Jesus Spoke In Parables
– Matthew Thirteen –
Much of the teaching of Jesus was embodied in His
parables. He taught more than thirty parables and also used a number of
parable-like statements. A parable is a very simple story that did happen or could
happen. It contains only one moral or spiritual lesson.
Parables
are attributed to Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of John, contain
the lessons of the Good Shepherd and The Vine and the branches that are
parables. Some of the parables are found in more than one gospel. Several are
unique to one gospel only. One source said that the gospel of Matthew contains
twenty-three parables and six of them are unique to Matthew. Luke contains
twenty-four parables and ten of them are unique only to Luke. Mark contains
eight parables and only one is unique to Mark, John contains the parable-like
stories of the “Good Shepherd” (John
In Matthew
13 we have record of several parables spoken by our Lord. We read, (1) the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23), (2) the Tares (Matt-hew 13:24-30,
(3) the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32), (4) the Leaven (Matthew13:33), (5) the
Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), (6) the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew
13:45-46), and (7) The casting of the dragnet. (Matthew 13:47-50)
The
parable of the sower – Matthew 13:1-23: Jesus taught from a boat as a
great multitude stood on the shore. In Jesus' day sowing was absolutely
necessary for survival. Sowing is necessary but it also takes a fertile heart.
Jesus spoke of the seed failing (1) by the wayside and being devoured, (2) on
stony places and withering because of lack of depth, (3) among thorns and being
choked, and (4) on good ground and producing fruit. The word of God produces
different fruit according to how it is received.
Jesus
explained the parable by saying, (1) the seed is the word of God, (2) the Devil
takes the word from some hearts, wayside soil, (3) the lack of depth keeps
God's word from growing in some hearts, rocky soil, (4) the pleasures and
riches of the world choke the word from other hearts, thorny soil, and (5) the
word was received in good hearts and brought forth fruit, good soil.
The
"good ground" hearer is willing to listen to and to learn the word of
God. They are never too busy to learn nor too proud to change. These people are
literally transformed into the likeness of Christ by the power of the gospel.
Is your heart good soil for God's word?
The
disciples asked Jesus, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" Jesus
spoke in parables so His disciples could understand and so those who did not
want to hear, see or understand would not understand. (Matthew 13:11)
The
parable of the wheat and tares – Matthew 13:24-43: A man sowed good seed in his
field. An enemy sowed tares among the wheat. The servants were not allowed to
root up the tares least, by accident they also root up the wheat. At harvest
time the reapers would separate the wheat from the tares.
From the
malicious sowing of tares we learn that we must patiently work with those that
have received the word into their heart. Satan does his work to destroy the
good seed that has been sown. Sin is a destructive force and we must be on
guard against it. The only way to overcome the work of Satan is to allow God's
word to take deep root in our heart.
Jesus
explained the parable of the tares by saying, (1) the Son of man sowed good
seed, (2) the field is the world, (3) the good seed are the children of the
kingdom, (4) the tares are the children of the evil one, (5) the enemy is the
Devil, (6) the harvest is at the end of the world, (7) the reapers are the
angels, and (8) a furnace of fire awaits the wicked.
The parable
of the mustard seeds and leaven, both show that the kingdom would begin small
but would grow to become strong and even to fill the earth. The church is to
spread like leaven in meal or it is to grown from the smallest seed till it
becomes strong. Christians must create an atmosphere of growth. Only then can
the transformation of lives take place. (II Corinthians 5:17) This is a
transformation similar to that to the leaven in the meal.
It was a
matter of prophecy that Jesus would speak in parables. (Matthew 13:35)
Prophecies like Psalm 78:2 prove Jesus to be the Messiah. "I will open my
mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old."
The
parables of precious things – Matthew 13:44-46: In Jesus' day the safest place to
keep treasures was buried. That idea led to the parable of treasure hidden in a
field. The man that found the treasure was willing to give up everything, with
joy, for the kingdom. In the
The pearl
of great price teaches a similar lesson. Pearls in the days of Jesus
represented supreme value. The man was searching for the pearl just as we
should search for the kingdom. The searching merchant was able to recognize the
pearl just as we should recognize the
The
Parable Of The Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-58: The dragnet was a common way of
fishing in Jesus' day and is still used today. The dragnet took in all kinds of
fish. Just so, the gospel net brings all kind of people into the church. When a
person comes into the body of Christ you cannot tell whether they will turn out
good or bad, you just love them and encourage them, praying that they will be
among the good. Our duty is to gather all that will come into the kingdom. At
the end of the world there will come a time of separation when, "the
angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just." The
righteous will go to heaven; the wicked will go into a furnace of fire.
After these
parables were ended Jesus spoke in the synagogue in His own country,
To have
Jesus as Lord you must hear the gospel and believe, (Romans