagery of the parable is, it is nothing compared to the reality of which it speaks.

These words are spoken to the disciples, so form a solemn backdrop to their future task of evangelising. They are most probably spoken in the hearing of Judas Iscariot also, and form a solemn appeal to him also.

(m) Verses 51-52
The instructed scribe

13:51
Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord- their reply is the opposite to what the multitude would have said. Taking their answer at face value, we learn that they understood the parable of the pearl even though they know nothing as yet about the mystery of the church, which would not be revealed until it was revealed to the apostle Paul many years later. This seems conclusive that the pearl is not the church.

13:52
Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder- those who are in the good of the truth found in these parables will be equipped to teach others. Despite the upheaval and trauma of the Tribulation Period, there will still be need for the truth to be taught, so that those of that day may have wisdom and understanding. Perhaps the faithful remnant will only be able to meet as families, so the head of the household will become their scribe, without recourse to the synagogue. In this way the hearts of the children will be turned to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to their children, Malachi 4:6.

Which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old- the proverb says, “In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble”, Proverbs 15:6. When He was exposing the wickedness of the Pharisees in the previous chapter, the Lord had said, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things”, 12:35. So in a day to come, faithful heads of houses will discharge their responsibilities to their family by drawing to their attention the principles of the kingdom they will have stored up in their own hearts, and will be able to bring them forth to the rest of the household for their blessing and encouragement in dark times. These things will be new and old, for they will set out the truth found in the Old Testament, and also that which is found in this gospel of Matthew, which is specially designed to help them in their hour of need. The Epistle to the Hebrews will also be specially relevant.

(n) Verses 53-58
Change of location

13:53
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables- the seven parables He has spoken have given the disciples a comprehensive view of the kingdom of the heavens, and will enable them, and those they represent of a future day, to understand God’s purpose, particularly in the Tribulation Period, when many deceivers shall be operating. It is not that He will not speak any more parables, but the seven just given are the groundwork; the others that follow fill in details.

Matthew divides up his gospel by reference to the sayings of the Lord Jesus:

(i) 1:1- 4:25
The King and His preparation.

Critical events leading up to the beginning of Christ’s ministry after the imprisonment of John the Baptist.

(ii) 5:1-7:29
The King and His precepts.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine”, 7:28.

(iii) 8:1-10:42
The King and His power.

A series of ten miracles, the “powers of the world to come”.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to preach and to teach in their cities”, 11:1.

(iv) 11:1-13:53
The King and His parables.

A series of seven parables about the kingdom.

“And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed thence”, 13:53.

(v) 13:53-18:35
The King and His previews.

The preview of kingdom-glories is followed by forecasts of the building of the church.

“And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan”, 19:1.

(vi) 19:1-25:46
The King and His prophecy.

The King presents Himself formally to the nation as their King, and then foretells what will happen to them if they reject Him.

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings”, 26:1.

(vii) 26:1-28:20
The King and His parting.

Events which take place as the King leaves His nation, having been rejected by them, and crucified. He rises from the dead, however, ready to reign over them in a day to come. God has raised up Christ to His throne in heaven, and one day he will sit on the throne of His father David, Acts 2:30.

He departed thence- this is the last of a series of significant movements in the chapter. At the start “He went out of the house”, 13:1, possibly Peter’s house in Capernaum, where He no doubt lodged, see Mark 1:29. Then He sat by the seaside, and then entered into a ship because of the crowds. Then He must have come to shore, for the disciples came to Him, verse 10, which they could not have done if He had still been in the boat offshore. Having spoken more parables in a place where the multitude, if interested, could have asked Him questions, (which they failed to do), He sent them away, verse 36. Having gone into the house, His disciples then came to Him again, and further explanation and parables were given to them. Now He is leaving the house and making His way to Nazareth, probably for the last time.

13:54
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

And when he was come into his own country- when He preached in Nazareth before, He knew they would reject Him, for He said. “Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country”, Luke 4:23,24. So He thought of Nazareth as His own country. Sadly, this is another instance where “He came unto his own, and his own received him not”, John 1:11. We know by comparing Matthew 9:1 with Mark 2:1 that since He had removed from Nazareth to Capernaum the latter had become “his city”, but it seems Nazareth was still “his country”, for He will always be Jesus of Nazareth, and not Jesus of Capernaum.

He taught them in their synagogue- there is nothing said here about speaking in parables, so Nazareth is being given its last opportunity to hear His speak plainly and not in mystery. This is a great mercy on His part, and a great opportunity on their part, but what will their reaction be? Before, they had tried to cast Him over the hill.

Insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Instead of listening to His doctrine, they were only occupied with the question as to whence He had derived His knowledge and His power. The answer, of course, was that they were from His Father.

13:55
Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Is not this the carpenter’s son? They had known Him as the one who had carried on His legal father’s trade when Joseph had, as is thought, died. (It was to John that Mary was committed at the cross, and not to Joseph, John 19:26,27). Interestingly, Mark tells us they also called Him “the carpenter”, Mark 6:3. The writer of the Servant Gospel assures us that God’s Servant was not afraid of honest toil, and His labours in the workshop were to the glory of God, as well as His public ministry. The apostle Paul reminded the believing bondslaves in the assembly at Colosse, that as they served their earthly masters, they also served the Lord Christ, Colossians 3:24. Their earthly masters might be difficult to please, but Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light, Matthew 11:30. We may be sure that the yokes He made for the oxen would sit easily on their shoulders, and enable them to labour patiently all day without discomfort. So is His yoke for His people who serve Him.

Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? This is the Hebrew way of saying “His mother is called Mary” They do not mention Joseph, probably for the reason just given. They are speaking of the family as local people, ordinary folk, which makes His power and wisdom all the more striking to them.

As Mary’s firstborn son, Christ would have been responsible for the support of this fairly large family. Sadly, they did not believe on Him until He was risen from the dead and appeared to James, no doubt the James mentioned here, 1 Corinthians 15:7. How sad that Nazareth did not believe despite many years of faithful testimony to them by His righteous life, and Capernaum did not believe despite the mighty works they saw. We should not be surprised if a godly life lived before men in today’s world is likewise ignored.

All these sons have biblical names, (Jacob, Joseph, Simeon and Judah), which we would expect given the character of Mary and Joseph as it comes over to us in the birth narratives. Despite the godly ambitions they had for their children, they did not believe on Christ when He lived among them. And this despite the fact that the only recorded conversation between them and the Lord is apparently couched in Old Testament language, John 7:3-9, showing they were ell versed in the Old Testament.

13:56
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And his sisters, are they not all with us? This suggests there were at least three sisters, or else Matthew would surely have written “both with us”. The point the men of Nazareth are making is that these sisters have not had worldly ambitions, and got themselves married into some aristocratic Judean family, for they were still with them, content with the rural seclusion of Nazareth, even if it was a place of no repute.

It is interesting to note that Christ had a fully balanced home life, with brothers and sisters all together, with the interactions that involves. His was not the life of a hermit, shut away in some remote cave with no contact with men. His was the life of the bustle and business of a large family. His people who are “solitary in families”, Psalm 68:6, may take encouragement from this as they seek to maintain a godly testimony. It may not seem to be having an effect, but the reality is otherwise.

Whence then hath this man all these things? With all these facts in mind, they conclude that He is just an ordinary man in an ordinary family, and they cannot explain His abilities.

13:57
And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

And they were offended in him- instead of allowing Him to be the means of helping them to see the truth, they thought of Him as a hindrance, for He was not the sort of Messiah they were looking for. It is almost as if they were embarrassed by the fact that He was Jesus of Nazareth. Yet He was not ashamed of that title, for He not only owned it when He was arrested in Gethsemane, John 18:5, but He owns it still in heaven, for He told Saul of Tarsus He was “Jesus of Nazareth”, Acts 22:8.

But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house- when He had been rejected at Nazareth before, He had said, “Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country”, Luke 4:24. He had gone on to remind the people about Elijah, who, despite the presence of many widows in Israel, had been sent by God to the Gentile land of Sidon. This had enraged them, for they thought themselves to be alone worthy of Divine attention.

Here, the Lord adds a further thought. It is not just that He is not wanted in His own country, but that other countries and peoples will honour Him. And so it has come to pass, for whereas He is largely not honoured in Israel today, there are countless men and women who revere Him, not just as a prophet, but as the Son of God. After all, to reckon Him to be a true prophet is to believe that what He says is true. And one of the things He said was that He was the Son of God.

Matthew has mentioned “his own country”, the Nazareth district, and the people have mentioned His own house, referring to His mother and brothers and sisters. It is fitting at the end of a chapter which is full of the idea that the nation is being turned from, that those who represent His closest tie to that nation should not honour Him.

13:58
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief- it is a solemn thing when human unbelief prevents the Son of God from working. It is not that He has lost the power, or the authority, but rather that He does not waste His energy. It is sad that the chapter has to end with the word unbelief, but that word could be written over the nation of Israel still.