‏ Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower and the Purpose of Parables

In this section, Jesus begins to teach the crowds using parables—simple stories with deep spiritual meanings. The first parable He tells is about a farmer who sows seed on different types of ground, each representing different ways people respond to God’s message. The disciples wonder why Jesus uses parables, and He explains that parables reveal truths to those with open hearts but hide them from those who are not willing to listen. Jesus wants His followers to understand the importance of truly listening to God’s word and letting it change their lives.

v. 1: The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. Jesus left the house where He was staying and sat by the Sea of Galilee. Crowds often gathered around Him, so He used this setting to teach many people in a way they could see and hear Him easily (Matthew 13:1 ^a).

v. 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. So many people came to hear Jesus that He got into a boat and sat down, while the crowd stood on the shore. This way, everyone could see and hear Him as He taught (Matthew 13:2 ^b).

v. 3: And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; Jesus began teaching them using parables—stories with hidden meanings. He started with the parable of the sower, describing a farmer who went out to plant seeds (Matthew 13:3 ^c).

v. 4: And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some seeds landed on the path where people walked. Birds came and ate these seeds before they could grow. This shows how some people hear God’s word but do not understand it, so the message is quickly taken away (Matthew 13:4 ^d).

v. 5: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was not much soil. These seeds grew quickly because the soil was shallow (Matthew 13:5 ^e).

v. 6: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. But when the sun got hot, the plants dried up and died because their roots were not deep. This shows how some people get excited about God’s word but give up quickly when troubles come (Matthew 13:6 ^f).

v. 7: And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: Some seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants so they could not grow well. This means some people let worries and love for other things crowd out God’s word in their lives (Matthew 13:7 ^g).

v. 8: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. But some seeds fell on good soil and grew well. They produced a lot of grain—up to a hundred times more than was planted. This is like people who truly listen to God and let His word change their lives; they produce good results for God (Matthew 13:8 ^h).

v. 9: Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus finished the story by saying that everyone who is able to understand should listen carefully. He wanted people to think deeply about what He taught (Matthew 13:9 ⁱ).

v. 10: And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? The disciples asked Jesus why He taught the people using parables instead of speaking plainly (Matthew 13:10 ^j).

v. 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 explained that His followers were allowed to understand the secrets of God’s kingdom, but others were not. God gives spiritual understanding to those who are willing to receive it (Matthew 13:11 ^k).

v. 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. If someone is open to God’s truth, God will give them more understanding. But if someone ignores the truth, even what little they have will be lost (Matthew 13:12 ^l).

v. 13: Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. Jesus said He used parables because many people saw and heard Him but did not really understand or accept His message (Matthew 13:13 ^m).

v. 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: Jesus said this fulfilled what Isaiah had prophesied long ago: people would hear and see God’s message but would not really understand or accept it (Matthew 13:14; Isaiah 6:9-10 ⁿ).

v. 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. The hearts of these people had become hard, their ears could not hear, and they had closed their eyes. If they really listened and understood, God would forgive and heal them, but they refused to receive the truth (Matthew 13:15 ^o).

v. 16: But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Jesus said His disciples were blessed because they were able to see and hear spiritual truths (Matthew 13:16 ^p).

v. 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. Jesus told them that many people in the past—prophets and good people—had wanted to see and hear what the disciples were experiencing, but never had the chance (Matthew 13:17 ^q).

In summary, Matthew 13:1–17 shows Jesus teaching in parables so that those who truly want to learn from God can understand, but those with hard hearts will miss the message. The Parable of the Sower teaches that people respond in different ways to God’s word, and only those with open hearts will bear good fruit for God.

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The Parable of the Weeds (Tares) Among the Wheat

In this section, Jesus tells the parable of the weeds (also called tares) among the wheat. This parable explains why there is both good and evil in the world, even within the community of faith. Jesus teaches that God allows both to grow together until the final judgment, when he will separate the righteous from the wicked. The disciples later ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parable, and he gives a detailed interpretation.

v. 24: Jesus presents another parable to the crowd. He says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.” The “good seed” represents people who truly belong to God, and the field represents the world. God’s work is always good and pure at the start.

v. 25: While everyone is sleeping, an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat and goes away. The enemy is the devil, who tries to ruin God’s work by planting evil and false believers among the true ones. The fact that this happens at night shows how sneaky and hidden evil can be.

v. 26: When the plants grow and begin to produce grain, the weeds also appear. It becomes clear that there are both wheat and weeds in the same field. This shows that good and evil will grow together for a time, and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart at first.

v. 27: The servants of the landowner come and ask, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?” They are surprised by the presence of weeds, just as people sometimes wonder why there is evil in God’s world or in the church.

v. 28: The landowner replies, “An enemy did this.” The servants ask if they should go and pull up the weeds. This question represents the desire to quickly remove evil and falsehood as soon as it is seen.

v. 29–30: The landowner says, “No, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” This means that God, in his wisdom, allows good and evil to exist side by side for now. The final judgment will come at the end of the age, when God will perfectly separate the righteous from the wicked. The wheat (God’s people) will be gathered to safety, but the weeds (those who reject God) will face judgment.

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Various Parables

In these verses, Jesus teaches four short parables. Each one shows something important about the kingdom of heaven. The parables remind us that God’s kingdom is valuable, that true faith requires sacrifice, and that in the end there will be a clear separation between those who truly belong to God and those who do not. Jesus also encourages those who learn from him to share both old and new truths with others.

v. 44: Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When someone finds it, they are so happy that they sell everything they own to buy that field. This shows that Jesus Christ is the true treasure. In him, we find everything we need—wisdom, grace, and peace (Colossians 1:19; John 1:16 ^r; Colossians 2:3 ^s). The gospel is the field where this treasure is found. It may seem ordinary to some, but those who truly search and find Christ discover something more valuable than anything else (Isaiah 12:3; John 5:39 ^t). When we see how precious Jesus is, we should be willing to give up everything to have him (Philippians 3:8-9 ^u).

v. 45-46: Next, Jesus tells the parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46 ^v). He says the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he finds one very valuable pearl, he sells all he has to buy it. This repeats the lesson of the treasure. Many people search for meaning in wealth, honor, or knowledge, but only Jesus is the true Pearl of great value. Knowing him makes us truly rich in God’s eyes (1 Corinthians 1:30 ^w). If we want to belong to Christ, we must be ready to let go of anything that keeps us from him. Nothing else compares to having Jesus.

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v. 47-48: Jesus then tells the parable of the net cast into the sea (Matthew 13:47-48 ^x). The world is like a big sea, and people are like the fish in it (Psalm 104:25; Habakkuk 1:14 ^y). The preaching of the gospel is like fishermen throwing a net into the sea. The net gathers all kinds of fish, both good and bad. This is like the church, which has both true believers and people who are not sincere. At the end of the age, when the net is full, the fishermen separate the good fish from the bad. In the same way, God will one day separate the righteous from the wicked (Isaiah 55:11 ^z). Until then, everyone is mixed together in the church.

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v. 49-50: Jesus explains that at the end of the world, angels will separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13:49-50 ^aa). The wicked will be thrown into a fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. This is a warning that being close to believers is not enough. Only those who truly belong to God will be saved. Jesus often spoke about the reality of hell, so we should take his words seriously and be sure we are truly following him (Matthew 13:42 ^ab).

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v. 51: Jesus asks his disciples if they have understood all these things. They answer, Yes, Lord. Jesus wants his followers to understand his teachings, not just hear them. When we do not understand, we should ask questions, because understanding one truth helps us understand others (Matthew 13:36 ^ac).

v. 52: Jesus says that every scribe who is trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. This means that good teachers of God’s word use both old and new truths to help others. Ministers must learn well before teaching others (Ezra 7:6,10 ^ad). They should be ready with lessons from both the Old and New Testaments, sharing what they learn for the good of others (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ^ae). We should always be learning and sharing new insights, not just relying on what we already know.

The Contempt of Christ by His Countrymen

In this passage, Jesus returns to his hometown after teaching in other places. Even though he came to help and teach, his own people did not accept him. Jesus shows patience by coming to them again, even though they had already rejected him. This visit shows how people sometimes look down on what is familiar to them and miss the true value of what God is offering.

v. 53-54: Jesus finished his teaching and went to his own country. When he taught in their synagogue, the people were amazed—but not in a good way. They could not understand how someone like him could have such wisdom and power. They questioned where he got these things from, since he had not been trained by their religious teachers. Some people judge others by their background, not by the truth they share. If the people had not been stubborn, they would have seen that Jesus’ wisdom and miracles came from God.

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v. 55-56: The people also looked down on Jesus because of his family. They said, Is not this the carpenter’s son? They thought it was an insult, forgetting that Joseph was from the family of David (Luke 1:27; Matthew 1:20 ^af). They called his mother simply “Mary,” as if her ordinary name made Jesus less important. They named his brothers—James, Joses, Simon, and Judas—and mentioned his sisters, saying his family was just like any other. They stumbled over these ordinary things and could not see who Jesus really was (Luke 2:34; Isaiah 8:14 ^ag).

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v. 57: Jesus saw their attitude and said, A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country and in his own house (Matthew 13:57 ^ah). He was not upset or angry but explained that it is normal for people to overlook what is familiar. Many times, people do not appreciate those close to them because they think they know them too well. Jesus did not let their rejection discourage him (Hebrews 12:2 ^ai).

v. 58: Because of their unbelief, Jesus did not do many miracles in his hometown. Their lack of faith blocked the blessings he wanted to give. God’s power is always enough, but it works in those who believe. All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23 ^aj). Salvation and God’s mighty works come by faith (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8 ^ak). If we do not see God working, it is not because he lacks power, but because we lack faith.