Chapter 13 of Matthew is sometimes called the "Parables Chapter" because of the six parables described within the text. What's nice about it is that the parables are explained by Yeshua Himself!
The Chapter 13 Parables are: The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Weeds, The Mustard Seed and the Leaven, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value, and The Parable of the Net.
Please read Chapter 13 carefully and thoughtfully.
Matt. 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
Matt. 13:2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
Matt. 13:3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
Matt. 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
Matt. 13:5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
Matt. 13:6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
Matt. 13:7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Matt. 13:8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matt. 13:9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
We wonder why some of the seed took root and flourished and some didn't. Why is it that some of the seeds fell on a place where it could not flourish. Did those "seeds" do something wrong, or was it just a matter of bad luck?
You have to understand that the seeds are people, people who heard Yeshua's message but did not continue to thirst for the message. And no, it wasn't bad luck or circumstance which caused them not to flourish. The "drop" location of the seed indicate people who received the message of Yeshua gladly but had no roots and did not wish to continue to "grow".
Later on, in Matthew 25, Yeshua gives a statement related to this:
Matt. 25:29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. (and is also stated here in Chapter 13)
Is Yeshua saying that those who have something like wealth and prosperity will continue to flourish and continue to increase in wealth while the poor, who have nothing, will have everything taken from them? No! But, surprisingly some people believe that is exactly what Yeshua is saying.
Instead, Yeshua is speaking of the love of the truth and the increasing knowledge of the Father's character. If you love the truth of God's Word you will never get enough of learning about it! And, because you have such love, He will give you more knowledge, as you diligently study the scriptures. People who start out like the seeds described above and become lukewarm, not continuing their search for the truth will wither and die, and whatever knowledge they did have will be taken from them. Why? Because they had no love of the truth!
Of course, Yeshua explains this for His disciples.
Matt. 13:10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
Matt 13:11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Matt. 13:12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Matt. 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Matt. 13:14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
Matt. 13:15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
Matt. 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
Matt. 13:17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Matt. 13:18 “Hear then the parable of the sower:
Matt. 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
Matt. 13:20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
Matt. 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Matt. 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Matt. 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Referencing:
Isaiah 6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Isaiah 6:9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Do you have friends or family who study the Bible? Isn't it interesting that some people barely touch their Bible while others can't seem to leave it alone? Put another way; some have such an appetite for Truth they can't stop searching for it - I call these people "firehose people", willing to drink from a firehose of Truth - while others have a small appetite for Truth, consuming a bit here and a little there, usually from other people's effort and not their own. I personally have gone through both phases. Some folks eyes glaze over and they almost fall asleep when Truth is presented to them. And, in between both extremes, you have people becoming distracted by the inevitable preoccupations of life, thereby losing interest in the Truth.
Chapter 13 is so rich with information I'll leave it here for this blog entry. I'll pick it back up on the next entry.
Here's hoping all of you are happy and well!
Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
Yehovah bless you and keep you;
May Yehovah make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
May Yehovah lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
"So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."
The Observer
