Matthew 13

#Mt 13:1| LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) A. INTRODUCTION #Mt 13:1-3 Mr 4:1,2 Lu 8:4| On that day went Jesus out of the house. It is possible that Matthew here refers to the house mentioned at #Mr 3:19|. If so, the events in Sections XLVIII-LVI. all occurred on the same day. There are several indications in the gospel narratives that this is so. And sat by the sea side. By the Sea of Galilee. (TFG 328) #Mt 13:2| He entered into a boat, and sat. See TFG "#Mr 4:1|". #Mt 13:3| And he spake to them many things in parables. See TFG "#Mr 4:2|". LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) B. PARABLE OF THE SOWER. #Mt 13:3-23 Mr 4:3-25 Lu 8:5-18| Behold, the sower went forth to sow. See TFG "#Mr 4:3|". #Mt 13:4| And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side. See TFG "#Mr 4:4|". #Mt 13:5,6| And others fell upon the rocky places. See TFG "#Mr 4:5|". #Mt 13:7| And others fell upon the thorns. See TFG "#Mr 4:7|". #Mt 13:8| And others fell upon the good ground, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:8|". #Mt 13:9| He that hath ears, let him hear. See TFG "#Mr 4:9|". #Mt 13:10| Why speakest thou unto them in parables? See TFG "#Mr 4:10|". #Mt 13:11,12| Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:11|". #Mt 13:12| For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:25|". #Mt 13:13| Because seeing they see not, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:12|". The language here is an elaboration of the thoughts contained in #Mt 13:12|. (TFG 332) #Mt 13:14,15| Unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. #Isa 6:9,10|. In the original passage which Matthew quotes, Isaiah is apparently commanded to harden the hearts of the people. If read superficially, it might seem that God desired to harden their hearts. The true meaning is that God commanded Isaiah to teach, even though the people, by hardening themselves against his teaching, should be made worse rather than better by it. Thus, though rebellious, Israel might not be blessed by Isaiah's teaching; they might, by their example, waken a wholesome fear in their posterity, and cause it to avoid like a sin. By hearing ye shall hear, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:25|". (TFG 332) #Mt 13:15| For this people's heart is waxed gross, etc. #Isa 6:9,10|. #Mt 13:16| But blessed are your eyes, for they see, etc. Jesus here addresses his disciples, who were a cheering contrast to the unbelievers. (TFG 332) #Mt 13:17| Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, etc. Our Lord here gives us a glance into the very hearts of the prophets, and reveals to us their desire to be witnesses of Messiah's ministry. But knowing they were not to see their visions realized, they contented themselves with trying to understand the full meaning of their visions, that they might anticipate the days which were to come (#1Pe 1:10-12|). (TFG 332) #Mt 13:19| This is he that was sown by the way side. See TFG "#Mr 4:15|". #Mt 13:20,21| And he that was sown upon the rocky places, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:16|". #Mt 13:22| And he that was sown among the thorns, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:18|". #Mt 13:23| And he that was sown upon the good ground, etc. See TFG "#Mr 4:20|". #Mt 13:24| LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) D. THE PARABLE OF THE TARES. #Mt 13:24-30| #Mt 13:25| But while men slept. While they innocently rested, not while they were negligent. His enemy came and sowed tares. Darnel, which closely resembles our cheat {*}. Among the wheat, and went away. Though not common, there have been instances of such malignant mischief as is here indicated. {*} That is the common chess or bromegrass (Bromus secalinus), widely distributed as a weed.--Ed. (TFG 337) #Mt 13:26| Then appeared the tares also. The difference between darnel and wheat does not become apparent until the two kinds of grain are nearly ripe. (TFG 337) #Mt 13:29| Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. The roots of wheat and darnel so intertwine that they can not be separated without pulling up both. Jesus' explanation of this parable will be found in Subdivision F. See TFG "#Mt 13:36|". (TFG 337) #Mt 13:31| LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) E. PARABLES OF THE MUSTARD SEED AND LEAVEN. #Mt 13:31-35 Mr 4:30-34| Like unto a grain of mustard seed. See TFG "#Mt 17:20|". #Mt 13:32| Which indeed is less than all seeds. See TFG "#Mr 4:31|". But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs. See TFG "#Mr 4:32|". #Mt 13:33| The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened. In Oriental housekeeping, yeast is not preserved in a separate form. A piece of leavened dough saved over from the last baking is added to the new dough to ferment it. Three measures contained the quantity usually taken for one baking. Leaven represents the quickness, quietness, thoroughness, and sureness with which gospel truth diffuses itself through human society. A woman is named because baking was part of her household duty. (TFG 338) #Mt 13:34| All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes. See TFG "#Mr 4:33|". And without a parable spake he nothing unto them. See TFG "#Mr 4:34|". #Mt 13:35| That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet. At #Ps 78:2| which is usually attributed to Asaph, who is called a seer (#2Ch 29:30|). His teaching typified that of Christ], I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in a notable manner, being the only teacher in history distinguished in any marked degree by the use of parables. (TFG 338) #Mt 13:36| LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) F. THE PARABLE OF THE TARES EXPLAINED. #Mt 13:36-43| Then he . . . went into the house. Probably Simon Peter's house. Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. This parable and its explanation are sometimes urged as an argument against church discipline, but such a use of them is clearly erroneous. The field is not the church, but the world, and the teaching of the parable is that we are not to attempt to exterminate evil men. Any who attempt to exterminate heretics in the name of Christ by physical force are condemned by this parable. (TFG 339) #Mt 13:43| He that hath ears, let him hear. See TFG "#Mr 4:9|". #Mt 13:44| LIV. THE FIRST GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (Beside the Sea of Galilee.) G. PARABLES OF TREASURE, PEARL, AND NET. #Mt 13:44-53| The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. The three parables in this section appear to have been addressed privately to the disciples. In the absence of banks and other trust repositories, the men of that day hid their treasures as best they could. The sudden death of the hider often resulted in the loss of all knowledge as to the whereabouts of the treasure. The parable speaks of such a lost treasure. Technically it belonged to the owner of the field, but practically it belonged to him who found it. Hence the finder conceals it again until he had made perfect his title to it by the purchase of the field. The gist of the parable does not require us to pass upon the conduct of the finder, which was certainly questionable. (TFG 340) #Mt 13:45| Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls. In the preceding parable the treasure was found by accident; in this, the pearl was sought. Some find without seeking, as did the Samaritan woman (#Joh 4:28,29|); some only after diligent search, as did the eunuch (#Ac 8:27|). (TFG 340) #Mt 13:47| Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. Like the parable of the tares (#Mt 13:24-30|), this one indicates the continuance of the mixture of bad and good, and points to the final separation. The contents of a net can not be sorted while it is being drawn. The tares indicate such evils as can be seen and as tempt us to uproot them. The net shows that in the dark and turbulent waters, and in the hurry-skurry of its teeming life, there are things which can not be seen. (TFG 340) #Mt 13:48| They sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. The judgment shall be with care, as when men, in the broad light of day, on the quiet beach, sit down to sort the fish. If the parable of the tares emphasizes the waiting, the parable of the net emphasizes the careful sorting. (TFG 340-341) #Mt 13:52| Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. As a householder graces his banquet with things already in the house, and with other things which have just been provided, so a religious teacher must refresh his hearers out of both his past and his present experiences and study. Old lessons must be clothed in new garments. (TFG 341) #Mt 13:53| He departed thence. He went from the house to the sea in the afternoon, and entering a boat a little later, he stilled the storm. (TFG 341) #Mt 13:54| LX. JESUS VISITS NAZARETH AND IS REJECTED. #Mt 13:54-58 Mr 6:1-6 Lu 4:16-31| And coming into his own country he. Nazareth. As to this city, see notes at #Lu 1:26 2:39,51|. He taught them in their synagogue. For comment on this usage of the synagogue, see TFG "Mr 1:39". Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? See TFG "#Mr 6:2|". #Mt 13:55| Is not this the carpenter's son? etc. See TFG "#Mr 6:3|". #Mt 13:57| And they were offended in him. See TFG "#Mr 6:3|". A prophet is not without honour, etc. See TFG "#Mr 6:4|".