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Matthew 13

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

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.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

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.

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.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

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:

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.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

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.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

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.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

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.

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.

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.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

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

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

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?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

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.

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:

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.

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.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

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.

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.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

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

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

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;

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

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.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

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.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

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?

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

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.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

What does Matthew 13:28 mean?

Explanation

This verse, Matthew 13:28, comes from the parable of the wheat and the tares, which Jesus Christ tells to a crowd of followers.

In the parable, a man sows good seed in his field, but while everyone is sleeping, his enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat.

When the plants begin to grow and produce grain, the servants notice the tares and bring it to the attention of the master.

In this verse, the master identifies an enemy as the sower of the tares and responds to his servants' inquiry about whether they should collect them.

The master says no, indicating that uprooting the tares might also uproot the wheat.

Instead, both should grow together until the harvest time, at which point the reapers will separate them.

The literal meaning of this verse involves the agricultural practice of dealing with weeds among crops.

On a deeper level, this parable can be understood as an allegory about the kingdom of Heaven and the presence of evil in the world.

The master’s decision to let both wheat and tares grow together suggests a tolerance of evil in the world until the final judgment.

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Historical Context

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares was spoken by Jesus during His ministry in Galilee, approximately in the first century A.D.

The context was an agrarian society where sowing and reaping were common activities and were thus easily understood by Jesus' audience.

The historical setting was one where the spreading of Christianity faced mixed receptions, and burgeoning Christian communities lived among Jewish and pagan populations.

Theological Insights

Different Christian traditions have drawn varied theological insights from this verse. The parable is often seen as a statement on the reality of evil in the world and the final judgment:

Predestination and Free Will: The verse may be interpreted to suggest that it is not for humans to determine who is good or evil (wheat or tares) since this could harm the 'wheat,' reflecting debates on predestination and free will.
Patience of God: The tolerance of the master for the tares reflects God's patience with humanity, allowing time for repentance and growth.
Judgment: The parable suggests that a final sorting will occur, which can be interpreted as the Last Judgment, where true believers will be separated from the pretenders.

Practical Applications

The parable, and this verse in particular, can inform how individuals and communities approach the presence of evil or wrongdoing:

Tolerance: It can be a call for tolerance and patience, understanding that it may not always be possible to address every wrong immediately without causing greater harm.
Judgment: It serves as a reminder that ultimate judgment belongs to God, not humans.
Living with Imperfection: The passage may encourage believers to focus on their own growth and righteousness, amidst a world with both good and evil influences.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:30 - "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 13:24-27 - The opening section of the parable sets the context for verse 28.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 - "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek language add depth to the understanding of this verse:

Enemy (echthros): This word refers to an adversary or foe, likely representing Satan or forces of evil in the allegorical interpretation.
Servants (douloi): In the context of the verse, these serve the master, reflecting the role of the disciples or followers of Christ.
Gather (sullego): To collect or bring together, carrying connotations of judgment and selection.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Within ancient myths and religious interpretations:

Dualism: The concept of good and evil coexisting is present in various religious traditions, such as Zoroastrianism, which teaches about the ongoing battle between truth and deception.
Weeds among crops: Ancient agricultural practices were familiar with the issue of weeds, and this imagery could be understood across cultures as indicative of undesirable elements or influences among the desirable.

Scientific Perspectives

While the verse is allegorical, scientific perspectives can be related to the concepts of biodiversity and the ecology of farming:

Weed management: The difficulty of separating crops from weeds without damaging the crops touches on modern sustainable agricultural techniques.
Biodiversity and resilience: The idea of letting both wheat and tares grow together may inadvertently parallel modern agricultural approaches that prioritize biodiversity for ecosystem resilience.

commentaries

Commentaries on Matthew 13:28 offer various insights:

William Barclay: Suggests the parable teaches that it is not the Church's task to begin a premature weeding out of the world, a task reserved for God.
John Calvin: Emphasizes God’s forbearance, where God allows the reprobate to be intermingled with the elect until the Day of Judgment.
Craig S. Keener: Points out the cultural relevance of the parable, as tares (bearded darnel) were a common and damaging weed in Jesus' time, and its roots could intertwine with those of the wheat, making early separation damaging.

Each commentator highlights different aspects of the passage, demonstrating its rich theological, practical, and cultural facets.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:28 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 13:28 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?