This next section is known as the Parabolic Discourse because of its collection of parables. These parables reveal the condition of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world during the present age.
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
1. What does this represent?
Notice the symbolism here. “The same day went Jesus out of the house,” which speaks of the house of Israel. “And sat by the seaside” — the sea represents the gentile nations (a symbolism used elsewhere in Scripture). Our Lord is leaving the nation of Israel and turning to the world. He is now speaking of what will take place in the world until He returns as King. The Kingdom of God will involve more than the nation of Israel, it will involve the entire world, therefore there is a symbolism implied here and that is why God includes this in this Gospel.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
2. What does this agricultural story have to do with being a Christian?
This is what is known as a parable. A parable is a metaphorical story that illustrates a greater point.
parables. Our word “parable” comes from the Greek parabole, which means “a placing beside”—and thus a comparison or an illustration. Its most common use in the NT is for the illustrative stories that Jesus drew from nature and human life. The Synoptic Gospels contain about 30 of these stories. John’s Gospel contains no parables but uses other figures of speech . Mark 4:1-9, Luke 8:4-8 also record this same parable. An old definition says a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning–some familiar thing of life on earth is placed alongside of some mystery of heaven, that our understanding of the one may help us understand the other. Jesus drew from the common life of the people to explain some principle or teaching about the kingdom of heaven.
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
3. If the purpose of a parable is to illustrate a point, why would he give a parable that the people would not be able to easily understand?
To you it has been granted. Here Jesus clearly affirms that the ability to comprehend spiritual truth is a gracious gift of God, sovereignly bestowed on the elect (v. 11). The reprobate ones, on the other hand, are passed over. They reap the natural consequence of their own unbelief and rebellion—spiritual blindness (v. 13). the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. “Mysteries” are those truths which have been hidden from all ages in the past and revealed in the NT. Parables serve the double purpose of revealing and concealing.
11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; 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.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, 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
4. But doesn’t God want everybody to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:3 (NIV)
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:10 (NIV)
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:20 (NIV)
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.Eph 1:9-10 (NIV)
The mysteries of how the kingdom of heaven would operate are revealed to the disciples but withheld from the spiritually unresponsive crowd. In particular, these secrets of the kingdom of heaven explained its partial and preliminary manifestations in Jesus’ day as it was breaking into the world in advance of its full and final appearing at the end of the age. God sovereignly uses the parables to either harden a person’s heart so that he or she will be unable to respond, or to elicit the positive response of coming to Jesus, asking for an explanation, and accepting his message. Like Isaiah before Him, Jesus’ proclamation of the word will succeed in dulling the spiritual sense of those who are already self-righteous or calloused to the word, because they do not want to repent or change–they want the reward of a glorious kingdom, but it will also succeed in “producing fruit” among those submissive to the will of God.
Our Lord cites from Isaiah chapter 6 to vindicate His actions. God had sent many prophets to the nation Israel, and all of them were rejected, along with their message. John, the last of the Old Testament prophets, was also rejected, at least by the religious leaders of Israel. Isaiah chapter 6 is the account of this prophet’s commission. The words which our Lord cited are the word of God to Isaiah, indicating that his ministry was essentially not one of calling men to repentance, but rather of confirming their condemnation. Isaiah’s words sealed Israel’s doom, and preceded the outpouring of God’s judgment on His disobedient people. Jesus viewed His ministry as similar to that of Isaiah, and thus teaching in parables could be vindicated by referring to Isaiah’s account of God’s words addressed to Him.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV)
The word of God achieves its purpose. For those given the gift of understanding it is a blessing and produces fruit. For those not given understanding it produces justification for condemnation.
He who hears the gospel and rejects it, when he stand before God for judgment, he has no defense. He cannot claim ignorance.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and 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.
5. Who is the sower? What is the seed and what is the soil?
The sower is God, The seed is the Word, the soil is us.
6. Have you ever know somebody who heard the gospel and thought it was total nonsense, if so how is this possible?
evil one. Satan. The gospel never penetrates these souls, so it disappears from the surface of their understanding—seen as the enemy snatching it away.
Unless God intercedes and allows the message to get through, it will not be understood.
Those along the path—are those whose hearts have never been open to the gospel, who never responded positively to the Lord Jesus Christ. The scribes and Pharisees seem generally to fall into this category. The gospel makes no impression on them whatsoever. Satan immediate snatches the gospel from their hearts, so that there is no response, no new birth, no fruit.
20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
7. Can someone understand and receive the message and then shortly walk away from it?
the shallow soil—represents those who positively (joyfully) respond to our Lord’s teaching, but
only due to an inadequate grasp of its implications. These folks respond positively to the word because they think that it is a kind of “prosperity gospel,” a gospel which promises only good times, blessing, happiness, and bliss. The quickness of the response is an indication of their lack of depth, or their lack of perception as to what the gospel really means. And, let me quickly add, this is not due to our Lord’s misrepresentation of the gospel. It is the result of selective hearing, of hearing only the good and pleasant things, rather than hearing of the costs involved in discipleship, of which our Lord often spoke. A simple reading of the Sermon on the Mount will show how our Lord carefully represented the blessings and the costs of following Him.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
8. Is it possible for a person to understand the gospel, accept the gift of salvation, then not live a Christian life?
The thorny soil, represents those who have a more complete grasp of the cost of discipleship, but who have never rid themselves of the “cares of this world.” Their concerns for money and for pleasure outgrow their seeking first the kingdom of God, and thus their priorities are reversed. It is not that the people represented by this thorny soil do not understand the costs of discipleship, but that they are not willing to pay the price. It is not lack of knowledge which causes them to err, but lack of commitment, lack of dedication.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
9. Who is the good soil?
The fourth soil, the good soil represents all those whose hearts are prepared for the gospel, and
whose lives are uncluttered with competitive interests and values. In this fourth soil the word not only bring forth life, but the plant comes to maturity and it bears fruit. Here is the goal of discipleship.
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The 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?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let 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 and bring it into my barn.’”
11. Of the four kinds of soils which would represent the saved and how do we know?
The first kind is definitely lost, the good soil is definitely saved, the other two we really don’t know, maybe that’s why he gave us the parable of the weeds.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”
12. Mustard seed?
The mustard seed was so small that the Jews used it proverbially to represent a very small thing. When mature, the mustard plant stood 10 to 12 feet tall as “the largest of garden plants”. Consequently it became a perch for birds. Several Old Testament passages use a tree with birds flocking to its branches to illustrate a kingdom that people perceive as great. The birds evidently represent those who seek shelter in the kingdom.
The Jews correctly believed that the messianic kingdom would be very large. Why did Jesus choose the mustard plant since it did not become as large as some other plants? Evidently He did so because of the small beginning of the mustard plant. The contrast between an unusually small beginning and a large mature plant is the point of this parable. Jesus’ ministry began despicably small in the eyes of many Jews. Nevertheless from this small beginning would come the worldwide kingdom predicted in the Old Testament. ………….the smallest … the largest. The mustard seed is not the smallest seed known today, but it was the smallest seed used by farmers and gardeners there and at that time, and under favorable conditions the plant could reach about ten feet in height. a tree … its branches. Likely an allusion to Da 4:21, suggesting that the kingdom of heaven will expand to world dominion and that people from all nations will find rest in it.
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
13. What does yeast have to do with the Kingdom of Heaven?
In the Bible, yeast usually symbolizes that which is evil or unclean . Here, however, it is a symbol of growth. As yeast permeates a batch of dough, so the kingdom of heaven spreads through a person’s life. Or it may signify the growth of the kingdom by the inner working of the Holy Spirit (using God’s word). Its permeating quality is emphasized here as it works from the inside to affect all the dough. This parable speaks of the powerful influence of God’s kingdom.
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
14. So, if I live a good moral life I will not be thrown into the fiery furnace.
No, first you have to be a wheat and not a weed. Only wheat need apply. Remember the wheat are connected to good ground and would represent those who accepted the word and began growing and producing. The weeds would those false religious folks who pretend to be part of the church and the kingdom but have never accepted the word of God. The field is the world where the sowing takes place, but the wheat and the tares represent true and only professing believers.
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
15. What is represented by the treasure and the pearl?
These two parables have identical meanings. Both picture salvation as something hidden from most people, but so valuable that people who have it revealed to them are willing to give up all they have to possess it.
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
16. New treasures as well as old?
The disciples were not to spurn the old for the sake of the new. Rather the new insights they
gleaned from Jesus’ parables were to be understood in light of the old truths, and vice versa. Most of what Jesus was teaching were concepts from the Old Testament which had never been fully understood. The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament is revealed.
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 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? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
17. Did Jesus miracle working power depend upon people’s faith?
Note what it was that limited the power of God when He was here. It was unbelief! “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” It was not that He was unable to do them; but because of their unbelief, it would have been purposeless and a waste of time. —J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
ESV………….ESV Study Bible Notes
· MSN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
· NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
· JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
· ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
· BN …..Barnes Notes
· WBC…… Wycliffe Bible Commentary
· CN …… Constables Notes
· IC……….Ironside Commentary
· NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
· JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
· VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
· CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
· BDSN…………..Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
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