7.15.20 - Discourse #3: The Kingdom Parables

Matthew Chapter 13 ~ Discourse # 3: The Kingdom Parables

This chapter signals a turning point in Jesus' ministry as he begins to speak in parables. This is Matthew’s third great discourse. In Chap 13 – which is called "The seven Kingdom Parables" – Jesus teaches seven parables which the Church will cover over three Sundays.

What are Parables?

Parable in Greek (parabole = comparison) means a story that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison. However, the Hebrew word also means proverb or riddle. In Biblical usage, it is all of these.

Therefore, a parable is a conveyance of a profound thought by comparison to an everyday life activity. Often, the messages are hidden as much in what is left unsaid as in what is said. This forces the hearer to reflect on the story, since expansion of the mind from its current state to a new state is its goal. Reflection is also necessary because there may be more than one meaning.

Since the comparisons used involve a simple life activity, this opens the door to anyone – educated or not. However, understanding the meanings in Jesus’ parables require a certain amount of openness, faith, and desire to understand. Because of this, the close-minded or arrogant will have difficulty seeing the message (or themselves in the story).

To figure out what the hidden message(s) might be, it is helpful to look for unusual twists in the story that don’t normally occur in those everyday events. For instance, in the Parable of the Sower, the Sower seems to spread seed carelessly everywhere – rocky ground, pathways, etc. Jesus’ audience would know that a good farmer would take more care where he spreads his seeds. So, this would be a twist in the story where one might ask, “Why is the sower doing this?”

Finally, since the parables are from Jesus – the Word of God in person – we have the added intrigue that there is not one word being wasted; in other words, everything means something. Good grief!

Let’s start for a change with the OT reading, since it captures today’s theme very well in two verses:

Isaiah 55: 10-11

Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down

And do not return until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful,

Giving seed to the sower and bread to the one who eats,

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;

It shall not return to me empty, but shall accomplish what I intend

And prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Parable of Sower – Matthew 13: 1-23 (a long reading so I will break it into 3, with questions)

Part I

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Mt 13:1-9)

Q: Is there any meaning to Jesus being in the boat while his audience is standing on the shore?

A: First, sound travels better over the water than land. Second, the land is familiar, safe territory for humans. Jesus represents an invitation to his audience to follow him into mysterious, unchartered waters (baptism?), if they have the faith.

Q: What does the seed represent?

A: The Word of God/The Word of the Kingdom

Q: Who is the sower of the seed?

A: Jesus Christ

Q: Why is the sower so careless putting down the seed?

A: A twist in the story. Jesus brings the word of the Kingdom to everyone, no matter where they are.

Q: Who do the birds represent?

A: Evil or the Evil One

Q: What do the different soil conditions represent?

A: The hearts of people. Their degree of openness to faith, to God’s higher calling.

Q: Is there anything unusual about producing 30, 60, or 100-fold?

A: It is many times the normal bearing of fruit from seed.

Part II

The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. For to him who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not listen or understand. In them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:

You shall indeed hear but never understand and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." (Mt 13:10-17)

Q: Why has knowledge of the Kingdom been granted to the disciples?

A: They were open and hungry for the word of God. That’s why they were chosen.

Q: Why isn’t the knowledge of the Kingdom granted to others?

A: They already had their minds made up and were not open to Jesus’ message. This is further answered in Jesus’ quote of the OT: “They look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”

Q: Jesus says: “To anyone who has, more will be given, and to anyone who has not, what he has will be taken away.” Explain.

A: Those who are more open have more faith and to them more grace, strength, and wisdom will be given. Those who have closed themselves off will lose everything.

Part III

“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.

As for the seed that was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root in himself and it lasts only for a while, and when some tribulation or persecution comes because on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

As for what was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but worldly anxieties and the delight in riches choke the word, and it bears no fruit.

But the seed that was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundred-fold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Mt 13:18-23)

Q: How many times did Jesus use “word” in this passage?

A: Six. The 6th Day of Creation was when Man and the Animals were created. The 7th Day was the Lord's Day, which Man has been invited into. But Man never made it. The Word of God has been sent to Man (still in the 6th Day) to shine light on his path to help him find his way to the 7th Day.

Btw, God created the Sabbath/Lord's Day (3rd Commandment) for Man to practice living in the Kingdom one day/week.

Q: Recall that the previous discourse in Matthew was preparing the Apostles to preach the Kingdom of God. Is there a related message in today’s parable for them?

A: Yes. They are not to worry about how big the harvest is – they need to leave that up to God. They just need to “broadcast the seed”/ word of God and the Kingdom to everyone.

Q: What is the message to us? How are we supposed to deliver the message?

A: First, make sure to work on eliminating the first three soil conditions in our lives. We will cover that more in a moment. Second, try to live the Kingdom and your example will draw people to you. It is important that you hone your behavior because the first thing critics or nonbelievers to is look for hypocrisy. If they see double standards, that will do more harm to the Kingdom than good; so we should practice and reflect on the Kingdom all the time. Examples: kindness, patience, honesty, forgiveness, keeping your word, and servant leadership. Third, when people inquire, be able to deliver the message and be willing to help them along the way.

The soil conditions Jesus spoke of represent different opportunities or obstacles of the human heart. More than trying to pin these soil conditions on others (although that can be helpful at times), Jesus warns that these conditions are potential obstacles for all of us, and therefore we need to reflect on them in order that we can avoid them.

For the sake of discussion, I have categorized them as Path Man, Rocky Soil Man, Thorn Man, and Nitrogen Man; and have created a chart to try and illustrate each.

For those interested in the CHART, please email me at ron@hallagan.net and I will send to you.

God bless everyone,

Ron

PS. Jesus never wanted his audience to think that he has departed the OT in search of a new religion. In fact, Jesus uses OT language all the time. That’s why the Church provides OT readings at Mass. We already read from Isaiah 55 at the beginning. Here are a couple of additional passages: “Declare this in to the house of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah: Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.” - Jeremiah 5:20-21 “Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to my word. I will speak to you in parables, and unfold the mysteries of old.” - Psalms 78:1-2