Matthew 13 - The Pearl of Great Price!

Click Here to Read or Listen to Matthew 13

What's Happening in Matthew 13

Matthew 13 is almost exclusively devoted to the parables Jesus taught. It was his favorite teaching method. My favorite definition of a parable is that it is an "earthly story with a heavenly meaning". Parables took every day life examples that a person would know and how it related to the Kingdom of heaven. Sometimes parables were hard to understand, and therefore the learner needed to wrestle with the meaning. This process showed that the learner was interested in finding the truth. 

The Parable of the Sower

This is one of the most well known parables. Jesus lived in an agricultural society so this story would be easy for the hearers to understand. At least the literal meaning of the parable. This parable is also called the "parable of the soils". Note Jesus taught this parable to the crowds. Because the crowd was so large, he went into the boat and went out a little way on the water. It created a teaching environment where everyone could hear Jesus. Jesus was the master teacher and knew which enviornment was most conducive to get his lesson across. 

Parables usually have one main point, or one main truth. This main point unlocked the secret of how the Kingdom of God/Heaven works. Therefore it is spiritual truth. The main point of this parable is the soil condition was the key to the seed taking root and multiplying 30,60, or 100 times. 

In the parable it is only the seed that was cast on the good soil that produced fruit. The other three soil conditions were not conducive to growth. The hard path, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil, all sabotaged the process of the seed taking root, getting the nutrients it needed, and bearing fruit

So the question is what does parable tell us about the kingdom of God? 

Fortunately Jesus helped the disciples by interpreting it for them. Jesus explains that the seed is the word about, or the secret of the "kingdom of God". Later in gospel of John, we know that Jesus is the Word of God. The "word" is everything that can be known about God." 

Jesus then explains why three out of the four soils thwarted the seed from bearing fruit. 

1. The seed that fell on the hardened path never had a chance. As soon as it was sown, the devil snatched it away. This is perhaps the person who has heard the word but never in a way that connected with them or in a way they could understand it. Satan is always at work trying prevent people from even considering or connecting with God's Word. 

Some may think it is irrelevant. Some may think it is only a fanciful tale. Some may think it is outright false. Some may think it is oppressive or portrays a God who is full of wrath not love. The devil will do anything to blind people to God's Word. 

2. The seed that fell on the rocky ground had a chance. It took root at once, but it never went deep enough to bear fruit. Why? This is the person who receives the Word, or the Good News about Jesus, and though they are initially enthusiastic, when trouble comes because of it, they quickly wither away. 

For instance, a person may go to an evangelistic rally and come home all excited about "becoming a Christian". When they get back to the real world, they see that being a Christian is not very easy at all. Changing from a previous lifestyle of sin, or having to cut ties with people who won't accept their new way life, causes them to walk away from God as soon as they came to Him. 

3. The seed that fell among the thorns that eventually choked out the growth. The thorns are the cares of the world for things like money became too much. They grow and grow so that God's gets overtaken. 

 As seed falling among thorns grew, the stalks of grain were soon choked out (Matthew 13:7), so some respond to the word and grow for a while, but are choked and stopped in their spiritual growth by competition from unspiritual things. (Guzik)

4. Finally, the good seed was the seed which the hearer heard and understood. Understanding it probably meant putting into practice. As God's Word is put into practice the roots grow deeper making it unless to be choked out by the weeds or thorns. 

The deeper the roots of God's Word go, the less likely a person is to fall away. But more importantly this same seed multiplies. This is analagous to a Christian leading others to Christ. 

This analogy shows church growth is really organic growth. As members of church grow in hearing and understanding of God's Word, they will eventually bear fruit. This become attractive to others. Health breeds health.  

The Parable of the Weeds

The main point of this parable is that though the seed may grow (the wheat), weeds can grow alongside of the wheat . This may be analagous to a Christian and a non-Christian. Though the weeds may hinder the growth of the wheat, they are not to be pulled up just yet. 

The servants asked their master about this and he gives the reason for not pulling up the weeds. In doing so they may unknowingly pull out the good wheat thus destroying its potential to bear fruit. This is referring to judgment day. 

Only God knows who the weeds and the wheat are. There will be a day when they weeds are pulled up, bundled, and cast into the fire. But that is God's judgment to make not ours. Until judgment day we should be working to bring in more wheat. We should be focused on growing the wheat not yanking out the weeds. 

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

This is a story which shows that small beginnings can end in a big harvest. The mustard seed represents faith. Though faith might start small it can grow and in this case provide shade for the other plants. This might represent a shepherd watching over and protecting his sheep. 

The yeast also represents God word. The amount of yeast was very small in relationship to the large batch of dough (60 pounds). As the yeast is worked in, it spreads its way through the dough. If the dough represents the world it means that as God's Word is brought into the world it will take time for it to work.  

It reminds us to be patient. Both the mustard seed and the yeast remind us that God can sometimes seem to work slowly. But we have another promise in scripture that God's Word will never return void. It will always do what it was intended to do. Isaiah 55:11

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

Both of these stories have similar details. A man looks for something of great value and when he finds it, he realizes it is more important than anything else he owns. So he sells everything he has to keep the treasure. In one instance he sells everything to buy the field that held the treasure. In the other instance he sold everything he had to able to buy the pearl. He was all in all. Anything he had up to that point paled in comparison to the treasure he had found. 

When we find Jesus and realize the gift of eternal life he has given us, we realize the true value of the others things we own.  When we experience the joy of this great gift, we want to share it and help others to find the same treasure we have found. We find that our greatest joy is making a difference in other's lives that will last for all eternity. 

The Parable of the Net 

This parable is very similar to the parable of the wheat. Though a man caught a great number of fish. When they brought them to the shore, they kept the good ones and threw the bad ones out. So it will be at the end of the age when the wicked are separated from the righteous. 

This sounds harsh I know. But we know from the rest of scripture we know God will do anything to reach people.  His love is so great for the whole world that he even sent His own son to die for it. But there will be those who reject God's love and prefer to live without Him. 

A Prophet Without Honor

Jesus taught his disciples, he taught the crowds, and now he went to his hometown to teach them. Surprisingly he did not get a hero's welcome. Instead they scoffed at him and were insulted that he might assume he had something important to teach them. Initially they were impressed by his wisdom and teaching, but when they remembered he was a carpenter's son it caused them to be offended by him. 

They were like the seed on the hardened path. As soon as the word was preached the devil snatched it right up. It never had a chance to take root! 

What Coming Next in Matthew 14?

John the Baptist will meet his fate. Jesus will two of his most amazing miracles. Miracles that defy nature itself!