13:1 The same day, Jesus left the house and sat out by the seashore.
13:2 And great crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down – and the whole crowd stood on the shore.
13:3 And he taught them many things using analogies: “Consider the farmer who went out to plant –
13:4 and as he planted, some seeds fell to the side and the birds came and ate them.
13:5 Some fell on rocky soil and they sprouted quickly because there was no depth to the soil.
13:6 But when the sun rose up, they were burned – and because they had no root, they withered.
13:7 Some fell among weeds – and the thistles sprouted up and choked them.
13:8 But others fell into good soil, and provided good fruit – some a hundred times, some sixty times and some thirty times.
13:9 One who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
13:10 Thus the disciples approached him and asked, “Why are you teaching them with analogies?”
13:11 He replied, saying to them, “You have been given knowledge of the mysteries of the sanctuary of the spiritual realm, but to them it has not been given.
13:12 For whoever has – to him it will be given, and in abundance. But whoever doesn’t have – whatever he has will just be taken away.
13:13 Therefore, I speak to them in analogies; because when they see they are not seeing, and when they hear they are not hearing – so they don’t understand.
13:14 And with them Isaiah’s prophecy is accomplished – which says, ‘By hearing you will hear yet not understand, and when seeing you will see yet not perceive.’
13:15 For these peoples’ hearts are calloused and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed: Otherwise at any time they could see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and could understand with their heart and could be turned – allowing me to heal them.1
13:16 Yet blessed are your eyes – because they see; and your ears – because they hear.
13:17 Thus truly I say to you, many Prophets and the devoted have wanted to see what you see and have not seen – and wanted to hear what you hear and have not heard.
13:18 Hear, then, the meaning of the analogy of the farmer:
13:19 When someone hears spiritual teachings and doesn’t understand, wickedness then comes and snatches what was planted in the heart. This is the seed that fell to the side.
13:20 But the seed that fell among rocky soil is like one who hears the doctrine and receives it with joy;
13:21 Yet because he has no root from within but is only temporary – when affliction or persecution arises because of the teachings, immediately he falls away.
13:22 Then the seed that fell among the thistles is like one who hears the teachings, yet the cares of the world and the deception of riches choke the teachings – and they become unfruitful.
13:23 But the seed that fell into the good soil is the one who hears the teachings and understands them and then bears fruit – some providing hundreds of times, others sixty and still others thirty times.”
13:24 Then he provided them with another analogy, saying, “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a man who planted good seed in his field:
13:25 But while people were sleeping, his adversary came and planted weeds among the wheat and left.
13:26 And when the plants sprouted and began to bear fruit, the weeds also appeared.
13:27 Thus the servants of the householder approached and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
13:28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants replied to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
13:29 But he said, ‘No, otherwise while you are pulling up the weeds you might also pull up the wheat.’
13:30 Let them both grow together until harvest time: And at harvest time I will tell the harvesters to first harvest the weeds and tie them into bundles and burn them – but store the wheat in my barn.”
13:31 He presented them with another analogy and said: “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
13:32 This is the least of all seeds, yet when it is full-grown it is the greatest among plants – and becomes a tree, providing birds of the air to nest on its branches.”
13:33 He taught them another analogy: “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like yeast, which a woman mixed with three measures of flour until the whole batch had risen.”
13:34 Jesus taught all these things to the crowd with analogies, and he only spoke to them in metaphors:
13:35 This accomplished what was taught by the Prophet, who said, “I will utter things that have been kept secret since the creation of the universe.”2
13:36 Then Jesus sent the crowd away and went into the house. His disciples approached him, saying, “Please explain to us the analogy of the weeds of the field.”
13:37 He replied, “He who plants the good seed is the Servant of Humanity.
13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the followers of devotion; but the weeds are the followers of wickedness.
13:39 The opposer that planted them is wickedness, and the harvest is the end of this lifetime.3
13:40 Thus the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire – just as it will be at the end of this lifetime:
13:41 The Servant of Humanity will send out his messengers and they will collect all impediments and those who commit wickedness by His authority –
13:42 and will cast them into a blazing oven – and in that place there will be weeping and suffering.4
13:43 Then the devoted will shine like the sun within the sanctuary of their Lord. One who has ears should hear.
13:44 The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. And in his joy over it, he went and sold all that he has and bought that field.
13:45 Furthermore, the sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls.
13:46 Upon finding one pearl of great value, he left and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 Moreover, the sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a net being cast into the sea to collect fish of all kinds:
13:48 When it was full, he pulled it to shore and sat down and sorted the good into containers – casting the bad away.
13:49 Thus it also shall be at the end of this lifetime: The angels will appear and divide the wicked from the devoted –
13:50 and cast them into the blazing oven, where there will be weeping and suffering.”
13:51 Jesus then said to them, “Have you understood everything?” They replied, “Yes, Master.”
13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore, every scribe who takes sanctuary in the spiritual realm is like a homeowner who finds new and ancient treasures in his closet.”
13:53 When Jesus had completed these analogies, he left that place.
13:54 He arrived at his hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue. They were amazed, saying, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power?
13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary? And his brothers – James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
13:56 And his sisters – are they not all among us? Where then does this man get all these things?”
13:57 Thus they offended him. But Jesus said to them, “A Prophet is respected except in his own village and his own house.”
13:58 And he didn’t do many miracles because of their distrust.
Footnotes:
1. Verse 13:15.
2. Verse 13:35.
3. Verse 13:39. The Greek word συντέλεια (synteleia) means “the end” – as in the end of one's time on earth. The Greek word αἰών (aiōn) means “age” or “perpetuity of time” or “period of time.” This indicates one's time on the earth – an era or lifetime. Jesus is speaking of the time of death – the end of one’s lifetime.
4. Verse 13:42. The Greek phrase βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων – literally translates to snarling, growling and biting of the teeth. This is an ancient expression indicating suffering.
13:2 And great crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down – and the whole crowd stood on the shore.
13:3 And he taught them many things using analogies: “Consider the farmer who went out to plant –
13:4 and as he planted, some seeds fell to the side and the birds came and ate them.
13:5 Some fell on rocky soil and they sprouted quickly because there was no depth to the soil.
13:6 But when the sun rose up, they were burned – and because they had no root, they withered.
13:7 Some fell among weeds – and the thistles sprouted up and choked them.
13:8 But others fell into good soil, and provided good fruit – some a hundred times, some sixty times and some thirty times.
13:9 One who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
13:10 Thus the disciples approached him and asked, “Why are you teaching them with analogies?”
13:11 He replied, saying to them, “You have been given knowledge of the mysteries of the sanctuary of the spiritual realm, but to them it has not been given.
13:12 For whoever has – to him it will be given, and in abundance. But whoever doesn’t have – whatever he has will just be taken away.
13:13 Therefore, I speak to them in analogies; because when they see they are not seeing, and when they hear they are not hearing – so they don’t understand.
13:14 And with them Isaiah’s prophecy is accomplished – which says, ‘By hearing you will hear yet not understand, and when seeing you will see yet not perceive.’
13:15 For these peoples’ hearts are calloused and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed: Otherwise at any time they could see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and could understand with their heart and could be turned – allowing me to heal them.1
13:16 Yet blessed are your eyes – because they see; and your ears – because they hear.
13:17 Thus truly I say to you, many Prophets and the devoted have wanted to see what you see and have not seen – and wanted to hear what you hear and have not heard.
13:18 Hear, then, the meaning of the analogy of the farmer:
13:19 When someone hears spiritual teachings and doesn’t understand, wickedness then comes and snatches what was planted in the heart. This is the seed that fell to the side.
13:20 But the seed that fell among rocky soil is like one who hears the doctrine and receives it with joy;
13:21 Yet because he has no root from within but is only temporary – when affliction or persecution arises because of the teachings, immediately he falls away.
13:22 Then the seed that fell among the thistles is like one who hears the teachings, yet the cares of the world and the deception of riches choke the teachings – and they become unfruitful.
13:23 But the seed that fell into the good soil is the one who hears the teachings and understands them and then bears fruit – some providing hundreds of times, others sixty and still others thirty times.”
13:24 Then he provided them with another analogy, saying, “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a man who planted good seed in his field:
13:25 But while people were sleeping, his adversary came and planted weeds among the wheat and left.
13:26 And when the plants sprouted and began to bear fruit, the weeds also appeared.
13:27 Thus the servants of the householder approached and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
13:28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants replied to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
13:29 But he said, ‘No, otherwise while you are pulling up the weeds you might also pull up the wheat.’
13:30 Let them both grow together until harvest time: And at harvest time I will tell the harvesters to first harvest the weeds and tie them into bundles and burn them – but store the wheat in my barn.”
13:31 He presented them with another analogy and said: “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
13:32 This is the least of all seeds, yet when it is full-grown it is the greatest among plants – and becomes a tree, providing birds of the air to nest on its branches.”
13:33 He taught them another analogy: “The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like yeast, which a woman mixed with three measures of flour until the whole batch had risen.”
13:34 Jesus taught all these things to the crowd with analogies, and he only spoke to them in metaphors:
13:35 This accomplished what was taught by the Prophet, who said, “I will utter things that have been kept secret since the creation of the universe.”2
13:36 Then Jesus sent the crowd away and went into the house. His disciples approached him, saying, “Please explain to us the analogy of the weeds of the field.”
13:37 He replied, “He who plants the good seed is the Servant of Humanity.
13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the followers of devotion; but the weeds are the followers of wickedness.
13:39 The opposer that planted them is wickedness, and the harvest is the end of this lifetime.3
13:40 Thus the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire – just as it will be at the end of this lifetime:
13:41 The Servant of Humanity will send out his messengers and they will collect all impediments and those who commit wickedness by His authority –
13:42 and will cast them into a blazing oven – and in that place there will be weeping and suffering.4
13:43 Then the devoted will shine like the sun within the sanctuary of their Lord. One who has ears should hear.
13:44 The sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. And in his joy over it, he went and sold all that he has and bought that field.
13:45 Furthermore, the sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls.
13:46 Upon finding one pearl of great value, he left and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 Moreover, the sanctuary of the spiritual realm is like a net being cast into the sea to collect fish of all kinds:
13:48 When it was full, he pulled it to shore and sat down and sorted the good into containers – casting the bad away.
13:49 Thus it also shall be at the end of this lifetime: The angels will appear and divide the wicked from the devoted –
13:50 and cast them into the blazing oven, where there will be weeping and suffering.”
13:51 Jesus then said to them, “Have you understood everything?” They replied, “Yes, Master.”
13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore, every scribe who takes sanctuary in the spiritual realm is like a homeowner who finds new and ancient treasures in his closet.”
13:53 When Jesus had completed these analogies, he left that place.
13:54 He arrived at his hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue. They were amazed, saying, “Where did this man get this wisdom and this power?
13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary? And his brothers – James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
13:56 And his sisters – are they not all among us? Where then does this man get all these things?”
13:57 Thus they offended him. But Jesus said to them, “A Prophet is respected except in his own village and his own house.”
13:58 And he didn’t do many miracles because of their distrust.
Footnotes:
1. Verse 13:15.
"Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9-10 NIV)
2. Verse 13:35.
My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. (Psalm 78:1-6 NIV)
3. Verse 13:39. The Greek word συντέλεια (synteleia) means “the end” – as in the end of one's time on earth. The Greek word αἰών (aiōn) means “age” or “perpetuity of time” or “period of time.” This indicates one's time on the earth – an era or lifetime. Jesus is speaking of the time of death – the end of one’s lifetime.
4. Verse 13:42. The Greek phrase βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων – literally translates to snarling, growling and biting of the teeth. This is an ancient expression indicating suffering.
