Matthew 13:1-58

Matthew’s Good News

Matthew’s *Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 13

Stories about where God rules 13:1-52

Matthew wrote down a lot of the things that Jesus taught. This chapter is the third section like that. Jesus told these stories for three reasons:

1. His stories were about things in ordinary people’s lives. Everyone could understand them. People did not need to be very intelligent to understand them.

2. The stories made people think about their meaning. The *Pharisees knew that the story about the wicked *tenants described them (Matthew 21:33-46).

3. People who wanted to obey God would understand these stories. People who did not want to obey God would not understand them.

Often, such stories are called *parables.

There are seven such stories. And Jesus explained two of them.

The story about the man who sowed some seeds 13:1-9

v1 That same day, Jesus went out of the house. He sat by the lake to teach the people. v2 Large crowds of people gathered round him. So he got into a boat on the lake. He sat down in the boat while all the people stood by the side of the lake. v3 Then he told them many things in *parables.

‘A farmer went out to sow seeds. v4 As he was scattering the seeds, some fell on the path. Then some birds came and ate all those seeds. v5 Some seeds fell on rocks, where there was not much earth. The seeds grew up quickly because the earth was shallow. v6 But when the sun shone, it burned the young plants. Then they dried up and died. They did not have deep roots. v7 Other seeds fell among weeds. The weeds grew faster and bigger, so that the good plants could not grow. v8 Still other seeds fell on good earth. They grew and produced a crop. Some seeds produced 100 times more than the farmer planted. Some produced 60 times more and some 30 times more than the farmer planted. v9 Those who have ears should listen and understand.’

Verse 2 The great crowds would be able to hear Jesus clearly as he spoke from the boat. A farmer may have been working near to them.

Verse 3 A farmer scattered the seeds by hand.

Verse 4 People walked on the paths and this made them very hard. So the seeds would lie on top and the birds could quickly eat these seeds.

Verses 5-6 In many places, there was only a very thin amount of earth on top of the rocks in that country. The seeds would begin to grow quickly. But their roots could not grow properly because of the rock. So the plant would soon die in the hot sun.

Verse 7 There were already weeds in this ground. Weeds grow quicker and use up all the space. The good seeds began to grow, but the light could not get to the young plants. So the plants could not last.

Verse 8 The good ground had plenty of earth. So the seeds could grow deep roots and find water. There were no weeds and the plants could continue to grow strongly. So there was a good harvest.

Verse 9 Jesus meant that people should think about this story. They should try to understand the extra meaning that he teaches.

The reason why Jesus taught with stories 13:10-17

v10 The *disciples came to Jesus. ‘Why do you speak to the people in *parables?’ they asked him. v11 Jesus replied, ‘You have had the opportunity to understand some of God’s secrets. You know about heaven where God rules. But the people who are not *disciples do not understand. v12 Everyone who understands will hear more. They will see and understand plenty. But not everyone really understands. And even if they understand a little, they will not remember. v13 This is why I speak to people in *parables. They look, but they do not really see. They hear, but they do not really listen and understand. v14 So these people show things about themselves. The things that the *prophet Isaiah said about them are true.

Isaiah wrote this:

“You people will hear,

but you will never understand.

You will look and see.

But you will never know what you are seeing.

v15 Deep inside these people, they do not want to understand.

So they have shut their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,

and they might hear with their ears.

They might really understand.

Then they might turn to me, and I would heal them.”

v16 But you are happy. This is because you have eyes that see. And you have ears that hear. v17 I am telling you the truth. Many of God’s servants and many of God’s people wanted to see what you are seeing. But they did not see it. They wanted to hear what you are hearing. But they did not hear it.’

Verses 10-11 The true things about God’s rule are ‘secrets’. People cannot discover them for themselves. God shows people that Jesus is king. He shows this to the people who are willing to believe him. People who do not want to learn do not understand.

Verse 12 Some people want to obey God’s authority. Those people will understand what Jesus teaches more and more. Other people hear what Jesus teaches, but do not obey Jesus. They will become less able to understand.

Verses 13-15 Stories can only show the truth to people who are willing to listen. But many people failed to understand because they did not want to obey God. Jesus reminded them of what Isaiah had said long ago. God called Isaiah to be his special servant. But God warned Isaiah that his work would be difficult (Isaiah 6:9-10). People had not obeyed God for a long time. So they did not want to listen to Isaiah’s message. They did not want to understand what he said. Isaiah’s words were true also about the people who would not accept Jesus. They did not want to leave their *sins. So Jesus could not give them his gift. His gift is life that never ends.

Verses 16-17 The *disciples had the opportunity to see and to hear the *Messiah. God had promised to send the *Messiah to the *Jewish nation. Many of God’s people had waited for the *Messiah to come. But he had not come during their lives. God gave the *disciples a gift because he let them meet Jesus, the *Messiah. They saw that God’s promise had come true.

Jesus explains the story about the man who sowed some seeds 13:18-23

v18 ‘Listen to what the story about the farmer means. v19 Some of his seeds fell on the hard path. The seed is like the message about where God rules. But some people do not understand it because they are like the hard path. Then *Satan comes and takes away the message from them. v20 Some of his seeds fell on the shallow earth on the rocks. This shallow earth is like some people who hear the message. They really listen to it and they are very happy. v21 But they do not believe it very strongly. They are like little plants with small roots. They have not thought about the difficulties, so they last only a short time. Trouble comes and they stop believing. Other people are against them because they believe the message. So they soon stop being loyal. v22 Some seeds fell on earth with weeds in it. That earth is like other people who listen to the message. But they worry about what will happen to them in this life. And they believe that money will make them happy. These things push the message out of their thoughts. Then the message cannot produce good things in their lives. v23 But some seeds fell on good soil. That soil produced a good crop. It was a 100, 60 or 30 times more than the farmer had planted. That soil is like people who really listen to the message. They understand it and believe. So they produce many good things in their lives.’

These verses show the different ways in which people believe the Christian message. God’s word is like seed and people are like soil in the field.

Verse 19 Some people hear the message, but they forget it immediately. A person may be very proud of his own opinions. He will not listen carefully. He has refused to obey God for a long time. He is like a hard path. God’s word cannot even begin to make a change in his life.

Verses 20-21 People may be eager to believe God’s message at first. But they have not thought seriously about the results. So they do not believe very strongly. They are like the thin soil on top of the rock that does not let the plants’ roots grow. These people do not understand that they may suffer. They will have the same problems as people who do not believe the message. Family difficulties, illness or other troubles may affect them. Also, people may insult and attack them because they have believed the message. But because they only believe a little, they do not last. Their belief dies like the plant in the hot sun.

Verse 22 Some people desire to possess money or goods. They think about them very often. They work very hard to earn a lot of money. Some people have many responsibilities and interests, which take much time. Then these things push out the Christian life. So those people become too busy to pray. There is no time for them to study the Bible. God is no longer first in their lives. They do not realise what they are doing.

Verse 23. There are people like the good ground that produces a crop. They are never too proud or too busy to listen to God’s message. They believe it, even when they expect trouble. They realise what might happen to them as a result. They believe the message. So they change the way that they live. Also, they tell the message about God’s rule to many other people. Isaiah said long ago that God’s word would be successful (Isaiah 55:10-11). *Disciples should ‘sow’ God’s message. There will certainly be a ‘harvest’ of people who believe it. They will understand and believe the message about Jesus.

The story about the weeds among the wheat 13:24-30

v24 Jesus told them another story.

‘Where God rules from heaven, it is like this. A man planted good seed in his field. v25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came there. The enemy sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. v26 Then the wheat began to grow. When it began to produce seeds, they could see the weeds among the wheat. v27 The owner’s servants came to tell him. “Sir”, they said, “you sowed good seed in your field. So where did the weeds come from?” v28 “An enemy did this”, the owner replied. Then the servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull out the weeds?” v29 “No”, he answered. “While you are pulling out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. v30 Let the weeds and the wheat grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the workers what to do. I will say, ‘First collect the weeds. Tie them in bundles for burning. Then collect the wheat and bring it into my store.’ ” ’

Verses 24-27 Jesus referred to a particular type of weed. When it started to grow, this weed looked nearly the same as the wheat. Often people could not tell the difference between them. But when the plants had ripe seeds, it was possible to see the difference. The *Romans had a law against people who put weeds in other people’s fields. So everyone who was listening to Jesus would understand this story.

Verses 28-30 It was not possible to pull out the weeds without damaging the wheat plants. But at harvest-time, the servants could separate the weeds and burn them. They could then store the good wheat.

The stories about the tiniest seed and the *yeast 13:31-33

v31 Jesus told them another story.

‘Where God rules from heaven, it is like this. Someone took a mustard seed and planted it in a field. v32 It is the smallest of all your seeds. But when it grows, it becomes the largest of the plants in your garden. It becomes a tree. So birds come and sit in its branches.’

v33 Then Jesus told them yet another story.

‘Where God rules from heaven, it is like this. A woman mixed *yeast into a large amount of flour to make bread. The *yeast made the whole lot grow bigger.’

These two stories belong together because they are both about growth.

Verses 31-32 Although a mustard seed is very tiny, it can grow into a very large bush. The mustard bush is like a small tree, and birds can rest in it. God ruled only a few people’s lives when Jesus was alive. There were just a few *disciples who followed him. But their number grew until it spread through the whole world later.

In the *Old Testament, a tree was a powerful nation in picture language. The birds in its branches were the nations to whom it gave protection (Ezekiel 17:22-24). People from all nations will find their security when God rules them.

Verse 33 Jesus had watched his mother as she made bread. A very small amount of *yeast makes a large amount of bread mixture grow bigger. The mixture grows slowly. People cannot see how it happens. In the same way, when people become Christians, they slowly affect society in a good way. The people in Thessalonica city realised that the Christians were making a difference to their society. ‘These Christians have completely changed what happens in the world!’ they said (Acts 17:6). Christians trust Jesus. They believe that he is the king. When they believe this, it changes people’s characters for good. And then they change the character of their society in a good way.

The way that Jesus used stories 13:34-35

v34 Jesus told all these things to the crowd in stories. He did not say anything to them without using a story. v35 So the words that God’s special servant spoke long ago came true:

‘I will tell things to the people in stories.

I will speak about things that people did not know.

These things were secret since the world began.’

Verse 34 Jesus often used stories to teach the crowds. They would have to think about what those stories meant.

Verse 35 These words come from Psalms 78:1-2. The person who wrote the psalm spoke words from God. That is why Matthew calls him ‘God’s special servant’. Jesus used these stories to teach new things. Nobody had really known about where God rules before. The people who believed Jesus would understand their meaning. Many people in the crowds did not believe him. So they did not understand what his stories meant.

Jesus explains the story about the weeds among the wheat 13:36-43

v36 Then Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. And his *disciples came to talk to him. ‘Explain the story about the weeds in the field to us’, they said.

v37 So Jesus told them. ‘The person who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. v38 The field is the world. The good seed means all the people who accept God’s rule. The weeds are all the people who belong to the Evil Person (the devil). v39 The enemy who plants those weeds is the devil. The harvest means judgement day. The workers are God’s *messengers. v40 The harvest workers pull out the weeds and burn them. And it will be like that on judgement day. v41 The Son of Man will send out his special *messengers. They will not let anyone or anything remain that causes *sin. They will destroy all those who do evil things. v42 God’s *messengers will throw them into the fierce fire. And there, people will weep and bite their teeth together. v43 Then the people who belong to God will shine like the sun. They will live where God, their Father, rules. The person who really listens will understand this!’

Verses 36-39 Some people belong to God because they have accepted his rule. Other people belong to the devil. It may be very hard to tell the difference between them. But people must not try to be judges over other people. Judgement must wait until God decides the right time for it. Only God has the right to be the judge. He can decide because he can see the whole of a person’s life.

Verses 40-43 In the end, God will remove everything that is evil. He will not let anything bad stay where he rules. Jesus speaks about the judgement of wicked people. Jesus uses picture language when he speaks about fire. Fire means punishment.

Matthew uses the words ‘weep and bite their teeth together’ in several places (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:50; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 24:51). It means that people are very sad. Also, they suffer great pain. The wicked people will receive punishment, and it will be terrible for them. The people who belong to God will ‘shine like the sun’. This idea comes from Daniel 12:3.

The stories about the hidden *treasure and the *pearl that had great value 13:44-46

v44 ‘Where God rules from heaven, it is like something very valuable. Someone hid that valuable thing in a field. When another man found it, he was very happy. He hid it again and went home. Then he sold everything that he owned. And so he bought that field with the valuable thing in it.

v45 Where God rules from heaven, it is also like this. A merchant was looking for beautiful valuable stones. v46 Then he found one that was very valuable called a *pearl. So he went away from there. He sold everything that he owned. Then he bought that *pearl.’

Verse 44 In those days, people often kept money in the ground. Also, people buried their valuable possessions when they had to escape during a war. Sometimes they never returned to dig them up again. The man was working in a field. He found the valuable thing by accident. So he was willing to sell everything that he owned. He really wanted to gain this valuable thing more than anything else. We call something like this ‘treasure’.

Verse 45 The merchant was searching everywhere for beautiful stones or ‘*pearls’. At last, he discovered a very valuable one. So he sold everything so that he could possess that *pearl.

Both these stories compare where God rules to something that is valuable. It is more valuable than everything else. The first man discovered something that he had not expected. In the same way, a person may suddenly discover the truth about Jesus. That person may want to enter where God rules. The man sold everything so that he could buy the field. And if God rules people, they must give up their own wishes, relationships and habits. But they know that it is worth it. The merchant is like someone who searches for the valuable things in the world. He can find lovely things in art, music, books and human relationships. But he discovers that the most valuable thing of all is to become a servant of God. Then he does what God wants him to do. And he is very happy.

The story about the net with good and bad fish 13:47-50

v47 ‘Where God rules from heaven, it is also like a net for catching fish. The men threw their net into the lake, and it caught all kinds of fish. v48 When the net was full, the men pulled it to the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away. v49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. God’s *messengers will come. They will separate the wicked people from the people who belong to God. v50 God’s *messengers will throw the wicked people into the fierce fire. There the wicked people will weep and they will bite their teeth.’

Verses 47-50 This story is like the story about the wheat and the weeds. It was natural for Jesus to talk about fishing. At least 4 of his *disciples had worked at fishing. And they were near the lake called Galilee. There are at least 24 kinds of fish in that lake. Some fish were good and useful. Other fish were not fit to eat. The net would draw a mixture of fish onto the shore. Jesus’ *disciples were like the men who were fishing. They drew all kinds of people into the ‘net’, which is where God rules. God’s rule includes people who really believe Jesus. It also includes people who do not really follow Christ. God will separate these people at the end of time.

The owner of a house who has both old and new valuable things 13:51-52

v51 Then Jesus asked them, ‘Do you understand all these things?’ ‘Yes’, they replied.

v52 So Jesus spoke to them again. ‘Some men who teach the *Law have entered where God rules from heaven. They are like a man who owns a house. That person has new things and old things that he has saved in the house. And that person brings out those new things and those old things.’

Verses 51-52 Jesus wanted the *disciples to understand him properly. Then they could teach other people about where God rules. They should be like good men who taught God’s law. They could use all that they already knew from the *Old Testament. This would be like the old things. Jesus had helped them to understand new things also. Matthew was himself like the owner of a house. In his *gospel, he used both the *Old Testament and the new stories that Jesus taught.

The next section of Matthew’s *gospel records mainly the actions of Jesus. Matthew records the way that some people believed Jesus. He also records how some people opposed him.

The people at Nazareth refuse to accept Jesus 13:53-58

v53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he moved on from there. v54 He came to his own town called Nazareth. He went to the building where they met to *worship God. And he began to teach the people there. He astonished them. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to do *miracles?’ they asked each other. v55 ‘This is just the *carpenter’s son. His mother’s name is Mary. His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. v56 And all his sisters are here with us. So where did this man learn all these things?’ they said. v57 And they were not happy about Jesus. So he spoke to them, ‘God’s special servants receive honour everywhere, except in their own towns or in their own homes’, Jesus said. v58 And he did not do many *miracles there, because they did not believe him.

Verses 53-56 The people in Nazareth thought that they knew all about Jesus. They had known him all his life. He was the *carpenter’s son, the man who made their wooden tools and furniture. They did not say Joseph’s name. This probably means that he was dead. They knew Jesus’ mother and the other members of his family. So they could not understand how an ordinary person from the country could speak so well. They could not believe that he could act in such a wonderful way.

Verse 57 Jesus used a phrase that people knew well. People do not believe someone that they know well. Other people may give honour to that person, but his own people do not give honour.

Verse 58 Luke also records this visit to Nazareth. Some people there did not like what Jesus said. So they tried to kill him (Luke 4:16-30). And Mark says that Jesus ‘could not’ do a *miracle in Nazareth (Mark 6:5). Jesus had the power to do *miracles anywhere. But people need to believe him before Jesus is able to help them.

gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
Pharisee ~ one of a group of Jews who thought that they obeyed all God’s rules. They did not like the things that Jesus taught. They thought that they did not do any wrong things. So, they thought that they were very important and clever.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
tenants ~ people who pay rent to use someone's property.
parable ~ a story with a hidden meaning.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
prophet ~ a person who told people what God wanted.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
Messiah ~ the Jews' word for the king who would come and rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything to do with a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Satan ~ the chief evil spirit.
spirit ~ the part of us that lives when our body dies; a being that is alive, even without a body; the part of a person that will always be alive, even after their body is dead. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan and his angels.
being ~ a person or animal that is alive.
angels ~ God's special messengers.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
yeast ~ people put yeast into flour and water in order to make bread. The yeast grows in the bread and it makes the bread bigger. It spreads through all the bread, so Jesus compared it with other things that spread.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
treasure ~ anything of great value.
pearl ~ a little white ball of hard material that shines. It is very valuable. A small, soft animal that lives inside a shell (a hard thing round it) makes pearls. This animal lives in the sea.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
miracle ~ a great thing that only God can do.
carpenter ~ a person who works skilfully with wood.