What Jesus Did! 661. b. The servants wanted to uproot the weed immediately, but the field owner stopped them, explaining that:in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them (Mt 13:29). "Matthew: The Expositor's Bible Commentary" Volume 8 (Matthew-Luke) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1984), Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 5 (Matthew-Acts) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832), France, R.T. "The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985), Morgan, G. Campbell "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Revell, 1959), Poole, Matthew "A Commentary on the Holy Bible" Volume 3 (Matthew-Revelation) (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "Commentary on Matthew: The Gospel of the Kingdom" (London: Passmore and Alabaster, Paternoster Buildings, 1893), Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The New Park Street Pulpit" Volumes 1-6 and "The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit" Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990), Trapp, John "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments" Volume 5 (Matthew to Revelation) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997). Matthew 11: 20-24: Knowing the Father and the Son Matthew 11: 25-27: Weary of Heart The success and glory of Jesus seemed only to make them more resentful towards Him. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!. In those centuries the church grew abnormally large in influence and dominion, and was a nest for much corruption. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 EXEGESIS: MATTHEW 12-13. The fate of these ungodly ones will be fire, the most terrible of punishments; but this will not annihilate them; for they shall exhibit the surest tokens of a living woe wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Spurgeon). We often think that spiritual people will be much more strange than normal. Gods word is the good seed that has been planted to bring the community into unity of purpose. You are a stumbling block (skandalon) to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. In spite of these strong words and Peters repeated failings, Jesus does not give up on Peter; rather, he entrusts the future of his mission to him and the rest of his bumbling disciples. These two parables speak of how highly the King values the people of His kingdom. In Greek, even more than in English, the word for flesh (sarx) points to something different from that to which the word for body (soma) points. The Gospels Yet Matthews story holds out hope even for those who stumble yes, even for the one whom Jesus calls a stumbling block! It seems that there are two groups of people in the world children of the kingdom and children of the evil one, wheat and weeds and that their destinies are fixed from the beginning. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And their eyes they have closed, All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open My mouth in parables; At times we are in a great hurry to judge, to categorize, to put the good here, the bad there. But remember the prayer of that self-righteous man: God, I thank you that I am good, that I am not like other men, malicious (cf. a. The wayside soil represents those who never really hear the word with understanding. Then he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn (13:28-30). A bit of botany is helpful in understanding this parable. Parables have been called earthly stories with a heavenly meaning., i. The Word of God must be understood before it can truly bear fruit. Matthew 13:24-30 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. He is not weary of the old; he is not afraid of the new. (Spurgeon), i. Now Luke also tells us of that parable. b. I will open My mouth in parables: Another reason Jesus taught about the kingdom community in parables is because the church itself was part of the things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world, and would not be revealed in fullness until later. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! 1 * On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. The shortest day of summer is longer than the longest day in winter. (Spurgeon). The master stops the slaves from doing anything of the sort. Jesus says that at the end of the age, the angels will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin (skandala) and all evildoers, and will throw them into the furnace of fire (13:41). So the servants of the householder came ,.. Christ is the "householder"; the house of which he is master is the church, called the household of God, the household of faith, the family in heaven, and in earth; in which house he bears and sustains many relations, as those of a son, a priest, a master, or governor. The devil is so cunning that he plants these seeds in each one of us envy, judgmental behavior, hot-temperedness, domineering attitude, penchant for lies, resentment and tries to pit us against each other in a group to divide us and destroy the peace and unity that we have. Pentateuch Each one of us can be made into a weed when we cannot cope and live with the differences of opinion and perspectives that exist in our community. The master repeated himself. Copyright All rights reserved. Poetical Books The weeds are probably darnel, a poisonous plant related to wheat and virtually indistinguishable from it until the ears form. (France). But was not that an honest occupation? (Trapp), iii. But in the dark of night an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. That in the outward and visible church, there ever has been and will be a mixture of good and bad, of saints and sinners, of hypocrites, and sincere Christians, until the day of judgment. THE CONTEXT: Chapter 12 seethes with conflict. 13:24-30, 36-43 This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them in the other world. In the lectionary reading for today, we encounter Jacob on the way. This insulting question seems to intimate that our Lords family was a very obscure one; and that they were of small repute among their neighbours, except for their piety. Clarke), iii. A Lectionary Resource for Catholics Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30 Wheat and Weeds, Good and Evil Has the problem of evil in the world ever challenged your faith? The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. i. This has played out far too many times in congregations and denominations, with some determined to root out anyone who does not agree with the right interpretation of Scripture, liturgical practice, or stand on a particular issue. In those days, seed was scattered first and then it was plowed into the ground. In the end, in fact, evil will be removed and eliminated: at the time of harvest, that is, of judgment, the harvesters will follow the orders of the field owner, separating the weed to burn it (cf. Under rabbinic law if a workman came on a treasure in a field and lifted it out, it would belong to his master, the fields owner; but here the man is careful not to lift the treasure out till he has bought the field. (Carson). ii. The teacher sat, and the people stood: we should have less sleeping in congregations if this arrangement still prevailed. (Spurgeon), b. 24 Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, a. Elsewhere Jesus warns those who put a stumbling block (skandalon) before any of the little ones that it would be better for them to have a millstone put around their neck and to be drowned in the sea (18:6-7). 2. Every scribe: Jesus used the term here simply to describe a teacher. ii. c. For whoever has, to him more will be givenbut whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him: The idea is that those who are open and sensitive to spiritual truth more will be given through the parables. The generation Jesus meant cannot be the generation of the disciples, because they never saw Jesus return in glory as described in Matthew 24:30. Would you prayerfully consider a gift of support today? This is so beautiful: our God is a patient father, who always waits for us and waits with his heart in hand to welcome us, to forgive us. Because we all know that a weed, when it grows, looks very much like good grain, and there is the risk of confusing them. Their ears are hard of hearing, Presented here is a verse by verse exposition of the New . GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.. The word has no effect because it never penetrates and is quickly taken away. How can I prepare my heart and mind to be the right kind of soil? This parable invites action so that we would receive the Word of God to full benefit. i. Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, 2. Prophets i. It puts the responsibility fairly and squarely on the individual. ver. Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. Isaiah 44:6-8 is a short, defensible unit, marked off from the unit that follows (verses 9-20) which shifts to prose in the NRSV (contrast NIV and TNK). b. Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. God is patient, he knows how to wait. And here we arrive at the second theme: the juxtaposition of the impatience of the servants and thepatient waitingof the field owner, who represents God. We whip ourselves into a weeding frenzy, certain that we know the difference between weeds and wheat, and that we know how to deal with the weeds! The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seedwhen it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree: Some, or even most, regard this as a description of the growth and eventual dominance of the church, the kingdom community. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Center for Excellence in Preaching The "Parable of the Weeds" is part of a cluster of parables that has to do with God's kingdom (and the Year A Lectionary is dealing with these various parables one at a time). We can be weeds if we allow the devil to sow his seeds in us2. This storehouse contains things new and old. People bring the same charge against Jesus today; I see those associated with Him, and they seem lowly or very normal; Jesus must also not be special., c. Where then did this Man get all these things: Their reception of Jesus was not welcoming or friendly. After you have been instructed by me, you have the knowledge, not only of the things you used to know, but of things you never knew before, and even the knowledge which you had before is illuminated by what I have told to you. (Barclay), iv. Apparently, Jesus use of parables wasnt as easy as simple illustrations of spiritual truth. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. When we deprive others of that same opportunity, forgive us. (which is really more of a commentary) is best read after the novel. i. a. Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Pentateuch Birds lodging in the branches most probably refers to elements of corruption which take refuge in the very shadow of Christianity. (Morgan), v. Close study of birds as symbols in the Old Testament and especially in the literature of later Judaism shows that birds regularly symbolize evil and even demons or Satan (cf. a. Was he a wheat or a weed? O my dear hearers, you undergo a test today! In St. Augustines case, the incessant prayers of his mother saved him from eternal damnation and turned him into a golden wheat. 5. b. It had a double advantage upon their hearers: first, upon their memory, we being very apt to remember stories. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 1. The New Testament The one thing they have in common is that they were sown of the Lord, and from the good seed of His Word. Just as in the previous parable, the wheat represents the people of God. b. Leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened: This was an unusually large amount of meal. Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the 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 nest in its branches.. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. Where then did this Man get all these things?. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. In a land as frequently ravaged as Palestine, many people doubtless buried their treasures; butto actually find a treasure would happen once in a thousand lifetimes. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. Major Prophets Matthew uses it for instance for Jesus cryptic saying about defilement (Matthew 15:10-11, 15), and in Matthew 24:32 (lesson) it indicates a comparison. (France), ii. The parable of the wheat and the weeds are very relevant for us who are members of parishes and renewal communities. (Jansenius) --- His disciples came to shew him the buildings . Pauline Epistles Matthew 13:24-30. The Old Testament b. General Epistles Revelation 18:2). (Carson). We may find the dualism of this text troubling. The enemys purpose in sowing tares among the wheat was to destroy the wheat. Is this not the carpenters son? GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible For us who are members of parishes and renewal communities the branches most probably refers to elements of which. In winter was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the and... This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the shadow! 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