Matthew 13

The Sower

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3He told them many things in parables: “Look, a sower went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 8Other seed fell on good soil and produced fruit—some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9Let anyone with ears listen.”

Why Jesus Speaks in Parables

10The disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11He answered, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For whoever has, more will be given, and they will have abundance. But whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: because though seeing, they do not see; and though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled:
‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15For this people's heart has become dull;
they hear with heavy ears,
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they might not see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
turn,
and I would heal them.’ 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17Truly I tell 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.

The Sower Explained

18“So hear the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20What was sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21yet has no root within and lasts only a while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22What was sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but the anxiety of the age and the deception of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23But what was sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces—one a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty.”

Weeds Among Wheat

24He put another parable before them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the plants grew and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27The landowner's servants came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ 28He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’ The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, ‘No, because when you gather the weeds you might uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the harvesters: Gather the weeds first and tie them into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Mustard Seed and Yeast

31He put another parable before them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it grows it becomes larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” 33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

Hidden Things Revealed

34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and he did not speak to them without a parable, 35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will proclaim things hidden from the foundation of the world.”

The Weeds Explained

36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one sowing the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the completion of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the completion of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom everything that causes stumbling and everyone who practices lawlessness. 42They will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and grinding of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen.

Treasure, Pearl, and Net

44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it and hid it again, and in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46When he found one pearl of great value, he went, sold everything he had, and bought it. 47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea that gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, they pulled it onto the shore, sat down, gathered the good fish into containers, and threw the bad away. 49So it will be at the completion of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil from among the righteous, 50and throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

Treasures New and Old

51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of the treasure things new and old.”

Jesus Rejected in His Hometown

53When Jesus finished these parables, he left there. 54Coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these works of power? 55Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.” 58He did not do many works of power there because of their unbelief.