parables. This is the first mention of “parables” in the New Testament. This parable of the sower is preeminently important among all of Jesus' parables. In the parallel account in Mark, He made this clear: “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13).

seeds. The “seeds” which are being sown are the word of God (Luke 8:11), and the “field” in which they are to be sown is the whole world (Matthew 13:38).

way side. The parallel account in Luke says these seeds on the wayside were “trodden down” (Luke 8:5).

fowls. These birds of the air, eating up the seed before it can take root, represent the minions of “the wicked one” (Matthew 13:19), whether evil spirits or ungodly men, who do all they can to destroy the message of God's Word.

no deepness of earth. Luke 8:6 says also that this stony ground “lacked moisture.” The sown seed, which is the Word of God, must also be watered by the Word (1 Corinthians 3:6).

no root. Although the sower was right to scatter seed everywhere, it would have been more effective if he had first removed the stones (i.e., intellectual or other stumbling-stones inhibiting faith in the Word), then also watered the ground. Without this preparation, even though the seed sprang up “forthwith,” it did not last. It is sadly true that “instant conversions” more often than not are superficial and fade away in the heat of persecution, or even mere intellectual peer pressure.

an hundred fold. It is noteworthy that the very first reference in the Bible to seed-sowing speaks of Isaac's seed as bringing forth in the very year that he sowed “an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). The promise of spiritual fruit from spiritual seed is found throughout the Bible (e.g., Ecclesiastes 11:1, 4-6; Isaiah 55:10-11; John 4:37-38; 1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

thirtyfold. This suggested threefold division of fruit-bearing indicates that even when seed-sowers are careful to sow on good ground (that is, in hearts properly prepared to receive the Word), the hearers can be categorized in three groups. There are other examples of this threefold division in Scripture. In His parable of the vine, Jesus spoke of bearing “fruit,” “more fruit” and “much fruit” (John 15:2, 5). He indicated, too, that the “much fruit” category is for those who “die” to this world (John 12:24-25). Peter speaks of a three-fold categorization of rewards—“praise and honour and glory” (1 Peter 1:7). “Every man shall have [his] praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:5), and “if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26). But “if ye be reproached for the name of Christ, … the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). Note also how God pared Gideon's small army of 32,000 (facing 135,000 Midianites) first down to 10,000 then to 300 (Judges 7:3, 6; 8:10) before they were ready to fight the enemy. Among Christians there were believers, disciples (that is, believers who were also learners and followers), and apostles (that is, “sent ones,” disciples who were also called and sent forth for special ministries of full dedication, witness and sacrifice). The fruitful Christian life can also be characterized as, first, “separation” from the world, then “service” for the Lord, and then “suffering” for His sake.

Why speakest thou. It is significant that the Lord Jesus often used parables in his teaching, but never fables or myths. The illustrations in the parables were always possible real-life situations, not fantasies or distortions of truth.

it is not given. This answer to the disciples' question about Christ's use of parables may seem surprising. Many modern teachers say that He spoke in parables to help His listeners understand spiritual truth, but He said it was to keep them from understanding! These “mysteries of the kingdom” are couched in parables so that only those who have spiritual “ears” (Matthew 13:9) will comprehend. This exhortation (“he that hath ears to hear, let him hear”) occurs no less than sixteen times in the New Testament.

the prophecy of Esaias. Christ's indicates that His scathing rebuke of religionists who “have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5) is in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10, which originally was applied to the Jewish leaders of Isaiah's time. Since Christ indicated it also applied to His own time, it evidently is a general principle applicable to all ages. Those who truly desire to know God's truth will receive it abundantly (Matthew 13:12); those professing Christians who persist in rejecting or distorting God's Word will eventually lose even what they seem to have.

the wicked one. Compare 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. “The god of this world” (i.e., Satan) blinds the minds of unwilling unbelievers.

with joy. This hearer's response is emotional rather than knowledgeably volitional. He hears what seems to be a happy release from his troubles and fears, and so receives Christ immediately and joyfully. But there is no root—or foundation—for his purely experiential faith. He feels good about it for a while, but salvation comes not through feelings.

because of the word. Unbelievers do not persecute believers because of their joyful feelings, but because of Christ and the Word. Emotional believers who have no grounding in the solid truth of the Word, and not knowing why they believe, cannot resist attacks of unbelievers (and of Satan) on their professed faith.

offended. Luke 8:13 adds that he will “fall away.”

deceitfulness of riches. Mark 4:19 adds “ … and the lusts of other things.” Not just worldly cares and riches, but time-absorbing interests (sports, music, etc.) in anything other than the kingdom of God will prevent the believer from bringing any “fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14).

understandeth. Mark says they both “hear the word, and receive it” (Mark 4:20). Matthew says also they understand it. The account in Luke is even more specific. These productive hearers, “in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience [endurance]” (Luke 8:15).

kingdom of heaven. On the meaning of “the kingdom of heaven,” see note on Matthew 3:2. The earthly aspect of God's kingdom (essentially churches and other organizations participating in the work of the kingdom in the name of Christ) is in view here, since its constituencies include false Christians as well as true believers. From the preceding parable, it seems that both emotional believers and worldly believers (Matthew 13:20-22) may provide the “soil” in which the “tares” sown by the enemy can thrive, in which the “leaven” of false doctrine can spread (Matthew 13:33) and “birds of the air” that devour the good seed can lodge (Matthew 13:32).

while men slept. Matthew implies that if believers were sufficiently alert and informed, the “tares” could never have infiltrated the wheat.

enemy. In this parable, “the enemy” represents the devil, and “He that soweth good seed is the Son of man (Matthew 13:37, 39).

also the wheat. Evidently it is impossible for anyone but the Lord Himself to distinguish unfruitful believers in the kingdom from false believers. Even the latter may not realize they are actually unsaved. Thus Peter warns those that are “barren” or “unfruitful” in Christ to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:8, 10).

least of all seeds. The mustard seed is a very small seed which may, indeed, produce a large “tree,” up to ten feet high. Jesus was not speaking to botanical specialists, of course, but to ordinary people, on their level. The actual Greek allows the meaning “among the least of all seeds.”

branches thereof. In the definitive parable of the sower, the birds of the air represented those emissaries of Satan who would snatch away the good seed whenever they could (Matthew 13:4, 19). Here they are seen comfortably perching in the tree which represents the growing physical aspect of the kingdom.

leaven. Leaven is invariably symbolic of evil doctrine or practice. It produces fermentation, which is a decay process; decay and death, of course, were the precise features of God's great curse on the earth because of sin (Genesis 3:17-19). The Levitical offerings, for this reason, could not be “made with leaven” (Leviticus 2:1, 11), and the Passover memorial had to be observed with unleavened bread (Exodus 12:15). The spreading of leaven represents the corrupting influence of even a small amount of false doctrine (Galatians 5:9) or impure practice (1 Corinthians 5:6) into the kingdom.

three measures of meal. The “three measures of meal” correspond to the “three tenth deals of fine flour” (Leviticus 14:10), which were specified for the offerings. The woman of the parable, evidently preparing such an offering, surreptitiously “hid” leaven in the proposed offering, contrary to the law. The meal offering was actually a type of Christ (John 6:33), bringing life to the world, as our Passover, but His work was being corrupted by the world's leaven (1 Corinthians 5:8).

whole was leavened. Both the growing mustard seed and spreading leaven indicate that, as the outward kingdom grows, both its membership and doctrine will increasingly become corrupted. The true spiritual kingdom within the outward kingdom, on the other hand, will always be a relatively “little flock” (Luke 12:32), surrounded by wolves (Matthew 10:16). Even at the future time of Christ's return, the Lord anticipated that it will be difficult to find real “faith on the earth” (Luke 18:8). The common interpretation of these two parables (that they indicate the eventual conversion of the whole world through evangelism and development of a theocratic world government) is thus badly mistaken.

kept secret. The reference is to Psalm 78:2, which equates “parables” with “dark sayings of old.” That is, things previously kept secret from men are to be revealed only in Christ (note Deuteronomy 29:29), and even then only to those whose hearts were open (Matthew 13:10-17).

furnace of fire. It is sobering to realize that many who appear to be in the kingdom are really “tares,” destined for hell (see also Matthew 25:41-46). To such people, Christ warns that He “shall cut [them] asunder [with the reaping instruments, thereby separating them from the wheat], and appoint [them their] portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51).

shine forth. Note also Daniel 12:3, where “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

pearl of great price. The parables of “treasure hid in a field” (Matthew 13:44) and “one pearl of great price” both teach the same basic truth under two different figures, just as did the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. The latter two spoke of evil entering the growing kingdom. These two, on the other hand, both speak of the tremendous value of becoming true citizens of the kingdom. In both cases, the one finding the kingdom gave up everything he had to gain it. Just so, Paul said: “I have suffered the loss of all things, … that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8). God is pleased with those who—like the men in these two parables—“diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The common opinion that the “man” in each case is Christ, the “treasure” is Israel, and the “pearl” is the Church seems to miss the thrust of the other parables in Matthew 13, all of which have to do with the character and people of the physical aspect of God's kingdom.

To gain the kingdom, the Lord may not call on us to give up all that we have, but we must, in effect, be willing to do so. We are “dead” in our sins, and dead men do not bargain, hoping to enter the kingdom and yet hold on to the world. Recall the experience of the rich young ruler who, when being told that he must give up all his possessions if he would “inherit eternal life,” refused to follow Jesus (Luke 18:18-24).

out of his treasure. When we enter the kingdom and begin to understand its wonderful mysteries, we can continually find and share rich treasures of spiritual truth in God's Word and kingdom.

things new and old. New truths discovered in the Scriptures are necessarily consistent with already-known truths. Never will one contradict the other, if both are fully understood. In fact, some “new truth” will often be found to resolve a superficial conflict between old truths.

James, and Joses. An ossuary (ancient limestone burial box) has been found in Israel and publicized in 2002 as containing an inscription mentioning the name of its original inhabitant as being “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Sadly, the inscription was later proved to have been a forgery.

offended in him. Even though His fellow townsmen were astonished at His wisdom and His miracles (Matthew 13:54), they refused to believe that He was anything more than “the carpenter's son” (Matthew 13:55). Jesus noted sadly that this was a common trait of human nature for a person to be rejected in his homeland, and it has, indeed, been confirmed in the experience of many other great men, especially among Christians. Familiarity seems somehow to breed contempt, even in the case of Christ Himself.