“24 He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 26 When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 27 The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.
31 He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”
33 He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, 35 to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation (of the world).”
36 Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear” Matthew 13: 24 — 43.
This parable describes a real scenario from the first-century agricultural world where Roman laws specifically forbade the sabotaging of crops by planting darnel. A man sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy sowed weeds all through the wheat. The weed here is darnel, a poisonous plant whose roots would become intertwined with the rest of the wheat crop. To remove it without damaging the wheat would be difficult, which is why the householder tells his servants not to pull up the weeds yet: if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Though darnel could destroy a crop, it did have one positive use: it could be burned for fuel. The householder hints of this when he tells the servants that the harvesters will collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning. (See 13:36–43).
The parable of the mustard seed builds on the previous one, showing that despite the enemy’s opposition to the kingdom, the harvest will yield tremendous results. At first, the kingdom does not appear to be very large. It is like “a mustard seed, which was proverbially the smallest of all the seeds. From this tiny seed, a great bush emerges. Jesus describes it as becoming so big that birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches — which recalls an Old Testament description of a great kingdom that gathers many nations as a large tree gathers birds who nest on its branches (Ezek. 31:2–13; Dan 4:17–18). In particular, Ezekiel foretold that Israel would gather the nations like a mighty cedar that shelters the birds of the air (Ezek. 17:22–24). Jesus uses this parable to show how his kingdom movement, despite its small beginnings, will become like the prophetic large tree gathering birds, fulfilling Israel’s mission to the nations as Ezekiel 17 foretold.
The third parable in this series continues the theme of unimpressive beginnings yielding tremendous growth, with the added emphasis on the kingdom’s hidden dynamism. The kingdom of heaven is likened to yeast mixed with a batch of dough. Yeast causes fermentation, and just a small amount of yeast, when mixed into dough, causes the dough to expand and rise. The image points to the way the kingdom of God will have a profound effect despite its inconspicuous beginnings. The quantity of bread produced is stunning. The woman starts with three measures of wheat flour, which is about sixty pounds! This would make enough bread to feed well over one hundred people, sufficient for a great banquet — an image Jesus often used to depict the kingdom of God (22:1–14; 25:1–13).
Dear friends, consider how much good God causes in your life if you allow the yeast of His grace into your life. Remember what the grace of God is: God giving you what you need, not what you deserve. So pray for God’s grace to allow you to produce much in your life for others. Remember that the grace of God comes to you on its way to others. All good things God gives you in life come to you on there way to others. Receive God's grace and share it with others, then.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Jesus said: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me’” 2 Corinthians 12:9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith” Ephesians 2:8.
“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” Romans 11:6.
Commenti