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| .1
¶ The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
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. |
1
- Same day Same day as the happenings
of 12:22-50. That's not all. The
events of 8:18-27 were also on this day.
The days of Jesus were often packed. Probably fewer of the events were
recorded.
1 - Sat A common posture for teaching lu0420. 2 - Great multitudes Common during this second Galilean tour (Autumn 29AD). mt0801, mt0818, mt1215. |
| .3
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower
went forth to sow;
.4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: |
3
- Spake many things He had spoken brief
parables mt0724-7, but this was
a longer discourse.
3 - Sower We find the story also beginning in v18, mr0403, lu0805. The sower who went out to seed his field was Christ. Here, as in other parables, He described the kingdom of heaven. He had not come to establish a kingdom to conquer the world. The truth He taught was sown to produce a spiritual harvest in human lives. And as we read, we may act as the fertile soil. 3 - Went forth Apparently went out from his home or village. An appropriate symbol for Christ jn1837, jn0842. 4 - Way side On the pathway where it has no opportunity. Many people don't even listen to the words of truth. The birds, as forces of evil, remove the seed that falls v19, mr0415, lu0812. |
| .5
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith
they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. .7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. .9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. |
5
- Stony places Perhaps
not a place with mostly rocks — this category was covered as the wayside
— but a place with shallow soil over rocks. Interest springs up in this
type of hearer but soon withers. They accepted truth in principle but held
on to bad habits. Compare mt2503.
7 - Thorns Literally "thorn" or "a plant with thorns." Here is seen people who never had a heart transformation. To them spiritual things were a thorn. See lu0814, v22. 7 - Sprung up Cares of life are allowed to crowd out spiritual growth ga0522, lu0814. 8 - Good ground Notice that these people do more than tolerate a form of truth. They are not naturally "good" soil ro0718 but become so by submitting to the plow of the Holy Spirit. |
.10
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them
in parables?
 .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.
.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 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. .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: 10 - In parables See v3. 11 - Mysteries Not understood by those who reject God mt1125, da1210. 12 - Hath Those who receive the Word of God are blessed more and learn more as they apply it. Likewise, those who seem to have truth lu0818 and fail to apply it, lose their love for it. Compare in context mt2529. 13 - See not Although they have physical sight, they cannot truly see spiritually jn0941, ho0406, v15. The Pharisees pretended not to understand truth they could not deny. 14 - Fulfilled Literally, "filled up." 14 - Esaias From is0609. Image from
Ministry
of Healing, 1906.
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| 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.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 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. |
15
- Lest ... they should see Of course the Lord does not want
us in darkness. He used irony when speaking to Isaiah to emphasize the
great danger of His people. If only they would look and listen they would
be converted and spiritually healed. The quotation was very appropriate
for the Jewish leaders at the time of Christ.
17 - Desired The Messiah or Christ was the hope of the Jewish people mal0301, 1pe0110. |
| .18
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
.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. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 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. .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. 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. |
18
- Hear ... the parable (Described beginning
in v3 above). This review would have been at a later time.
20 - Anon Greek, euthus. That is, "right away." 21 - By and by Also, euthus as in mt0316. 21 - Offended Greek, shandalizo, to cause to stumble (used figuratively). As "offend" in mt0529. 23 - Understandeth That is "receives" or "keeps" lu0815. |
| .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:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 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? .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? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. .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. |
Tares See Jesus' explanation beginning at v36 below. |
| .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:
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. |
31 - Mustard seed From what is known, this was the black mustard which got to be about 10 feet tall. The giant Redwood has seeds about 1/16 inch long (less than 2 mm). Yet they grow very tall. What a beautiful invitation to pray for strong faith! See mr0430, mt1720. The kingdom of heaven would grow. |
| .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. | Like unto leaven This kingdom would develop more than numbers which the mustard-seed parable represented. It would permeate the lives of its people changing them into the image of their Creator. |
| .34
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without
a parable spake he not unto them:
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. |
35 - ps07802. |
| .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.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 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; .39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. .40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. .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; .42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. |
39
- End of the world World is the Greek anion which
may be translated in many ways. See it as "world" in mt1232,
mt2403,
mt2820,
mr0419;
as "age" in ep0207,
co0126;
as "eternal" in ep0311,
as "ever" in mt2119, lu0155.
In the adjective form, see on mt2541.
"World" is generally from anion when considering time, and from
cosmos
when considering space. The inhabited world is generally
oikoumene,
mt2414,
lu0201.
40 - Tares gathered At the coming of Christ, the end-time wicked are slain and the righteous living join the resurrected, righteous dead and are taken to heaven 1th0416, re1416-20. 41 - Send ... angels Seen in re1914. Judging character of fellow believers is not our job. 41 - Gather out of his kingdom The Son of man directs the angels to remove the weeds (tares) from the kingdom. This happens before the righteous shine. This separation process is the preadvent judgment re1407d. Those who claim to be part of the kingdom now include both wheat and tares. Then the distinction will be clarified mal_0317f. See also on mr0124. 42 - Furnace of fire The punishment of the end-time wicked at the coming of Christ re1410. 43 - Righteous shine See da1203. 43 - Ears See on mt1115. |
 .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.
Treasure hid The ground was a "safety deposit box" for people in the time of Christ. If the owner forgot or died and the ground came into the possession of another, the treasure would have a new owner. To acquire the precious gift of salvation in Christ means total surrender of heart and mind. Image from
Ministry
of Healing, 1906.
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| .45
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly
pearls:
.46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. |
45 - Pearls See on re2121. The merchant may represent Christ who gave all to seek for souls lu1506. Of course he could represent us, too. The merchant illustration is on the Matthew home page. |
 .47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the
sea, and gathered of every kind:
.48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 47 - Like unto a net A dragnet according to the Greek word sagene. It was a large net and gathered everything. The gospel is that way lu0510. 47 - Every kind God accepts any of us who come to Him ac1034. 48 - Cast away the bad Does this contradict jn0637 where Christ does not cast out anyone who comes to Him? There, those who come are accepted. If they later choose the way of wickedness, then they are cast out. Thus our destiny is our choice. No man can remove us from His hand jn1028f, but we may choose to turn away. Image from
Ministry
of Healing, 1906.
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| 49 So shall it be at
the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked
from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. .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. |
49
-
World See on v39.
50 - Fire See v42. 52 - Scribe The office meant more than writing or copying. Scribes were teachers. In the kingdom of heaven Christ's scribes would include his disciples to whom He was speaking v36. With their treasure of wisdom they were like heads of houses who would bring out special vases or scrolls or whatever to show to their guests. They would bring truth from their experience with Christ and from the Scriptures. The promise is for us, too. 52 - Old and new Old truth at that time was from the OT Scriptures. New truth was from the disciples and from finding new meaning in the Scriptures that had not been understood. |
| .53
¶ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables,
he departed thence.
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? .55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. |
53 - Own country Nazareth in Galilee. For the second time, He was rejected. |
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