Matthew Chapter 13

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.

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:

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.

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:

• Isaiah 6:9-10 ⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

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.

• It seems to me that the people were there because they knew Jesus was a great teacher and since they were devoted to their religion they followed him, listening and seeing the miracles. They were saturated with doctrine, but none of it penetrated their understanding. They didn’t understand what they were hearing in the soul stirring way that brings about a spiritual change. I think of it like all those verses I knew and quoted, but really didn’t understand…I wasn’t changed by them until the Holy Spirit gave me understanding, then my behavior was altered because I understood more about the Lord and his ways.
• The disciples understood the teachings of Jesus, because they desired more than just a religious experience, they really wanted to be connected to God and to know who he is. Religion will have you quoting scriptures, but true faith in Jesus will have you walking the scripture out in your life. The seed planted on the good soil, taps into a water source and reaches up to the light source of the sun… it starts as a seed, then this grows into a 2 leaf seedling then this seedling and grows more leaves… and those leaves increase photosynthesis so the plant grows deeper roots and more leaves to make the plant bigger and stronger…”For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:” The other seeds that have no roots or get choked out don’t experience growth…the seed on the stony ground never taps into the water source and the one planted in the thrones is choked out… the leaves are cut off from the source of water coming up from the roots and the roots are cut off from the suns rays converting the water into food…so the plants die off “ but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.“. The seed is Jesus…who came here and died for us…the water is the Holy Spirit and the sun in God… The soil is our hearts. Jesus saves us, the Holy Spirit feeds us and causes us to grow up towards God and God causes us to grow. If we hear the salvation message and don’t pay it any attention at all, then it falls by the wayside, if we hear it, but our hearts are not in a place to receive it, then the message doesn’t stay with us long because our hearts are hard and stony… if we hear the message and decide to act on it in the flesh to serve the flesh, then we are choked off from actually connecting with God.

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.

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.

• The wicked one will deceive a person into ignoring the word in many ways.

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.

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:

Wheat and Tares-A look at Tares and their Toxic Effect

Tares

²⁵ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

• Tares are a weed called “darnel” in Latin it’s known as ebriacus, meaning intoxicated.It was added to beer to make it more intoxicating, it was used to induce sleepiness and was known to cause hallucinations especially when it was infected with the fungus, Neotyphodium occultans (in English… it means OCCULT… something hidden).

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?

• Tares are a type of weed that doesn’t simply grow, it has to be planted.

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.

• Matthew 7:15-23 ¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

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:

This is a mustard tree

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.

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.

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.

• Psalms 78:2  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

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;

• It’s clear here that the population of the world is divided by the followers of Jesus and the followers of Satan. Earlier in the chapter the field hand asked the owner of the field if he wanted him to go out and gather up the tares to be burned…but the owner said no because it would uproot the wheat. “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.” more proof there is no pre-gathering aka a pretrib rapture.

³⁹ The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

• So the harvest is at the end of the world and the wheat and tares are being harvested at the same time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• They could not wrap their faith around the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and he was teaching them as the Son of God… John 10:27-31 ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.³⁰ I and my Father are one.³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.