Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

(Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.1 ²Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.1

³And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.1 ⁴And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.1

⁵Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.1 ⁶But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.1

⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.1

⁸Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.1

⁹He who has ears, let him hear.”1

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)

¹⁰Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”1

¹¹He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.1 ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.1 ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

‘Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’2

¹⁴In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.2

¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown callous;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts,

and turn, and I would heal them.’1

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.1 ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.2

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

¹⁸Consider, then, the parable of the sower:1 ¹⁹When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.1

²⁰The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.1 ²¹But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.1

²²The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.2

²³But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”1

The Parable of the Weeds

(Ezekiel 17:1–10)

²⁴Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.1 ²⁵But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.1 ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.1

²⁷The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’1

²⁸‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’1

²⁹‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.1 ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”1

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)

³¹He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.1 ³²Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”1

The Parable of the Leaven

(Luke 13:20–21)

³³He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”3

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

(Psalms 78:1–72)

³⁴Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.1 ³⁵So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”1

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

(Zephaniah 1:1–6)

³⁶Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”1

³⁷He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.2 ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,2 ³⁹and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.2

⁴⁰As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.1 ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.1 ⁴²And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.1 ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

He who has ears, let him hear.3

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.1

⁴⁵Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.1 ⁴⁶When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.1

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.1 ⁴⁸When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.1

⁴⁹So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous1 ⁵⁰and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.1

⁵¹Have you understood all these things?”

“Yes,” they answered.1

⁵²Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”1

The Rejection at Nazareth

(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)

⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.1 ⁵⁴Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.1 ⁵⁵“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?2 ⁵⁶Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”1 ⁵⁷And they took offense at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”1 ⁵⁸And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.1