Matthew 13:1-23

1. Matthew 13:1-23

2. The Context • In chapter 12, the unbelief of Israel is climaxed • The unpardonable sin of rejecting the Messiah and the works done by the Holy Spirit • Chapter 13 continues Christ’s response to this unbelief. • Where: At the Sea of Galilee, probably near Capernaum, at the northwest corner of the lake

3. Palestinian Landscape "A slight recess in the hillside, close upon the plain, disclosed at once … every feature of the great parable. There was the undulating cornfield descending to the water’s edge. There was the trodden pathway running through the midst of it, with no fence or hedge to prevent the seed from falling here and there on either side of it or upon it; itself hard with the constant tramp of horse and mule and human feet. There was the ‘good’ rich soil which distinguishes the whole of that plain and its neighborhood from the bare hills elsewhere descending into the lake, and which, where there is no interruption, produces one vast mass of corn. There was the rocky ground of the hillside protruding here and there through the cornfields, as elsewhere through the grassy slopes. There were the large bushes of thorn—the nabk, that kind of which tradition says that the crown of thorns was woven—springing up, like the fruit-trees of the more inland parts, in the very midst of the waving wheat" - Dean Stanley

4. Parables • Reveal (Mat 13:11, 35) • A positive response is rewarded with further understanding (Luke 8:16–18) • “Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” – Mt 11:25 • A mystery is something “which cannot be known without special manifestation of it” – Vincent. • Jesus was making mysteries known to the humble which were concealed from even the prophets and patriarchs of the past (1 Pet 1:10-12, Heb 11:3)

5. Parables • Conceal • Israel had the priesthood, the prophets, and the scriptures for centuries. Now at the climax, they had Jesus Himself. • This is a judgment for their continual unbelief (Isa 6:9-10) and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit • A judicial hardening – Clay (nonilluminated heart) Vs. Chocolate (Spirit-illuminated heart) exposed to heat (the message) • Judicial hardening happens again later • Israel gets another chance in plain language (Acts 3:13ff) • They continually reject again • Paul declares judicial hardening again (Acts 28:23-29)

6. The Parable of Seed and Sower • Purpose of this parable • Serves as an intro to the whole series of parables (Mk 4:13) • The importance of this parable • Starts and ends with the command “hear” (Mk 4:3,9),

7. The Wayside • When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. • Parallel Accounts: “Satan” (Mark 4), “devil” (Luke 8) • These people are willfully blinded by the devil and unsaved! • “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 Cor 4:4 • The first example: “the serpent said unto the woman …” (Gen 3:4)

8. Stony Ground • Not ground covered with loose stones, but a hard, rocky surface, covered with a thin layer of soil • A creature of circumstances, changing as they change; “for a while believe” but are “offended” when persecution or tribulation arises • Tribulation = “to press or squeeze”, derived from tribulum, the threshing-roller of the Romans • Cannot exclusively assume the stony ground represents only unsaved people. Jesus’ own disciples were “clean” yet were offended when persecuted (Jn 16:1-3 vs 13:8-11, 15:3). • Luke 8 uses “fall away” instead of “offended” • “Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God” – Heb 3:12 • “in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” 1 Tim 4:1

9. Thorny Ground • Matthew and Mark: “becomes unfruitful”; Luke: “bring no fruit to perfection” • “cares of this world” – literally “anxieties of this world” • Weeds, when fully grown, pull all of the resources of sunlight and water away from the underlying plants and kill them. • Similarly, We make time for our favorite television program, but do we make time for prayer? We make time for our favorite activity, but do we have time to read the Bible? • Example – Demas “loved the present world” (2 Tim 4:10) • 1 Jn 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

10. Good Ground • Matthew: “hear the word, and understand it; which also bear fruit”; Mark: “hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit”; Luke: “heard the word, do retain it, and bear fruit in continuance” (YLT) • Understand = “to bring or set together” – Vine’s • Eph 5:17 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” • Acts 8:30 “Philip ran to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you read?” • Degrees of fruit bearing • some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty • We will not all have the ministry of Billy Graham, we will not all have a singing ministry, or a teaching ministry. We are not to compare our fruit with that of others • Be obedient to him and allow him to bring the increase no matter what it might be.

11. Group Study • What are some lessons we should learn from the perspective of: • The sower? • The seed? • The different types of ground?

12. 5 Lessons from Bible.org • We like the Sower (Christ at first) have the responsibility to proclaim the message of the kingdom, the gospel, to the world. It is the Word of God that will produce results. • We will be aware that not everyone will receive it by faith. That is not our business; our business is to continue to proclaim the good news. • The evidence of those who receive it by faith and act on it is that their lives will change and they will produce righteousness. The evidence of saving faith is a growing spiritual life. • The advance of the kingdom, the spiritual life, does not occur instantly, but over time. But it makes continual progress. Those who believe, like the disciples, do not instantly understand it all. But the Spirit of God, using the Word of God, illumines their understanding daily. Eventually, stumbling disciples will become bold apostles. • It is our task to know and understand the message well, so that we can present it as clearly and meaningful as possible. The rest is not up to us. And if we do that, we know that only some will receive it. We dare not consider some who share God’s word and see only a small response to be less spiritual or talented than those who share God’s word and see great responses. God gives the increase.

13. Concluding Quote Adam Clarke wrote, "Let it be observed, that to hear, to understand, and to bring forth fruit, are the three grand evidences of a genuine believer. He who does not hear the word of wisdom cannot understand what makes for his peace; and he who does not understand what the Gospel requires him to be and to perform, cannot bring forth fruit; and he who is not fruitful, very fruitful, cannot be a disciple of Christ; and he who is not Christ's disciple cannot enter into the kingdom of God. From the different portions of fruit produced by the good ground, a hundred, sixty, and thirty, we may learn that all sound believers are not equally fruitful; all hear, understand, and bring forth fruit, but not in the same degrees...."