The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 13 -

(Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

In that day, Jesus, departing from the house, sat down beside the sea.(a)

And such great crowds were gathered to him that he climbed into a boat and he sat down. And the entire multitude stood on the shore.

And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow seed.

And while he was sowing, some fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and ate it.

Then others fell in a rocky place, where they did not have much soil. And they sprung up promptly, because they had no depth of soil.

But when the sun rose up, they were scorched, and because they had no roots, they withered.

Still others fell among thorns, and the thorns increased and suffocated them.

Yet some others fell upon good soil, and they produced fruit: some one hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

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

And his disciples drew near to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

Responding, he said to them: “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them.

For whoever has, it shall be given to him, and he shall have in abundance. But whoever has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

For this reason, I speak to them in parables: because seeing, they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

And so, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said, ‘Hearing, you shall hear, but not understand; and seeing, you shall see, but not perceive.

For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they hear heavily, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and then I would heal them.’

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

Amen I say to you, certainly, that many of the prophets and the just desired to see what you see, and yet they did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and yet they did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

Listen, then, to the parable of the sower.

With anyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, evil comes and carries away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the side of the road.

Then whoever has received the seed upon a rocky place, this is one who hears the word and promptly accepts it with joy.

But he has no root in himself, so it is only for a time; then, when tribulation and persecution occur because of the word, he promptly stumbles.

And whoever has received the seed among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the falseness of riches suffocate the word, and he is effectively without fruit.

Yet truly, whoever has received the seed into good soil, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, and so he bears fruit, and he produces: some a hundred fold, and another sixty fold, and another thirty fold.”

The Parable of the Weeds

(Ezekiel 17:1–10)

He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds amid the wheat, and then went away.

And when the plants had grown, and had produced fruit, then the weeds also appeared.

So the servants of the Father of the family, approaching, said to him: ‘Lord, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how is it that it has weeds?’

And he said to them, ‘A man who is an enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Is it your will that we should go and gather them up?’

And he said: ‘No, lest perhaps in gathering the weeds, you might also root out the wheat together with it.

Permit both to grow until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers: Gather first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather into my storehouse.’ ”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)

He proposed another parable to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

It is, indeed, the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than all the plants, and it becomes a tree, so much so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches.”(b)

The Parable of the Leaven

(Luke 13:20–21)

He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of fine wheat flour, until it was entirely leavened.”

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

(Psalm 78:1–72)

All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds. And he did not speak to them apart from parables,

in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

(Zephaniah 1:1–6)

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. And his disciples drew near to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

Responding, he said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man.

Now the field is the world. And the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of wickedness.

So the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And truly, the harvest is the consummation of the age; while the reapers are the Angels.

Therefore, just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the consummation of the age.

The Son of man shall send out his Angels, and they shall gather from his kingdom all who lead astray and those who work iniquity.

And he shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the just ones shall shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds it, he hides it, and, because of his joy, he goes and sells everything that he has, and he buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls.

Having found one pearl of great value, he went away and sold all that he had, and he bought it.

The Parable of the Net

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers together all kinds of fish.

When it has been filled, drawing it out and sitting beside the shore, they selected the good into vessels, but the bad they threw away.

So shall it be at the consummation of the age. The Angels shall go forth and separate the bad from the midst of the just.

And they shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Have you understood all these things?” They say to him, “Yes.”

He said to them, “Therefore, every scribe well-taught about the kingdom of heaven, is like a man, the father of a family, who offers from his storehouse both the new and the old.”

The Rejection at Nazareth

(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)

And it happened that, when Jesus had completed these parables, he went away from there.

And arriving in his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so much so that they wondered and said: “How can such wisdom and power be with this one?

Is this not the son of a workman? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude?(c)

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Therefore, from where has this one obtained all these things?”

And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.”

And he did not work many miracles there, because of their unbelief.

Footnotes

(a)13:1 The phrase ‘in illo die’ could also be translated as ‘in that day,’ meaning in that general time, not necessarily on the same exact day.(Conte)

(b)13:32 This verse is not so much about the literal mustard seeds, as about the Church that is represented by it.(Conte)

(c)13:55 His brethren:These were the children of Mary the wife of Cleophas, sister to our Blessed Lady, (St. Matt. 27. 56; St. John 19. 25,) and therefore, according to the usual style of the Scripture, they were called brethren, that is, near relations to our Saviour.(Challoner)

(Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.

Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.

He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

Others fell on good soil and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

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

The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.

In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive;

for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’ (a)

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

For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)

“Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it;

yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

(Ezekiel 17:1–10)

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds (b) also among the wheat, and went away.

But when the blade sprang up and produced grain, then the darnel weeds appeared also.

The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’

“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’

“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)

He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field,

which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

(Luke 13:20–21)

He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast which a woman took and hid in three measures (c) of meal, until it was all leavened.”

I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

(Psalm 78:1–72)

Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”(d)

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

(Zephaniah 1:1–6)

Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.”

He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

the field is the world, the good seeds are the children of the Kingdom, and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and those who do iniquity,

and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,

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

The Parable of the Net

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some fish of every kind,

which, when it was filled, fishermen drew up on the beach. They sat down and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

So it will be in the end of the world. (e) The angels will come and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”

He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

The Rejection at Nazareth

(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)

When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there.

Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?(f)

Aren’t all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?”

They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.”

He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Footnotes

(a)13:15 ℘ Isaiah 6:9-10

(b)13:25 darnel is a weed grass (probably bearded darnel or lolium temulentum) that looks very much like wheat until it is mature, when the difference becomes very apparent.

(d)13:35 ℘ Psalms 78:2

(e)13:49 or, end of the age.

(f)13:55 or, Judah