Scripture Study: Matthew 13, Part 1

From: Young Christian: Volume 3, 1913

Matthew 13:1‑23 • 4 min. read • grade level: 7

Matthew 13:1-23¹The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. ²And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. ³And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; ⁴And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: ⁵Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: ⁶And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: ⁸But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ⁹Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. ¹⁰And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? ¹¹He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. ¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. ¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ¹⁵For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. ¹⁸Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. ¹⁹When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. ²⁰But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. ²²He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. ²³But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:1‑23)

Matthew 13:1¹The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. (Matthew 13:1). “The same day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.” This action signifies His leaving Judaism, to teach whosoever would hear; the last verses of Matthew 12 show that relationship by birth is no longer acknowledged, but, “he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven”; so that whosoever received the word, would be brought into blessing in Christ. It is now sowing the seed, a new thing; not seeking fruit from a vine or fig tree, as in Israel, but sowing seed that will produce fruit in the soul, where it is mixed with faith in those who hear it (Heb. 4:1¹Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)).

Matthew 13:2-3²And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. ³And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; (Matthew 13:2‑3). He speaks to the multitude in parables: The Sower is the first. “Behold, a sower went forth to sow;” it illustrates His action.

Matthew 13:4⁴And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: (Matthew 13:4). “And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.

Matthew 13:5-6⁵Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: ⁶And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Matthew 13:5‑6). Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Matthew 13:7⁷And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: (Matthew 13:7). And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them.

Matthew 13:8⁸But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. (Matthew 13:8). But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

Matthew 13:9⁹Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:9). Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

This chapter has seven parables; the last six are similitudes of the kingdom of heaven, that is, six pictures of those who are professedly under Christ’s authority on earth. The first parable is not called a likeness, but is given to show how the kingdom of heaven is formed by the preaching of the Word; those who profess His name are therefore looked at as in it. The next parable will show us that both false and real are there.

Matthew 13:10-11¹⁰And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? ¹¹He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. (Matthew 13:10‑11). The disciples ask, “Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?” He answered, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” This marks the difference between the believers — just a remnant — and the mass, or nation, that did not receive Him.

Matthew 13:12¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12). The one would increase in knowledge and possession, the other would lose even what he had.

Matthew 13:13-15¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ¹⁵For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Matthew 13:13‑15) tells us they are the ones spoken of in Isaiah 6:9,10⁹And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. ¹⁰Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:9‑10), quoted in verses 14 and 15.

Matthew 13:16-17¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13:16‑17). It was a blessed time for this remnant that received the Lord, and heard and understood His Word; their eyes were opened to see Jesus as the sent one of God. Many Old Testament saints and prophets had desired to see and to hear, but had not seen nor heard them.

Matthew 13:18¹⁸Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. (Matthew 13:18). He begins the explanation of the parable.

Matthew 13:19¹⁹When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. (Matthew 13:19). The wayside hearer pays no attention to what he had heard; it does not enter his understanding, and Satan takes the seed away. His attention is wholly given to other things (2 Cor. 4:4⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)).

Matthew 13:20-21²⁰But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:20‑21). The stony ground hearer receives the Word without exercise. He has no felt need for it; he rejoices over it, but when it causes him tribulation, he does not want to have any more to do with it; there was no deepness of earth. It looked like conversion, but he had no root in himself; so he can give it up when it does not suit him. The flesh can never stand persecution because of the Word, so he is offended.

Matthew 13:22²²He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22). The thorny ground hearer heard the Word, and owned the truth of the Word, but failed to put it into practice. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches engaged all his attention. In him also there is no fruit. Cares and riches do not look like sin, but if permitted in the mind, they shut out God, and all is barrenness.

Matthew 13:23²³But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23). In the good ground we get reality. The Word is understood, the ground is plowed up, the Word penetrates and produces fruit; but in different degrees, according to the exercises of the soul: in some an hundred-fold, in some sixty-fold, in some thirty-fold. Leaving some of those thorns in the ground (Matt. 13:22²²He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)), and the lusts of other things, hinder believers from bringing forth fruit as they should. If the believer gets under the power and influence of the world and worldly things, he loses his communion with the Lord; his fruit bearing is hindered; he is sleeping (Eph. 5:14¹⁴Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14)). He cannot enjoy the company of those who enjoy and talk of spiritual things, and his conscience reproves him for want of faithfulness.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23²³Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)).

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