Matthew 13:24–58
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds1 among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants2 of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:3
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
1 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed 2 Or bondservants; also verse 28 3 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet
Section Overview and Outline
Since this unit will explore seven of the eight parables in Matthew 13, an overview of the whole series is fitting. Exegetes differ on the outline of chapter 13: Are there seven parables or eight? And how are they arranged? Why is the interpretation of the principal parables separated from the parables themselves? This commentary judges that there are eight parables, arranged in pairs. Further, Jesus addresses the first four parables—the sower, weeds, mustard seed, and leaven—to the crowds (v. 34), while he shares the last four privately with his disciples (v. 36).
The first two, the sower and the weeds, describe the variable results when Jesus teaches. Jesus privately interprets both parables for the disciples, but Matthew let his readers overhear. Jesus does not interpret the next six parables. In one way or another, the last six parables (which also come in pairs) reassert the supreme value of the kingdom. It has small beginnings but a remarkable climax (vv. 31–33). Whether one finds it by accident or after a long search, it is worth all one has (vv. 44–46). And it has great effects, giving life to many and presenting truths to share (vv. 47–52). Each of these themes builds, in some way, on the parable of the sower.
All eight parables describe the kingdom, and five of them are unique to Matthew: the weeds, the treasure, the pearl, the fish, and the scribe. Jesus interprets the first pair to secure the foundation for the rest. The parables of the sower and the weeds describe the mystery of the kingdom: it has arrived but has not uprooted evil or come in its full power. The parable of the weeds adds that while God’s kingdom grows, Satan’s does too, as he sows bad seed in God’s field. Further, if the parable of the sower teaches that some respond to the word with superficial enthusiasm, so that it is not clear who believes, the parable of the weeds adds that good and evil will never be entirely separated in this age.
The next parables compare the kingdom to a tiny mustard seed and hidden yeast (vv. 31–33). Like them, the kingdom initially seems small and slow moving yet has a pervasive influence, so its final size exceeds all expectations. The tiny seed becomes a sheltering tree, and the yeast transforms everything it touches.
The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl add that whatever its size, the kingdom has supreme value (vv. 44–46). Whether one stumbles upon it or searches for it, it is worth all one has. The last two parables describe the effects of Jesus’ teaching. It gives life to many (vv. 47–50), and “every scribe” trained in it must share its truth (v. 52).
The parable discourse ends at verse 52, but the account of the rejection of Jesus in Nazareth illustrates his teachings (vv. 53–58). The word often falls on hard ground, and many put no value on the kingdom as Jesus brings it. The last parable forms a bookend with the first, since both label the way in which kingdom grows.
V. The Kingdom’s Growth in the Face of Resistance (11:2–13:58) . . .
F. Third Discourse: Parables of the Kingdom (13:1–52) . . .
4. The Parable of Wheat and Weeds (13:24–30)
5. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31–32)
6. The Parable of the Yeast (13:33)
7. Note: Parables Fulfill Prophecy (13:34–35)
8. The Parable of Wheat and Weeds Explained (13:36–43)
9. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44)
10. The Parable of the Costly Pearl (13:45–46)
11. The Parable of the Net and Its Interpretation (13:47–50)
12. Note: Understanding and Teaching the Nature of the Kingdom (13:51–52)
G. Disrespect for Jesus in His Hometown (13:53–58)
Response
Matthew 13:53–58 forms a thematic inclusio with the unwarranted skepticism and unbelief that Jesus labels in 12:22–32 and addresses in the parable of the sower. Disciples must expect resistance (13:3–9), and in Nazareth that very resistance manifests itself. Nonetheless, the parables rouse hope. The kingdom will grow from a tiny seed to a great tree (vv. 31–32). The kingdom is a treasure beyond compare, worth all one has, all one is (vv. 44–46). Jesus is the priceless treasure, worthy of our full devotion. While this is the global point of the chapter, particular parables prompt other responses.
In the parable of the weeds, Jesus warns that the wicked will go to the “fiery furnace” while “the righteous will shine like the sun” (vv. 40–43). No temptations, conflicts, or character flaws will thwart that promise, for the redeemed will see God and become like him (1 John 3:2). Until then, patience is the principle, for the kingdom has come, but evil remains. Everyone who has ears to hear will follow their King and turn to him for grace when they falter.
The parables of the mustard seed and of the leaven urge disciples not to despair when the kingdom seems small and sore oppressed. The kingdom has a small beginning but will grow until it transforms everything. Almost every gospel work has a small beginning. Corporations, nations, and causes start small too. A few grow explosively, but most look insignificant at some point. The kingdom begins humbly and grows incrementally from within. Let the faithful be patient as it grows.
The parables of the treasure and of the pearl assert the surpassing value of the kingdom. Whether one bumps into Jesus by accident or searches for the best religion or philosophy, the kingdom welcomes close scrutiny. It lies within our grasp, but we must abandon all else to gain it.
The final parables lead to a call to action. There will be a judgment day, and humanity should prepare for it, for inaction has consequences. Meanwhile, every disciple must treasure the King and his kingdom.
Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
Or bondservants; also verse 28
Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet
13:24–30 Wheat and Weeds. The explanation of the four soils, preceding this parable in verses 18–23, teaches that the word receives varied responses. The parable of the weeds adds that believers and unbelievers will live together throughout this age. Minor riddles notwithstanding, the main point is clear. If the parable of the sower teaches that the proclamation of the kingdom meets resistance, the parable of the weeds adds that even when the proclamation is effective, an enemy—“the sons of the evil one”—will strive to subvert it, sowing bad seed in the master’s field.
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a farmer who planted good wheat in his field. But while the master’s men were sleeping, “his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat” (vv. 24–25). “Among” translates ana meson; both words mean “in the middle/in the midst,” and the doubling suggests the enemy’s painstaking malice. The weeds are zizania, poisonous weeds that plagued Israel’s grain fields. The young plant looks like wheat, so the perfidy initially goes undetected. By the time the weeds grow, the roots of the wheat and weeds have intertwined. The servants ask permission to eradicate them, but the master refuses. To root out one would be to destroy the other. So they must grow together until the harvest. At the harvest, the reapers will separate them. They will gather, bind up, and burn the weeds, but bring the wheat into the master’s barn (vv. 26–30).
Although Jesus explains the parable later, certain points are obvious if one knows the parable of the sower. The kingdom has arrived but faces opposition from the start. Good and bad seed, representing good and bad people (cf. vv. 19–23; Hos. 10:12; Jer. 4:3–4) grow together until the harvest, which is a metaphor for eschatological judgment in the OT (Jer. 50:16; 51:33; Joel 3:13).
13:31–33 Mustard Seed and Leaven. The parables of the mustard seed and of the leaven both demonstrate how kingdom looks small, even insignificant, at the start. But humble beginnings lead to a remarkable climax. The kingdom is like a mustard seed planted in a field. The mustard seed is tiny, the smallest of cultivated seeds at that time, with a diameter of 1/12 to 1/16 of an inch (1.6–2.1 mm). European mustard plants grew from 8 to 12 feet (2.4–3.7 m). In the parable, the plant exceeds expectations and becomes a tree, large enough for birds to build nests in its branches.
The parable makes several points. First, the kingdom starts small but grows to great size. Second, there is an organic connection between the kingdom’s insignificant beginning and its climax. Third, the detail of birds’ nesting in branches alludes to Ezekiel 17:23–24, in which God promises to plant a tree in Israel that will provide safety to all who dwell there. Ezekiel’s point was that the Lord would replant Israel, but, in Jesus’ hands, the image also suggests that he will include the Gentiles, for nesting birds can be an image for Gentiles who come to Israel for shelter (Ezek. 31:6; Dan. 4:12, 20–21).
If mustard seed is a surprising metaphor for the kingdom, yeast may be offensive, since yeast, when used symbolically, typically represents corruption (Matt. 16:1, 11; 1 Cor. 5:6–8; Gal. 5:9). Indeed, since this is the case, certain interpreters argue that Jesus is repeating his warning about the danger of evil corrupting the kingdom (Matt. 13:24–30). But this is unlikely. First, yeast is not necessarily a symbol of corruption (cf. Lev. 7:13; 23:15–18). Second, the meaning of symbols is flexible. For instance, in Scripture, water washes (1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 10:22), quenches thirst (John 4:7–15), and drowns (Genesis 6–7; Isa. 8:5–8). Similarly, Scripture compares both Jesus and Satan to a lion (Rev. 5:5; 1 Pet. 5:8). The context determines the sense of a polyvalent symbol, and in Matthew 13 the context is the kingdom’s growth and value.
The parable of the leaven or yeast portrays a woman at work, placing a piece of leavened dough into a bowl filled with flour. The woman is ambitious, since “three measures” of flour equals about fifty pounds. The point is twofold. As a small portion of yeast leavens and transforms a large amount of dough, so the kingdom changes everything it touches. It brings change from within, slowly and organically. Further, the small beginning and grand conclusion have a natural connection.
13:34–35 After Jesus presents the first four parables to the crowds, Matthew describes Jesus’ policy. He never speaks to them without a parable, thereby fulfilling the word of the prophet in Psalm 78. To be sure, “nothing . . . without a parable” is hyperbole, but parable is the dominant literary form in Matthew 13–25.
13:36–43 The Wheat and the Weeds Explained. This parable assumes that the kingdom has come, and that Jesus, the sower, is announcing it. It adds that the kingdom of God and the rulers of this age exist side by side until time ends. Then Jesus will judge all and usher in his eternal order.
Because the disciples do not understand, they petition Jesus, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds,” and he does so (v. 36). First, “the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (v. 37). Jesus is the sower. He continually scatters good seed, the gospel. He sows with stories; the kingdom comes not with force, ultimatums, or armies but with “non-violent appeal” to the imagination.
Second, “the field is the world” (v. 38a). Third, “the good seed is the sons of the kingdom” (v. 38b). Earlier, Jesus had identified the good seed as “the word of the kingdom” (v. 19). Taking the parables together, we see that they teach that Jesus scatters both his people and his truth through the world. Fourth, “the weeds are the sons of the evil one” (v. 38c). Satan resists the kingdom indirectly, scattering his children through the earth in order to spoil God’s restoration project. The parable explains the malice of those who blaspheme Jesus and plot his death. There is evil in this world that would destroy the work and people of God. The malicious will trouble the world until that day, when God’s angels uproot and burn the weeds and the righteous shine like the sun (vv. 40–43).
Certain interpreters see the parable differently. They notice that the enemy sows his seeds in the field that is already planted. They think this means Satan follows Jesus and spoils the church after Jesus establishes it. Augustine said that the parable describes Satan’s plan to place counterfeit Christians in the church. In this view, Satan seeks to spoil Christ’s work by polluting the church. Thus leaders should beware of hypocrites who falsely claim Christ and corrupt the church. Similarly, Calvin thought the parable warns that “persons of immoral lives . . . bad men and hypocrites . . . mingle” with the church, staining Christ’s “holy assembly.” Further, church discipline will never remove all hypocrites from the church: “Those faults of men which cannot be corrected must be endured.” Attempts to make the church wholly truly pure will fail, so leaders should tolerate evil in the church for now and leave judgment to Jesus.
The principles advanced by advocates of this view are substantially correct. No one can remove every unbeliever from the church. Likewise, false professions of faith do occur. But these ideas are not the point of this parable. When Jesus makes the essential identification, he says not that “the field is the church” but that “the field is the world” (v. 38). The kingdom is broader than the church, which is the concentration point and vanguard of the kingdom, but not the whole kingdom. God’s kingdom embraces the church, but also business, government, schools, and families. Wherever the kingdom advances, it encounters a cosmic struggle. Wherever gospel and kingdom go, Satan resists.
To summarize, Jesus is the sower who keeps scattering his truth. The enemy, sowing bad seed, is the Devil. The harvest, a common biblical metaphor for judgment (Rev. 14:14–20), is the end of the age, and the harvesters are God’s angels, sent to gather and burn the weeds, that is, to remove “all causes of sin and all law-breakers” and to “throw them into the fiery furnace,” where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:40–42). Then “the righteous will shine like the sun” (v. 43).
The main point is clear: the Lord who plants the church also protects the church, even if he does not eradicate evil as quickly as the righteous might hope. Whether we perceive it or not, the Father protects the righteous until the fullness of time. Blomberg demonstrates how the parable teaches three main points, corresponding to each figure in the parable: God, the bad seed, and the good seed. “God permits the righteous and the wicked to coexist in the world, sometimes outwardly almost indistinguishable from one another.” At the chosen time, the wicked will be judged and destroyed, while the righteous will shine forever in God’s presence. Further, the parable progresses toward a positive resolution: at first, the weeds appear to triumph, then we learn that the wheat has survived, and finally the farmer harvests and preserves his crop. So the parable moves from obstacles to the kingdom, to the kingdom’s growth, to its consummation (vv. 27–30).
13:44–52 Four Parables for Disciples. Once Jesus is alone with the disciples, he continues to teach. Surprising analogies appear as Jesus continues to explain that the kingdom has arrived, but only partially. The parables link up in several ways. The parables of the treasure and of the pearl explore the kingdom’s hiddenness and growth. The treasure and the yeast are both “hidden,” and both pearls and mustard seeds are small. The parables of the treasure and the pearl both feature something valuable, which a person finds and acquires, whatever the cost.
The parable of the treasure (v. 44) assumes a certain cultural context. Israelites had no banks, no place to secure valuables. When thieves or invading armies threatened, people might have buried treasures in clay pots. If an owner failed to return, the treasure remained in the ground until someone stumbled upon it, as the laborer in the parable did. When he did, he hid it, sold everything, and bought the field.
The behavior of the laborer seems ethically doubtful, but in that culture, field hands could possibly act like the man in the story. Regardless, the parable clearly teaches that the kingdom is worth all one possesses. No one makes financial payments to acquire it, but if the kingdom were for sale, no price would be excessive (Luke 19:1–10). The laborer sells everything and buys the field, and Jesus approves. Even if the kingdom looks weak and small, its value is limitless.
The parable of the pearl (Matt. 13:45–46) is similar, except that the laborer finds his treasure by accident whereas the pearl merchant attains the goal of a long search. If the parable of the treasure compares the kingdom to a delightful surprise, this parable compares it to the climax of a careful quest. One may subject the kingdom to close scrutiny, but after critical analysis, he sees its surpassing value. Both parables imply the kingdom is within reach, but one must abandon all else to gain it.
The parable of the fish (vv. 47–50) develops themes from previous parables while moving the discourse toward its conclusion. This parable has two unique features: it is the only parable with an immediate interpretation, and this interpretation is that of the parable of the wheat and the weeds, with verse 50 being identical to verse 42.
Jesus paints a scene that would sound familiar to people standing by the Sea of Galilee. A fisherman casts a dragnet and gathers all kinds of fish into a net that grows full (v. 47). A dragnet is undiscriminating, so men sit down and sort the fish. The good fish go into containers, while the bad get thrown away (v. 48). Jesus quickly repeats the lesson from the parable of the weeds: at the end of this age, God’s angels will separate the evil from the righteous.
If the previous parables (vv. 44–46) declared the importance of acquiring one supremely valuable thing, the parable of the fish returns to the theme from the weeds: good and evil are mixed together in this age, but God will see to their separation when this age ends. By duplicating his statement of verse 42 at verse 50, Jesus emphasizes the coming of fiery judgment. The fire does not destroy, as the next image shows; the evil go to a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
If one seeks the identity of the good fish, the other parables answer. They are men and women who, like good soil, receive the scattered seed—the words of Jesus—and bear fruit bountifully (v. 23). The secrets of the kingdom have been given to them. They have ears to hear it, and they believe the kingdom will exceed all expectations, so they give up everything to gain it.
Some interpreters call the parable of the scribe (v. 52) a proverb. Yet, like nearby parables, it describes the kingdom and makes a comparison, beginning with “every scribe . . . [of] the kingdom of heaven is like . . .” As he closes, Jesus asks his disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” Do they comprehend the surprising form and supreme value, the small beginnings and mighty conclusion, of the kingdom? With more enthusiasm than accuracy, they answer, “Yes” (v. 51). Their misguided notions will be all too obvious in coming chapters, but Jesus accepts their confidence. Instead of challenging them, he charges them to use their knowledge for others: “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (v. 52). In the Gospels, most scribes are erudite Jewish teachers who steadfastly oppose Jesus. But it is good to be “trained” or “instructed” (Gk. mathēteutheis), if one is taught by God and committed to the kingdom as Jesus describes it. Jesus compares such a scribe to a master of a house (oikodespotēs) who shares truths new and old. The “new” will be the instruction from Jesus, especially the truths of the kingdom. The “old” will be the tested truths of the old covenant. “It is the temptation of both the radical and the conservative to value the one too highly and the other too lightly.” The good teacher loves great truths, whether old or new.
13:53–58 Rejection in Nazareth. When Jesus finishes teaching, he leaves for Nazareth. The disciples have listened, understood, and received Jesus’ commission. Jesus had said that some would close their ears, and in the next scene the people of his hometown demonstrate that very deafness. Upon arriving, he begins teaching in the synagogue. The verb (Gk. edidasken, imperfect tense) suggests that he has spoken for a while when people begin to react. They spit out a string of six rhetorical questions:
It is possible to find a tone of neutral astonishment here, but Matthew notes that “they took offense at him” (v. 57; the verb is skandalizō, also in 11:6; 13:21). In 13:54 Matthew suggests the source of their scorn. The term “astonished” (ekplēssō) also appears in 7:28 and 22:33. In 7:28, the crowds marvel at Jesus’ authority, and in 22:33 they seem impressed by his brilliance. Here his teaching seems too potent for their taste. Further, they ask twice (first and last) about the source of his wisdom and mighty deeds. Do they suspect also an allegiance with the Evil One (cf. 12:24)? Certainly, they say, none of these traits run in his family. Everyone knows that his mother, brothers, and sisters are nothing—mere carpenters, artisans, and builders. They own no land; they boast no priests or rabbis. Who does he think he is? The people object to everything: Jesus’ lineage and familiarity, his wisdom, authority, and power. Nonetheless, they feel his authority, and their amazement “testifies inadvertently” to his uniqueness. John 6:41–42 depicts a similar moment in which “the Jews” grumble at Jesus’ claims, saying, “Is not this . . . the son of Joseph . . . ? How does he now say . . . ?”
Sadly, even Jesus’ brothers find it hard to believe in him (John 7:3–5). But they repent, while the residents of Nazareth (generally) do not. So Jesus coins a proverb on the way in which familiarity blinds people. “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matt. 13:57). Matthew concedes that Jesus performs few miracles there “because of their unbelief” (13:58). Jesus is capable of performing miracles in Nazareth. And he performs miracles for unbelievers, such as when he heals or feeds mixed multitudes. But he never performs miracles in order to overwhelm skeptics (cf. 16:1–4; Luke 23:6–12).