Matthew 13:1-58
Seven Parables: The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven
Parable #1- The Sower and the Soils
13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
13:2 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.
13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying,
Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side,
and the fowls came and devoured them up:
13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth:
and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched;
and because they had no root, they withered away.
13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
13:8 But other fell into good ground,
and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
he spoke in parables- GK=parabole, lit. 'a placing beside', a comparison.
He used analogy from the natural world to 'measure out' spiritual truth.
...let him hear- Jesus did not leave us to speculate about the meaning of the parables in this chapter.
As we will see shortly, all seven parables are clearly understood by the keys which He provided in His interpretation of the first two parables.
13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him,
Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
13:11 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.
13:12 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.
13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not;
and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
13:14 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:
13:15 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.
13:16 But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
13:17 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].
it is given unto you to know {ie., to understand}... but to them it is not given-
His people (the Jewish nation) had not been willing to receive the truth which they had heard.
Therefore, they would hear truth that they could not understand. cp. Mark 4:24,25; Joh 7:17
This was in fulfilment of prophecy. cp. v.14,15; Isa 6:9,10
it is given unto you to know 'the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven-'
What does this mean?
  1. The kingdom of heaven, in Matthew, is primarily God's rule as it influences the earth.
    It is the reign of heaven's King over the affairs of earth. cp. Mat 6:10
  2. Mysteries, in scripture, are truths which remain hidden until God makes them known.
    cp. the word 'mystery' in Eph 3:1-12; Rom 11:25; Col 1:26-27; 1Cor 15:51-52.
  3. The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, therefore, describe aspects of the kingdom which previously were not understood by the OT prophets.
    1. The OT prophets foretold the Kingdom as:
    2. The OT prophets did not understand (cp. v.17; 1Pet 1:10-12):
      • The rejection of the King-
        Although, they foretold the Messiah's suffering and death, it seemed so incompatible with his glory as King that some rabbis taught that there would be two different Messiahs.
      • The interval of time between the King's rejection (at His first coming),
        and His enthronement (at His second coming).
    Therefore, in these seven parables, the King reveals the condition of His Kingdom during the period of His absence. (cp. Mat 25:14)
    • Note that although the Church Age occupies most of this period, 'the Kingdom of Heaven' is not synonomous with 'the Church'. Rather, the term describes 'Christendom', which covers the entire earthly realm of the King's influence, and includes unbelievers, counterfeit believers (mere professors), and true believers.
Jesus interprets the parable of the Sower and the Soils:
13:18 Hear ye therefore {cp. v.16} the parable of the sower.
13:19 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.
13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places,
the same is he that heareth the word, and anon {immediately} with joy receiveth it;
13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth {endureth} for a while:
for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
13:22 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.
13:23 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.
The sower is the Son of man {ie., Christ} (cp. v.3 and v.37)-
The field {in which he sows seed} is the world (cp. v.38)-
Note that during this 'mystery' period, the King is not on His throne in Jerusalem,
nor does He limit His labors to God's vineyard (Israel, Isa 5:1-7) as He did during the period of His earthly ministry (Mat 10:5-7).
Rather, the Lord Jesus is sowing seed in the world (to all humanity).
  • A hint of this transition may be seen in 13:1, where Jesus...
    1. ...went out of the house
      (symbollic of the house of Israel, which had rejected Him, ch.11, 12, cp. 12:43-45)
    2. ...sat by the sea (symbollic of the sea of humanity, including gentiles).
  • He involves His children in this work of sowing, but it is the labor of His heart.
    cp. Psa 126:5 ''they...'' and :6 ''He...''
The seed is 'the Word' (Mark 4:14), 'the Word of God' (Luk 8:11), 'the Word of the Kingdom' (v.19)
The seed is not the 'Gospel of the Kingdom' (ie., the offer of the Kingdom, cp. 4:23; 9:35),
but rather the message of the King to individuals (cp. 11:28-30).
The soil is the hearts of men (v.19) (a fitting analogy for sinful hearts).
Men's hearts vary as to their receptivity to the Word of God-
  1. by the wayside (v.4; v.19)- ie., the hardpacked pathway.
    The birds (ie., Satan and his emissaries) snatch the Word out of the hardened heart before it can sprout. cp. Luk 8:12; 2Cor 4:3,4; Joh 3:19,20
  2. the stony, shallow ground (v.5,6; v.20,21)- These receive the Word with initial enthusiasm,
    but their response is based on fleshly emotionalism, rather than being rooted in God's promises. When opposition arises, their faith cannot endure, and they turn away.
    they are 'offended'- GK=skandalizo, to stumble at a stumbling block. cp. 13:54,57; 11:6
    cp. Mark 4:16,17; Luk 8:13; 1Joh 2:19
    (cf. those who are well 'rooted', Psa 1:2,3; Eph 3:17)
  3. the thorny ground (v.7; v.22; cp. Mark 4:18,19; Luk 8:14)-
    These receive the Word but...
    • their spiritual life cannot thrive due to worldly distractions,
      which may take the form of 'want' ('the cares of this world')
      or 'prosperity' ('the deceitfulness of riches'). cp. 1Tim 6:9,17
    • they become spiritually unfruitful (GK=akarpos, without fruit, barren). cp. Joh 15:4-6
  4. the good ground (v.8; v.23; Mark 4:20; Luk 8:15)- ie., those individuals who...
    1. hear the Word, cf. v.15,16; cp. Joh 8:47; Acts 17:11; 1The 2:13
    2. understand the Word, cp. Joh 1:11,12; Eph 3:14-19; 1Joh 5:20
    3. bear fruit, cp. Mat 3:8; Joh 15:1-8; Gal 5:22,23; Col 1:3-6
    What is the response of your heart to God's Word? cp. Jam 1:21-25; Psa 1:1-6
Parable #2- The Wheat and the Tares {weeds}-
13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
13:27 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?
13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.
The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
13:30 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.
Jesus interprets Parable #2 after He gives Parables #3 and 4.
We will consider His interpretation, when we come to it in the order of the text (in v.36-43).
Parable #3- The Mustard Seed
13:31 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:
13:32 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.
This parable shows ''the rapid but unsubstantial growth of the 'mystery' form of the kingdom
from an insignificant beginning (Acts 1:15; 2:41; 1Cor 1:26) to a great place in the earth.'' [ScofRB]
mustard seed... among herbs... a tree...-
During Messiah's reign on earth, His Kingdom is like a solid cedar. Eze 17:22-24
In contrast, during the mystery period, the Kingdom is like an overgrown 'herb'.
  • It looks like a tree, but it is not strong.
  • It provides a 'flavor' of spirituality (mustard is a seasoning), but it produces no lasting 'fruit'.
  • It harbours birds, rather than over shadowing them.
birds... lodge in the branches-
'Birds' in Mat 13:4,19 are symbollic of the Devil and his emissaries,
who pluck away the seed of the Word.
In the mystery period, apostate Christendom hosts the enemies of Christ's Word. cp. Rev 18:2,3
But the self-exalting kingdom will be displaced by Christ, the tree of God's planting. Eze 17:24
(Note the parallel to the lesson that King Nebuchadnezzar had to learn. Dan 4:20-25)
Parable #4- The Leaven
13:33 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.
leaven- a catalyst of fermentation, is symbollic of evil and corruption throughout the Scriptures.
cp. Mat 16:6,12; 1Cor 5:6-8; Gal 5:9
a woman- when mentioned in regard to religious doctrine, is often symbollic of
evil, error & deception. cp. Rev 2:20; 17:1-7
three measures of meal - Meal (flour) is grain (seed) prepared for human consumption.
The Word of God (the seed, Mark 4:14) is the source of spiritual nourishment. Mat 4:4; 1Tim 4:6
'Three measures', suggests a full supply, all that is needed. cp. 2Pet 1:2-4
hid... until the whole were leavened-
During the mystery period, false teaching is stealthily and increasingly mixed with God's Word, until false doctrine and false practice characterize all of Christendom.
Large portions of the NT epistles were written to combat heresy or loose living. eg. 1Cor 5:1-13; Gal 5:1-9; 1Tim 4:1-7
Many teach that the world will be converted to Christianity and the Church will take dominion
over the earth and over all evil before the Lord's return. They would like to identify the Church as 'the Mustard Seed' and as 'the Leaven' that fill the whole world.
But these parables, in harmony with the consistent testimony of Scripture, indicate that apostasy will overtake the Church (eg., Luk 18:8; 2Tim 4:3,4; 2Pet 2:1-3; 2The 2:3,4).
Jesus' interpretation of Parable #2 is consistent with this understanding. After considering His interpretation, take time to review Parables #3 and 4, asking Him to give you understanding.
Jesus interprets the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Parable #2, v.24-30)-
13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables;
and without a parable spake he not unto them:
13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, {cp. Psa 78:2}
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
13:36 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.
Jesus gave His interpretation to His disciples,
ie., to those who would be receptive to His Word.
But to the multitude of people, who would not receive the truth, He spoke truth in parables so that they would not understand. (See notes at v.10-17 above.)
Again, this was done in fulfillment of prophetic scripture.
13:37 He answered and said unto them,
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
13:38 The field is the world;
the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];
13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world {GK=aion, age}; and the reapers are the angels.
13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
so shall it be in the end of this world {age}.
13:41 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;
13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Sower is the Son of man (ie., Christ) (v.37).
As we noted in the discussion of the first parable, Christ involves believers in the work of sowing His Word in the world. Notice that 'His field' (v.24) became corrupted...
while men slept... (v.25)- The Sower is the Lord ''who never slumbers nor sleeps.''
But men with responsibility to share the Word are often inattentive to the Truth, giving entrance to error. cp. Mat 25:5; Isa 56:10; Acts 20:30,31; 2Tim 4:3,4; Heb 12:15; 1Pet 5:8; Eph 5:11-17
The good seed are 'the children of the kingdom' (v.38)-
In the first parable, the seed is 'the Word of God' (v.19).
Here, the good seed are people who have been transformed by the Word of God which has taken root in receptive hearts. These are 'born again' believers. cp. 1Pet 1:23; 1Joh 3:9
The tares are the children of the wicked one-
tares- GK=zizanium, probably referring specifically to a weed called 'darnel' which is virtually identical in appearance to wheat before the grain heads appear.
The enemy... is the Devil (v.25, v.39)-
The devil has planted 'professing believers' among the 'true believers'.
These false believers are -
  • deceiving- They may be outwardly indistinguishable from God's children.
    But inwardly, they have not been born of His Spirit. (v.29) cp. Mat 15:7,8; Php 3:18,19
  • deceived- They may consider themselves to be God's children. cp. Mat 7:21-23; Luk 18:10-14
The primary point of this parable: The 'mystery' period of the Kingdom is characterized by a mingling of counterfeit believers among the true believers.
A secondary point: Believers are commissioned to proclaim God's Word, which separates truth from error, and which is able to convict and exhort the hearts of men. But God, who alone sees the heart, has neither equipped nor commissioned us to remove professing (false) believers from the congregation of true believers. The danger is that we may inflict damage to an immature believer by identifying him as among the false. (v.27-30; Rom 14:12,13)
(Yet, separation from those who unrepentently proclaim false teachings and/or who promote ungodly living is both required and enabled by the standard of God's Word. eg., 2Cor 6:14-18)
The harvest (v.30) is the end of the 'age' (v.39)- ie., the end of the 'mystery' period of the Kingdom,
at the time when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom on earth.
The reapers (v.30) are the angels (v.39)- cp. Mat 24:31
The Lord will commission His angels to do the work of separation... in a specific order -
  1. first, the tares are gathered and burned (v.30; v.40-42). cp. Mat 25:41; Rev 19:20
  2. then, the wheat is gathered into the Kingdom (v.30; v.43). cp. Mat 25:34; Dan 12:3
    In which category are you? 2Cor 13:5
Note that this order is also reflected in the order of the parables:
  1. the tares described- Parables #2 (Mustard Seed) and #3 (Leaven)
  2. the wheat described- Parables #5 (the Treasure) and #6 (the Pearl)
  3. the harvest and its order- Parable #7 (the Dragnet)
Parable #5- The Hidden Treasure
13:44 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.
the field- is the world (v.38). Therefore,
  1. The buyer cannot be a sinner seeking Christ, because-
    1. The sinner does not buy, but forsakes the world, for Christ.
    2. The sinner has nothing to sell.
    3. Christ is not for sale.
    4. Christ is not hidden, and is not to be hidden by the believer. Mark 7:24; Acts 4:20
  2. The buyer is Christ seeking His people-
    1. The purchase price was His own blood. 1Pet 1:18,19
    2. The treasure is Israel, in two aspects-
      1. National Israel, cp. Ex 19:5; Psa 135:4
        - - which until recently was hidden in the earth in diaspora.
        - - which will be hidden from total destruction during the Tribulation.
      2. The believing remnant of Israel ( Rom 11:5 ), who along with believing gentiles (Eph 2:14-18), are His inheritance (Eph 1:18) and joy (Heb 12:2 ).
Parable #6- The Pearl of Great Price
13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price,
went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Again, this is not the sinner seeking Christ.
The merchant man- is Christ,
who gave Himself to redeem and purify a people for Himself. Titus 2:14; 1Pet 2:9,10
the pearl- is the Church (ie., the body consisting of all true believers)-
  1. As natural pearls are formed by a living process of accretion,
    so Christ adds to His Church. Acts 2:41,47; 5:14; Eph 2:19-22; Col 2:19
  2. As natural pearls are highly valued,
    so Christ is preparing the Church for presentation to Himself. Eph 5:25-27
  3. As natural pearls come out of the 'sea',
    so the Church, which includes the Jewish remnant, is largely composed of gentiles
    (those who have been gathered out of the sea of humanity). Eph 2:11-18
[notes on v.44-46 adapted from ScofRB]
Parable #7- The Dragnet
13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,
that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore,
and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world {ie., age}:
the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: {Rev 19:20; 20:11-15}
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. {Luk 13:28}
the net... gathered of every kind- Again, as in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares,
  1. the mystery form of the Kingdom contains all who profess to belong to Christ.
    cp. 1Cor 10:32 (humanity divides into three categories); Jude 1:4,5
  2. the angels will separate the false from among the true believers. v.30; v.40-43
13:51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things?
They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
13:52 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.
ie., Every interpreter of the Bible, who properly understands the Kingdom of Heaven will apply from his treasure (God's precious Word)-
  • things old: the teachings of the OT prophets who foretold the Kingdom.
  • things new: the teaching of the King who revealed 'mysteries' previously hidden. eg.:
    - - the mixture of true and false in the Kingdom during the period of His absence.
    - - the price which He would pay to secure His own.
    - - the combining of believing Jews and gentiles into one people for His name.
13:53 And it came to pass, [that] when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
13:54 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? {cp. Joh 7:15,16}
13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary?
and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us?
Whence then hath this [man] all these things?{cp. Joh 6:42; 7:41,42,48}
13:57 And they were offended in him. {cp. Mat 11:6; Isa 8:14; 49:7}
But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour,
save in his own country, and in his own house.
13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

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