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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 13:44 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:44 contains one of the parables of Jesus, which depict the kingdom of heaven.

The parable speaks of a treasure hidden in a field, which, when a man finds, he hides again.

Overcome with joy, he sells all he owns to buy the field and possess the treasure for himself.

The literal reading is straightforward: a man discovers a valuable find on someone's property and buys that property to rightfully claim the treasure.

The deeper meaning, however, points to the inestimable value of the kingdom of heaven.

The treasure represents the gospel or the message of salvation, including the benefits and blessings of God’s rule, which is so precious that one should be willing to give up everything to gain it.

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Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, it was not uncommon for people to bury their valuables for safekeeping, especially in times of war or uncertainty.

There were no banks as we know them today, so hiding treasures was a means of protection against theft.

The parable's audience, familiar with this practice, would understand the realistic scenario in which the hidden treasure could be stumbled upon accidentally.

Given that this parable is placed among others that teach about the kingdom of heaven, its historical setting is inextricably linked to Jesus’ ministry in Galilee where he taught about the coming of God's kingdom.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints find significance in various aspects of this parable:

Evangelical Perspective: Often emphasizes personal salvation, taking the view that individuals should be ready to forsake all for the gift of eternal life in Christ.
Catholic Perspective: Might stress the precious nature of the kingdom of God in the context of the church and its doctrines, including a call to a life of holiness and detachment from worldly goods.
Progressive Christianity: Would focus on the transformative aspect of the kingdom, suggesting the treasure represents a call to social justice and the betterment of humanity.
Reformed Theology: Might highlight God's sovereignty, where the finding of the treasure is an act of divine grace and election.

Practical Applications

The lesson of this parable can be applied in daily life through:

Prioritization: Adjusting one’s life priorities to place the kingdom of God above all worldly pursuits.
Sacrifice: Being willing to give up comforts, social status, or material possessions for the sake of one's faith.
Joyful Endeavor: Pursuing the truths of the gospel and a relationship with God with the enthusiasm and joy depicted by the man in the parable.

Cross-References

Matthew 6:20-21 - "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Matthew 19:21 - "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
Luke 12:34 - "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Philippians 3:7-8 - "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, two words are central to the understanding of this verse:

Treasure (θησαυρός - thesauros): Can mean a literal store of wealth or metaphorically, it can represent spiritual riches or wisdom.
Field (ἀγρός - agros): Typically means a plot of arable land.

Metaphorically, it could signify the world or the realm in which the kingdom of heaven can be found.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Some ancient myths speak of quests for magical or divine hidden objects, suggesting a universal archetype that aligns with the human desire for discovery and attainment of something greater.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, material renunciation is common for spiritual gain, which parallels the act of selling all to buy the field.

Scientific Perspectives

While not directly related to the scientific field, the parable can inspire a discussion about human behavior and psychology, such as the decision-making process when assigning value to objects or concepts that drive actions and sacrifices.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians offer varied interpretations:

John Calvin: Tended to see the field as the church, with the treasure signifying the benefits enjoyed by being part of the faithful.
William Barclay: Framed the parable as depicting the joy and demand of discipleship, where the churchgoer must be willing to give up all for the sheer joy of being in the kingdom.
**D.A.

Carson**: Emphasizes the need for a radical reordering of one's life and priorities when confronted with the gospel's inestimable value.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:44 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 13:44 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?