This chapter contains some of the many parables that Jesus told to explain to people what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. A parable is a simple story that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson or principle. Today on the internet, memes are often used to get a point across to the viewer and some people will understand and some will not. The parable served this purpose when Jesus was ministering to the multitudes in Judea. Some people understood them and some did not.
Verses 1-2 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 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.
The sea was the Sea of Galilee. Because the crowd was so great, Jesus had to result to using a boat to separate Himself from the crowd so that He could preach and teach. The “same day” most likely was referring to the Sabbath as stated in chapter 12 above.
Verses 3-9 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The people living in Jesus’ day were agriculturally based and so they understood the things relating to farming and livestock management. Therefore, Jesus used examples and topics in His parables that they could understand and relate to. Today, there are not many sowers in the industrialized societies, but a sower is a person who goes out and scatters seed for growing a crop. So the picture Jesus presented here was of a person who was scattering seed all over the place and not just in rows of prepared soil. The sower and the seeds are metaphor for a deeper spiritual meaning which is explained by Jesus in verses 18-23 below.
Application: What is important to see here is that the Gospel was and is presented or sown all over the place and not just given to select people at select times. Jesus is not a respecter of persons and treats all people equally. Therefore, all people have the same opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond to it or decline it. The multitude hearing this parable or story would have been given a picture of sowing seeds that they could understand as this was part of every day life in their agricultural society.
Verses 10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 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.
Jesus knew the heart condition of the people to whom He was ministering, and just like so many people today who hear the truth of the Gospel but fail to understand and receive it because they are hard hearted towards the things of God, the multitudes were no different. Some heard and believed, but many were following Jesus for personal benefit: free food, free medical, free advice, free entertainment, etc..
Application: This writer has been in churches that profess to preach and to teach the Word of God and then engage in entertainment venues that are just like those in the world. Puppet shows, rock concerts and comedians are just a few of the “attractions” that these churches advertise to try and get the unbelieving public through their doors. People will come, but it is questionable that they will have a change of heart and follow Jesus. The Church is to be different from the things of the world that is driven by Satan. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 The Church is to be guided by the Holy Spirit/Ghost and He will bring the people into the church that He knows will convert and follow Jesus. It isn’t about numbers, it is about obedience to the Word.
Verses 12-13 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. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
The person that has a heart receptive to the Word of God will be given greater understanding of the things of God and His Kingdom by the Holy Ghost/Spirit, but the person whose heart is hard will understand less and less over time. This is seen in the Church as people start attending for a while and then start skipping the church service and finally stop attending at all. They put themselves in a position spiritually where they are not being fed Bible truths and so they spiritually starve and fall away from the faith, returning to the things of the world.
Verses 14-15 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: 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.
Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” Isaiah 6:10
Verses 16-17 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 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 the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21 The prophets wrote what they saw in visions and dreams and what they heard from the LORD. They may not have understood what they heard or saw, but of course they wanted to have an understanding of the prophecy they were recording. Often they did not know what the meaning of their writings was because the events were future. However, all the prophets wrote about Jesus, the coming Messiah, but none of them saw the actual event or fulfillment of this prophecy while here on Earth. Jesus was telling His disciples that they were in a very special position as they were eye witnesses to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah that was to come. They were living with and learning from God, very God, because Jesus was/is God Almighty manifested in a human body. And Jesus was opening their eyes so that they could hear and understand His teachings as they were called and chosen for such a time as this.
Verses 18-23 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 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. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 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. 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. 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.
This parable shows clearly and simply what happens to people after they hear the Gospel. Some go back to the devil, some remain believers for a short while but find the Christian walk too difficult, some follow Jesus until the things of the world entice them back to their old way of life, and some follow Jesus and remain His servants forever.
Application: According to this parable, there is a one in four probability of a person hearing the Gospel and becoming a true Christian believer. So when witnessing to people in the world, do not get discouraged if the message and possibly you are rejected by those to whom you are witnessing. The Christian believer’s job is to witness, not convert. The Holy Ghost/Spirit does the converting. The Christian believer is the sower and the seed is the Gospel. The LORD provides the climate and soil for spiritual roots and spiritual growth. Just be faithful and obedient and let Him do the rest.
Notice that the person that receives the seed on good ground brings forth fruit of 100, 60, or 30 in number. This writer believes that these numbers represent the ideal size of a Christian church. Remember that the early churches met in houses, not palatial buildings like is seen today. So one convert could easily start a fellowship in their home and witness to people in their community and start a church. When the number of people increased, they would split their assembly and go elsewhere and establish another church. So the Church at Corinth, for example, would have been made up of many small places of worship in homes or open air as the weather permitted. It is impossible for a pastor to meet the needs of a congregation much larger than 100 people. Jesus knew this. And it is very easy to have 30 people in a living-room for Bible study and Christian fellowship. So ask yourself if the modern church setting is really the best way to spread the Gospel. Perhaps going back to smaller gatherings where people can really feel like they belong to a family of believers rather than to an organization would be best. Think about it.
Verses 24-30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 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? 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? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 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.
The Greek word translated as “tares” is “zizanion” and it is a weed that resembles wheat when it starts growing, but the grains are black and easily identified when it matures. The basic truths Jesus is communicating here is that the wicked and the righteous will always live together on the Earth, but at the end of time, the wicked will be removed and consigned to the fiery flames of Hell and the righteous will be left. Just like the man in the story above, the LORD created all things, including Adam and Eve, which started out “good” like the good seed above. Just as an enemy sabotaged the man’s field, Satan sabotaged the LORD’s Earth by sowing discord between Adam and Eve and their creator, introducing sin, which led to the whole Earth being inhabited by mankind, some wicked and some righteous. The servants of the man asked if they should gather up the tares, but the man knew that this action could damage the rest of his crop, so it would be easier and more prudent to let the tares and the wheat grow together and then separate them at the wheat harvest. The LORD, in His wonderful grace and mercy, is not sending His angels to weed out and destroy the unrighteous people, but is letting the tares or unbelievers live out their physical life span among His righteous people. It is not His will that anyone perish. This gives the unrighteous time to repent if they choose to become a follower of Jesus. When the unrepentant people stand before the LORD for judgment of their Earthly life, they will have no excuse for their sins and rejection of Jesus. When the Christian believers stand before the LORD for judgment of their Earthly life, they will be ushered by the good angels into Heaven to spend eternity with the LORD.
Application: Please note that Jesus’ own words as recorded by the Apostle Matthew have been discredited by the Scofield doctrine and by the churches that follow his blasphemous teachings, which unfortunately is most evangelical churches today. The Scofield end-time scenario is that the righteous followers of Jesus will be “raptured” out of the world and the wicked will be left to live through some make-believe tribulation which will be followed by a 1000 year rule of Jesus here on Earth, and so on and so on. But the verses above, and other verses in the Bible, clearly teach that the tares or the wicked go first. There is no rapture, a term that seems to have been adopted from the Jewish Kabbalah which refers to the emotional/physical sexual experience. The noun means “a feeling of intense pleasure or joy.” The word does not appear in Scripture anywhere. So God didn’t write about a rapture through His prophets. The Christian believer is supposed to be following the Word, not the words of men. Jesus also clearly stated that, “My kingdom is not of this world:” John 18:36. Jesus is not going to establish a rule for a 1000 years on an Earth contaminated by sin when He already told His followers that “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 Scofield study Bibles are in churches, seminaries, libraries and in many believers’ homes. This writer’s advice to you, the reader, is to burn it if you have one. It is a tool of the Devil.
Verses 31-32 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: 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.
Just as a tiny seed turns into a large plant that provides a habitat for birds, the spiritual Kingdom of God starts small and grows into a large number of people that provide a spiritual habitat for others to come into. A person is witnessed to in a community in Africa or Papua New Guinea for example, and that person experiences a walk with Jesus and then shares the Gospel with another and the process is repeated until many people have heard about Jesus and have the opportunity to come into His Kingdom. A church is established and continues to grow just as the mustard seed in the parable above. One person seems insignificant, but that one believer can be the start of a large spiritual awakening. The early Church acted like sowers and mustard seeds. They traveled from town to town, witnessing and preaching the Gospel to anyone who would listen, performing miracles to prove that what they said was true, and establishing churches everywhere they went. What started with just 12 dedicated men became the greatest movement ever to happen in the world.
Verse 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.
The Greek word translated as ‘leaven” is “zume” and it is a yeast organism (microscopic fungus) that converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, thus causing bread dough to rise and become fluffy when cooked. It takes very little yeast to thoroughly spread throughout all the dough. So even though it is applied in a small quantity, it has tremendous influence.
Application: Usually, leaven in Scripture is metaphor or representative of sin. However, in the above parable, the LORD’s kingdom is likened to the action or leaven. It is not likened to the object of or to the noun of leaven. Just like the leaven, when the Gospel message is applied to the hearts and minds of people, it has a tremendous influence, saving souls and providing passage into the Kingdom of God. Sin, however, is like a fungus. It starts small and grows and can spread into every aspect of a person’s life, family, and community, and just as leaven spreads throughout dough and changes its characteristics and consistency, sin can change a righteous person into an unrighteous person which can lead to both spiritual and physical death.
Another way to understand the verse above has been presented to this writer by a godly friend and so will be included here as it makes perfect sense. This point of view does not contradict the Scripture’s metaphoric use of leaven to represent sin. My friend points out that the woman in the verse above can/may represent Mystery Babylon which infiltrates and takes over the Church. “And it was given unto him (Satan) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:7-8 This would be the “falling away” that the Apostle Paul speaks of in his epistles. The beast system or Mystery Babylon operated by Satan has always made war with the saints of God since the garden of Eden, and in the last days the “Kingdom of God as seen in the 3 measures of meal, has been leavened. It is as the time of Lot and of Noah. The evil has so permeated His Kingdom, only Jesus can remove it. I expect to see this happen anytime…” (quote from this writer’s friend, Debra) “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Than shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Mathew 24:38-42 “The most brilliant scheme by Satan was the introduction of a rapture scenario. It has blinded the eyes of many, as they are always looking to the future for events that have been happening since the start of the tribulation, 70AD, when the second temple was destroyed. It also uses Satan’s method of making evil look good and good look evil. The ones taken away were identified as the saints in Mathew 24, instead of who they really are: the wicked.” (quote from Debra) Proverbs 10:30 states, “The righteous will never be removed: but the wicked shall not inherit the earth.”
Verses 34-35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 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.
Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets. This was one of the purposes of His coming to Earth in the form of a man. “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Luke 24:44
Verses 36-43 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. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 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; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 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; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus’ own words clearly debunk the Scolfield teaching of a rapture at the end of time.
Verse 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.
Earthly men will sacrifice much to find buried treasure both on land and in the sea. Salvage companies make their living by finding material things that have been lost or rendered unusable because of their location or because of damage. The question is, “Is salvation and eternal security in Heaven worth much to men today? Is it a treasure that men will seek for and sacrifice for?” True believers in Jesus Christ will not covet material things and will not spend their time obtaining them and maintaining them. True believers know that the most valuable thing in their earthly life is a relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ, forgiveness of their sins, and the gift of eternal life.
Verses 45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
The true Christian believer will value his/her position in God’s kingdom above all else, even above physical life itself. Read Foxes Book of Martyrs and see what men and women endured in order to follow Jesus and to be a part of His kingdom. The Creator God is the treasure that men should be seeking, not physical or earthly things.
Verses 47-50 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
God’s plan of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ, and His spiritual kingdom is available to all. Like a net that draws fish towards a fishing boat or towards the shore, the Gospel draws people towards the truth of creation and of Almighty God. But within that Gospel net are those who refuse to believe and who refuse to repent. Like the tares in the parable above, those who reject the Gospel will spend eternity in the fires of Hell.
Verses 51-52 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 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.
The Greek word translated as “scribe” is “grammateus” and it means a man who is learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings. It also means an interpreter or a teacher. Jesus’ disciples stated that they understood His teachings about the Kingdom of Heaven and this essentially made them scribes of the teachings of God. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John eventually wrote these teachings down in their Gospel books and the disciples went on to teach what they knew to others and to establish churches.
Application: Every Christian believer, once he/she understands the spiritual truths presented in Scripture, is in essence a scribe and is able to teach others about the Kingdom of Heaven and about the plan of salvation. It is not just the pastors’ job. It is commanded of all believers to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) and to “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8).
Verses 53-58 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 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? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 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. 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13)
Before starting His ministry, Jesus was known by many people and His family was known also. This is especially true in the place where he had lived and worked as a carpenter. So these people of His home town were skeptical of Him and of His message. And because they did not believe Him, they did not receive the blessing of miracles such as healing. Unbelief can hinder the moving of the Holy Ghost/Spirit.
Application: If you, the reader, have been raised in the Catholic church or if you are still a part of this church, please note that, contrary to the teaching you have received from the priests, Jesus had earthly brothers and sisters and some of their names are listed here. As such, the teaching that Mary was a virgin and remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus is a lie. And just as the Bible has to be completely without error to be trusted, so must the teachings of any church be without error and be scriptural or it cannot be trusted. You decide.