MATTHEW
CHAPTER
13.
VIEW
FOOTNOTES
The Parable of the Sower. Matt. 13, 1—23.
V. 1. The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside. 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. Though the shadow of unbelief and of spiritual hostility is evident even in this chapter, it nevertheless affords a welcome relief from the strained condition of Christ's last encounter with the Pharisees. It was on the same day, indeed, but under entirely different conditions. Note: Christ hardly ever is represented as having become weary; He was untiring in His labors for the salvation of men; He never permitted an opportunity to do good to escape His tender solicitude. Leaving the house where He was staying in Capernaum, He went out to the shore of the lake and sat down, probably for a confidential talk with His disciples. But the usual crowds came together and surrounded Him, making it necessary for Him to enter into a boat, where He sat down, while the people occupied the space between the sea and the rise of land toward the west as a natural amphitheater. His power and popularity as a teacher had not yet diminished, in spite of all the efforts of the Pharisees, but Christ Himself was preparing for a change of sentiment, as His parables indicate.
The parable story: V. 3. And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went forth to sow. V. 4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came, and devoured them up. 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. V. 6. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. V. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them. V. 8. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Parables are stories of comparison, and as Jesus employed them, He made use of the familiar in nature and in human life and experience to teach and bring home the great facts of His kingdom in its real and in its apparent form. Even ordinarily the Orientals were fond of parables, but Jesus had, besides, a remarkably effective way of catching the attention of His hearers, and emphasizing the important points in the comparison. The parable of the fourfold soil is an example. There is a farmer, a husbandman, such as the people of Galilee were accustomed to see, engaged in sowing his grain, broadcast. It cannot be avoided that some of the seed falls upon the pathway leading through the field, such as were common in Palestine. The result: The grains are trodden under foot; the birds, all manner of birds, pick them up as welcome food. Some of the seeds find lodgment in the stony soil, where the rock was close to the surface, with only a thin covering of earth. The result: The rock holds the heat, there is a quick sprouting and shooting up into the air, but a still quicker scorching by the sun, since the roots have no chance to enter deeply into the ground. Other grains fell among the thorns, where the plow had indeed been used, but had not succeeded in clearing away all the thorn roots. The result: The hardier weeds with their heavy foliage cut off air, light, and moisture from the tender stalks of grain, thus suffocating them. But other seed fell upon good soil, rich, loamy, soft, deep, clean, where it had moisture and sunlight in the right proportion, and could grow up and fulfill the hopes of the husbandman, bringing a rich return for his labor. Jesus cries out in conclusion: V. 9. Who hath ears to hear, let him. hear. A hint that there is a hidden meaning in the story, and that every hearer should find this meaning and apply it properly. Where is there a similar experience in the spiritual life?
The
request for an explanation: V. 10. And the disciples came and said unto Him,
Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? The disciples who were present with
Jesus, including probably even some of the twelve apostles, were still
remarkably dense in spiritual matters. They had little understanding of the
kingdom of God and of the real reason and end of Christ's mission. They were not
mainly concerned about the method of teaching, but about the explanation of the
story. — The reason for speaking in parables: 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. 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. V. 13. Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they,
seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.
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. 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.
Christ divides His hearers into two classes; but far from expounding a
Calvinistic double decree in God, He makes a very careful distinction in
explanation of the different positions toward Him and His message. To you it is
given, He tells the disciples. It is not a matter of greater intelligence or of
greater moral worth, but only of God's gracious gift through the Holy Ghost. The
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven they are to know through His agency, the
truths once hidden, but now revealed and made known in order to add souls to
the Kingdom, to His Church. The disciples had been given, and they had received,
this knowledge for the salvation of their souls. The Spirit gave it to them that
they not only heard and saw, but also understood with the heart and believed, as
Luther says. And these mercies were to be multiplied upon them. Their
understanding and their possession of the wonderful mysteries of God should grow
from day to day, giving them, finally, a rich abundance of God's mercies. But
the other class did not receive Christ's message, therefore to them nothing more
is given. He that lacks understanding in spiritual matters will become more and
more impoverished from day to day. It is the judgment of God upon a perverse
people, due entirely to their own guilt and rejection of Him and His mercy.
Isaiah had been obliged to take them to task for this refusal to bow under the
hand of God, Is. 6, 9. 10. He had announced to them the judgment of God. Their
physical eyes and ears may be in commission, but the understanding of their soul
would become duller with the passage of time. Their heart would become stupid,
they would have ever greater difficulty in hearing the voice of God, their eyes
would become closed to the offering of His mercy. That is the judgment of God
upon those that harden their hearts against the Gospel of mercy, whose prime
purpose is to save souls. This judgment upon Israel began in the days of the
Prophet Isaiah, and was completed in the days of Christ and the apostles. The
great mass of the people of Palestine, both in Judea and Galilee, hardened their
hearts against Christ's Word and work. And so the preaching of Christ finally
became unto them a savor of death unto
death, 2 Cor. 2, 16.
The blessedness of Christ's
followers: V. 16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for
they hear. 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. The full and
true happiness is that of having eyes and ears opened by the benign mercy of
Jesus. Not only were the outward members of the disciples' bodies blessed for
being witnesses of the fulfillment of the Old Testament, of seeing Him and being
in constant, intimate communion with Him, to whom the whole ancient covenant
pointed forward, whom the prophets and the righteous people from Eve and Jacob
to Malachi and Simeon had longed to behold, but the eyes of their understanding
were enlightened by His power. They knew Jesus as their Savior, and were happy
in this knowledge.
The interpretation of the parable: V.
18. Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the sower. V. 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 wayside, V. 20. But he that received the seed into stony places, the
same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it. V. 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. V. 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. V. 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. He sets His
disciples apart: Ye therefore hear, and, in hearing, learn the lesson. The seed
that is sown in the Kingdom and for the purpose of winning for the Kingdom, is
always the same, the Word of God, just as He is the same that does the sowing,
either personally, as in the days of His earthly career, or through His
servants, as at the present time. But there are also four different kinds of
soil in spiritual matters. Some there are (and it is true of all that act in the
same way) that pay fleeting attention to the Message of the Kingdom. They have
somehow come into contact with the Church, some phase of church-work has struck
their fancy. But there is no understanding, they literally do not take it into
their hearts and minds, the Word never becomes a real factor in their lives. In
this case the Evil One, Satan, has little difficulty in snatching away the truth
which they have just barely grasped with their intellect, 2 Tim. 4, 4; 2 Thess.
2, 11. "To us it does not seem a dangerous matter to hear the Word of God,
and yet not keep it; those that do it we regard as bad, inattentive people and
think it is natural that they hear the sermon and still forget it. But Christ
judges differently here and says: The devil takes the Word out of the heart of
the people…. Therefore, if thou seest a person who permits himself to be
talked to and preached to as to a log, and the whole matter amounts to as much
as if one strikes into water, …. then think nothing else than that the devil
has sat down in his heart and snatches the seed, the Word of God, away, that he
does not believe and is not saved." 106)
Another class of people that are
temporary Christians are characterized by the eagerness and apparent joy with
which they accept the Word. Their avidity for instruction is sometimes almost
embarrassing. But they are quick, emotional, shallow natures. Their faith,
though genuine, is not rooted deeply enough to withstand disappointment,
especially tribulation, suspicion, hatred, enmity, and the resulting open or
hidden persecution on account of the Word. Their rapid acceptance of the Word is
equaled only by their hasty offense when they are asked to suffer for the sake
of Christ. They want the crown, but not the cross. Not much different is the
case of another class, whose members are said to hear the Word, probably with
at least an intellectual acceptance. Their hearts have not properly been cleared
of the roots of worldly cares and desires. They are not sincere toward the Word,
do not use it to purify their hearts. The cares and worries of this world, the
love and the desire of riches, fill their hearts and engross their attention.
There is no real Christianity in their souls.
Only the fourth class of hearers
present soil ready for a crop and fruit that is well-pleasing to the Lord. They
are they who hear and heed the Word in fine and good hearts. In this instance
the soil of the hearts has been well prepared by the plowing of the Law, which
incidentally weeded out all earthly love and care of this world, all selfishness
and self-righteousness. Then the Master has sowed His good seed, the Gospel of
His mercy. He also sends the fountains of His grace and the sun of His
righteousness. And, behold, there is good fruit, though the measure depends upon
differences of gifts, of disposition, and of the capacity for receiving and
spreading the kingdom of God.
The
Parable of the Tares, and Others. Matt. 13, 24-52.
V.
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. V. 25. But while men
slept,
The result of the scheme: V. 26.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the
tares also. V. 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? V. 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? V. 29. But he said, Nay;
lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. V. 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 enemy's plan certainly
proceeded from devilish ingenuity. For not until the field began to mature and
form' spikes did the spiteful trick become evident, since the false wheat
branches out with ears on each twig. The surprise of the farm-laborers is due to
the extent of the area infested with the weeds: surely not due to bad seed nor a
case of volunteer growth. The householder knew the reason, some hostile man
being the only one that could carry out such a thorough plan to work him harm.
Moreover, he is opposed to the plan suggested by the workmen that they go out
and pull up all the false wheat. The roots of the tares being intertwined with
those of the wheat, the danger was that both would be uprooted together. His
plan is rather to wait until the wheat is ripe, when the present objection no
longer holds good. The reapers could easily make the proper selection, after
which the tares could be tied into bundles to be burned, while the wheat could
be brought into the granary. Aside from the Lord's explanation below, there is a
lesson in these words of the householder which should be carefully noted.
"According to this example thou canst now also get the proper idea of the
manner in which we should proceed against the tares, which are called false
doctrine, or the heresies and false Christians of whom this Gospel speaks. For
in the Church it happens just the same way: We cannot avoid having evil men in
our midst, such as heretics and sectarians, for if one be rooted up, the evil
spirit will awaken others. How then shall I proceed? I must eliminate and yet
not destroy them…. How so? Why, do as the grain does here, let them grow a
while. Only be sure to remain lord in thy dominion. Thou preacher, pastor, and
hearer, hinder and prevent them, the heretics and rebellious teachers, from
ruling and reigning. Let them indeed grumble in the corner, but do not, so far
as in thee lies, permit them to come into the pulpit and to the altar. In no
other way can one restrain them; for if I should want to eradicate one with
force, two would grow in his stead. Therefore thou must act against them in this
way, by restraining them through the Word and faith; and let no one take thy
pure faith, confession, and Christian life; admonish and upbraid them as much as
thou canst; if that has no results, excommunicate them publicly, that every one
may regard and shun them as dangerous weeds." 107)
Parable of the mustard seed: V.
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; v. 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. He set before them choice spiritual food for their
instruction and edification. The kingdom of Christ in its growth is like a grain
of mustard seed, whose size and appearance give no intimation of the force of
its sprouting nor of the size of the herb at its full maturity, whether one
restricts the word to the garden herb or includes the mustard tree of the
Orient, whose great size is often referred to by Jewish writers.. So large does
it become that the birds may make their roosts in its branches. It seems almost
incredible that such a tiny seed can produce such a large, treelike plant. But
even so, as Christ here predicts, the kingdom of Christ grows from small
beginnings until it extends over the whole earth, and becomes a place of rest
and of peace for all people. The few despised disciples whom Christ gathered
about Him were the nucleus of the great Christian Church, which came into
existence and is maintained through the power of the Gospel.
Parable of the leaven: V. 33.
Another parable spake He unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven
which a
An explanation by the evangelist: V.
34. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a
parable spake He not unto them, v. 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. It was
at this time that Jesus made use of this form of teaching for reasons which
Matthew had indicated above, v. 13. Here again was a prophecy fulfilled, Ps. 78,
2. But, though the majority of the audience no longer had the true spiritual
benefit from the beautiful stories which Jesus told them, yet there were a few
that would understand His language. For them His teaching became in reality a
revealing, a making known, of the wonderful things of God which had been hidden
since the foundation of the world, known only within God's council. The
invisible, heavenly beauties are here unfolded before the eyes of the unlearned
disciples in a simple, appealing manner, though Christ was obliged, especially
at first, to open the eyes of their understanding.
Jesus explains the parable of the
tares: V. 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. V. 37. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed
is the Son of Man. V. 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. V. 39. The
enemy that sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels. V. 40. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in
the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. V. 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; v. 42. and shall cast them into a furnace of
fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. V. 43. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears
to hear, let him hear. The narrative reveals a respectful intimacy on the
part of the disciples. When Jesus had returned home, they did not hesitate to
ask for an explanation, in order that the meaning of the parable might be
altogether clear to them. He was patient with them. He interpreted to them one
point after another. The wide world is the harvest-field of the Son of Man, who
here represents Himself as the Lord of the Church. His seed are the believers;
the unbelievers are the children of the devil. At the time of harvest their
unbelief will become apparent, though they have skillfully hidden it under a
semblance of piety. They are called offenders that hinder the development of the
good grain; they are guilty of behavior contrary to law, of a deliberate
ignoring of the law. These facts should not be a matter of surprise to the
Christians. "Christ not only tells us about this, but also indicates the
reason where such rubbish comes from, that in the Church where the true seed is
sown, that is, the Word of God is preached in its truth and purity, there are
still so many noxious weeds, so many hypocrites and false Christians. But He
indicates the reason to warn us against the offense, which otherwise scandalizes
the whole world and causes her to say that nothing good comes from the preaching
of the Gospel…. Such is not the fault of the doctrine, which is pure and
wholesome: neither is it the preachers' fault, who would like to see, and apply
all diligence to have, the people become more pious. But it is the enemy's, the
devil's, fault; he does like a wicked farmer or neighbor: When people sleep and
are not thinking of harm, he does not sleep, but comes and sows tares in the
field. That is the point which is brought out also in the parable before this:
He takes hold of the hearts that they pay no attention to the Word, and thus day
by day are farther removed from it, and let the devil lead and drive them as he
will, into all manner of sin and shame." 108)
On the Day of Judgment the sifting
will take place: The false Christians will receive their sentence and be
condemned to suffer the tortures of hell-fire, where wailing and gnashing of
teeth will be their lot. But those whom Christ has declared righteous, who are
righteous in His eyes through the merits of the Savior whom they have accepted,
— they will receive the reward of mercy. Their glory will be a shining,
visible brightness, as of the sun. And they will have the full realization that
God is their true Father in Jesus Christ, through whom they are justified in His
sight and have received the adoption of sons. It is a matter of earnest,
prayerful anticipation.
Parable of the treasure: V. 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. Jesus is here not concerned about the
moral aspect of the act, if, indeed, this comes into consideration here. It is a
story which finds its parallel often enough, as in the discovery of a vein of
coal or of the ore of some precious metal. In this case the treasure had been
deliberately hidden or buried. By chance or by design a man finds this treasure.
Realizing its great value, he carefully covers over once more what he has
discovered. Hardly able to contain himself for joy over his lucky find, he goes
and sells all his property and buys that same piece of land. A lively effect in
the telling! The salvation taught in the Gospel is like such a rich treasure,
like a hidden mine whose veins run out in all directions in Holy Scriptures, a
treasure of inestimable value. "The point of the parable is that the
kingdom of heaven outweighs in value all else, and that the man who understands
this will with pleasure part with all."
Parable of the pearl: V. 45.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls;
v. 46. who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that
he had, and bought it. Knowing that a perfect pearl, of large size, of
regular spherical shape, of even luster, would far surpass in value hundreds of
small, imperfect pearls, this merchant, an expert in his line, set out to seek,
and, if possible, to find, such a rare valuable. Having found one which seemed
to him exceedingly precious, he risked his all, stripped himself of all his
possessions in the one great venture of his life. The glory and beauty of God's
mercy in the Gospel is so great and precious that all else sinks into
insignificance beside it. The pearl of the Christians is the greatest treasure
in the kingdom of God, the salvation in Christ. He who has learned to know this
priceless gift will gladly renounce all goods, joys, and delights of this world,
and consider all human wisdom and righteousness as loss, in order to gain
Christ.
Parable of the net: V. 47.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and
gathered of every kind; v. 48. which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and
sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. V. 49. So
shall it be at the end of the world: The angels shall come forth and sever the
wicked from among the just, v. 50. and shall cast them into the furnace of fire;
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. This parable offers a picture
with which the disciples were very familiar. A large net, as used for deep-sea
fishing, is cast into the sea and compasses a great number of fish of various
kinds, good and bad, edible and unwholesome. Although the entire netfull is
drawn to the shore, the value of the catch is in the good fish, the rest being
separated by a careful sorting and thrown away. They are not really counted as
belonging to the catch. The kingdom of heaven, in the form in which it appears
here on earth, is like such a net. The working of the Gospel-preaching results
in an outward collection of such as are really members of the Kingdom and such
as merely bear the semblance of such membership, but have not accepted the
Gospel. The latter add to the bulk, but do not belong to the essence. On the
last day the separation will take place, and the sorting will result in the
eternal condemnation of those that were merely feigning membership, who care
nothing for faith and salvation.
Conclusion of the parables: V.
51. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto
Him, Yea, Lord. V. 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. With the aid of
the instruction which Christ had previously given them, the disciples were able
to some extent to follow His parabolic sayings and draw the right conclusions,
to realize the importance of their proper application. Pleased with this
evidence of understanding on their part, He gives them some more instruction
pertaining especially to their future work. Every transcriber and interpreter of
the sacred Scriptures, in this connection every Christian teacher, taught of God
in the mysteries of the Gospel of Christ, because he is a pupil of the kingdom
of heaven and a disciple of Jesus, is able freely to distribute from the
treasure entrusted to him. He will be able to use old, familiar facts, types,
and doctrines to illustrate the truths of the Kingdom. He will present the old
Gospel in a new dress, applying it to the conditions and times in which he is
working, throwing the spotlight of a new understanding, of a more thorough
interpretation on passages which may have become familiar by constant
repetition. As he himself grows in knowledge, so he aids his hearers to grow in
the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, their Savior.
A
Visit to Nazareth. Matt. 13, 53-58.
V.
53. And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed
thence. V. 54. And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in
their synagog, insomuch that they were astonished and said, Whence hath this man
this wisdom and these mighty works? V. 55. Is not this the carpenter's son? Is
not His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and
Judas? V. 56. And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence, then, hath this
man all these things? Jesus now closed this series of parables. For a time at least His
disciples would be kept busy digesting the great spiritual truths which He had
made known unto them. He went away from Capernaum; literally, removed Himself
thence. Coming to His old home, Nazareth, He taught His former neighbors in
their synagog. This was undoubtedly a second visit, different from that spoken
of Luke 6, 16-30. But the results differed little from that time. At first His
hearers were almost stupefied with amazement; they wondered at His wisdom, at
His powers, at His ability to perform miracles. But on second thought they
remember His youth in their midst. He is nothing but the son of a carpenter, a
worker in wood. We know all the members of His family. The text here points very
strongly both to natural brothers and sisters of the Lord. "Whence,
then": an expression of contempt; they thought they knew His whole
bringing-up. They evidently did not realize that they were condemning their own
town and its schools in disparaging the worth of a native son: He certainly
could not have gotten all that from us!
Christ's behavior in this crisis: V.
57. And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not
without honor, save in his own country and in his own house. V. 58. And He did
not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. The offense which
they took discredited only themselves; their pride and their envy caused their
own destruction. Christ therefore merely calls to their mind the proverbial
saying as to a prophet's being without honor in his own home. Their unbelief
grieved Him very deeply. He had made every effort in their behalf, but their
rejection made further endeavors useless. The number of His miracles was greatly
reduced, restricted to the few exceptional cases in which belief was evident.
The unbelief and contempt of the people of Nazareth drove Jesus out of their
midst; they did not recognize God's visitation of grace.
Summary. Christ teaches the people,
but especially His disciples, by means of the parables of the fourfold soil, of
the wheat and the tares, of the grain of mustard seed, of the hidden treasure,
of the pearl of great price, of the net with fish, and of the householder, and
makes a visit to Nazareth, where He is rejected.