Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.#Mk 4:1–12; Lk 8:4–10 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.#Mk 3:9; Lk 5:3
3Then he told them many things in parables,#Mt 13:10,34–36; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32; Mk 4:2 saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.#Gn 26:12; Mt 13:23 9Let anyone who has ears#13:9 Other mss add to hear listen.”#Mt 11:15; 13:43; Lk 8:8; 14:35; Rv 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22
Why Jesus Used Parables
10Then the disciples#Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” #Mt 13:35; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
11He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,#Mt 11:25; 19:11; Jn 6:65; 1Co 2:10; Col 1:27; 1Jn 2:20,27 but it has not been given to them. 12For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.#Mt 25:29; Lk 8:18; 19:26; Jn 15:2; Jms 4:6 13That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,#Dt 29:4; Is 42:19–20; Jr 5:21; Ezk 12:2 and hearing they do not listen or understand.#Mt 15:10; 16:12; 17:13; Mk 8:21 14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
but never understand;
you will look and look,
but never perceive. #
Is 6:9; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Ac 28:26–27; Rm 11:8
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and
understand with their hearts,
and turn back —
and I would heal them. # 13:14–15 Is 6:9–10 #
Is 6:10; Mt 15:8; Heb 5:11
16 “Blessed are your eyes #
Lk 10:23–24
because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.#Mt 16:17; Jn 20:29 17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.#Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1Pt 1:10–12
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: #
Mk 4:13–20; Lk 8:11–15 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.#Mt 4:23; 5:37; 6:13 20And the one sown on rocky ground — this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.#Is 58:2; Ezk 33:31–32; Mk 6:20; Jn 5:35 21But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution#Mk 4:17; 10:30; Ac 8:1; 13:50; Rm 8:35; 2Co 12:10 comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22Now the one sown among the thorns — this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age#Rm 12:2; 2Tm 4:10; 1Jn 2:15 and the deceitfulness#13:22 Or pleasure of wealth#Mt 19:23; Mk 10:23; 1Tm 6:9–10; 2Tm 4:10 choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.#Mt 18:23; 20:1; 25:1; Mk 4:26,30 25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27The landowner’s servants#Mt 10:24; Col 3:11; 4:1; Rv 1:1 came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Leaven
31He#Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–19 presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven#Mt 13:24; 17:20; Lk 17:6 is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”#Ps 104:12; Ezk 17:23; 31:6; Dn 4:12
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven#13:33 Or yeast that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds#13:33 Lit three sata; about forty liters of flour until all of it was leavened.”#Gn 18:6; Lk 13:21; Gl 5:9
Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy
34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable,#Mk 4:34; Jn 10:6; 16:25 35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.#13:35 Some mss omit of the world#13:35 Ps 78:2#Ps 78:2; Rm 16:25–26; 1Co 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26
Jesus Interprets the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”#Mt 13:3; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
37He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world; and the good seed — these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,#Mt 8:12; Jn 8:44; Ac 13:10; 1Jn 3:10 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.#Jl 3:13; Heb 9:26; Rv 14:15 40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.#Mt 24:3; 28:20 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin#13:41 Or stumbling and those guilty of lawlessness.#13:41 Or those who do lawlessness#Zph 1:3; Mt 8:20; 18:7; 24:31 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace#Rv 1:15; 9:2 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; Rv 19:20; 20:10 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears#13:43 Other mss add to hear listen.#Dn 12:3; Mt 11:15; 1Co 15:42
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. #
Is 55:1; Php 3:7–8; Rv 3:18
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46When he found one priceless#13:46 Or very precious pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.#Pr 2:4; Mt 7:6
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, #
Mt 3:2; 13:44; 22:10 48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,#Mt 13:39–40; 25:32 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; 13:42
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?” # 13:51 Other mss add Jesus asked them
They answered him, “Yes.”
52 “Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law#13:52 Or every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”#Mt 12:35; 28:19
Rejection at Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. 54He went to his hometown#Mk 6:1–6; Lk 4:16–30 and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?#Mt 2:23; 4:23; 7:28 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?#Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3; Lk 3:23; Jn 6:42 Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James,#Jms 1:1; Jd 1 Joseph,#13:55 Other mss read Joses; Mk 6:3 Simon, and Judas?#Mt 12:46; Jn 7:5 56And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?” 57And they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.”#Jr 11:21; 12:6; Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Matthew 13
13
The Story of the Farmer
1That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. 2Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat and sat down. All the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things using stories. He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. 5Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. 6When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. 7Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. 9Whoever has ears should listen.”
10The disciples came to him. They asked, “Why do you use stories when you speak to the people?”
11He replied, “Because you have been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders. 12Everyone who has this kind of knowledge will be given more knowledge. In fact, they will have very much. If anyone doesn’t have this kind of knowledge, even what little they have will be taken away from them. 13Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say,
“They look, but they don’t really see.
They listen, but they don’t really hear or understand.
14In them the words of the prophet Isaiah come true. He said,
“ ‘You will hear but never understand.
You will see but never know what you are seeing.
15The hearts of these people have become stubborn.
They can barely hear with their ears.
They have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes.
They might hear with their ears.
They might understand with their hearts.
They might turn to the Lord, and then he would heal them.’ (Isaiah 6:9,10)
16But blessed are your eyes because they see. And blessed are your ears because they hear. 17What I’m about to tell you is true. Many prophets and godly people wanted to see what you see. But they didn’t see it. They wanted to hear what you hear. But they didn’t hear it.
18“Listen! Here is the meaning of the story of the farmer. 19People hear the message about the kingdom but do not understand it. Then the evil one comes. He steals what was planted in their hearts. Those people are like the seed planted on a path. 20The seed that fell on rocky places is like other people. They hear the message and at once receive it with joy. 21But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. 22The seed that fell among the thorns is like others who hear the message. But then the worries of this life and the false promises of wealth crowd it out. They keep the message from producing fruit. 23But the seed that fell on good soil is like those who hear the message and understand it. They produce a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than the farmer planted.”
The Story of the Weeds
24Jesus told the crowd another story. “Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like,” he said. “A man planted good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came. The enemy planted weeds among the wheat and then went away. 26The wheat began to grow and form grain. At the same time, weeds appeared.
27“The owner’s slaves came to him. They said, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The slaves asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’
29“ ‘No,’ the owner answered. ‘While you are pulling up the weeds, you might pull up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the workers what to do. Here is what I will say to them. First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat. Bring it into my storeroom.’ ”
The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches.”
33Jesus told them still another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,” he said. “A woman mixed it into 60 pounds of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.”
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd using stories. He did not say anything to them without telling a story. 35So the words spoken by the prophet came true. He had said,
“I will open my mouth and tell stories.
I will speak about things that were hidden since the world was made.” (Psalm 78:2)
Jesus Explains the Story of the Weeds
36Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him. They said, “Explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
37He answered, “The one who planted the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seed stands for the people who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39The enemy who plants them is the devil. The harvest is judgment day. And the workers are angels.
40“The weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire. That is how it will be on judgment day. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels. They will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin. They will also get rid of all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace. There people will weep and grind their teeth. 43Then God’s people will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Whoever has ears should listen.
The Stories of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. He was very happy. So he went and sold everything he had. And he bought that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. 46He found one that was very valuable. So he went away and sold everything he had. And he bought that pearl.
The Story of the Net
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. It was let down into the lake. It caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away. 49This is how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come. They will separate the people who did what is wrong from those who did what is right. 50They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There the evil ones will weep and grind their teeth.
51“Do you understand all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52He said to them, “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings new treasures out of his storeroom as well as old ones.”
A Prophet Without Honor
53Jesus finished telling these stories. Then he moved on from there. 54He came to his hometown of Nazareth. There he began teaching the people in their synagogue. They were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom? Where did he get this power to do miracles?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary? Aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Then where did this man get all these things?” 57They were not pleased with him at all.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town and in his own home.”
58He did only a few miracles in Nazareth because the people there had no faith.
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