Daily Bible Reading (Wednesday, January 17th)

13

Matthew 13 (ESV)

 

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears,[a] let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.[b] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

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 weeds[c] among the wheat and went away.26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.27 And the servants[d] 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.”’”

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

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.”

Prophecy and Parables

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:[e]

“I will open my mouth in parables;
    I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

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.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

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.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

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.

The Parable of the Net

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 righteous50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

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.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

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.

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear
  2. Matthew 13:21 Or stumbles
  3. Matthew 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
  4. Matthew 13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28
  5. Matthew 13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet

13 Comments

I’ve always been fascinated by verse 57. Is it any wonder why Matthew responds with verse 58?

Listen to Jesus! He speaks truth in parables! Thank u Lord for your word. Warnings to all. Do you hear? I want Jesus to say to me thank you good and faithful servent! Lord open the eyes of my family that they may hear and obey!

Matthew 13:
Theme summary: Jesus entrusts his disciples with the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but hides it from the crowds, for the disciples had glad hearts ready to receive the gospel and produce plentiful fruit, but the crowds were dull of heart and would be unfruitful, and Jesus will separate the true from the false disciple at the end of the age.

I am thankful to have been entrusted with the secrets of the kingdom, secrets that are out in the open yet either not understood, unfruitful because of the cares and worries of this world, or not held onto in faith when persecution arises---or, received like treasures hidden in a field that we give all we have to take hold of.

In this chapter Jesus reminds his hearers that we have an enemy who is actively at work. When someone hears the gospel and does not fully understand, Jesus says, "it is the evil one who has come and snatched away what was sown in their heart" (v. 19). When Jesus teaches that weeds have been sown in with the wheat, he says that "an enemy has done this" (v. 28). All this serves as another great reminder to make sure we are dependent upon God in prayer! 1 Peter 5:8 - "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Amen, John Newton! Evangelizing is often not just a one time encounter, but a long struggle with another to work in, apply loving pressure when needed and care for them towards the goal of conditions of the heart that can receive the word and have it take root. Not a task for the faint of heart!! Let us all build endurance through the holy task of cultivating our field so that good seeds are fruitful. Amen!

Much is said about the sower of the seed and the soils, and I want to propose a question based upon my 3rd world experience over 10 years in very rural Mexico. I watched people cultivate mountainsides that we would never consider working. Steep and rocky. How could they ever harvest from that land?
Bit by bit they worked the soil. They removed the rocks (used them to make retaining walls) they removed the weeds (a constant battle even in the good soil). They mixed in good compost, and finally they planted seeds. The process of removing rocks and weeds continues, yet they rejoice in the HARVEST. Are we willing to work the thorny, weedy soil that we think is a waste of time? Let us be found as faithful workers in the fields that we live.

Verse 44 is one of the most single powerful verses in the bible, an entire parable in one verse. It reminds me that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth all we have. Jesus is worth all we have and like the man in the parable, when we give all we have for the kingdom, we'll know true joy.

“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." What a great picture of someone seeing the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ and willingly giving up everything else for the sake of knowing Him! When I came to Christ the man who witnessed to me told me that becoming a Christian means that from now on Christ calls the shots in your life. When you understand who Christ is you realize that having Him call the shots is the way of abundant life. Praying that the Lord will help us show the world the value of knowing Christ!

Where to start? So many obvious warnings but as I was reading through 1st Peter with my wife I see a contrast between they're predicting the sufferings of Christ and God revealing these things to the prophets, their work was not for their own benefit but for ours as they spoke of these things which even angels would like to understand. V.11 Jesus answered them, "To you has been granted the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." Just a stark reminder of the depravity of man and if God would not open up our eyes and our ears to see and hear, we would not understand. Makes me want to throw myself face down and thank the Lord for saving a wretch like Me. For entrusting His word to me and tilling the soil of my heart in preparation for the Holy Seed of Abraham to rest for eternity. There's only one seed that He showed, all the other seed fell and was scattered, but it says verse 23 and the seeds "sown" in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it.

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

Jesus, I pray for family members that have been exposed to you and are still deaf and blind to you. I pray for their salvation. Please give them eyes to see and ears to hear. Amen

The parable of the sower were verses that used to lead me to think that there was nothing I could do, and that I was just a seed that fell on bad soil. Little did I know that I was half right. God was trying to show me very clearly that there was nothing I could do to determine what type of soil I landed in, but that he was in control. Only when I truly understood the Gospel, and that he had to change my heart, did I have the assurance of being in good soil and start to strive toward the "hundredfold" return that could result from what God had done.

V.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. Praying that we would all see the kingdom of God as far more valuable than anything we possess here in this world!

I once had a coworker whom I thought I was discipling. I asked him to study Matthew 13:3-23, the parable of the soils, and come back the next day. The next day I asked him what he thought, and he told me he had no idea what the parable was trying to say. This was when I realized I was evangelizing him, not discipling him. I’ll never forget it because it brought this passage to life.

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