I. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (13:1-23)

Matt. 13:1-9(Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8). In continuing his ministry to the people, Jesus resorted to what he had not resorted to before. For the first time in the Gospel of Matthew we read that He spoke in parables. In Greek, "parable" corresponds to two words that can be translated as "to walk side by side." Like an example, a parable makes it possible to compare a known truth with an unknown one, that is, it puts them "side by side".

In the first of the seven parables spoken by Jesus and recorded in this chapter, He speaks of a sower who went out to sow in his field. At the same time, the emphasis is on the result of sowing by the Savior, for the seeds thrown by the sower fell on four types of soil: along the road (3:4), on stony places (verse 5), among thorns (verse 7) and on good ground (verse 8). ). That is why he got four different results.

Matt. 13:10-17(Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10). The disciples immediately noticed the change in Jesus' method, and so they asked Him, Why do you speak to them in parables? The Lord gave several reasons for this. First, He spoke in parables in order to continue to reveal the truth to His disciples - those who have already been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the New Testament, "mystery" refers to truths that were not revealed in Old Testament, but now, i.e., in the time of the New Testament, they are revealed to the elect.

Here the question arises, why does Matthew so often use this term "Kingdom of Heaven", while Mark, Luke and John only speak of the "Kingdom of God" and never about the "Kingdom of Heaven"? Some theologians explain this by the fact that when they said "heaven", the Jews meant God, but they avoided pronouncing the word "God" (out of a sense of reverence for the Creator). (We recall that Matthew was guided in his Scripture by the Jews.) And yet, at least occasionally, Matthew also has the "Kingdom of God" (12:28; 19:24; 21:31,43), and the word "God" he uses about 50 times.

One way or another, the use of these various "terms" is apparently not accidental with him, for when he writes about the "Kingdom of God", he has in mind only the saved; the concept of the "Kingdom of Heaven" is used by him when, along with the saved, people who call themselves Christians are also meant, but in reality they are not. This is evident from the parable of the wheat and the tares (interpretation on 13:24-30,36-43), from the parable of the mustard seed (interpretation of verses 31-35), and from the parable of the net (interpretation of verses 47-52).

It is noteworthy that Jesus did not say anything about the "mysteries" of the Kingdom of Heaven until the people as a whole had made a decision regarding Him. This decision was preordained by the leaders of the people when they attributed His divine power to Satan (9:34; 12:22-37). After that, Jesus began to reveal some additional things not revealed in the Old Testament regarding His reign on earth. Many Old Testament prophets predicted that the Messiah would deliver the people of Israel and establish His kingdom.

And so Jesus came to offer it to the Jews (4:17). But they rejected the Messiah in the person of Jesus (12:24). What, in the light of this rejection, was now to happen to the Kingdom of God? From the "mysteries of the Kingdom" revealed by Christ, it followed that between the rejection of the Tsar and the subsequent acceptance of Him by Israel, an indefinitely long time, a whole Age, would pass.

The second reason Jesus began to speak in parables was His desire to hide the meaning of what He revealed from unbelievers. The "secrets" of the Kingdom of God were designed for His disciples, and not for the scribes and Pharisees who rejected Him (11b: ... but it was not given to them). In essence, even what they knew before was "taken away" from them (verse 12), while the knowledge of the disciples was "multiplyed" (verse 12). That is, the teaching of Jesus in parables, as it were, contained an element of punishment. Jesus spoke to a large gathering of people, but what the disciples did not fully understand, he could explain to them in private.

Editor's note: There is also such an understanding of the words of Christ recorded by Matthew in verse 13. The lofty but "abstract" truths that the Kingdom of Heaven conceals in itself were not available to people in their mass. But embodied in images familiar to them, they nevertheless became "closer" to them: their eyes opened, their ears opened, and their minds "became interested"; thus arose an impulse to comprehend further truths, which in the parables were presented in symbols and images. In essence, for those who "seeing do not see, and hearing do not hear," it is generally useless to speak. But Jesus also spoke to them in parables. At the same time, he could mean the following: if they do not want to understand, then they will not understand in any form, but with the slightest desire to understand - a parable with its familiar images, perhaps, will be understood sooner, and, having wanted to understand deeper, maybe they will learn discern the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven under the cover of the parable.

Thirdly, when the Lord spoke in parables, Isaiah's prophecy came true over the people (Isaiah 6:9-10). This Old Testament prophet, upon entering his ministry, God said that people would not understand his words. The same thing happened with Jesus. He preached the word of God, and many listened to Him, but did not understand (Matt. 13:13-15).

Unlike "many", the disciples were blessed, because their eyes were given the privilege of seeing (understanding), and their ears were given the privilege of hearing those truths (verse 16), which the Old Testament prophets and righteous people would have been happy to know (verse 17; compare 1- Pet. 1:10-12).

The disciples of Jesus heard the same thing as the leaders of the people, and the people themselves, confused by them, but their attitude to what they heard was different: the first answered it with faith, the second rejected what they heard. But God did not want to give additional light to those who turned away from the light.

Matt. 13:18-23(Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15). In explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus compared the four results of sowing with the four reactions to the Kingdom preaching. The news about him was the word preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and later the apostles.

So, to a person who listens to a sermon, but does not understand it, the evil one comes (Matt. 13:38-39; 1 John 5:19) and steals the word sown in him. It means sown along the way. The following two results correspond to one sown on stony soil and having no root, and also one sown in thorns (a symbol of the worries of this age and the seduction of wealth): "thorns" drown out the word. In both cases, we are talking about people who at first listen with interest to the sermon, but in whom it does not find a deep response.

What was sown in a “rocky place” corresponds to a person who hears the word of God and accepts it with joy, but then is offended (Matt. 13:57; 15:12), i.e., falls away if sorrow and persecution come upon him for the word. And only what is sown on good land brings a bountiful harvest - a hundred times ... sixty times or thirty times. In other words, what is sown in the believer's heart brings forth spiritual fruit many times over. The one who believes the words of Christ (hearing ... and understanding) is fruitful. He is "fruitful" in the sense that he will more and more "absorb" God's truth into himself and understand it more and more.

Differences are thus not due to the "seed" but to the "condition of the soil" on which the seed has fallen. Ever since the Good News of the Kingdom has been preached, this message has not changed. However, the people who listen to it are different. The Lord did not mean, of course, that only 25% of those who listen to the word of God will receive it by faith. He wanted to say that the majority of those listening to the word will not find the proper response.

The parable of the sower explains in this way also why the scribes and Pharisees rejected the message with which Jesus came. The "soil" of their heart was not "prepared" to receive it. This was the "secret" about the Kingdom revealed by Christ in the first sermon: most people will reject the Good News they heard. This truth was not revealed in the Old Testament.

2. THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES (13:24-30; 36-43)

Matt. 13:24-30. In the second parable, Christ again resorts to the image of the sower, but gives the parable a different twist. After the owner of the field had sown wheat, his enemy came in the night and sowed tares on the same land. As a result, both the wheat and the tares had to be allowed to grow together until the harvest, because by pulling out the tares earlier, it was possible to accidentally pull out the wheat along with them (verses 28-29). At harvest time, the tares will be gathered first and thrown into the fire. And then the wheat will be gathered into the barn.

Matt. 13:31-35. These verses are dealt with later, after verse 43.

Matt. 13:36-43. When Christ, having sent the people away, entered the house, and His disciples were with Him, they asked to explain to them the parable of the wheat and the tares. And this is what the Lord said to them, who sowed the good seed. This moment is fundamentally important for understanding all the parables, as it testifies that they "cover" the period of time beginning with the coming of the Lord to earth and the preaching of the Good News. Further: the field is the world in which the Good News is preached. The good seed are the sons of the Kingdom.

In other words, the good seed in this parable corresponds to the seed sown in the "good ground" of the first parable, the one that brings forth a bountiful harvest. The weeds are the sons of the evil one (compare verse 19), who were "sown" among the wheat by the enemy of human souls, i.e. the devil. Nothing was said about the Kingdom of Heaven from this side in the Old Testament; there it appears only as the Kingdom of righteousness, in which evil is defeated.

Finally, Jesus reveals that the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels (verse 49). This revelation indicates the end of the period of time presented in the parables. The “end of the age” is the end of our Age, which will be replaced by the Messianic Kingdom of Christ. Thus, the parables retold by Matthew in chapter 13 cover the period of time from the first coming of Christ to earth until His return to it in order to judge the world.

At the second coming of Christ, the angels will gather all the wicked and cast them into the fiery furnace (compare verses 40-42 with verses 49-50; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 19:15). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew repeatedly speaks precisely in such words about the reaction of the wicked to the punishment that befell them (Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). In Luke they occur only once (Luke 13:28).

Each time these words mean "judgment" over sinners before the establishment of the Millennium Kingdom. "Weeping" speaks of soul-rending sadness, that is, of the emotional state of those who will go to hell, and "gnashing of teeth" speaks of the physical torment they experience. In contrast, the righteous are said to shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43; compare Dan. 12:3).

In the indicated period of time, between the rejection of Jesus and His return in the future, the Kingdom will remain without a King, but will "continue" in the form that is revealed here, suggesting the "coexistence" of "good seeds" and "tares." This period or "Age" is more than the "Age of the Church", although it includes it. After all, the beginning of the Church was laid on the day of Pentecost, and her "age" will end with her rapture - at least seven years before the end of the indicated period of time (interpretation on the book of Revelation). This entire period is associated with the "mystery" revealed by Christ in parables.

Its meaning is that the confession of faith during this period will be accompanied by its distortion and rejection, and one cannot be separated from the other until the day of judgment. The "period of mystery" will not be the period of the victory of the Gospel on a global scale, as post-millennialists hoped for (interpretation of the book of Revelation), and Christ will not come to earth until it ends. It is only the time between His two comings, after which He will return to establish on earth the Kingdom promised by God to David.

3. PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED (13:31-32) (MARK 4:30-32; LUKE 13:18-19)

Matt. 13:31-32. In the next parable, Christ compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed. Of the known seeds, it is one of the smallest. And for this reason, it even became a proverb: "Small as a mustard seed" (compare with the words of Christ in 17:20 - "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed ...").

Despite such a small seed, black mustard (not only cultivated, but also wild) reaches 4-5 (!) meters in height in one season, and heavenly birds nest in its branches.

Jesus did not give a direct interpretation of this parable. However, the meaning of it, perhaps, is that the Christian movement, starting small, quickly grows. By "birds", perhaps, unbelievers are understood, striving for one reason or another or for one purpose or another to "nest" in Christianity. This is the opinion of some interpreters. Others, however, believe that the birds do not symbolize evil here, but rather the prosperity and abundance (spiritual) that are inherent in Christianity.

4. THE PARABLE OF THE LEVEL (13:33-35) (MARK 4:33-34; LUKE 13:20)

Matt. 13:33-35. In this fourth parable, Christ compared the Kingdom of Heaven to leaven put into a large amount of flour until it was all leavened.

Many theologians believe that leaven represents evil, the presence of which is inevitable in the period of time between the two comings of Christ. In the Bible, leaven often symbolizes evil (for example, Exodus 12:15; Lev. 2:11; 6:17; 10:12; Matt. 16:6,11-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12: 1; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Galatians 5:8-9). However, if here too she was a symbol of him, would not the idea of ​​evil be overemphasized in parables? After all, it has already been eloquently spoken about in the second parable ("tares"). On this basis, many theologians believe that in this case Jesus meant the active action of the leaven.

Its property is such that the fermentation process caused by it cannot be stopped. Thus, Jesus could mean that the number of those seeking to enter His Kingdom will constantly grow, and no one and nothing will stop this process. It is precisely this, and not another interpretation, that more, apparently, turns out to be in the general "stream" of parables. (On the one hand, most people reject the Good News, but on the other hand, there are more and more Christians in the world, and life itself convinces us that one does not contradict the other. Ed.).

Matthew's addition (13:34-35) corresponds to what the Savior Himself said earlier (verses 11-12). He spoke in parables in fulfillment of the Scriptures (Ps. 77:2) and at the same time revealed to his disciples truths not previously revealed.

Matt. 13:36-43. Comment on these verses in the section entitled "The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares" (13:24-30,36-43).

5. PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE (13:44)

Matt. 13:44. In the fifth parable, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field. The person who learned about this treasure bought a field to take possession of the treasure. Since Jesus did not explain this parable either, several interpretations are offered for it. Based on the general meaning of chapter 13, we can assume that this parable is about Israel, God's "hidden treasure" (Ex. 19:5; Ps. 134:4). One of the reasons why Christ came to earth was to redeem Israel, and therefore one can think that it is He who sold all that he had (i.e., refused the glory of heaven; John 17:5 ; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Phil. 2:5-8) to acquire this treasure.

6. PARABLE OF THE PEARL (13:45-46)

Matt. 13:45-46. This parable was not explained by the Lord; it seems to be related in meaning to the previous one. The precious pearl, perhaps, personifies the Church - the bride of Christ. It is known how unusual pearls are formed. “The reason for their formation is the painful irritation of the delicate tissue of the mollusk,” writes J. F. Walvoord. “In a certain sense, the formation of the Church “from the wounds of Christ” can be compared with this, which would not have arisen if it were not for His death on the cross.

In this comparison, the merchant who went and sold everything he had in order to buy a precious pearl is Jesus Christ, who redeemed those who would believe in Him by His death. And here is the close semantic connection of this and the previous parable: “treasure in the field” and “precious pearl” indicate that in the period between the first and second comings of the King, Israel will exist, the Church will grow.

7. THE PARABLE OF THE NET (13:47-52)

Matt. 13:47-50. In the seventh parable spoken by Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a net thrown into the sea, into which many fish were caught. The fishermen, having stretched out the net to the shore, collected the good in vessels, and threw the bad out. This Jesus directly likens to what will happen at the end of the age, when the angels ... will separate the wicked from the righteous (verse 48; compare verses 37-43). This will happen when Christ returns to earth to establish His Kingdom (25:30).

Matt. 13:51-52. Jesus asked the disciples if they understood everything He said. Their answer "yes" may seem strange - after all, they hardly fully understood the meaning of these parables. This is evidenced by their subsequent questions and actions. Nevertheless, Jesus, as if summing up the parables, speaks of Himself as a scribe who knows the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, and as a master of the house, bringing both new and old out of his storerooms. (The word "everyone" before "scribe" apparently means that Jesus also likened the disciples - potentially for the future - to a "master", who, if necessary, can use both the "new" and "old" from his "treasury ". From ed.) The fact is that in these seven parables the Lord set forth, along with the truths well known to the disciples, and those that were completely new to them.

Thus, they knew about the kingdom that the Messiah would rule, but they did not know that this kingdom, being offered to Israel, would be rejected by them. Or they knew that righteousness would be inherent in the kingdom of the Messiah, but that evil too, they did not know. Jesus pointed out (and this was new to His listeners) that in the period between His rejection and the second coming, there would be both righteous and wicked people among His "disciples". The beginning of the process as a whole will be subtle, but, gaining momentum, it will lead to the emergence of a great "kingdom" of the followers of Christ.

Once started, this process cannot be stopped by anything (the parable of the leaven), and "within" it, God will preserve His people Israel and at the same time form His Church. This "intermediate" period will end with God's judgment, at which God will separate the wicked from the righteous and lead the latter into the earthly Kingdom of Christ. The parables of Christ thus contain the answer to the question: What will happen to His Kingdom? Here it is: the Kingdom of God will be established on earth at the second coming of Christ, and until that time, evil and good will coexist on it.

E. Challenge to the King - as seen from various events (13:53 - 16:12)

1. THE REJECT OF THE KING IN THE CITY OF NAZARETH (13:53-58) (MARK 6:1-6)

Matt. 13:53-58. Having finished His instructions with parables, Jesus returned to Nazareth, the city where He spent His childhood and youth (Luke 1:26-27; Matt. 2:23; 21:11; John 1:45), and there began to teach the people about the synagogue them. During His previous visit, the inhabitants of Nazareth rejected His teaching, and they wanted to throw Him off the cliff (Luke 4:16-29). This time the people were impressed by the wisdom and power of Jesus, and yet again they rejected Him, whom they knew as Carpenter's…son (Matt. 13:55). Discussing Him among themselves, they mentioned Him...

Mother ... Mary and His mother brothers, children of Mary and Joseph (two of them - Simon and Judas - should not be confused with the apostles, who bore the same names). So, the inhabitants of Nazareth not only refused to believe in Jesus Christ, but also interfered in every possible way with His ministry in this city. The complexity of their problem was that they saw in Jesus only the young man who grew up before their eyes.

And the idea that such an "ordinary" person is the promised Messiah did not fit into their minds. These feelings of theirs were conveyed by the evangelist in words and were tempted about Him. Jesus was not surprised by this, but only said to His fellow citizens the words that have become a well-known saying: There is no prophet without honor, except in his own country.

And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

2 . And a multitude of people gathered to Him, so that He got into the boat and sat down; and all the people stood on the shore.

3 . And he taught them many parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow;

4 . And while he was sowing, something else fell by the road, and birds came and ate it;

5 . Others fell on rocky places where there was little earth, and soon rose up, because the earth was not deep.

6 . When the sun rose, it withered, and, as it had no root, it dried up;

7 . Another fell into thorns, and thorns grew up and choked him;

8 . Some fell on good ground and brought forth fruit: one a hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

9 . Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

Why did he speak in parables?

10 . And having approached, the disciples said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables?

11 . He said to them in response: because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them,

12 . For whoever has, to him will be given and will be multiplied, but whoever does not have, what he has will be taken away from him; Mat. 25:29 , Mar. 4:25, Luke. 8:18, Luke. 19:26

13 . Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand;

14 . And the prophecy of Isaiah comes true over them, which says: “Hear with your ears, and you will not understand; and you will look with your eyes - and you will not see; Is. 6:9-10, Mar. 4:12, Luke. 8:10 John. 12:40, Acts. 28:26, Rom. 11:8

15 . For the heart of these people is hardened and they can hardly hear with their ears, and they close their eyes, so that they will not see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and they will not understand with their hearts, and they will not turn so that I heal them.

16 . Blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear, Onion. 10:23

17 . For I tell you truly that many prophets and righteous people desired to see what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and did not hear. 1 Pet. 1:10

Explanation of the parable of the sower.

18 . But listen to the meaning of the parable of the sower: Mar. 4:15, Luke. 8:11

19 . To everyone who hears the word about the Kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart - this is what is meant by what was sown along the way.

20 . And that which is sown on rocky places signifies the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

21 . But it has no root in itself and is unstable: when tribulation or persecution comes for the sake of the word, it is immediately offended.

22 . And what is sown among thorns signifies the one who hears the word, but the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.

23 . But that which is sown on good ground signifies the one who hears the word and understands, and who is also fruitful, so that one bears fruit a hundredfold, another sixty, and another thirty.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares;

24 . He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 . When the people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and left;

26 . When the grass sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared.

27 . And when the servants of the householder came, they said to him: Master! Have you not sown good seed in your field? where are the tares on it?

28 . He said to them, The enemy of man has done this. And the servants said to him: Do you want us to go and choose them?

29 . But he said: No, so that when you pick up the tares, you do not uproot the wheat along with them,

30 . Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares and bind them in sheaves to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

About the mustard seed;

31 . He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, Mar. 4:30, Luke. 13:18

32 . Which, although smaller than all seeds, but when it grows, is larger than all herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and take refuge in its branches.

About leaven.

33 . He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of meal until it was all leavened. Onion. 13:20

34 . All this Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them, Mar. 4:33

35 . May it be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet, who says: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what is hidden from the foundation of the world.” Ps. 48:4, Ps. 77:2

36 . Then Jesus dismissed the people and went into the house. And coming to Him, His disciples said: Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field.

Explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares.

37 . He answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

38 . The field is the world; good seed, these are the sons of the Kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

39 . The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Joel. 3:13, Rev. 14:15

40 . Therefore, as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age:

41 . The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather from His Kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who do iniquity,

42 . And cast them into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth;

43 . Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! Dan. 12:3

Parables about the treasure hidden in the field and the precious pearl;

44 . The Kingdom of Heaven is also like a treasure hidden in a field, which, having found, a man hid, and out of joy over it, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

45 . Still like the Kingdom of Heaven to a merchant looking for good pearls,

46 . Who, finding one pearl of great value, went and sold everything he had and bought it.

About the thrown net.

47 . Still the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea and seizing every kind of fish,

48 . Which, when it was full, they dragged it to the shore, and sitting down, they gathered the good things into vessels, and threw the bad things out.

49 . So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous,

50 . And they will be thrown into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 . And Jesus asked them: Have you understood all this? They say to Him: Yes, Lord!

52 . He said to them: Therefore, every scribe who has been taught the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master who brings out of his treasury both new and old. Onion. 4:24 John. 4:44

58 . And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

In this chapter we read:

I. Of the favor which Christ showed to his countrymen, preaching to them about the kingdom of heaven, v. 1-2. He preached to them in parables, and here explains why he chose this way of teaching, v. 10-17. And the evangelist gives us another explanation, v. 34-35. This chapter contains eight parables, the purpose of which is to present the kingdom of heaven, the method of planting the gospel kingdom in the world, its growth and progress. The great truths and laws of this Kingdom are set forth in other Scriptures clearly, without allegory, but some of the circumstances of its origin and development are revealed here in the form of parables.

1. One parable shows how great are the obstacles that prevent people from benefiting from hearing the word of the gospel, and how in many it does not reach its goal because of their folly; this is the parable of the four kinds of soil, presented in v. 3-9 and explained in vv. 18-23.

2. The other two parables represent how the mixing of good and bad takes place in the gospel Church, which will continue until the day of judgment, when a great separation will take place; it is the parable of the tares (v. 24-30), explained at the request of the disciples (v. 36-43), and the parable of the net thrown into the sea, v. 47-50.

3. The following two parables show that the gospel church will be very small at first, but will later become very significant; this is the parable of the mustard seed (vv. 31-32) and the parable of the leaven, v. 33.

4. Two more parables say that those who want to receive salvation through the Gospel must stake everything, leave everything for the sake of this salvation, but they will not remain at a loss; it is the parable of the treasure hidden in the field (v. 44), and the parable of the pearl of great price, v. 45-46. 5. The last parable is intended to instruct the disciples - how they should use the instructions received from the Lord for the benefit of others; this is the parable of the good master, v. 51, 52.

II. Of the neglect shown to Christ by his countrymen, on account of his simple origin, v. 53-58.

Verses 1-23. Here is the preaching of Christ, and we may observe:

1. When Christ delivered this sermon. It was on the same day that he delivered the sermon recorded in the previous chapter: so tireless was he in good works and in labor for him who sent him.

Note: Christ preached both at dawn and at sunset, and by his example recommends this practice for our churches: in the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not rest your hand, Ecclesiastes 11:6. The evening sermon, listened to with attention, does not erase the impression of the morning sermon, but, on the contrary, strengthens and strengthens it. Although Christ's enemies quarreled and contradicted him in the morning, and his friends interrupted his preaching and thereby interfered with him, he did not leave his work, and at the end of the day he no longer encountered such discouraging obstacles. Those who courageously and diligently overcome difficulties in their service to God may not meet them later, as they feared. Resist them and they will run away from you.

2. To whom He preached. Many people gathered to Him, ordinary people were His listeners, we do not see any of the scribes and Pharisees present here. They were ready to listen to him when he preached in the synagogues (ch. 12:9, 14), but considered it beneath them to listen to sermons on the seashore, even if Christ himself was the preacher; for him their absence was more pleasant than their presence, for now he could calmly, without interference, continue his work.

Note, Sometimes the power of godliness is greatest where the kind of godliness is least observed. When Jesus went to the sea, a multitude of people immediately gathered to Him. Where the king is, there his subjects gather; where Christ is, there is His Church, although it will be on the seashore.

Note, Those who wish to benefit from the word must follow it in whatever direction it may move—when the ark moves, one must follow it. The Pharisees tried very hard to distract the people from following Christ with gross slander and nit-picking, but they still flocked to Him in great numbers.

Note, Christ will be glorified in spite of all opposition, and will have His followers.

3. Where He gave this sermon.

(1) The meeting place was the seashore. He left the house (because there was no room for such an audience) into the open space. It is a pity that such a Preacher did not have a spacious, magnificent and comfortable place for preaching, similar to that which was occupied, for example, by the Roman theater. But he was now in a lowly state, and renounced, as in everything else, the honor that was due to him; just as He did not have His own house to dwell in, so He did not have His own church to preach. In this way, He teaches us not to strive to lavishly arrange the divine services, but to be content and make do with the conditions that God sends us. When Christ was born, He crowded into the barn, now He preaches on the seashore, where all people could come to Him. He, being the Truth itself, did not hide in the corners (not aSura), as the pagans did when performing their sacraments. Wisdom cries out in the street, Prov. 1:20; John 13:20.

(2) His pulpit was a boat. He had not, like Ezra, a pulpit that was made for this (Neh. 8:4), but He, for lack of a better one, adapted a boat for this purpose. There was no unsuitable place for such a preacher; His presence sanctified and made worthy of any place. Let not those who preach about Christ be ashamed, even if they have to preach in uncomfortable and more than modest places. Some note that the people stood on dry and hard ground, while the Preacher was on the water, in a more dangerous place. Ministers experience the greatest difficulties. There was a real orator's pulpit, a ship's pulpit.

4. What and how He preached.

(1) And taught them many parables. There were probably many more than what is recorded here. Christ teaches us important things that serve our world and relate to the Kingdom of Heaven. He spoke not of trifles, but of things that had eternal consequences. This obliges us to be very careful when Christ tells us not to miss anything that He has said.

(2) He spoke in parables. Sometimes a parable means a wise, important and instructive saying, but in the Gospel a parable is an analogy, or a comparison, through which the spiritual and heavenly are expounded in language borrowed from earthly subjects. This method of teaching was used by very many, and not only by Jewish rabbis, but also by Arabs and other Eastern sages, as it justified itself, being acceptable, pleasant for everyone. Our Savior often used this method, condescending to the level of ordinary people, trying to express himself in a language they understood. God of old used parables through his servants the prophets (Hos. 12:10), but now he does it through his Son. Of course, they are filled with reverence for the One who speaks from heaven and about heavenly things, but they are clothed in expressions borrowed from the earthly. See John 3:12. Thus the heavenly descends in a cloud.

I. Here is the main reason why Christ taught in parables. This surprised the disciples somewhat, for until now He had not often resorted to parables in His sermons, and they asked Him: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” They sincerely wanted the people to be able to listen and understand. They did not say, “Why do you speak to us in parables?” - they knew how to understand the parables, - but: "to them."

Note, We must take care that not only ourselves, but also others receive edification through preaching, and if we are strong, we will bear the infirmities of the weak.

Jesus answers this question at length, v. 11-17. He says that he preaches in parables because, through them, the mysteries of God become clearer and more accessible to the understanding of those who remain consciously ignorant, and thus the gospel will be a smell of life to some, and death to others. The parable is like a pillar of fire and cloud, which turned its dark side to the Egyptians, intimidating them, and the bright side to the Israelites, comforting and encouraging them, in accordance with its dual purpose. The same light shows the way for some, and blinds others.

1. The reason for this is given (v. 11): "Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but it has not been given to them." That is:

(1) The disciples had knowledge, but the people did not. They already knew some of these secrets and did not need to be instructed in this way. But the people were as ignorant as babies, they had to be taught by clear analogies, since they were incapable of learning in any other way; they had eyes, but did not know how to use them. Or:

(2) The disciples were very inclined to the knowledge of the gospel mysteries, they wished to understand the meaning of parables and through them to approach a greater knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but carnal people, who limited themselves to simple hearing, not trying to look deeper and know the meaning of parables, did not strive to be more wise, therefore they justly suffered because of their negligence. A parable is like a shell that keeps good fruit inside for the diligent, but hides it from the lazy.

Note: The kingdom of heaven has its mysteries, and unquestioningly the mystery of piety is great: Christ's incarnation, redemption, substitution, our justification and purification through union with Christ, the whole work of salvation from beginning to end is indeed a mystery that can only be known through Divine revelation, 1 Corinthians 15:51. It was only partly revealed then to the disciples, but will never be fully revealed until the veil is torn. However, the mystery of the gospel truths should not discourage us, but encourage us to greater knowledge and study of them.

The disciples of Christ were generously allowed to know these mysteries. Knowledge is the first gift of God, it is a distinctive gift (Proverbs 2:61);

it was given to the apostles, for they were his constant followers and ministers.

Note, The closer we are to Christ, the more we converse with Him, the better we shall know the mysteries of the Gospel.

This knowledge is given to all sincere believers who have experienced some of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and practical knowledge is undoubtedly the best. The law of grace in the heart is what gives a person the understanding of the fear of the Lord and faith in Christ, and thanks to this, the understanding of parables. It was precisely because of the absence of this principle in the heart that Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, talked about being born again, as a blind man talked about colors.

There are people to whom this knowledge is not given, a person cannot take anything upon himself unless it is given to him from heaven (John 3:27);

it should be remembered that God is not indebted to man, His grace is His own grace, and He gives or does not give it as He pleases (Rom. above, ch. 11:25,26.

2. This distinction is further explained by the rule that God has in distributing his gifts: He pours them out on those who use them, and withholds them from those who bury them. People adhere to the same rule when they entrust their capital to those who, by their diligence, increase it, and not to those who, through their negligence, reduce it.

(1.) To him who has, who has true grace according to the election of grace, who has and uses what he has, the promise is given that he will have more. God's mercies are now a pledge of future mercies; where Christ lays the foundation, there He will continue to build upon it. Christ's disciples used the knowledge they had, and in the outpouring of the Spirit they received it more abundantly, Acts. 2. The man that has true grace will have it more and more until he is abundant in glory, Prov. 4:18. Joseph - The Lord will give another son, such is the meaning of this name, Genesis 30:24.

(2) Whoever does not have, who has no desire to receive grace, who does not properly use the gifts and graces given to him, who does not have root and firm principles in himself, who has, but does not use what he has, is given a terrible warning. : what he has or thinks he has will be taken away from him. Its leaves will dry up, its fruits will rot, the means of grace granted to it, but not used by it, will be taken away from it; God will demand back His talents from one who is close to bankruptcy.

3. Christ specifically explains this reason by referring to two categories of people with whom He dealt.

(1) Some were ignorant through their own fault; such Christ taught in parables (v. 13), because ... seeing they do not see. They closed their eyes from the clear light of Christ's simple preaching and were therefore left in darkness. Seeing Christ, they did not see His glory, they did not see the difference between Him and other people; seeing His miracles and listening to His sermons, they looked and listened without interest and diligence, without understanding anything.

Note:

There are many people who see the gospel light, hear the gospel word, but it does not reach their hearts and does not find a place for itself in them.

And God will be just, depriving the light of those who close their eyes from him, who prefer to remain ignorant, they can remain, and this will further magnify the grace bestowed on the disciples of Christ.

This will fulfill Holy Scripture, v. 14, 15. Isaiah 6:9-10 is quoted here. The gospel prophet, who spoke most clearly about gospel grace, foretold the neglect of this grace and its consequences. This place is quoted at least six times in the New Testament, which indicates that in the gospel times spiritual judgments will be the most common occurrence, they will not make any noise, but they will be the most terrible judgments. What was said about the sinners of the age of Isaiah was repeated in the sinners of the age of Christ, and is repeated to this day; as long as the evil human heart continues to commit the same sins, the righteous hand of God inflicts the same punishments. So,

First, it describes that voluntary blindness, the bitterness of sinners, which is their sin. Their hearts are fat. By this is meant both sensuality and foolishness of heart (Ps. 119:70), indifference to the word of God and to His rod, contemptuous attitude towards God, such as Israel had: And Israel grew fat ... and grew fat, Deut. 32:15. When the heart grows fat in this way, it is not surprising that the ears become deaf and do not hear the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit at all, do not pay attention to the loud call of the Word of God, although it is close to them, nothing has any effect on them - they do not hear, Ps 57 :6. Since they decided to remain in their ignorance, they closed both organs of knowledge, for they also closed their eyes so as not to see the light that came into the world when the Sun of righteousness had risen. They closed their windows, because they loved the darkness more than the light, John 3:19; 2 Pet 3:5.

Secondly, that blindness is described, which is the just recompense for this sin. “Hear by ear, and you will not understand, that is, whatever means of grace you may have, it will not profit you from them; although they will still be preserved out of mercy to others, yet you will be deprived of their blessing as a punishment for your sin. The most deplorable condition of a person in this world is to hear the most living sermon with a dead, numb and unapproachable heart. To hear the Word of God, to see the actions of His providence and not to understand His will in either one or the other - this is the greatest sin and the greatest punishment that can be.

Note, God gives a wise heart, and often he withholds it, according to his righteous judgment, to those to whom he has in vain given ears to hear, and eyes to see. Thus God uses the deception of sinners (Isa. 66:4), condemning them to great ruin, giving them over to the lusts of their own hearts (Ps. 80:12, 13) and forsaking them (Hos. , Gen 6:3.

Thirdly, the sad consequences of this state are described: let them not see with their eyes. They don't want to see because they don't want to be converted, and God says they won't see because they won't be converted: they won't be converted so I can heal them.

Notes:

1. In order to turn to God, it is necessary to see, hear and understand, for God, acting by His grace, deals with people as with rational beings. He draws them with human bonds, changes their hearts, opening their eyes, and turns them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, Acts 26:18.

2. All those who truly turn to God will surely be healed by Him. "If they turn, I will heal them, I will save them." So if a sinner dies, then it is not God who should be blamed for this, but himself, - he foolishly hoped for healing without turning to Him.

3. God rightly withholds his grace from those who have many times over a long period of time refused to receive it and resisted its operation. Pharaoh hardened his own heart long enough (Ex. 8:15, 32), and therefore afterwards God hardened him, ch. 9:12; 10:20. Let us beware of sinning against grace, lest we be deprived of it.

(2) For others, Christ's call to become His disciples was effective, they really wanted to learn from Him. And they learned and improved greatly in knowledge by means of these parables, especially when Christ explained their meaning to them; parables made the mysteries of God clearer and more accessible, more understandable and close, easier to remember, v. 16-17. Your eyes see and your ears hear. In the person of Christ they saw the glory of God, in the teachings of Christ they heard of the intentions of God, they saw much and desired to see more, thus preparing themselves to receive further teachings. They had the opportunity for this, because they constantly accompanied Christ, and this opportunity was renewed for them every day, and with it grace. Christ speaks of it

As for bliss: “Blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear. This is your blessedness, and this blessedness you owe to the special favor of God.” This blessedness was promised - in the days of the Messiah, the eyes of those who see will not be closed, Isaiah 32:3. The eyes of the weakest believer, who has experienced the grace of Christ, are more blessed than the eyes of great scientists and teachers of experimental philosophy, who do not know God and are like the gods they serve, have eyes but do not see.

Note, The right understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and the proper application of this knowledge, bring blessedness. The hearing ear and the seeing eye are the fruits of God's work in sanctified hearts, the work of His grace (Proverbs 20:12);

this blessed work will be completed in power when those who see now, as through a glass of dullness, divinely, see Him face to face. This bliss is emphasized by the words of Christ about the misfortune of those who remain in their ignorance: they look with their eyes and do not see, but your eyes are blessed.

Note, The knowledge of Christ is a special favor to those who receive it, and therefore a great responsibility upon them, see John 14:22. The apostles were to teach others, and it was for this purpose that they were endowed with particularly clear revelations of divine truth. See Isaiah 52:8.

As of the excellent, preeminent blessedness, which many prophets and righteous men longed to have, but were not given to them, v. 17. The Old Testament saints had some idea, some glimpses of the gospel light, and zealously thirsted for greater revelation. They had this light in images, shadows and prophecies about it, but they were very eager to see its Essence, that glorious end, which they could not see clearly, that glorious content, which they could not penetrate. They wanted to see the Savior, the Comfort of Israel, but they did not see Him, because in their days the fullness of time had not yet come.

Note:

First, he who knows a little about Christ cannot but desire to know more about him.

Secondly, even the righteous and the prophets received the revelation of Divine grace only strictly in accordance with the dispensation in which they lived. Although they were the favorites of heaven and God trusted them with His secrets, yet they did not see what they would like to see, because God decided not to reveal it yet, and His chosen ones were not to anticipate His plans. In those times, as now, the glory of God was yet to be revealed, because God provided something better for us, that they might not be made perfect without us, Heb. 11:40.

Thirdly, thinking about what means of grace we have, what revelations are given to us who live in the gospel age, how they are superior to those who lived during the Old Testament economy, especially the revelation of the redemption of sin, should awaken in us a feeling of gratitude and revive our zeal. See how the New Testament advantages are superior to those of the Old Testament (2 Cor. 3:7, Heb. 12:18), and see that our efforts are proportionate to our advantages.

II. These verses contain one of the parables told by Christ - the parable of the sower and the seed, both the parable itself and its interpretation. In His parables, Christ referred to ordinary, well-known subjects, not to philosophical ideas or theories, not to supernatural phenomena of nature, although they would be quite suitable for this purpose, but to the most obvious things that occur in everyday life and are accessible to the understanding of the simplest person; many parables are borrowed from peasant labor, such as the parables of the sower and the tares. Christ did this in order to: 1. Express spiritual truths most clearly, so that the images familiar to us will make them more accessible to our understanding. 2. To fill ordinary phenomena with spiritual meaning so that we can enjoy reflections on the Divine, observing everything that often comes into our field of vision; so that when our hands are occupied with earthly affairs, we may, not only in spite of them, but with their help, direct our hearts to heaven. Thus God speaks to us in a language we know, Prov. 6:22.

The parable of the sower is simple enough, v. 39. Christ Himself gave its interpretation, Who knew best of all what He meant by it. The disciples, asking Him: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (v. 10), expressed their desire to receive an explanation of this parable for the sake of the people, although for themselves, with all their knowledge, it was not humiliating to want to hear it. Our Lord kindly took this hint and explained the meaning of the parable; addressing his disciples in public, he made it understandable to the people (for we do not see him let them go from him), v. 36. “But listen to the meaning of the parable of the sower (v. 18);

you've heard it before, but let's look at it again."

Note, It is very helpful to listen again to what we have already heard, it will help us understand the word better and get more use out of it, Phil 3:1. "You have already heard it, but listen to its interpretation."

Note, Only then do we hear the word rightly, to our advantage, when we understand what we hear; hearing without understanding is no hearing at all, Nehemiah 8:2. Understanding gives us, in essence, God's grace, but our duty is to strain our mind in order to comprehend.

So let's compare the parable and its interpretation.

(1.) The seed sown is the word of God, here called the word of the kingdom (v. 19): concerning the kingdom of heaven, which is truly a kingdom, the kingdoms of this world cannot even be called kingdoms by comparison. The gospel has come from this Kingdom and leads into this Kingdom; the word of the Gospel is the word about the Kingdom, the word about the King, and where there is this word, there is power; The gospel is the law by which we must be guided. This word, like a sown seed, seems dead, dry, but it contains everything that is necessary for life. It is an incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23), it is the word of the gospel that bears fruit in souls, Col. 1:5,6.

(2.) The sower that sows this seed is our Lord Jesus Christ, either in person or in the person of his servants, v. 37. The people are God's field, and the servants are laborers together with God, 1 Corinthians 3:9. The preaching of the word to a multitude of people is the sowing of grain; we do not know where it may fall, we only have to see to it that the seed is good, that it is pure, and that there is enough of it. The sowing of the word is the sowing in the souls of the people who make up His field, the grain for His threshing floor Isaiah 21:10.

(3) The soil on which the seed is sown is the hearts of men, which have different qualities and inclinations, according to which the success of the word varies.

Note, The human heart is like soil that can be made good, that can bear fruit, and it is very sad when it is left uncultivated, like a lazy man's field, Prov. 24:30. The soul is the right place for the seed of the word of God, for its dwelling in it, for it to work in it and govern it; it influences the conscience, kindles this lamp of God. So, as we are, so is the word of God for us: Recipitur ad modum recipients - perception depends on the perceiver. As happens with the earth - one soil, no matter how hard you put into it, no matter how much you throw seeds into it, does not bring any useful fruit, and the other, good soil, bears fruit abundantly - so it happens with human hearts. Their various properties are here represented as four varieties of soil, three of which are bad, and only one is good.

Note, The number of barren hearers is great, and there were many even among those who listened to Christ Himself. Who believed what they heard from us? This parable depicts a sad picture of assemblies coming to hear the word of the gospel, scarcely one out of four bears perfect fruit. Many hear the general appeal, but not for many this appeal is effective, proving eternal election, ch. 20:16.

Consider the properties of these four types of soil.

Soil along the road, art. 4-10. The Jews had roads through the sown fields (ch. 12:1), and the seed that fell on them was never accepted, it was destroyed by birds. The sandy seashore on which the hearers of Christ stood at that moment was an accurate description of most of them: sand is to the seed what roadside soil is. Note:

First, what category of listeners is equated to the soil along the road. They are those who hear the word but do not understand it, and they themselves are guilty of this. They are inattentive, do not try to keep the word in mind and do not seek to benefit from it for themselves, like a road that is never meant to be sown. They come to God as His people, and sit before Him as His people, but this is only an appearance, they do not meditate on what they are told, the word flies in one ear and flies out the other without any effect on them. actions.

Second, how they became fruitless listeners. The evil one, that is, Satan, comes and steals what was sown. Thoughtless, careless and frivolous listeners are easy prey for the devil, he is not only a great killer of souls, but also a great thief of sermons; if we do not try to keep the word, he will surely steal it from us, like birds that peck at grain that has fallen on unplowed and unharrowed land. If we do not plow the soil of our heart, do not prepare it to receive the word, do not humble it before the word, do not focus all our attention on it and then do not cover this seed with meditation and prayer, if we do not put what we have heard in our heart, then we become like the soil when road.

Note, Satan vehemently resists our benefiting ourselves from the word of God, and no one helps him in this more than the hearers themselves, inattentive to the word, thinking of anything but that which is of service to their world.

Rocky soil. Others fell on stony places, v. 5-6. This soil represents hearers who are not much better than those above described, the word they hear makes some impression on them, but not long, v. 20-21.

Note: We may be much better than some of the others, but not the way we should be; we can outstrip our neighbors and still not reach heaven. Regarding the listeners represented by the stony ground, we note the following.

First, how far they go.

1. They hear the word, they don't turn their backs on it or plug their ears.

Note, The mere hearing of a word, however frequent and earnest, cannot take us to heaven if we rest upon it.

2. They are quick to hear, willingly hear the word, and immediately (sivid) receive it with joy, and the seed soon springs up (v. 5), it grows faster than that sown in good soil.

Note, Hypocrites are often ahead of true Christians in the matter of outward confession, and are very zealous in this. They take everything without research, swallow without chewing, and therefore they never have a good assimilation of what they hear. It is most likely that good things will be kept by those who try everything, 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

3. They accept the word with joy.

Note, There are many who are very glad to hear a good sermon, and yet it does them no good, they delight in the word, but it does not change them, and they do not obey it; their hearts may be touched by hearing the word, but they do not melt from it, much less pour into it as into a form. Many have tasted the good word of God (Heb. 6:5) and say they have known the sweetness of it, but under their tongue they keep some lust they love that does not get along with the word of God, and they spit it out.

4. They are impermanent, like a forced movement, which continues as long as the external force is active, but stops as soon as it disappears.

Note, Many believe for a time, but cannot endure to the end, and do not reach the blessedness promised only to those who endure everything (ch. 10:22);

they went well, but something stopped them, Gal. 5:7.

Secondly, how they fell away. Their fruit did not reach maturity, like a grain that did not go deep into the earth to draw moisture from it, and withered from the heat of the sun. The reasons for this are as follows:

1. They had no root in themselves, that is, firm, established principles in their concepts, firmness and resoluteness in their will, deep-rooted habits in their affections, nothing solid that would give vitality to their confession.

Note:

(1) There can be many "green shoots" of outward confession in the absence of a root of grace; the heart can remain mostly stony, with soft soil only on the surface, but inwardly as insensitive as a stone. They do not have a root, are not connected by faith to Jesus Christ, Who is our Root, do not feed on Him and do not depend on Him.

(2.) Constancy cannot be expected from those who profess the faith but have no fixed principles in themselves. Those who have no root only temporarily believe. Although a ship without ballast may at first overtake a loaded ship, in stormy weather it will not stay afloat and will not reach its harbor.

2. Times of trial come and they fall away. When tribulation or persecution comes for the sake of the word, he is immediately offended; on their way there is a stumbling block, they cannot overcome it and retreat, this is the end of their whole confession.

Note:

(1.) Favorable times are usually followed by storms of persecution, in which it is tested who received the word sincerely and who did not. If the word of the Kingdom of Christ becomes the word of the patience of Christ (Rev. 3:10), then trials have come, and some endure them, while others do not, Rev. 1:9. Those who prepare for them act wisely.

(2) When the time of trial comes, those who have no root are immediately offended: first they doubt their confession, then they leave it; first they find errors in it, and then they reject it. This is what is meant by the temptation of the cross, Gal. 5:11. Note that persecution is represented in the parable as a burning sun (v. 6): the same sun that warms and cherishes well-rooted seed dries up and burns that which is badly rooted. As the word of Christ, so the cross of Christ for some is a life-giving odor for life, and for others a deadly odor for death; the same difficulties lead some to apostasy and ruin, while for others they produce eternal glory in immeasurable abundance. Trials that weaken some, strengthen others, Phil. 1:12.

Notice how quickly they fall off, one by one, - as soon as they are rotten, they are ready; a faith accepted without much deliberation is just as quickly abandoned; easy come, easy go.

Thorny soil. The Other fell into the thorns (it protects the crops well when used as a fence, but when it gets into the field, it turns out to be a harmful neighbor), and the thorns grew. This signifies that when the seed was sown, the thorns were not yet there, or very small, but later choked the seedlings, v. 7. This time the seed held on a little longer because it had a root. This represents the state of those who do not completely abandon their faith, but do not achieve any saving benefit from it; the good that they acquire through the word is so imperceptible that worldly, worldly things easily suppress it. Earthly well-being destroys the action of the word of God in the heart as well as persecution, and it is more dangerous, because it works secretly: stones harm the roots, and thorns harm the fruits.

What are these thorns that stifle the good seed?

First, these are the cares of this age. Care for the heavenly causes the celestial seed to germinate, but the cares of this age choke it. Worldly cares are rightly compared to thorns, for thorns appeared after the fall and are the fruit of a curse. Thorns are good in their place, for blocking breaches, but a person must be well armed before dealing with them (2 Sam. 23: 6, 7);

they cling, irritate, scratch, and their end is burning, Heb. 6:8. Thorns choke the good seed.

Note, Worldly concerns keep us from benefiting ourselves from the Word of God we hear and from growing in faith. They absorb all that energy of the soul, which should be used to achieve Divine goals, distract us from our duty and make us subsequently the most unhappy people; they extinguish the outbursts of good feelings and break the bonds of good intentions; who fusses and cares about many things, usually neglects that only one thing is needed.

Secondly, it is the seduction of wealth. He who, by his cares and diligence, has already amassed wealth and, it would seem, got rid of the dangers associated with worldly cares, nevertheless, still remains in snares, although he continues to hear the word (Jer. 5:4, 5);

it is difficult for such people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, because they expect from their wealth what is not in it, they trust in wealth, they are excessively complacency in it, and it drowns out the word just as well as worries. Note, It is not wealth in itself that does harm, but the deceitfulness of wealth. We cannot speak of the seduction of wealth if we do not rely on it and pin our hopes on it; when this takes place, then wealth becomes a thorn that chokes the good seed.

Good ground (v. 8): Another fell on good ground; it is a pity that there is no loss only when good seed falls on good soil. Such are the intelligent hearers of the word, v. 23.

Note, Though many receive the grace of God and the word of his grace in vain, yet God has his remnant, those who receive it profitably, for the word of God does not return in vain, Isaiah 55:10,11.

In a word, the difference between good soil and all the rest lies in its fertility. True Christians differ from hypocrites in that they bear the fruit of righteousness, and therefore Christ calls them His disciples, John 15:8. Christ did not say that the good soil did not contain stones or that thorns did not grow in it, but they did not predominate so as to hinder its fruiting. The saints, while living in this world, are not completely free from the remnants of sin, but they are fortunately free from its dominion.

Listeners represented as good ground include:

First, understanding hearers; they hear the word and understand it. They understand not only the meaning and meaning of the word, but also their personal need for it, they understand it like a businessman who understands his business. God in His word deals with man as man, in a reasonable way; He gains power over his will and feelings, enlightening his mind, while Satan, who is a thief and a robber, climbs indus.

Secondly, hearers who bear fruit, which proves their good understanding: which is fruitful. The fruit of each seed is its own body, a natural product in the heart and in life, corresponding to the seed of the received word. We then bear fruit when our practical life is consistent with the word, when our character and lifestyle are consistent with the gospel we have received, when we act as we are taught.

Thirdly, not all are fruitful to the same extent: some bear fruit a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

Note, Among fruitful Christians, some are more fruitful, others less so. Where true grace is present, there are found different degrees of it: some achieve more in understanding and holiness than others, not all disciples of Christ have the same level. We must strive to the highest degree, that is, to strive to bear fruit a hundredfold, like the land of Isaac (Gen. 26:12), to prosper in the work of the Lord, 1 Cor. 15:58. But if the soil is good and bears good fruit, if the heart is sincere and the life corresponds to it, then even if the fruit of such a person is only thirty times, God will generously accept it, count it as abundant, for we are under grace, and not under the law.

Finally, Christ ends the parable with a solemn call to be attentive (v. 9): “He who has ears, let him hear!”

Note, There is no better use for hearing than hearing the word of God. Some love to listen to beautiful melodies, their ears are only daughters of singing (Eccl. 12:4), but there is no more beautiful music than the word of God. Others love to hear something new (Acts 17:21), but there is no news that can compare with the gospel!

Verses 24-43. These verses contain:

I. Another reason why Christ spoke in parables, v. 34, 35. All this Jesus spoke to the people in parables, because the time had not yet come for clearer and more direct revelations of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Christ, wishing to keep the people's attention, preached in parables, and without a parable did not speak to them; I mean this time, in this sermon.

Note: Christ tries all the ways and means of how to help human souls, how to influence them, and if people cannot be instructed and influenced by a clear, simple sermon, then He resorts to parables so that Scripture is fulfilled. Here is a quotation from the preface to the historical Psalm 79:2: I will open my mouth in a parable. What the psalmists David or Asaph say about their sayings applies to the sermons of Christ; this great precedent may serve to protect this way of preaching from the temptation that some have been subjected to. Here are:

1. The theme of Christ's preaching - He preached the hidden from the creation of the world. The mystery of the Gospel was hidden from eternity in God, in His plans and predestinations, Ephesians 3:9. Compare with Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:26. If we find pleasure in reading ancient chronicles and revealing mysteries, then how we must love the Gospel, which contains such antiquities and such mysteries! They were clothed from the foundation of the world in images and shadows, which are now removed; secret things are now revealed, so that they become ours and our sons, Deut. 29:29.

2. The method of preaching Christ. He preached in parables, that is, wise sayings, clothed in a figurative form that helps to attract attention and encourage diligent research. Solomon's moral teachings, full of analogies, are also called parables, but in this, as in everything else, Christ is greater than Solomon, in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom.

II. The parable of the tares and its interpretation; they must be considered together, for the interpretation explains the parable, and the parable illustrates the interpretation.

1. The request of the disciples to their Teacher to explain to them the parable of the tares, vv. 36. Jesus, let the people go; I'm afraid that many of them left no smarter than they came, they heard only the sound of words and nothing more. How sad that not many people leave the sermon with a word of grace in their hearts. Christ entered the house, not so much for His own rest, but for the sake of talking privately with His disciples - their instruction was His main goal in every sermon. He was ready to do good in every place. The disciples took advantage of the opportunity presented to them and approached Him.

Note: Those who want to be wise must be wise enough to notice and use all opportunities for this, especially opportunities to converse with Christ, to converse one on one with Him in personal prayer and meditation. It is very good if we, after returning from the meeting, discuss what we heard there, and, by talking, help each other to understand, remember and re-experience what we heard. We lose a great deal if we indulge in empty, useless talk after the sermon. See Luke 24:32; Deut 6:6,7. It is especially important to use the opportunity to talk with the minister about the meaning of any place in the Holy Scriptures, for their lips keep knowledge, Mal. 2:7. Personal conversation helps to get more benefit from their public preaching. Nathan reached David's heart with the words: You are the man.

The disciples asked Christ: "Explain to us the parable of the tares." This request was an admission of their own ignorance, and they were not ashamed to make it. Perhaps they caught the general meaning of the parable, but wanted to understand its particulars and make sure they understood it correctly.

Note, He is truly disposed to learn from Christ who is conscious of his ignorance and sincerely desires to learn. He teaches the meek (Ps. 24:8, 9), but for this you need to ask Him. If someone lacks knowledge, let him ask God. Christ explained the previous parable without any request from the disciples, but this one they themselves asked Him to explain to them.

Note, The mercies we have received are to be used as directions for what we should pray for, and as an encouragement in our prayers. The first light and the first grace we receive without asking on our part, but for the bestowal of more light and subsequent grace we must pray, and pray daily.

2. The interpretation of the parable given by Christ in response to the request of the disciples; He is always ready to fulfill such desires of His disciples. So, the purpose of this parable is to show us the present and future state of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Gospel Church: Christ's care for the Church and the enmity of the devil against her, a mixture of good and bad in her.

Note: The visible Church is the Kingdom of Heaven, despite the presence of many hypocrites in it. Christ rules in it as a King. There is a remnant in her, the elect, who are subjects of heaven and heirs of it, from whom, as from the best part of her, she received her name; The Church is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Let us consider the details of this interpretation.

(1) He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Jesus Christ is Lord of the field, Lord of the harvest, and also the Sower of the good seed. He, ascending on high, gave gifts to people, not only good servants, but also other good people.

Note, Every good seed that exists in the world belongs to Christ and is sown by him; truth preached, virtues planted, souls sanctified—all this is the good seed that belongs to Christ. Ministers are but instruments in the hands of Christ through which He sows the good seed. He uses them, directs them, the success of their work depends on His blessing, so we can safely say that it is Christ, and no one else, who sows the good seed. He is the Son of man, one of us, that we may not fear Him; Son of Man, Mediator, invested with authority.

(2) The field is the world, the human world. This vast field, capable of bearing good fruit, is all the more deplorable because it bears so many bad fruits. Here the world refers to the visible Church, scattered throughout the earth, and not limited to the boundaries of one state. Note that in the parable it is called His field, the world is the field of Christ, for everything is handed over to Him by the Father, and whatever power Satan had in this world, he unjustly usurped it; when Christ comes to take possession of the world, he has every right to do so, the field belongs to him, and he takes care to sow it with good seeds.

(3) The good seed are the sons of the Kingdom, that is, the true saints.

These are the sons of the Kingdom, not only in confession, as the Jews were (ch. 8:12), but sincerely believing, Jews who were such inwardly, true Israelites, united in faith in Jesus Christ and in obedience to Him, the great King of the Church.

They represent the good seed, the precious seed. As the seed is the riches of the field, so is the holy seed, Isaiah 6:13. Just as a seed scatters, scatters, so do the saints scatter, one is here, the other is there, thicker in some places, rarer in others. Fruit is expected from the seed. The fruit of praise and service, which God has in this world, he receives from the saints whom he has sown for himself in the earth, Hos. 2:23.

And the tares are the sons of the evil one. This is how sinners, hypocrites, all ungodly and evil people are characterized here.

These are the children of the devil, the evil one. They do not bear his name, but they bear his image, they manifest his lusts, they learn from him, he rules over them and works in them, Ephesians 2:2; John 8:44.

They are tares in the field of the world, they bring no benefit, only harm; they are useless in themselves and harm the good seed by their temptations and persecutions. They are weeds in the garden, watered by the same rain and warmed by the same sun, and they grow in the same soil as useful plants but they bring nothing good, they are tares among the wheat.

Note, God has ordained that good and evil be intermingled in this world, that the good may be tried, and the wicked left without excuse, and that thus a distinction may be made between heaven and earth.

(5) The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the sworn enemy of Christ and all that is good, the enemy of the glory of the good God and the comfort and bliss of all good people. He is an enemy to the field of this world, he is trying to make it his own by sowing tares on it. Since he became an evil spirit, he has been diligently sowing evil, he has made it his business, with the aim of opposing Christ.

Concerning the sowing of tares, the following may be observed:

They were sown while people were sleeping. The authorities, who by their strength, and the ministers, who should have prevented evil by their preaching, were asleep.

Note, Satan watches every opportunity, uses every advantage, to spread evil and wickedness. He harms people when their minds and consciences are asleep, when they are not on guard, so we must be awake and sober. It happened at night, for night is the time of sleep.

Note, Satan reigns in darkness, enabling him to sow tares, Ps. 113:20. It happened when people were sleeping; there is no cure that will relieve people of the need to sleep for any length of time.

Note, Just as the master of the house, when he sleeps, cannot prevent the enemy from spoiling his field, so we cannot prevent hypocrites from entering our churches.

The enemy, after sowing his tares, leaves the field (v. 25) so that no one will know who did it.

Note, When Satan does the greatest evil, he takes the greatest pains to hide himself, for if he is discovered, his designs are in danger of failure; when he comes to sow tares, he takes the form of an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:13,14. He went away as if he had done nothing wrong, such is the way of an adulterous wife, Prov. 30:20. Note: the propensity of fallen people to sin is such that the enemy, having sowed tares, can calmly leave, they themselves will grow and bring harm, while good seed after sowing must be protected, watered, cared for, otherwise nothing will grow.

The tares are not found until the grass springs up and the fruit appears, v. 26. So much secret wickedness can nest in the hearts of people, hidden for a long time under the mask of external piety, but in the end it breaks out. Both good seeds and tares lie in the ground for a long time, and when they germinate, it is difficult to distinguish them from each other. But when the time of trial comes, when the fruit must appear, when a good deed is fraught with difficulties and risks, then you can clearly distinguish a true believer from a hypocrite, then you can say: this is wheat, and these are tares.

The servants, finding the tares, complained to their master (v. 27): "Sir, have you not sown good seed in your field?" Undoubtedly, he sowed good seed. Whatever wrong things are done in the church, we are sure that they are not of Christ; knowing what kind of seed Christ sows, we, too, might ask with surprise: “Where did the weeds come from on him?”

Note, Errors, strife, wickedness grieves all the servants of Christ, and especially His faithful servants, who are to inform the Owner of the field. It is sad to see the tares and weeds in the garden of Christ, to see the good soil in desolation, the good seed choked, and, consequently, the good name of Christ and His honor defiled, as if His field is no better than the field of a lazy man overgrown with thorns.

The master immediately identified where the tares came from (v. 28): "The enemy man did it." He does not condemn his servants: they could not prevent this, although they did everything possible for this on their part.

Note: Faithful and conscientious servants of Christ will not be condemned by Him for the fact that evil is mixed with good, that there are hypocrites along with sincere ones in the church, which means that people should not reproach them. Temptations must come, they will not be imputed to us if we performed our duty honestly, although we did not achieve the desired success. Although the servants fell asleep, they were not lovers of sleep; although the tares were sown, they neither sowed nor watered them nor allowed them to grow, so there is nothing to reproach them with.

The servants really wanted to weed out these tares: “Do you want us to go and pick them out?”

Note, In their haste and unreasoning zeal, the servants of Christ are sometimes ready, at the risk of the church, to root out all that they consider tares, without first consulting their Master: Lord, would we say that fire should come down from heaven?

The master very wisely forbade them to do so (v. 29): "No, lest, in picking up the tares, you pluck up the wheat with them."

Note, No man can accurately tell the tares from the wheat, so Christ, in his wisdom and grace, would rather let the tares grow than endanger the wheat in any way. Obviously, shameful offenders, of course, must be condemned, and we must move away from such, obvious children of the evil one must not be admitted to the sacraments; but it may happen that disciplinary measures are either wrong in their principles, or too severe in the way they are applied, and this may cause distress to truly pious and conscientious Christians. When imposing ecclesiastical censure, great care and restraint are necessary so as not to trample or pull out the wheat. The wisdom from above is as pure as it is peaceful; adversaries are not to be cut off, but instructed with meekness, 2 Tim. 2:25. Tares can become good grain under the influence of the means of grace, so be patient with them.

(6) The harvest is the end of the age, v. 39. This world will come to an end; although it exists for a long time, nevertheless it will not always exist, soon time will be swallowed up by eternity. At the end of the world there will be a great harvest, a day of judgment, by the harvest everything will be ripe and ready for harvest, both good and evil seed will ripen for this great day, Rev. 6:11. The earth will be reaped, Rev. 14:15. At harvest time, the reapers cut everything, leaving not a single corner of the field unharvested; so in the great day all will stand before judgment (Rev. 20:12, 13), God has appointed a harvest (Hos. 6:11), and it will certainly take place, Gen. 8:22. At harvest time, everyone will reap what he has sown; what was the soil and the seed, the labor and the diligence, all will be revealed, Gal. 6:7,8. Then he who brings his seed with weeping will return with joy (Ps. 116:6), will rejoice at the time of harvest (Is. 20:4);

and those who sow to the flesh in vain will cry out, Lord, Lord, their harvest will be severe tribulation, Isaiah 17:11.

(7) Reapers are Angels. On the great day they will carry out, as ministers of Christ's justice, his just judgments, justifying and condemning, ch. 25:31. They are skillful, strong, quick, and obedient servants of Christ, holy enemies of all the ungodly, and true friends of all saints, and therefore quite fit for such a task. He who reaps is rewarded, and the angels will not go unrewarded for their service, for both he who sows and he who reaps will rejoice together (John 4:36);

this is the joy in heaven with the angels of God.

(8) The torment of hell is the fire into which the tares will be thrown and in which they will be burned. On the great day there will be a separation of the tares from the wheat, and with it a great division; it will truly be a wonderful day.

The tares will be chosen. The reapers (whose main task is to gather the wheat) are commanded to gather the tares first.

Note: Although at present the wheat and the tares are together in this world and do not differ, yet on that great day they will be separated, and there will be no more tares among the wheat, there will be no place for sinners between the saints, then they will clearly see the difference between the righteous and the wicked. which is now very difficult to determine, Mal. 3:18; 4:1. Christ will not endure forever, "> Ps 49 Angels will gather from His Kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who do iniquity, if He starts, then he will end. All those perverted teachings, worship and vicious practices that were a temptation and shame for the church, a stumbling block for the consciences of men will be judged in that day by the righteous Judge, and destroyed by the appearance of his coming: all that was wood, hay, and stubble will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:12);

then there will be woe to those who do iniquity, to those who have made evil their trade and persisted in it; woe not only to those who have reached the last centuries, but also to all who have lived in all times. Here you can see an allusion to Zeph 1:3: I will cut off offense along with the wicked.

The tares shall be bound in bundles, v. 30. Sinners who are guilty of the same sin will be bound into one bundle - into a bundle of atheists, into a bundle of Epicureans, into a bundle of persecutors and into a huge bundle of hypocrites. Those who unite now in sin will unite in shame and sorrow in the future, and this will increase their suffering, just as the fellowship of glorified saints will increase their blessedness. Let us pray as David prayed: Lord, do not destroy my soul with sinners (Ps 25:9), but let it be tied in the knot of life with the Lord God, 1 Samuel 25:29.

They will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Such is the end of the wicked, harmful people who are in the church, like tares in the field; they will be good for nothing, as soon as for the fire, this is the most suitable place for them, and there they will follow.

Note, Hell is a fiery furnace ignited by the wrath of God, kept on fire by bundles of tares thrown into it, which will burn forever and never be consumed. But Christ quietly moves away from the metaphor to the description of the torment that it represents: There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Inconsolable sadness and indignation at God, at ourselves and at each other - this is what will consist of the torment of condemned souls. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, let us not persist in iniquity.

(9) Heaven is the granary into which the wheat will be gathered on the day of harvest. Gather the wheat into my barn, so the parable says, v. thirty.

Note:

There are good people in the field of this world, it is wheat, a precious grain, a useful part of the field.

This wheat will soon be gathered, selected from among the tares and weeds; All the Old Testament and New Testament saints will be gathered together, not one will be left behind. Gather my saints to me, Ps 39:5.

All of God's wheat will be gathered together into God's barn. All souls at death are stacked like sheaves of wheat (Job 5:26), but the general gathering will take place at the end of the age, then God's wheat will be gathered and will no longer be scattered, it will be tied into sheaves, like tares into bundles; in the barn the ears of wheat will be protected from the action of wind and rain, from sin and sorrow, they will no longer be separated by great distances, as in the field, but they will lie close to each other in one barn. Moreover, heaven is a granary (ch. 3:12), where the wheat will not only be separated from the tares of evil society, but will be sifted and cleansed from the stubble of its own vices.

In explaining the parable, Christ describes the harvest as a glorification of the righteous (v. 43): Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

First, the glory of the saints at this time is that God is their Father. We are now children of God (1 John 3:2), our heavenly Father is the King. Christ, having come into heaven, came to his Father and our Father, John 20:17. Heaven is our Father's house, nay, it is our Father's chambers, His throne, 3:21.

Secondly, the glory that awaits the righteous in heaven will be that they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Here on earth they are unknown and invisible (Col. 3:3), the poverty and insignificance of their position in the world obscure their beauty; their own shortcomings and weaknesses, the reproach and dishonor to which they are subjected in this world, vilify them; but there they will shine like the sun through dark clouds. At death they will shine before themselves, and on the great day before the whole world, their bodies will become like the glorious body of Christ. They will shine with a reflected light, a light borrowed from the Source of light, their sanctification will be completed, their justification will be made manifest to all, God will recognize them as His children, He will present a record of all their deeds and sufferings for His name, and they will shine like the sun, the most glorious from all visible creations. In the Old Testament the glory of the saints was compared with the glory of the firmament and the stars, but here it is compared with the glory of the sun, for life and incorruption were much more clearly revealed through the gospel than they were through the law. Whoever shone like a lamp in this world, glorifying God, will shine like the sun in the world to come, that is, he will be glorified. As before, Christ ends His exposition with a call to attention: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” To hear all this is our bliss, and to listen to it is our duty.

III. The Parable of the Mustard Seed, v. 31, 32. The purpose of this parable is to show that the beginning of the gospel will be very small, but later it will grow greatly. It is in this way that the Gospel Church is planted in this world, the Kingdom of God among us, this is how the work of grace is accomplished in the heart, the Kingdom of God is within us, within each individual person.

Concerning the work of spreading the gospel, note the following:

1. Its beginning is usually weak and insignificant, like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds. The kingdom of the Messiah, which was being established at that time, played an insignificant role, Christ and His apostles were insignificant in this world, like mustard seeds in comparison with the great ones of this world. The first glimpses of the light of the Gospel in some places can be likened to dawn, and in some souls - an unimportant day, a bruised reed. New converts are like lambs to be picked up, Isaiah 40:11. There is faith, but it is small, it still lacks much (1 Thessalonians 3:10);

there are sighs, but so weak that they cannot be expressed in words; there is a principle of spiritual life and some manifestations of it, but they are hardly distinguishable.

2. However, the gospel seed is growing and gaining strength. Despite all the opposition of hell and the world, the Kingdom of Christ spreads in an amazing way, nations are born in one day. In souls where true grace exists, this grace grows, though imperceptibly. The mustard seed is very small, but it is still a grain that can grow. Grace conquers, shining more and more, Prov. 4:18. Pious habits are strengthened, activity in good deeds is quickened, knowledge becomes clearer, faith more firm, love more fervent: the seed grows.

3. Eventually it becomes strong and very useful. But, when it grows to full strength, it becomes a tree, the size of which greatly exceeds the size of the same tree growing in our area. The church, like a vine taken out of Egypt, took root and filled the earth, Ps. 79:9,10. The Church is like a great tree, in whose branches the birds of the air take refuge, the children of God find food and rest, cover and shelter in it. In each particular person the principle of grace, if it is really present, is preserved and eventually reaches its perfection, the increasing grace becomes more and more powerful and does much. Mature Christians should strive to be useful to others (like a mustard seed that, when grown, benefits birds), so that those who live near them or under their shade become better because of them, Hos. 14:7.

IV. The Parable of the Leaven, v. 33. The purpose of this parable is the same as that of the previous one, to show that the gospel works quietly and imperceptibly, but gradually gains victory and prospers; the preaching of the gospel is like leaven and acts like leaven in the hearts of those who receive it.

1. The woman took the leaven, it was her work. The work of ministers of the gospel is to bring both individual souls and entire nations under the influence of the gospel. A woman is a weak vessel, but it is in such vessels that we carry this treasure.

2. The leaven was placed by the woman in three measures of flour. The human heart is like flour, soft and pliable, it is the soft heart that yields to the influence of the Word of God; leaven has no effect on unground grain, nor does the gospel on proud and unbroken hearts. Three measures of flour is a large amount, for a little leaven will leaven the whole dough. Flour must be kneaded before it takes leaven; our hearts must not only be broken, but also moistened, and labored upon, to prepare them for the word, so that it will have its due influence on them. Leaven is to be laid in the heart (Ps. 119:11), not to hide it (for it will show itself), but to keep it there and take care of it; we must put it there, as Mary put in her heart all that was said about Christ, Luke 2:51. When a woman puts sourdough into flour, she does so with the intention that the sourdough impart its flavor and aroma to the flour. So we must keep the Word of God in our souls, that we may be sanctified by it, John 17:17.

3. The leaven put into the dough does its work, causes fermentation in it, for the word of God is living and active, Heb. 4:12. The leaven acts quickly and at the same time gradually; so does the word. What an unexpected change Elijah's mantle made in Elisha! (1 Kings 19:20). The Word works quietly and imperceptibly (Map 4:26), but powerful and irresistible, it does its work silently, but surely, for such is the way of the Spirit. Just put the leaven in the dough, and all the forces of the world will not be able to prevent it from imparting its taste and aroma to it; and although no one notices how this happens, everything gradually turns sour.

(1) This is exactly what happened in the world. The apostles, by their preaching, put a small amount of leaven into large masses of the people, and this had an amazing effect - they fermented the whole world, in a sense, turned it over (Acts 17:6), gradually changed its taste and aroma; the fragrance of the good news went everywhere, 2 Corinthians 2:14; Rom 15:19. And this was achieved not by some external force that can be opposed and overcome, but by the power of the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts, Who does, and no one can prevent Him.

(2) In the same way work is done in the heart. When the gospel enters the soul, then:

It produces a change, but not of the human being itself - the dough remains dough - but of its properties, giving it a different taste and aroma, making other objects interesting and pleasant for it, Rom. 8:5.

It produces a universal change in man, penetrates into all the properties and faculties of the soul, changes the properties even of the members of the body, Rom. 6:13.

This change is so profound that the soul becomes a partaker of the Word, just as dough becomes of the same nature as leaven. We give ourselves to the Word, we pour ourselves into it as into a mold (Rom. 6:17), we are transformed into the same image (2 Cor. 3:18), like a seal on wax. The gospel emits the fragrance of God and Christ, the fragrance of grace and the other world, and the soul begins to smell of all this. The word of God is the word of faith and repentance, of holiness and love, and it produces all this in the soul. This fragrance is transmitted imperceptibly, for our life is hidden, but becomes inseparable from us, for grace is a good part that will never be taken away from those who have it. When the dough is fermented, it is placed in the oven; change in a person is usually accompanied by trials and tribulations, but in this way the saints become bread for the Lord's table.

Verses 44-52. These verses contain four short parables.

I. The parable of the treasure hidden in the field. Hitherto Christ has compared the kingdom of heaven to small things, because its beginning was small, but in order not to give anyone a reason to neglect it, it is presented in this and in the following parable as having great value in itself and as giving great advantage to those who accepts it and is willing to submit to its terms. It is likened in this parable to a treasure hidden in the field, which, if we wish, can be appropriated.

1. Jesus Christ is the true Treasure, in Him there is an abundance of every useful riches, and in all this there is a part for us: all fullness (Col 1:19; John 1:16), all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3 ), righteousness, grace and peace. All this is hidden in Christ for us, and if we have our part in Him, then we can own it all.

2. The gospel is the field in which this treasure is hidden: it is hidden in the word of the gospel, both in the Old and New Testaments. In the sacraments of the Gospel it is hidden, like milk in the breast, like marrow in the bones, like manna in the dew, like water in a spring (Isaiah 12:3), like honey in a honeycomb. Although it is hidden, not in a closed garden, not in a closed spring, but in a field, in an open field, whosoever wishes, let him come and search the Scriptures; let him dig in this field (Prov. 2:4) - whatever royal treasure we find there, everything will become ours, if only we act correctly.

3. Finding the treasure hidden in this field is the greatest event, the meaning of which cannot be expressed in words. The reason why many neglect the Gospel, do not want to spend money on it and do not risk accepting it, is that they look only at the surface of this field and judge it by its appearance, they do not see the superiority of Christian teaching over the teachings of philosophers. . The richest mines are often hidden in plots of land that outwardly seem completely barren, therefore no price is offered for them, much less set. Why is your lover better than another? How is the Bible superior to other good books? The gospel of Christ far surpasses the philosophy of Plato and the ethics of Confucius, and those who search the Holy Scriptures for the purpose of gaining Christ and eternal life (John 5:39) find in this field a treasure that makes it infinitely more precious.

4. Whoever finds this treasure on the field and appreciates it, he cannot rest until he acquires it at any cost. He conceals it, which testifies to his holy zeal, zeal to be late (Heb. 4:1);

watch (Heb. 12:15) lest Satan come between you and the treasure. He rejoices in him, although the purchase has not yet taken place, he is already pleased with the very thought of the forthcoming acquisition, the consciousness that he is on the right path to gaining his inheritance in Christ, that the contract has been concluded; his heart may rejoice, though he still seeks the Lord, Ps. 114:3. He decides to buy a field. Whoever accepts the Gospel on the terms offered in it, he buys this field. He acquires it for the sake of the invisible treasure hidden on it. In the Gospel we must see Christ, we do not need to ascend to heaven, since in the word Christ is close to us. The one who finds the treasure is so eager to take possession of it that he sells everything he has and buys that field. Whoever desires to gain salvation through Christ must be ready to leave all that he has, to consider all as rubbish, in order to gain Christ and be found in Him, Phil. 3:8-9.

II. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (vv. 45-46);

its purpose is the same as the previous parable of the treasure. Thus the dream is repeated as it concerns certain things.

Notes:

1. All the sons of men are business people, they are looking for good pearls: one wants to become rich, the other is looking for honor, the third wants to be educated. However, most of them are deceived, mistaking fake pearls for real ones.

2. Jesus Christ is the Pearl of great price, the Precious Stone that has no price, He makes rich, truly rich, whoever owns Him, rich in God; having Christ, we have everything necessary for blessedness both here and in eternity.

3. The true Christian is a spiritual merchant who seeks and finds this pearl of great price; he is not interested in anything but Christ, he has decided to be rich spiritually and buys only goods of the highest value: He went ... and bought her, not only bid but bought her. What is the use if we know about Christ, but do not know Him as our own Christ, who has become wisdom to us? (1 Cor 1:30).

4. Those who want to have salvation in Christ must be ready to part with everything for His sake, leave everything and follow Him. Everything that opposes Christ, that hinders us from loving and serving Him, we must gladly leave, even if it is dear to us. However, a person is ready to pay very dearly for gold, but not for this precious pearl.

III. The parable of the net thrown into the sea, v. 47-49.

1. The parable itself, in which one can notice the following:

(1.) The world is a great sea, and the sons of men are reptiles, which have no number, animals large and small, living in this sea, Ps 115:25. Man by nature is like fish in the sea, having no ruler, Hab. 1:14.

(2) The preaching of the gospel is the casting of a net into this sea in order to fish something out of it for the glory of Him who has sovereignty over the sea. Ministers are fishers of men, they cast and pull this net; their work is successful when they lower it according to the word of Christ, otherwise they can work, but not catch anything.

(4.) There will come a time when the net will be full and drawn ashore, a certain time when the gospel will accomplish what it was sent for, and certainly it will not return empty, Isaiah 55:10,11. Now this net is still filling up. There are times when it fills up more slowly than at other times, but it fills up all the same, and when the mystery of God is accomplished, it will be dragged ashore.

(5) When the net is full and pulled ashore, then the good will be separated from all the evil that has fallen into it. The hypocrites will be separated from true Christians, everything good will be collected in vessels as something of value and will be carefully stored, and everything bad will be thrown out like unnecessary garbage. Sad is the fate of those who will be cast out on that day. While the net is in the sea, it is not known what got there, the fishermen themselves cannot figure it out, why they pull it ashore carefully, along with all its contents, for the sake of the good that is in it. Such is God's care for the visible Church, and so ministers must care for those who are entrusted to their care, though they may be of all sorts.

2. Explanation of the last part of the parable. The first part is obvious and simple enough: we see fish of every kind gathered in the visible Church; but the last part refers to the future, and therefore requires interpretation (v. 49, 50): So it will be at the end of the age. It is then, and not before, that the day of separation and exposure will come. We should not expect that all the fish in the net will be good: only good fish will be in the vessels, and a mixture will be in the net. Pay attention to:

(1) Separating the wicked from the righteous. Heavenly angels appear to do what the angels of the Church could never do - to separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous. We do not need to ask how they will do it, for they will receive both authority and instructions from the One who knows every person, knows who is His and who is not; and we can be sure that He will not err.

(2) The punishment of the wicked who are thus separated is that they will be cast into the furnace of fire.

Note, The lot of those who, while living among the saints, die unsanctified, will be eternal torment and sorrow. We have already read about this in Art. 42.

Note, Christ himself often preached the torments of hell as the eternal punishment of the hypocrites, and it is very good for us to remember this truth more often, which awakens and keeps us awake.

IV. Parable about a good host. The purpose of this parable is to fix all the other parables in the memory of the students.

1. The reason for it was the success of the disciples in understanding what was taught to them, and, in particular, in understanding this sermon.

(1) He asked them, "Have you understood all this?" If they didn't understand something, He was ready to explain it to them.

Note, It is the will of Christ that all who read and hear the word should understand it, for otherwise what good would it be? Therefore, after hearing or reading the Word, it is useful to check whether we have understood it. There is nothing humiliating for the disciples of Christ when their knowledge is tested. Christ invites us to come to him for instruction, and ministers should offer their services to those who have good questions about the word they have heard.

(2) They answered Him, "Yes, Lord." We have every reason to believe them, because when they did not understand, they asked him for an explanation, v. 36. The interpretation of this parable was the key to understanding all the others. A right understanding of one sermon helps us to understand others, for good truths mutually explain and illustrate each other; knowledge is easy for the one who understands.

2. The purpose of this parable is to approve and praise the understanding of the disciples.

Note, Christ is ready to commend his diligent disciples, though they are still so weak; He tells them, "Well done, well said."

(1.) He calls them scribes taught the kingdom of heaven. They studied so that later they could teach others, and the Jews had scribes as teachers. Ezra, who disposed his heart to teach in Israel, is called a scribe, Ezra 7:6,10. Experienced and faithful ministers of the gospel are also scribes, but, unlike the Jewish scribes, they are called scribes taught the Kingdom of Heaven, versed in the gospel truths and able to teach them to others.

Note:

Those who are called to teach others must themselves be well instructed. If the mouth of the high priest is to store knowledge, then his head must first receive that knowledge.

The minister of the gospel must be taught the kingdom of heaven, with which his ministry is directly connected. A person can be a great philosopher and politician, but if he is not instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven, then he will make a bad minister.

(2.) He compares them with a good owner, who brings out of his treasury both new and old, the fruits of the past year and that which is gathered this year, all the abundance and variety of fruits, to treat his friends with them, Song 7:13. Note here:

What should the minister's treasury contain, what is meant by old and new? Those who have many and varied opportunities should well provide themselves in the day of gathering with old and new truths, from the Old and the New Testaments, ancient and modern applications of them, that the man of God may be prepared, 2 Tim. 3:16,17. Old experience and new knowledge - everything has its benefit. We should not be content with old revelations, but seek to supplement them with new ones. Live and learn.

How does a good owner use his treasure? He endures everything. They are collected in the treasury in order to later take it out for the benefit of others. Sic vox non vobis - Collect, but not for yourself. Many are full to the brim, but let nothing out of themselves (Job 32:19), have talent, but bury it; such slaves do not bring income. Christ Himself received in order to give, and we also need to give, then we will have more. The new and the old give the best results when they are endured together, that is, when the old truths are taught in new ways and in new expressions, and especially with new love.

Verses 53-58. We see here Christ in His own country. Christ went everywhere doing good deeds, but He did not leave a single place until He finished His sermon there. Although His countrymen once rejected Him, yet He came to them again.

Note, Christ does not heed the first reaction of those who reject him, but repeats his suggestions even to those who have often rejected him. In this, as in many other things, Christ was like His brethren. He had a natural attachment to His country; Partiam quisque amat quia pulchram, sed quia suam - Everyone loves his homeland, not because it is beautiful, but because it is his homeland. Seneca. He was received in the same way as before - with contempt and unfriendly.

I. How they expressed their contempt for him. When He taught in their synagogue, they were amazed. Not because they were impressed with His preaching or because they admired His teachings, but because it was His preaching: they thought it incredible that He could be such a teacher. They reproached him for:

1. Lack of academic education. They admitted that He had wisdom and really worked miracles, but the question arose: where did all this come from? They knew that He did not study with rabbis, never attended school, did not have the title of rabbi, and people did not address Him: Rabbi, rabbi.

Note: Do mediocre, prejudiced people judge others by their degree of education, by their position in society, and not by their intelligence? : “Where did He get such wisdom and power Did He come to them with honest intentions? Did He study black magic? In this way they turned against Him what was really in His favor, for if they were not consciously blind, they would certainly conclude that He who manifests such extraordinary wisdom and power, without education, was sent from God, who helps him.

2. Low social status and poverty of His relatives, v. 55, 56.

(1.) They reproached Christ for his father. Is he not the carpenters' son? Yes, indeed, He was known as the son of a carpenter, but what's wrong with that? He was not at all humiliated by the fact that He was the son of an honest worker. They forgot (or could remember) that this carpenter was from the house of David (Luke 1:21), the Son of David (ch. 1:20), that is, although he was a carpenter, he was of noble birth. Anyone who is looking for a reason to quarrel does not notice the merits and sees only the shortcomings. People of base spirit could not discern in Christ the Branch from the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), because it was not at the top of the tree.

(2.) They reproached Christ for his mother, and what did they have against her? Indeed, she was called Mary, it was the most common name; everyone knew her well, she was the most ordinary woman. Well, so what? You see, His Mother is called Mary, not Queen Mary, not Lady Mary, but simply Mary, and this was reproached to Him, as if there could be nothing worthy in people except foreign origin, noble family or high titles. However, the true dignity of a person is not determined by these pitiful attributes.

(3.) They reproached him also for the brothers, whose names they knew, and they were ready to use this for their own purposes. James and Joses, Simon and Judas, although honest, but poor people, and therefore they considered them unworthy of respect, and along with them - of Christ. These brothers may have been Joseph's sons from a previous marriage, or some other of His relations; probably they were brought up together with Him, in the same family. Therefore, we never read about the call of three of these brothers who were included in the number of twelve (James, Simon and Jude, or Thaddeus): they did not need this kind of call, since they were close to Him from their youth.

(4) His sisters were also among them. It would seem that they should have especially loved and respected Him as their countryman, but that is precisely why they despised Him. They stumbled over him, they stumbled over these stumbling blocks, for he was put in the subject of controversy, Luke 3:24; Isaiah 8:14.

II. How Christ reacted to this contempt, v. 57, 58.

1. It did not trouble His heart. It does not seem to grieve Him much, He despised the shame, Heb. 12:2. Instead of aggravating this insult, or expressing His resentment towards him, or responding to their foolish suspicions in the way they deserved to, He generously attributes it to the common human tendency to underestimate what is available, what is close, what is common, so to speak, homegrown. This is a common occurrence. There is no prophet without honor, except in his own country.

Note:

(1.) Prophets must have honor, and usually have it; God's people are great people, people who deserve honor and respect. It is indeed strange if the prophets are not honored.

2 Notwithstanding this, in their own country they generally enjoy little respect and reverence, nay, sometimes they become the object of great envy. Intimacy in a relationship breeds neglect.

2. It tied His hands at this time: And did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

. On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And a multitude of people gathered to Him, so that He got into the boat and sat down; and all the people stood on the shore.

The Lord sat in the boat so that he could face all the listeners and that everyone could hear Him. And from the sea He catches those who are on the earth.

. And he taught them many parables, saying:

He speaks to ordinary people on the mountain without parables, but here, when the treacherous Pharisees were before Him, He speaks in parables, so that they, even if they do not understand, put a question to Him and learn. On the other hand, they, as unworthy, should not have been offered teachings without covers, for they should not "throw pearls before swine." The first parable is one that makes the listener more attentive. So listen!

behold, a sower went out to sow;

By sower he means himself, and by seed his word. He went out not in a certain place, for he was everywhere; but since He drew near to us in the flesh, that is why it is said "he came out", of course - from the bosom of the Father. So He came to us when we ourselves could not come to Him. And went out to do what? Should the earth be set on fire because of the multitude of thorns, or should it be punished? No, but in order to sow. He calls the seed His own, because the prophets also sowed, but not their own seed, but God's. He, being God, sowed his own seed, for he was not made wise by the grace of God, but was himself the wisdom of God.

. and while he was sowing, something else fell by the road, and birds came and ate it;

. some fell on stony places where there was little earth, and soon rose up, because the earth was not deep.

. When the sun rose, it withered, and, as it had no root, withered;

By the fallen "by the road" we mean careless and slow people who do not accept words at all, for their thought is a trampled down and dry, completely unplowed road. Therefore, the birds of the sky, or spirits of the air, that is, demons, steal their word from them. Those who have fallen on stony ground are those who listen, but, because of their weakness, do not resist temptations and sorrows and sell their salvation. Understand temptations under the shining sun, because temptations reveal people and show, like the sun, the hidden.

. some fell into thorns, and thorns grew up and choked him;

These are those who choke the word with worries. For although the rich man seems to be doing a good deed, yet his deed does not grow and prosper, because he is hindered by worries.

. some fell on good ground and brought forth fruit: one a hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

Three parts of the crop perished and only a fourth was saved, because there are few who are saved at all. He speaks of the good land later, in order to reveal to us the hope of repentance, for even if someone were stony ground, even if he lay by the road, even if he were thorny ground, he can become good ground. Not all of those who receive the word bear fruit equally, but one bears a hundred, perhaps the one who has perfect non-possessiveness; the other - sixty, maybe a cenobitic monk, also busy with a practical life; the third brings thirty - a man who has chosen an honest marriage and diligently, as far as possible, goes through the virtues. Notice how the grace of God accepts everyone, whether they have done great or average or little.

Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

The Lord shows that those who have acquired spiritual ears must understand this spiritually. Many have ears, but not to listen; therefore he adds: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

And having approached, the disciples said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables?

. He said to them in response: because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them,

. for whoever has, to him will be given and will be multiplied, but whoever does not have, what he has will be taken away from him;

Seeing much ambiguity in what Christ said, the disciples, as the general trustees of the people, come to the Lord with a question. He also says: “It has been given to you to know secrets,” that is, since you have a disposition and aspiration, then it is given to you, but to those who do not have diligence, it is not given. For he who seeks receives. “Seek,” he said, “and it will be given to you.” Look how here the Lord spoke a parable, and only the disciples accepted it, because they were looking. So, well, let's say that to the one who has diligence, knowledge is given and increases, and from the one who does not have diligence and corresponding thought, what he thought to have will be taken, that is, if someone has even a small spark of good, it will extinguish that one too, without inflating it with the spirit and without kindling it with spiritual deeds.

. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand;

Pay attention! For here is resolved the question of those who say that the evil are by nature and from God. They say that Christ Himself said: “It has been given to you to know mysteries, but to the Jews it has not been given.” Let us speak together with God to those who say this: He gives everyone the opportunity by nature to understand what is due, for He enlightens every person who comes into the world, but our will darkens us. This is also noted here. For Christ says that those who see with natural eyes, that is, those created by God to understand, do not see by their own will, and that those who hear, that is, created by God to hear and understand, do not hear and do not understand by their own will. Tell me: did they not see the miracles of Christ? Yes, but they themselves made themselves blind and accused Christ, for this is what it means: "seeing they do not see." Therefore, the Lord brings the prophet as a witness.

. and the prophecy of Isaiah comes true over them, which says (): you will hear with your ears and you will not understand, and you will look with your eyes and you will not see,

. For the heart of these people is hardened, and they can hardly hear with their ears, and they close their eyes, so that they will not see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and they will not understand with their hearts, and they will not turn so that I heal them.

See what the prophecy says! It is not because you do not understand that I have made your heart thick, but because it has grown fat, being, of course, formerly thin, for everything that becomes thick is formerly thin. When the heart grew fat, they closed their eyes. He did not say that he closed their eyes, but that they closed them of their own free will. This they did for the purpose that they should not be converted, and that I might not heal them. For by ill will they have endeavored to remain incurable and unconverted.

. Blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear,

. for I tell you truly that many prophets and righteous people desired to see what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and did not hear.

Blessed are the sensual eyes of the apostles and their ears, but all the more worthy of pleasing are the eyes of the soul and their ears, because they knew Christ. He puts them above the prophets, because they saw Christ bodily, the same only contemplated Him with their minds; besides, also because they were not rewarded with so many secrets and such knowledge as these. In two respects, the apostles are superior to the prophets, namely in that they saw the Lord bodily, and in that they were more spiritually initiated into the divine mysteries. So, the Lord explains the parable to the disciples, saying the following.

. Do you listen meaning parables of the sower:

. to everyone who hears the word of the Kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart - this is what is meant by what was sown along the way.

He admonishes us to understand what the teachers say, so that we will not become like those who are by the road. Since the road is Christ, those who are by the road are those who are outside of Christ. They are not on the road, but off this road.

. And that which is sown on rocky places signifies the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

. but it has no root in itself and is impermanent: when tribulation or persecution comes for the sake of the word, it is immediately offended.

I spoke about sorrows because many, being subjected to sorrow from their parents or from any misfortunes, immediately begin to blaspheme. Regarding persecution, the Lord said for the sake of those who become victims of the tormentors.

. And what is sown among thorns signifies the one who hears the word, but the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.

He did not say, "this age stifles," but "the concern of this age," not "wealth," but "the deception of wealth." For wealth, when it is distributed to the poor, does not stifle, but multiplies the word. By thorns, cares and luxury are meant, because they kindle the fire of lust, as well as hell. And just as thorns, being sharp, dig into the body and can hardly be pulled out of there, so luxury, if it takes possession of the soul, digs into it and can hardly be eradicated.

. But that which is sown on good ground signifies the one who hears the word and understands, and who is also fruitful, so that one bears fruit a hundredfold, another sixty, and another thirty.

There are different types of virtue, different and prosperous. Note that there is order in the parable. For first of all we must hear and understand the word, so that we are not like those who are by the road. Then one must firmly keep what one has heard, then one must not be covetous. Judge, what is the use if I hear and keep, but stifle it with covetousness?

. He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

. while the people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and left;

. when the grass sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared.

. And when the servants of the householder came, they said to him: Master! Have you not sown good seed in your field? where are the tares on it?

. He said to them, The enemy man has done this. And the servants said to him: Do you want us to go and choose them?

. But He said, No, lest, when you pick up the tares, you pull up the wheat along with them,

. let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them; but put the wheat into my barn.

In the previous parable, the Lord said that the fourth part of the seed fell on good ground, but in the present it shows that the enemy did not leave this very seed that fell on good ground unspoiled for the reason that we slept and did not care. The field is the world or the soul of everyone. He who sowed is Christ; good seed - good people or thoughts; tares - heresies and bad thoughts; the one who sowed them. Sleeping people are those who, out of laziness, give place to heretics and evil thoughts. Slaves, on the other hand, are angels who are indignant at the existence of heresies and corruption in the soul, and wish to burn and expel from this life both heretics and those who think evil. God does not allow heretics to be exterminated through wars, so that the righteous would not suffer and be destroyed together. God does not want to kill a person because of evil thoughts, lest the wheat be destroyed at the same time. So, if Matthew, being a chaff, were torn out of this life, then at the same time the wheat of the word, which later had to grow from him, would also be destroyed; so also Paul and the thief, for they, being tares, were not destroyed, but they were allowed to live, so that after that their virtue would grow. Therefore, the Lord says to the angels: at the end of the world, then gather the tares, that is, the heretics. How? “In bundles,” that is, by binding their hands and feet, because then no one can do it anymore, but every active force will be tied. The wheat, that is, the saints, will be gathered by reapers-angels into heavenly granaries. In the same way, the evil thoughts that Paul had when he persecuted were burned by the fire of Christ, which He came to throw down to earth, and the wheat, that is, good thoughts, was gathered into the granaries of the church.

. He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

. which, although smaller than all seeds, yet when it has grown, is larger than all herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and take refuge in its branches.

. And when Jesus finished these parables, he went from there.

. And when he came into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue,

"These parables" he said, because the Lord intended to speak others after a while. He passes in order to benefit others by His presence. By His homeland, understand Nazareth, for in it He was nurtured. In the synagogue, however, he teaches in a public place and freely with the aim that later they could not say that He taught something illegal.

so that they were astonished and said, Where did he get such wisdom and power from?

. is he not the carpenters' son? Is not His Mother called Mary, and His brothers James and Joses, and Simon and Judas?

. and His sisters are not all among us? where did he get all this?

. And they were offended by Him.

The inhabitants of Nazareth, being unreasonable, thought that the ignobleness and ignorance of their ancestors prevented them from pleasing God. Let us assume that Jesus was a simple man and not God. What prevented Him from being great in miracles? So they turn out to be both foolish and envious, for they should have rejoiced more that their fatherland had given the world such a blessing. The Lord had the children of Joseph as brothers and sisters, whom he bore from his brother's wife, Cleopas. Since Cleopas died childless, Joseph legally took his wife for himself and gave birth to six children from her: four males and two females - Mary, who is legally called the daughter of Cleopas, and Salome. "Between us" instead of "living here with us". So these also were offended in Christ; maybe they said that the Lord casts out demons by Beelzebub.

But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.

. And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Look at Christ: He does not reproach them, but meekly says: "There is no prophet without honor" and so on. We humans have a habit of always neglecting those close to us, while loving someone else. He added “in his house” because even his brothers, who were from the same house, envied him. The Lord did not perform many miracles here because of their unbelief, sparing them themselves, so that, remaining unbelievers even after the miracles, they would not be subjected to the greater punishment. Therefore, he did not perform many miracles, but only a few, so that they could not say: if he had done anything at all, we would have believed. You understand this also in such a way that Jesus is dishonored in His own country, that is, among the Jews, to this day, but we, strangers, honor Him.

A very important chapter in the whole concept of the gospel.

1. It shows a certain turning point in the preaching of Jesus, which he began in synagogues, and now we see Him teaching on seashore. This change is very important. It cannot be said that by this time the doors of the synagogue were completely closed to Him, but they were already closing. Even ordinary people greeted Him in the synagogue, but the official leaders of the Jewish Orthodox religion stood in open opposition to Him. If He now entered the synagogue, He found there not only passionate listeners, but also the cold looks of scribes, Pharisees and elders, carefully weighing and analyzing His every word and watching His every action in order to find a reason and formulate an accusation against Him.

This is one of the greatest tragedies that Jesus was expelled from the Church of His time, but this could not stop His desire to carry His invitation to people. When the doors of the synagogue were closed before Him, He moved into the open-air temple and taught people in the village streets, on the roads, on the shore of the lake and in their homes. A person who has a real message to tell people and a real desire will always find a way to apply it.

2. It is very interesting that in this chapter Jesus fully begins His specific method of teaching. parables. Prior to this, He had already used the method of teaching, in which the method of the parable was laid in the bud. Comparison (similarity) about salt and light (5,13-16), picture of birds and lilies (6,26-30), a story about a wise and reckless builder (7,24-27), illustration about a patch for clothes and about furs (9,16.17), picture of children playing outside (11,16.17) — this is the beginning of a parable. A parable is truth in pictures and images.

And here in this chapter we see Jesus' method of teaching in parables in full development and very effective. As someone said of Jesus, "It's perfectly fair that He is one of the world's greatest short story writers." Before exploring these parables in detail, let's ask why Jesus used this method and what its important teaching benefits are.

a) A parable is always concretizes the truth. Only a few can perceive and understand abstract ideas; most people think in images and pictures. We can spend quite some time trying to explain in words what is the beauty, but if you point to someone and say, "Here's a handsome man," no explanation is needed. We can go on trying to define of good and virtues but that won't enlighten anyone. But when a person does good to us, we immediately understand what virtue is. In order to be able to understand them, every great word must be fleshed out, every great idea must be presented as embodied in a person; and the parable is primarily distinguished by the fact that it presents the truth in the form of a picture that everyone can see and understand.

b) Someone said that any great teaching must come from the here and now, from momentary reality in order to reach the goal there and then, in the underworld. When a man wants to teach people things they don't understand, he must start with what they can understand. The parable begins with things that are clear to everyone from his own experience, and then leads to things that are incomprehensible to him and opens his eyes to what he has not yet seen, in fact, could not see. The parable opens a person's mind and eyes, starting with where he is and what he knows, and leads him to where he should be.

c) The great instructive value of the parable lies in the fact that it evokes interest. The easiest way to get people interested is to tell them stories. And the parable is precisely the truth embodied in the story. "An earthly story with a heavenly meaning" is the simplest definition of a parable. People will listen and their attention can only be attracted if they are interested; In ordinary people, interest can be awakened by stories, and a parable is such a story.

d) The great value of the parable lies in the fact that it encourages people to discover the truth and gives them the ability to open it. It encourages a person to think for himself. She tells him, “Here's a story for you. What is the truth in it? What does she say you? Think it over for yourself."

Some things simply cannot be said and explained to a person; he must discover them for himself. You can't just say to a person, "This is the truth"; he must be given the opportunity to discover it for himself. When we discover the truth for ourselves, not ourselves, it remains something external and received from the second hand, and we will almost certainly soon forget it. And the parable, prompting a person to think for himself and draw conclusions, shows him the truth with his own eyes and at the same time fixes it in his memory.

e) On the other hand, the parable hides the truth from those who are too lazy to think or too blinded by prejudice to see. The parable lays all the responsibility completely and completely on each person. Parable opens truth to those who seek it, and she hides the truth from someone who does not want to see it.

f) But one more thing must be remembered. The parable, in the form in which Jesus used it, was expressed verbally form; people listened to it, not read it. It was meant to impress people right away, not through lengthy study through commentary. Truth was supposed to illuminate a person, as lightning illuminates the impenetrable darkness of the night. In the course of our study of parables, this has a double meaning for us.

Firstly, this means that we must collect all kinds of details from the history and life of Palestine so that the parable strikes us in the same way as those people who heard it for the first time. We must think and study and try to travel back to that distant era and see and hear all through the eyes of those who listened to Jesus.

And secondly, in general, in the parable there is only one idea. A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every smallest detail has an inner meaning, but an allegory needs read and study; just a parable are listening. One must be very careful not to make allegories out of parables and remember that they should have overshadowed a person with the truth at the moment when he heard it.

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 The sower who went out to sow

On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

And a multitude of people gathered to Him, so that He got into the boat and sat down; and all the people stood on the shore.

And he taught them many parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow;

and while he was sowing, something else fell by the road, and birds came and ate it;

some fell on stony places where there was little earth, and soon rose up, because the earth was not deep.

When the sun rose, it withered, and, as it had no root, it dried up;

some fell into thorns, and thorns grew up and choked him;

some fell on good ground and brought forth fruit: one a hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13:1 - Matthew 13:9

But listen to the meaning of the parable of the sower:

to everyone who hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart - this is what is meant by what was sown along the way.

And that which is sown on rocky places signifies the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

but it has no root in itself and is impermanent: when tribulation or persecution comes for the sake of the word, it is immediately offended.

And what is sown among thorns signifies the one who hears the word, but the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.

But that which is sown on good ground signifies the one who hears the word and understands, and who is also fruitful, so that one bears fruit a hundredfold, another sixty, and another thirty.

Matthew 13:18 - Matthew 13:23

This picture was clear to everyone in Palestine. Here Jesus makes real use of the present to move on to what lies beyond space and time. The Russian translation of the Bible well conveys the meaning of the Greek: "Behold, a sower went out to sow." Jesus, as it were, points to a particular sower; He doesn't talk about the sower at all.

In all likelihood, the following took place. At the moment when Jesus used a boat standing near the shore as a platform or pulpit, a sower was actually sowing on a nearby hill, and Jesus took the sower, whom everyone could see well, as an example and subject of His speech and began: “Look at this sower who sows this field!” Jesus began by saying that they could actually see at that moment, in order to open their understanding to a truth that they had never seen before the south.

There were two methods of sowing in Palestine. The sower scattered the grain with a wide movement of his hand, walking around the field. Of course, if the wind was blowing, it could grab some of the grains and carry them anywhere, sometimes completely outside the field. The second method was for the lazy, but was also used quite often: a bag was put on the donkey's back With grain, cut or break a hole in the bag and led the donkey back and forth along the field, and meanwhile the grain spilled out through that hole. In this case, part of the grain could spill out at the time when the donkey crossed the road-between, made a turn on it, or walked along the road to the field.

In Palestine, the fields were in the form of a long strip, and the space between the strips - the boundary - was legally expensive; they walked along it like an ordinary path, and therefore it was rammed down by the feet of countless passers-by, like a sidewalk. This is what Jesus means by the road. If the grain fell there, and some of it was sure to get there, no matter how the sower sowed, he had as much chance to germinate as on the road.

Rocky places are not places where there are a lot of stones in the ground, but the soil typical of Palestine is a thin, only a few centimeters, layer of earth covering the rocky ground. On such land, seeds naturally germinate and even very quickly, because the earth heats up quickly under the rays of the sun. But the depth of the soil is insufficient and the roots, growing in search of nutrients and moisture, run into a rock, and the plant dies of hunger, unable to withstand the heat.

The thorny earth is deceptive. When the sower sows, the ground appears clean enough. It is not difficult to make the garden look clean - for this you need only turn the earth; but the fibrous roots of creeping wheatgrass, weeds, and all kinds of perennial pests still lie in the ground, ready to sprout again. A good gardener knows that weeds grow with a speed and vigor that few cultivated plants can match. As a result, the sown cultivated seed and the weeds hidden in the ground grow together, but the weeds are so strong that they smother the sown seed.

The good earth was deep, pure, and soft; the seed could fall into the ground, find food, grow freely and bring forth a bountiful harvest.

Matthew 13:1-9:18-23(continued) The Word and the Listener

The parable is really aimed at two kinds of listeners.

a) It is aimed at word listeners. Theologians have often considered that the interpretation of the parable in 13.18-23 -by not an interpretation of Jesus Himself, but was given by the preachers of the early Christian Church, but this, in fact, is not so. It has been argued that it goes beyond the rule that a parable is not an allegory, and that it is too detailed for the listener to grasp its meaning at first glance. If Jesus was really arguing against the sower who was currently sowing, then such an objection seems unfounded. In any case, the interpretation that identifies different kinds of soil with different types of listeners has always been present in the Church, and no doubt comes from an authoritative source. Why not from Jesus Himself?

If this parable is understood as a warning to the hearers, then this means that there are different ways of receiving the Word of God, and that the fruit it bears depends on the heart into which it falls. The fate of every spoken word depends on the listener. As someone said: "The fate of a witty word lies not in the mouth of the one who speaks it, but in the ears of the one who hears it." A joke will succeed if it is told to a person who has a sense of humor and is ready to smile; but the joke will go to waste if it is said to a type without any sense of humor or to a person who at that moment is in the mood not to laugh. But then who are these listeners who are described in the parable and to whom the warning is directed?

1. This is the listener, closed his mind. It is as difficult for a word to enter into the mind of some people as it is for a seed to enter the soil rammed by countless feet. Many things can close the mind of a person. Thus, prejudices can so blind a person that he will not see what he does not want to see. Stubbornness, unwillingness to learn something new or learn something, can create barriers and barriers that are difficult to break down. Such reluctance may be the result of pride, when a person does not want to know what he needs to know, or the result of fear of a new truth, or even an unwillingness to indulge in risky thoughts. Sometimes a person's mind can close his immorality and his way of life. Maybe the truth condemns what he loves and condemns what he does; and many refuse to hear or know the truth that condemns them, therefore the one who simply does not want to see is completely blind.

2. This is a listener whose mind is like fine soil: he can't think things through.

Some people are literally at the mercy of fashion: they are quick to pick up something and just as quick to drop, they always have to keep up with fashion. They enthusiastically turn to new hobbies or try to acquire new qualities, but as soon as difficulties arise, they give it up, or their enthusiasm simply fades and they put it aside. Some people's lives are literally littered with things they started but never finished. A person can treat the word in the same way; he may be shocked and inspired by the word, but no one can live by feeling alone. A person is given a mind, and he is morally obliged to have a conscious faith. Christianity places certain requirements on a person, and these requirements must be considered before they are accepted. Offering to a Christian is not only a privilege; it also entails responsibility. A sudden burst of enthusiasm can quickly turn into an extinguished fire.

3. This is the listener into whose life so many interests that often the most important things are pushed out of his life. Modern life is just different in that there is so much and everywhere you need to be in time. A man is so busy that he has no time to pray; he is busy with so many things that he forgets to learn the Word of God; he is so immersed in sitting, good works, and charitable service, that there is no time left for him from whom all love and all service come. Others are so busy with their own affairs that they are too tired to think about anything else. It is not those things that are disgusting and bad in appearance that are dangerous, but things that are good, because "the good is the enemy of the best." After all, a person does not even deliberately banish prayer, the Bible and the Church from his life, he, perhaps, often remembers them and tries to make time for them, but for some reason in his crowded life he never reaches them. We must be careful that Christ is in the highest place in our lives.

4. And this is a man like good soil. His perception of the word goes through four stages. Like good earth his mind is open. He is always ready to learn listen, never too proud or too busy to listen. Many would be delivered from various sorrows if they would just stop in time and listen to the voice of a wise friend, or to the voice of God. Such a person understands; he has thought of everything for himself, knows what it means for him and is ready to accept it. He turns what he hears into his actions. He brings forth good fruit from a good seed. A true listener is one who listens, understands, and obeys.

Matthew 13:1-9:18-23(cont'd) No need to despair

As we have said, this parable was to have a double effect. We have already seen what effect it must have had on those who hear the word. But she also had to impress those who preach the word. She had to say something not only to the listening masses, but also to the close circle of disciples.

It is easy to see that sometimes a certain disappointment must have grown in the hearts of the disciples. In the eyes of the disciples, Jesus was the wisest and most beautiful of all. But in purely human terms, He had very little success. The doors of the synagogues were closed to Him. The leaders of the Orthodox Jewish religion were His fierce critics and wanted to destroy Him. True, the people came to listen to Him, but only a few changed their lives, and many, having received His healing help, went away and forgot Him. In the eyes of the disciples, the situation was that Jesus was only bringing upon Himself the enmity of orthodox leaders and the fleeting interest of the people. There is nothing surprising in the fact that disappointment sometimes appeared in the hearts of the disciples.

This parable tells the discouraged preacher in no uncertain terms that there will be a harvest for sure. The lesson for the discouraged preacher is contained in the climax of the parable, in the picture of the seed that has given a bountiful harvest. Some seeds may fall on the road and be pecked by birds, some may fall on shallow rocky ground and never grow to maturity, others may fall among the thorns where they will be choked, but despite all this, the harvest will come. No farmer waits for every seed he sows to sprout and bear fruit. It melts well, so that some will be blown away by the wind, and some will fall into places where they cannot germinate, but therefore it does not stop sowing, and it keeps the hope of the harvest. The farmer sows in the hope and confidence that, although some of the seeds will go to waste, there will be a harvest.

Thus, this parable inspires those who sow the seed of the word.

1. Whoever sows the Word of God does not know what the result of sowing will be. There is a story about an old, lonely man, old Thomas. The old man had outlived all his friends, and in the church he went to hardly anyone knew him. And so, when old Thomas died, the author of the story, who went to the same church, decided that hardly anyone would come to the funeral, and decided to go himself, so that at least someone would see old Thomas on his last journey.

And, indeed, there was no one else, and it was a rainy, windy day. The funeral procession reached the cemetery, at the gates of which some military man was waiting. It was an officer, but there were no insignia on his cloak. The military man went up to the grave of old Thomas, and when the ceremony was over, saluted with his hand in a military salute in front of the open grave, as if in front of a king. He turned out to be a brigadier general, and on the way from the cemetery he said: “You are probably wondering why I ended up here. Once upon a time, Thomas was my Sunday school teacher. I was a violent boy and a real punishment for him. He never knows what he has done for me, but everything that I am or will be, I owe to old Thomas, and today I came to pay him the last debt. Thomas didn't know everything he did, and no teacher or preacher can know that. Our job is to sow the seed and leave the rest to God.

2. When a person sows a seed, he should not wait for quick sprouts. In nature, everything grows without haste. It will take a long time for an oak to grow from an acorn, and perhaps only after a long time will a word sprout in a person's heart. But often the word, thrown into the heart of a boy, lies dormant for a long time in it, until it suddenly wakes up one day and saves him from a strong temptation or even saves his soul from death. In our age, everyone is looking for quick results, but we must patiently and hopefully sow the seed, and sometimes even wait years for the harvest.

Matthew 13:10-17:34-35 Truth and listener

And having approached, the disciples said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables?

He said to them in response: because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them,

for whoever has, to him will be given and will be multiplied, but whoever does not have, what he has will be taken away from him;

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand;

And the prophecy of Isaiah comes true over them, which says: You will hear with your ears and you will not understand, and you will look with your eyes and you will not see,

For the heart of these people is hardened, and they can hardly hear with their ears, and they close their eyes, so that they will not see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and they will not understand with their hearts, and they will not turn so that I heal them.

Blessed are your eyes that see, and your ears that hear,

for I tell you truly that many prophets and righteous people desired to see what you see and did not see, and to hear what you hear and did not hear.

Matthew 13:10 - Matthew 13:17

All these things Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them,

let it be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, who says: I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter the secret from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 13:34 - Matthew 13:35

There are many difficult passages in this passage, and we should not hurry, but try to understand their meaning. First of all, there are two points right at the beginning which, if we understand them here, will shed much light on the whole passage.

In the Greek text in 13,11 used word musteria translated in the Bible as secrets, as it is in the literal sense. In New Testament times, the word mystery used in a special way. In our view mystery simply means something obscure and difficult or impossible to understand, something mysterious. But in New Testament times it was a term for something incomprehensible to an outsider, the uninitiated, and perfectly clear to an initiated person.

During the time of Jesus, both in Greece and Rome, the most widespread form of religion was mysteries: the mysteries of Isis and Osiris in Egypt, the Elefsinian, Orphic, Samothracian mysteries in Greece, Bacchus, Attis, Cyben, Mitra in Rome. All these mysteries were of a general nature. These were religious dramas that told the story of some god who lived, suffered and died, and rose again to bliss. The initiate underwent a long course of study, during which the inner content of the drama was explained to him. Such preparatory courses lasted for months and even years. Before seeing the drama, the initiate had to fast and abstain for a long time. They did everything to bring him into a state of excitement and anticipation, after which they took him to watch the drama. A special atmosphere was created: skillful lighting, incense and incense, sensual music, often also a magnificent liturgy. A drama was played out, which was supposed to evoke in the initiate a feeling of complete unity with the god, whose story was told on the stage. The initiate had to literally empathize with the life, suffering, death and resurrection of God, share all these with him, and then share with him his immortality. At the end of the spectacle, the initiate exclaimed: “I am you, you are me!”

Mystery is something that makes absolutely no sense to an outsider, but extremely precious to an initiate. In fact, our participation in the Lord's Supper is exactly the same: for a person who has never seen anything like this before, it will seem strange how a group of people take small pieces of bread and drink a small sip of wine. But for a person who knows what is happening here, for a person who is initiated into the meaning of this service, this is the most precious and most touching service in Christianity.

Thus, Jesus tells the disciples, "Strangers cannot understand what I am saying, but you know Me, you are My disciples, you can understand."

Christianity can only be understood from within. A person can understand it only after he personally meets Jesus. To criticize Christianity from without is to criticize it out of ignorance. Only a person who is ready to become a disciple can understand the most precious aspects of the Christian faith.

Matthew 13:10-17:34:35(continued) The inexorable law of life

The second common point is the phrase in 13,12 that whoever has, will be given to him and will be multiplied, and whoever does not have, what he has will be taken away from him. At first glance, this seems downright cruel, but this is no longer cruelty, but only a statement of the inexorable law of life.

In all areas of life, the one who has is given more, and the one who does not have what he has is taken away. In the scientific field, a student who makes an effort to accumulate knowledge is able to absorb more and more. It is he who is entrusted with research work, the study of deeper problems and sent to advanced courses, because his diligence and diligence, dedication and accuracy made him fit to receive this knowledge. And, on the contrary, a lazy student or student who does not want to work will inevitably lose even the knowledge that he has.

Many received some knowledge in English, French, German or another foreign language at school, and then completely forgot everything, because they never tried to develop their knowledge or put it into practice. Many had a certain ability or even skill in games and sports, and then lost everything because they did not do it anymore. A diligent and hardworking person can get more and more, and a lazy person will lose even what he has. Any gift or talent can be developed, and in view of the fact that nothing in life stands still, if they are not developed, they disappear.

So it is with virtue. Each temptation we overcome makes us more and more capable of overcoming the next one, and each temptation we give in to reduces our chances of holding out against the next. Every good deed, every act of self-discipline and service makes us more capable of the future, and every time we fail to take advantage of that opportunity reduces our chances of taking advantage of it in the future.

Life is a process of gaining something in addition to what you have, or losing what you have. Jesus here stated the truth that the closer a person lives to Him, the more he will approach the Christian ideal, and the more he departs from Him, the less able he is to achieve virtue, for weakness, like strength, increases.

Matthew 13:10-17:34:35(continued) Blindness of Man and the Purpose of God

Verses 13-17 are among the most difficult in the entire gospel narrative. And the very fact that they are given in different ways in different Gospels shows how much this difficulty was already felt in the early Church. In view of the fact that the Gospel of Mark is the earliest, it can be assumed that the words of Jesus are most accurately conveyed in it. There in Map. 4.11.12 it says:

And he said to them: It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to those outside everything happens in parables, so that they look with their own eyes, and do not see; they hear with their own ears, and do not understand, lest they turn, and their sins be forgiven.

If we take these words for their obvious meaning, without trying to understand their true meaning, then we can draw an unusual conclusion: Jesus spoke in parables so that these outsiders would not understand anything, and to prevent them from turning to God and finding forgiveness.

The Gospel of Matthew was written later than the Gospel of Mark and a significant change was made to it:

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand.”

According to Matthew, Jesus spoke in parables because people were too blind and deaf to see the truth in any other way.

It should be noted that this phrase of Jesus leads us to a quotation from Is. 6.9.10. And this passage also put people in a difficult position.

“Go and tell this people: “You listen and listen, but do not understand; look and look and don't notice." Make the heart of these people insensitive and their ears dull and close their eyes so that they do not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and are not converted and healed.

Again, it sounds as if God deliberately blinded the eyes and deafened the ears and hardened the hearts of the people so that they would not understand. One gets the impression that the lack of understanding of the people is the result of a deliberate action of God.

Just as Matthew softened Mark, so septuagint, The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and the version used by most Jews in the time of Jesus toned down the original Hebrew content:

“Go and say to this people: You will hear with your ears, but you will not understand; and with your eyes you will look, and you will not see. For the heart of this people is hardened, and they can hardly hear with their ears, and they close their eyes, so that they will not see with their eyes, and they will not hear with their ears, and they will not understand with their hearts, and they will not turn so that I heal them.

septuagint, so to speak, removes responsibility from God and shifts it exclusively to the people.

What explains all this? One thing is certain, however, this passage cannot mean in any way that Jesus deliberately presented His message in such a way that people could not understand it. Jesus did not come to hide the truth from people, but He came to reveal it to them. And, no doubt, there were times when people could understand this truth.

Hearing the warning contained in the parable of the evil vinedressers, the Orthodox Jewish leaders understood everything well and recoiled from this message, saying: “Let it not be!” (Luke 20:16). And in 13,34.35 In this passage, Jesus quotes the psalmist saying:

“Pay attention, my people, to my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable, and I will pronounce fortune-telling from ancient times.

What we heard and learned, and our fathers told us."

This quote is taken from Ps. 77.1-3 and the psalmist melts here that what he says will be understood, and that he reminds people of the truth that they and they knew f fathers.

The truth is that the words of the prophet Isaiah and their use by Jesus must be read with understanding and try to put yourself in the position of both Isaiah and Jesus. These words tell us three things.

1. They talk about confusion prophet. The prophet brought a message to the people that was perfectly clear to him, and he is stunned that they cannot understand it. Such a feeling repeatedly comprehends both the preacher and the teacher. Very often, when preaching, instructing or discussing something with people, we try to talk about something that seems perfectly relevant and clear to us, excitingly interesting and extremely important, and they listen to it without any interest and understanding. And we are amazed and stunned that something that means so much to us seems to mean nothing to them; that sets us on fire, leaves them cold; what touches our hearts leaves them completely indifferent. This feeling grips every preacher, teacher, and evangelist.

2. They talk about despair prophet. Isaiah had the feeling that his preaching was doing more harm than good, that he could just as well have told a stone wall that there was no access to the minds and hearts of these blind and deaf people, that despite any influence, they became not better, but worse. And again, every teacher and preacher has this feeling. There are times when it seems that, despite our best efforts, the people we are trying to set on the right path are moving away from the path of Christ, rather than approaching it. Our words are carried away by the wind, our message runs into an impenetrable wall of human indifference. It seems that all our work has been in vain, because in the end these people seem even further from God than they were at the beginning. 3. But these words speak not only of the confusion and despair of the prophet—they also speak of incredible, great faith prophet. Here we come face to face with the Jewish conviction, without which it would not be clear what the prophets, Jesus Himself and the early Church said.

The most important point of the Jewish faith is that nothing in this world is done without the will of God. It was the will of God both when the people did not listen and when they listened; it was just as much the will of God when people refused to understand the truth as when they welcomed it. The Jews firmly held that everything has its place in God's purpose, and that He weaves success and failure, good and evil, into the fabric of His plan by the divine hand.

The ultimate goal of everything was, from their point of view, goodness. This is what Paul means in Rome. 9-11. These chapters deal with how the Jews, God's chosen people, rejected the truth of God and crucified the Son of God when He came to them. It seems inexplicable, but what was the result of all this? The good news has gone out to the Gentiles, and in the end it will touch the Jews as well. Seeming evil is summed up in greater good, for all this is included in the purpose of God.

This is how the prophet Isaiah feels. At first he was confused and desperate, then he saw a glimmer of light, and ultimately he said, “I can’t understand these people and their behavior, but I know that all these failures are somehow part of the ultimate purpose of God. and He uses it for His ultimate glory and for the ultimate (good of the people." Jesus took these words of the prophet Isaiah and used them to encourage His disciples. In essence, He told them this: "I know that you find it disappointing; I know how you feel when people's minds and hearts refuse to accept the truth and their eyes refuse to recognize it, but this too is the purpose of God, and one day you too will see the but.

And that should inspire us too. Sometimes we see our success and we are satisfied; sometimes it seems that before us is only barren soil, only failures. It may seem so in the eyes and minds of men, but behind it all is God, who weaves even these failures into the heavenly plan of His omniscient mind and His omnipotent power. In God's ultimate plan, there are no setbacks and no unnecessary dead ends.

Matthew 13:24-30:36-43 Enemy action

He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

while the people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and left;

when the grass sprang up and the fruit appeared, then the tares also appeared.

And when the servants of the householder came, they said to him: Master! Have you not sown good seed in your field? where are the tares on it?

He said to them, The enemy of man has done this. And the servants said to him: Do you want us to go and choose them?

But he said, No, so that when you pick up the tares, you do not uproot the wheat along with them,

let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares and bind them in sheaves to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:23 - Matthew 13:30

Then Jesus dismissed the people and went into the house. And coming to Him, His disciples said: Explain to us the parable of the tares in the field.

He answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil one;

the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Therefore, as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age:

The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who do iniquity,

and cast them into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth;

then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13:36 - Matthew 13:43

The pictures and images of this parable would be familiar and understandable to Palestinian listeners. Tares - weeds - were a scourge against which the peasant had to fight hard. It was a grass, which was called hairy vetch. In the early stages of development, these tares were so similar to wheat that it was impossible to tell them apart. They could be easily distinguished when they began to grow, but by that time their roots were so intertwined that it was impossible to weed out the tares without pulling out the wheat at the same time.

In the book “The Land and the Book”, W. Thomson says that he saw tares in Wadi Hamam: “The grain is just at that stage of development, which fully corresponds to what is said in the parable. In those places where the grain sprouted, the tares also sprouted, and even a child cannot confuse them with barley, but at an earlier stage of development they cannot be distinguished even with the most careful examination. I myself cannot do this with any certainty at all. Even the peasants, who usually weed their fields in this country, do not try to distinguish between them. Not only will they uproot wheat instead of vetch, but usually their roots are so tightly intertwined that it is impossible to separate them without pulling both together. And therefore they must be left until the very harvest.

The wheat cannot be well separated from the chaff during growth, but it must be done at the end because hairy vetch seeds are slightly poisonous. They cause dizziness and nausea and act like a drug, and even in small amounts it tastes bitter and unpleasant. They were usually separated by hand after threshing. One traveler describes it this way: “Women must be hired to select the tares from the seeds that go to the mill. Usually the separation of the tares from the wheat is done after threshing. Grain is laid out on a large tray placed in front of the women; women may choose tares, seeds that are similar in size and shape to wheat, but are bluish-grey in colour.”

Thus, in the initial stages, the tares are indistinguishable from wheat, but in the end they must be separated from it at great expense in order to avoid serious consequences.

The picture of a man deliberately sowing tares in someone's field is not at all a figment of pure imagination. Sometimes they actually did. And today in India, the most terrible threat to the peasant can be this: "I will sow your field with harmful seeds." In codified Roman law, the punishment for such a crime was specifically stipulated. All the images and pictures of this parable were familiar to the inhabitants of Galilee who heard it for the first time.

Matthew 13:24-30:36-43(continued) Judgment time

According to its teaching, this parable is one of the most practical of all the parables that Jesus told.

1. It teaches us that there is always a hostile force in the world, seeking and waiting to destroy the good seed. Experience shows that our life is always subject to two influences - one of them contributes to the prosperity and growth of the seed of the word, and the other tries to destroy the good seed before it can bear fruit at all. And from this follows the lesson that we must always be on our guard.

2. It teaches us that it is very difficult to distinguish between those who are in the Kingdom and those who are not. A person may appear to be good, but in fact be bad, and another may appear to be bad, but in fact still be good. Too often we rush to classify people into one category or another, good or bad, without knowing all the facts.

3. She teaches us to take our time with our judgments. If the reapers had their way, they would certainly try to uproot all the tares, and at the same time they would uproot all the wheat. Judgment must be postponed until the harvest. In the end, a person will be judged not by one act, and not by one stage, but throughout his life. Judgment will take place only at the very end. A person can make a big mistake, and then correct it, and by the grace of God live a Christian life, maintaining his dignity. Another may lead a prudent life, and then at the very end spoil everything by suddenly falling into sin. He who sees only a part cannot judge the whole, and he who knows only a part of a person's life cannot judge the whole person.

4. She teaches us that judgment will come at the end. Judgment is not in a hurry, but judgment will come; condemnation will be accepted. It may be that in human terms in the next world a sinner will escape consequences, but there is still life to come. One may get the impression that virtue is never rewarded, but there is still a world to come that will change the outcome of the earthly world.

5. She teaches us that only God has the right to judge. Only God alone can perfectly distinguish evil from good, only God alone sees the whole person and his life through it. God alone can judge.

Thus, this parable is both a warning not to judge people at all, and a warning that in the end judgment awaits everyone.

Matthew 13:31-32 humble beginnings

He offered them another parable, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

which, although smaller than all seeds, yet when it has grown, is larger than all herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and take refuge in its branches.

The cultivation of mustard in Palestine had its own characteristics. Strictly speaking, the mustard seed is not the smallest of the grains; the seed of the cypress tree is even smaller, but in the East the small size of the mustard seed is proverbial. So, for example, the Jews spoke of a drop of blood, like a mustard seed, or, speaking of the slightest violation of the ritual law, they spoke of defilement no more than a mustard seed; Yes, Jesus Himself used this phrase in the same sense when He spoke about faith with a mustard seed (Mat. 17:20).

In Palestine, something like a tree grew from such a small mustard seed. In the book "The Earth and the Book" W. Thomson writes: "I saw this plant in the rich valley of Akkare, as tall as a horse, along with a rider." He says further: "With the help of my guide, I uprooted a real mustard tree over 3.5 meters high." There is no exaggeration in this parable.

Also, it was typical to see such mustard bushes or trees around which flocks of birds hovered, because birds love these soft black seeds and sit on a tree to peck at them.

Jesus said that His kingdom is like a mustard seed that grows into a tree. The idea here is quite clear: the Kingdom of Heaven begins with the smallest, but no one knows where it ends. In Eastern figurative expressions, and in the Old Testament itself, a large empire is usually depicted in the form of a large tree, and conquered peoples - in the form of birds that have found rest and refuge in its branches. (Ezekiel 31:6). This parable tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven begins very small, but in the end, many nations will be gathered in it.

History really shows that great things always start small.

1. Any idea that may well change even the development of the entire civilized world can start with one person. The initiator of the emancipation of blacks in the British Empire was William Wilberforce. This idea came to him while reading a book about the slave trade. Wilberforce was a close friend of William Pitt, then Prime Minister of England. One day Wilberforce was sitting with William Pitt and other friends in his garden. A beautiful view opened before him, but his thoughts were occupied with the gloomy sides of human life. Suddenly William Pitt turned to him and said, "Wilberforce, why don't you review the development of the slave trade?" The idea was planted in the mind of one person and this idea has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The idea must find a person who would be ready for her to master him; but as soon as she finds such a person, a tide begins that cannot be stopped by anything.

2. Testimony of Christ can begin with one person. One book tells how a group of young people from different countries discussed the problem of how to spread the Christian gospel among people. They talked about propaganda, about literature, about every possible way to spread the gospel in the twentieth century. Then a girl from Africa spoke up: “When we want to bring Christianity to some of our villages,” she said, “we do not send books there. We take a Christian family and send them to live there in the village, and they convert the village to Christianity with their lives.” Often it is the testimony of just one person, whether in a group or community, school or factory, shop or office, that Christianity brings. One man, or one woman, one young man, or one girl, ignited by faith in Christ, kindles the rest.

3. And the transformation or reformations begin with one person. One of the most grandiose pages in the history of the Christian Church is the history of Telemachus. He was a hermit who lived in the desert, but somehow the voice of God told him that he must go to Rome. He went there. Rome was formally already Christian, but gladiator fights continued in the city, in which people fought each other, and the crowd was thirsty for blood. Telemachus found the place where the games were held; 80,000 spectators filled the amphitheater. Telemachus was horrified by this. Are not these people who are called Christians and who kill one another God's children? Telemachus jumped out of his seat straight into the arena and stood between the gladiators. He was pushed away, but he came again. The crowd was indignant; stones were thrown at him, and he again stood between the gladiators. The overseer gave the command, the sword flashed in the sun, and Telemachus fell dead. And suddenly silence reigned as the crowd realized what had happened: the saint lay dead. Something happened in Rome that day, because since then gladiatorial fights have never been held in Rome. With his death, one man cleansed the empire. Someone always has to start the reformation; even if not in the whole nation, let him start in his home or in his workplace. When he starts, not a single person knows how these transformations will end.

4. But at the same time, this parable, like no other that Jesus told, spoke about Him personally. For his disciples must have sometimes fallen into despair, because they are so few, and the world is so great; how can they ever take possession of it and change it? And yet, with Jesus came into the world an invincible power. The English writer H. G. Wells once said: “Christ is the dominant figure in history… The historian, who has no theological conviction at all, will understand that it is simply impossible to honestly describe the progress of mankind without putting the poor teacher from Nazareth in the very first place.” In the parable, Jesus tells His disciples and His followers today that there is no need to be disappointed, that everyone should serve and testify in their place, that each should be a small beginning that will spread until, finally, the earthly kingdoms become the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:33 The transforming power of Christ

He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of meal until it was all leavened.

The most interesting thing in this chapter is that Christ took His parables from everyday life. He began with examples well known to His hearers, to direct their thoughts to deeper reflection. He took the parable of the sower from the peasant's field, the parable of the mustard seed from the vineyard, the parable of the wheat and the tares from the everyday problems that the peasant faces in the fight against weeds, and the parable of the net from the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee. He took the parable of the hidden treasure from the daily work of digging up the field, and the parable of the pearl from the sphere of commerce and trade. And Jesus took the parable of leaven from the kitchen of a simple house.

In Palestine, bread was baked at home. Three measures of flour is the average amount of flour needed to bake bread for a fairly large family in Nazareth. Jesus took the parable of the Kingdom from what He repeatedly saw from His mother, Mary. A sourdough is a small piece of dough that has been preserved from previous baking and fermented during storage.

In the Jewish worldview, leaven is usually associated with bad influence; the Jews associated fermentation with putrefaction and decay, and leaven symbolized evil (cf. Matt. 16:6; 1 Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:9). One of the ceremonies of preparation for Passover was that every piece of leaven that could be in the house should be found and burned. It may well be that Jesus deliberately chose this illustration for the Kingdom. Such a comparison of the Kingdom with leaven must have been quite a shock to the listeners, and such a shock must have aroused interest and attracted attention, as an unexpected and unusual comparison always does.

The whole meaning of the parable boils down to one thing - to the transforming effect of leaven. Sourdough changes the whole character of the baking process. Unleavened bread is like a dry liver - hard, dry, tasteless, and sour bread baked from dough and yeast, sourdough - soft, porous, tasty, and it is pleasant to eat. Kneading leaven completely transforms the dough, and the coming of the Kingdom transforms life.

Let us summarize the features of this transformation.

1. Christianity has transformed lives individual person. AT 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Paul gives a list of the worst and heinous sinners, and then, in the next verse, comes the startling statement, "And such were some of you." We must never forget that the power and authority of Christ is to make good people out of wicked people. In Christianity, transformation begins with the private life of the individual, because through Jesus Christ, everyone can become a winner.

2. Christianity transforms life in four important social aspects. Christianity has transformed life women. In his morning prayer, the Jew thanked God that He had not made him a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. In Greek society, a woman led an extremely secluded lifestyle and was engaged only in housework. K. Freeman describes the life of a child or a young person as follows, even in the days of the power and glory of Athens: “When he came home, there was no hearth: his father was rarely at home; the mother was "an empty place", she lived in the female half, and he apparently saw her very rarely. In the East, one could often see a family on the road in this form: the husband rode on a donkey, and the woman walked and, perhaps, even bent under a heavy burden. History clearly shows that Christianity has transformed a woman's life.

3. Christianity has transformed lives for the weak and sick. In the pagan world, the weak and sick have always been looked upon as a hindrance. In Sparta, a newborn was carefully examined: if he was healthy and handsome, he could live; if he was weak or handicapped, he was left to die on a mountainside. It is reported that the first asylum for the blind was organized by the Christian monk Falasios; the first free pharmacy for the poor was created by the Christian merchant Apollonius; the first hospital of which written evidence has come down to us was founded by the Christian Fabiola, a woman of aristocratic origin. Christianity was the first religion to take an interest in the sick and weak.

4. Christianity has transformed lives for elderly. The elderly, like the weak, were also a hindrance. The Roman writer Cato, in his treatise On Agriculture, gives this advice to farmers: “Look after your livestock, go to auctions; sell your oil if the prices are satisfactory, and sell the surplus of wine and grain. Sell ​​tormented oxen, defective cattle, defective sheep, wool, skins, old carts, old implements, old slaves, sick slaves and everything else that you have in abundance. The old ones, having done their daily work, were now suitable only to be thrown out as useless into the dustbin of life. Christianity was the first religion to see people as individuals rather than tools capable of doing a certain amount of work.

5. Christianity has transformed lives for child. Shortly before the emergence of Christianity in the ancient world, marriage relations began to crumble and the very existence of the family and home was in danger. Divorces were so common that it was not unusual or reprehensible for a woman to have a new husband every year. In such circumstances, the very existence of children was a disaster, and the custom of leaving children to their fate assumed tragic proportions. There is such a well-known letter from a certain Hilarion, who was temporarily in Alexandria, to his wife Alice, who remained at home. He writes thus: “If—good fortune be with you—you give birth to a child; if it be a boy, let him live; if it's a girl, throw her out." In modern civilization, one might say that all life is built around a child, but in the ancient world, a child had every chance of dying even before he began to live.

Anyone who asks the question, "What has Christianity given the world?" refutes himself. History undeniably clearly shows the transformative impact of Christianity and Christ on the life of the individual and the whole society.

Matthew 13:33(continued) Action of leaven

Another question arises in connection with the parable of the leaven. Almost all theologians and scholars agree that it speaks of the transforming power of Christ and His Kingdom in the life of each individual and in the world; but there is disagreement between them as to how this power works.

1. Some say that the lesson of the parable is that the Kingdom cannot be seen. We cannot see how the leaven works in the dough, just as we cannot see how the flower grows, but the leaven works constantly and continuously. And some argue that we also cannot see how the Kingdom operates and affects, but that the Kingdom operates constantly and continuously and brings people and the world closer and closer to God.

Thus, there is an inspiring idea and message in this parable: it means that we should always look at things in a broad perspective, that we should not compare the current state of things with last week, last month or even last year, we need to look back for centuries, and then the constant progress of the Kingdom will be seen.

If you look at this radius, then the parable teaches that Jesus Christ and His Gospel released a new power in the world, and that this power quietly and inevitably contributes to the progress of righteousness in the world, and that God gradually realizes His plans every year.

2. But some have said that the parable contains just the opposite lesson, and the impact of the Kingdom is quite obvious. The work of the leaven is clearly visible to everyone. Put the leaven in the dough and it will turn the passive piece of dough into a boiling, bubbling, rising mass. Such is the operation of the Kingdom - violent and disturbing, and this is clearly visible to everyone. When Christianity came to Thessaloniki, people shouted: "All-world troublemakers have come here too." (Acts 17:6).

If you think about it, there is no need to choose between these two points of view on the parable, because both of them are correct. In a sense the Kingdom, the power of Christ, the Spirit of God is always in action, whether we see the work or not, and in a sense the work is evident. Christ obviously and radically changes the lives of so many people, and at the same time, throughout the long history of mankind, God's purposes are quietly embodied in the life.

This can be illustrated with the following example. The kingdom, the power of Christ, the Spirit of God, are like a great river that flows invisibly under the surface of the earth for the most part, but rises again and again to the surface in all its majesty and then can clearly see everything. This parable teaches both that the Kingdom always works invisibly and that there are moments in everyone's life and in history when the Kingdom's action is absolutely obvious and it demonstrates its power so clearly that everyone can see it.

Matthew 13:44 All in one working day

The Kingdom of Heaven is also like a treasure hidden in a field, which, having found, a man hid, and out of joy over it, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

Although this parable sounds a little strange to us, it sounded quite natural to the inhabitants of Palestine in the era of Jesus, and even the modern inhabitants of the East are familiar with this picture.

There were banks in the ancient world, but they were not banks for ordinary people, and so they usually buried their jewels in the ground. In the parable of the talents, the crafty and lazy servant hid his talent in the ground so as not to lose it. (Matt. 25:25). According to a rabbinical saying, there is only one safe place for money - the earth.

It was even more likely to do so where a man's vineyard could at any time turn into a battlefield. Apparently, it was on the territory of Palestine that there were the most wars, and when a shaft of war approached people, they usually hid their goods in the ground before they fled, in the hope that one day they would be able to return. The historian Josephus Flavius ​​speaks of "gold and silver and the remains of those jewels that the Jews had and kept underground in the hope of not losing all this."

In the book "The Earth and the Book" by W. Thomson, first published in 1876, there is a story about the discovery of a treasure, which he himself witnessed in the city of Sidon. This city has a famous acacia boulevard. Some workers digging in the garden on this boulevard found several copper vessels filled with gold coins. They really wanted to keep the find for themselves, but there were so many of them and they were so excited by the find that it became widely known and the local government laid claim to the treasure. The coins turned out to be those of Alexander the Great and his father Philip. Thomson speculates that when news of Alexander's sudden death in Babylon reached Sidon, some Macedonian officer or government official buried the coins, with the intention of embezzling them in the confusion that was to follow the death of Alexander the Great. Thomson also says that there are even people who make the search for hidden treasures the goal of their lives, and who get so excited that they faint when they find only one coin. The story that Jesus told here was well known to every inhabitant of Palestine and the East in general.

One might think that in this parable Jesus is praising a man who is guilty of fraud, who hid a treasure and tried to appropriate it. There are two things to note about this. First, although Palestine was under the Romans at the time of Jesus and Roman law was in force, traditional Jewish law was in effect in everyday affairs, and in relation to hidden treasures, rabbinic law clearly stated: “What finds belong to the finder, and what finds need to be declared? The following finds belong to the finder: if a person finds scattered fruits, scattered money ... they belong to the finder. This man had the right to take precedence over what he found.

Secondly, even regardless of this, when considering a parable, one should never emphasize details; the parable contains one main idea, and in relation to it, everything else plays a secondary role. The main idea of ​​this parable is the joy associated with the discovery, which prompted a person to decide to sacrifice everything in order to irrevocably appropriate the treasure. Everything else in the parable is irrelevant.

1. The lesson of this parable is that the man found the treasure not so much by accident as by in the course of his day's work. It's fair to say that he stumbled upon it out of the blue, but he did it. while doing your daily business. And it is fair to conclude that he diligently and carefully carried out his daily work, therefore, in order to stumble upon treasure, he had to dig deep, and not just scratch the earth on the surface. It would be sad if we found God and felt close to Him only in churches, in so-called sacred places and in connection with so-called religious circumstances.

Here is an unwritten saying of Jesus that has never made it into any gospel, but which sounds very righteous: "Lift up a stone and you will find Me; split the tree and there I am." When a bricklayer works a stone, when a carpenter cuts a tree, Jesus Christ is with them. Real happiness, real contentment, a sense of God, the presence of Christ, are all to be found in the day's work, if that work is done honestly and conscientiously. Brother Lawrence, a great saint and mystic, spent most of his working life in the monastery kitchen, among the dirty dishes, and could say: "I felt Jesus Christ as close in the kitchen as during holy communion."

2. Secondly, the lesson of this parable is that everything can be sacrificed in order to enter the Kingdom. What does it mean to enter the Kingdom? Studying the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:10) we have found that we can say that the kingdom of God is a state of society on earth in which the will of God is carried out as perfectly as it is in heaven. And therefore, to enter the Kingdom means to accept and fulfill the will of God. Doing the will of God is worth every sacrifice. Suddenly, just as this man found the treasure, at some moment of enlightenment, the consciousness of what God's will for us may flash in us. To accept it, it may be necessary to give up certain and very dear ambitions and aspirations, to give up certain beloved habits and beloved lifestyle, to accept hard discipline and self-denial - in a word, to accept your cross and follow Jesus. But there is no other way to peace of mind in this life and to glory in the life to come. Indeed, it is worth giving everything in order to accept the will of God and fulfill it.

Matthew 13:45-46 precious pearl

Still like the Kingdom of Heaven to a merchant looking for good pearls,

who, finding one pearl of great value, went and sold everything he had and bought it.

In the ancient world, pearls occupied a special place in the human heart. People coveted a beautiful pearl, not only for its monetary value, but also for its beauty. They found pleasure and delight in just holding it in their hands and contemplating it. They got aesthetic pleasure from owning it and looking at it. The main source of pearl mining was the shores of the Red Sea and distant Britain, but another merchant was ready to travel all over the world's markets to find a pearl of extraordinary beauty. This parable reveals some truths.

1. Interestingly, the Kingdom of God is compared to a pearl. In the eyes of the inhabitants of the ancient world, a pearl was the most beautiful thing that one could have at all; which means that the Kingdom of Heaven is the most beautiful in the world. Let's not forget what the Kingdom is. To be in the Kingdom means to accept and do the will of God. In other words, doing the will of God is not at all something boring, gray, painful - it is a wonderful thing. Beyond self-discipline, self-sacrifice, self-denial and the cross is the highest beauty that can ever be. There is only one way to give peace to the heart, joy to the mind, the beauty of life - to accept and do the will of God.

2. It is interesting to think that there are many pearls, but only one of them is precious. In other words, there are many beautiful things in this world and many things that a person finds beautiful. A person can find beauty in knowledge and in the treasures created by the human mind, in art, in music and in literature, and in general in the numerous achievements of the human spirit. He can find beauty in serving his fellows, even when this service is based on humanistic, and not purely Christian motives; he can find beauty in human relationships. It's all beautiful, but it's still not that beauty. The highest beauty lies in accepting the will of God. This, however, should not belittle other things. They, too, are gems, but the most beautiful and precious of them all is the willing obedience that makes us friends of God.

3. This parable has the same idea as the previous one, but with one difference: the man digging the field was not looking for any treasure, it came to him completely unexpectedly. And the man who was looking for a pearl spent his whole life looking for it.

But whether the discovery was the result of a minute's search, or a lifetime's search, the response was the same—one had to sell everything and sacrifice everything to take possession of the precious thing. And again we are confronted with the same truth: no matter how a person discovers the will of God for himself, whether at the moment of enlightenment, or as a result of a long and conscious search, it is worth everything to immediately accept it.

Matthew 13:47-50 Catch and sorting

Still the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea and seizing every kind of fish,

which, when it was full, they dragged it ashore, and sat down, and gathered the good things into vessels, and threw the bad things out.

So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous,

and cast them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It is only natural that Jesus, addressing the fishermen, used examples from the field of fishing. He seemed to be saying to them, "Look how your daily work speaks to you about heavenly things."

In Palestine, two methods of catching fish were used: with a cast net, in Greek - amphiblestron, which were thrown by hand from the shore. W. Thomson describes it this way:

“The net is shaped like the top of a round tent; a rope is attached to the top of it. This rope is tied to the hand and the net is folded so that when thrown it is completely stretched into a circle, around the circumference of which lead balls were attached, so that it immediately sinks to the bottom ... the fisherman, bent over, half-naked, closely follows the play of the surf, and in it sees his prey carelessly approaching him. He leans forward to meet her. His net flies forward, stretching in flight, and its lead balls fall to the bottom even before the stupid fish realizes that the meshes of the net have enveloped it. The fisherman slowly pulls the net by the rope, and with it the fish. Such work requires a sharp eye, a good active constitution and great skill in casting a net. The fisherman must also be patient, observant, always on his guard and ready to seize the opportunity to cast his net.”

Still caught fish with the help of nonsense (sagene) so to speak, a trawl net. This is the kind of network we are talking about in this parable. The trawl net, nonsense, was large network square shape with cables-ropes at all corners, balanced so that it seemed to hang vertically in the water. When the boat started to move, the net stretched, taking the form of a large cone, into which various kinds of fish and things fell.

After that, the net was pulled ashore and the catch was sorted out: the useless was thrown away, and the good was put into vessels. It is interesting to note that sometimes live fish were placed in vessels filled with water because that was the only way to transport fresh fish over long distances. There are two important lessons in this parable.

1. Nonsense, by its nature, is indiscriminate in what it captures; when he is pulled in the water, he must capture everything. Its content will necessarily be a mixture of the necessary and the unnecessary, the useful and the useless. If we apply this to the Church, which is the instrument of the Kingdom of God on earth, then this means that the Church cannot distinguish between good and bad and must, by its nature, be a collection of different people - good and bad, useful and useless. There have always been two views of the Church - the exclusive and the inclusive. The exclusive point of view comes from the fact that the Church exists for good people, for people who are completely committed and completely different from the world. This is an attractive point of view, but it is not the point of view on which the New Testament is based, because, among other things, who is to judge it, when we are told not to judge? (Matt. 7:1). It is not for a man to judge and say who is devoted to Christ and who is not. An inclusive point of view instinctively feels that the Church should be open to all, and because it is an organization of people, it should be made up of different people. That is what the real parable teaches.

2. But this parable also speaks of a time of division and separation, when the good and the bad will be sent to their appointed places. But this division, although it will be carried out necessarily, will be carried out by God, and not by people. Therefore, we must gather in the Church all who come, and not judge and divide and separate, leaving the final judgment to God.

Matthew 13:51-52 Old gifts reused

And Jesus asked them: Have you understood all this? They say to Him: Yes, Lord!

He said to them: Therefore, every scribe who has been taught the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master who brings out of his treasury both new and old.

After finishing talking about the Kingdom, Jesus asked His disciples if they understood the meaning of what was being said. And they understood, at least in part. Then Jesus begins to speak of the scribe, instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven, who brings out of his treasury the new and the old. What Jesus is really saying is this: “You can understand, because you came to me with a good inheritance: you came with all the teachings of the law and the prophets. The scribe comes to Me after a lifetime of study of the law and all its commandments. Your past helps you understand. But after being instructed by Me, you know not only what you knew before, but also what you have never heard before, and even the knowledge that you had before is illuminated by what I have told you.”

This makes us think very, very much, because it means that Jesus never wanted or wanted a person to forget what he knew before he came to Him. He simply has to look at his knowledge in a new light and use it in a new service, and then his former knowledge will become an even greater treasure than it was before.

Every person comes to Jesus with some gift and some ability, and Jesus does not require him to give up his gift. And people think that if they become followers of Jesus, they will have to give up everything and concentrate completely on so-called religious things. But after all, a scientist, having become a Christian, does not abandon his scientific work; he simply uses it in the service of Christ. A business man should not leave his business either, he should simply conduct it in the way a Christian should. Jesus did not come to make life empty, but to fill it; not to impoverish life, but to enrich it. And here we see how Jesus tells people not to throw away their gifts, but to use them even more wonderfully in the light of the knowledge they received from Him.

Matthew 13,53-58 barrier of disbelief

And when Jesus finished these parables, he went from there.

And when he came into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, Where did he get such wisdom and strength?

is he not the carpenters' son? Is not His Mother called Mary, and His brothers James and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

and His sisters are not all among us? where did he get all this?

And they were offended by Him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.

And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

It is only natural that Jesus came sometimes to Nazareth, where He grew up, and yet it required courage. The hardest thing for a preacher to preach is in the church he went to as a boy, and the hardest thing for a doctor to work in a place where people knew him when he was young.

But Jesus went to Nazareth. There was no official in the synagogue to speak to the audience or read to them from the Scriptures. The head of the synagogue, as he is called in the Bible, could ask any outstanding person who came from outside to speak, or a person who had something to say to people, who had the message of God, could begin to speak. It's not that Jesus was not given the opportunity to speak, but when he spoke, he met with only hostility and distrust. The people did not listen to Him because they knew His father, His mother, His brothers and His sisters. They could not imagine that someone who had once lived among them had the right to speak the way Jesus spoke.

As is often the case, a prophet has no honor in his native country, and the attitude of the people of Nazareth erected a wall that prevented Jesus from influencing them.

This is a great lesson for us. The behavior of parishioners in church speaks more than the sermon, and thus creates a certain atmosphere that either erects a barrier through which the preacher's word cannot penetrate, or is filled with such expectation that even a weak sermon kindles.

And again, we should not judge a person by his past and his family connections, but by who he is. Many messages and messages were completely ruined, not because there was anything wrong with them, but because the minds of the listeners were so filled with prejudice against the messenger that he had no chance. As we gather together to hear the Word of God, we must come in eager expectation, and we must meditate not on the man who speaks to us, but on the Spirit who speaks through Him.