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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 13:53 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:53 refers to a transition in Jesus' ministry as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.

This particular verse is a narrative shift indicating that Jesus had finished a series of teachings, known as parables, and was moving on from that place.

Jesus often taught in parables, which are stories with moral or spiritual lessons embedded within them.

The chapter contains several well-known parables such as the Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Weeds, and the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

The use of 'finished' implies completion and possibly a moment of reflection or change before a new phase of His work begins.

The 'departure thence' symbolizes not only a physical relocation but also may metaphorically signify a transition in His ministry to focus on different aspects or regions.

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Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, it was common for rabbis and teachers to travel from place to place to share their teachings and interpretations of scripture.

Palestine of the first century was a diverse area under Roman occupation, and it was customary for Jewish teachers to speak in synagogues and public spaces.

Jesus, as a rabbinic figure, would have engaged with Jewish audiences through parables, a familiar teaching method they could resonate with.

The use of parables might have also served as a strategy to teach in a politically charged atmosphere without direct confrontation.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse could be seen in various ways:

Completion of Revelation: Some might see it as a point where a certain level of understanding is meant to have been achieved by His listeners.

Jesus' teachings contained in these parables are viewed as integral lessons for the spiritual growth of His followers.

Transition: Others might interpret this movement as a sign that Jesus' message and ministry were consistently dynamic, adapting, and moving forward towards a greater plan, perhaps ultimately leading towards His suffering, death, and resurrection.
Accessibility: There might be a theological insight relating to accessibility, as moving from one place to another reflects Jesus' mission to reach out to diverse people groups.

Practical Applications

This verse exemplifies the teaching and transient nature of spiritual leadership. In practical terms, it could inspire:

Lifelong Learning: The verse shows Jesus as a teacher who completes a set of lessons before moving on, implying the importance of both teaching and learning in stages or seasons.
Transition: Recognizing and embracing seasons of transition in one’s life as opportunities for growth and transformation.
Outreach: Encouraging individuals to share their knowledge and wisdom with others, moving beyond their immediate comfort zones to impact a greater community.

Cross-References

Mark 4:33-34: "And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it."
Luke 8:1: “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him.”

Language Study

The key words in this verse in the original Greek are:

"finished" (ἐτέλεσεν - etelesen): To bring to an end, complete, fulfill.
"parables" (παραβολὰς - parabolas): A comparison, a symbolic story conveying a moral or spiritual truth.
"departed thence" (μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν - meteren ekeithen): Moved away from there, suggesting not just a physical relocation but potentially a shift in focus or mission.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparison with other ancient practices and stories:

Socratic Method: Similar to how Socrates used questions and dialogue to teach philosophy in Ancient Greece, Jesus used parables to engage with his audience and provoke deeper thinking.
Jewish Tradition: Parables were a part of Jewish rabbinical tradition, used to explain the Torah in a way that was relatable to everyday life.

Scientific Perspectives

While this verse doesn't directly intersect with scientific themes, the practice of moving between locations as part of one’s work could be compared to modern understandings of migratory behavior or the diffusion of ideas.

Studies in social science often explore how ideas spread and the impact of geographical shifts on cultural and knowledge exchange.

Commentaries

Different biblical commentators have offered varying interpretations of this verse:

William Barclay notes the significance of Jesus' teaching style with parables, which were designed to make people think, as this required active engagement from His audience to discern the spiritual lessons.
The Pulpit Commentary discusses the succinctness of the statement, highlighting the verse as a transitional moment, marking the close of one period of the Galilean ministry before Jesus enters a different phase.
John Gill comments on the efficiency of Jesus’ work, completing what He had set out to do in that area before moving on, emphasizing His role as a teacher 'ending' the lesson when it was appropriate.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:53 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 13:53 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?