Matthew 13:36-53 Lesson 27

Matthew 13:36-53 Lesson 27

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this Lesson

Who causes evil?
Will sinners be punished?

Millions of words and countless sermons have been written on the source of evil.
But Christ tells us everything we need to know in this passage.

Study Tip:

Do you notice the similarities in these parables?
This repetition tells us that Jesus considers them critical.
Spend a little more time on these parables to fully grasp their meaning.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

The King James Bible

Matthew 13:36-53
Hidden treasures

36Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

44Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

Margin notes:

"Declare unto us the parable of the tares." (13:36) - "Explain to us the parable of the tares." The disciples are referring to the first parable from lesson 26 (Matthew 13:24-29). Jesus was asked several times to explain His parables (15:15).

"He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man." (13:37) - Means, Jesus sows the seed of salvation.

"The reapers are the angels." (13:39) - See Revelation 14:15.

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels." (13:41) - Angels will assist in judging mankind. See also 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.

"And them which do iniquity." (13:41) - "And those who do wrong."

"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (13:43) - This is the third time in Matthew that Jesus asks us to listen to His message of salvation (11:15; 13:9).

"Seeking goodly pearls." (13:45) - "Looking for choice pearls." A reference to the Gospel.

"Gathered the good into vessels." (13:48) - "Collected the good into baskets." A reference to angels separating the saved from the unsaved on judgment day.

"Sever the wicked from among the just." (13:49) - Jesus will repeat this message in Matthew 25:32.

"Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (13:52) - Some Bible scholars believe this verse means "there is a double benefit for those who understand and use both Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament points the way to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus always upheld its authority and relevance. The New Testament reveals Christ himself, who is now available to anyone who accepts his spiritual kingship." (From the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; page 1816).

New Living Translation

Matthew 13:36-53
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field."

37 Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.

38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.

39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.

41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.

46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Parable of the Fishing Net

47 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.

48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.

49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,

50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 Do you understand all these things?"

"Yes," they said, "we do."

52 Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old."

53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Questions:

1. What is the meaning of the hidden treasure and the goodly pearl parables? (13:44-46)

2. Must we give up all our worldly possessions? (13:44-46)

If you need copies of past lessons, let me know. I'm happy to email them to you.

Answers: (Do you agree?)

1. The hidden treasure and the goodly pearl parables are "a double illustration of the same thing: the priceless value of Christ to the human soul. What Christ offers is worth giving up everything, even life itself, to obtain."
(From "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 440)

2. No, we don't need to give up all our possessions to attain salvation. Jesus is simply telling us that the Kingdom of heaven has value above anything in this world and we should make God a vital part of our life. Placing earthly possessions, fame, prestige, or ambition above following Christ means He won't be the Lord of your life. Remember Jesus' words in lesson 11, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33).

Application thought for the day:

Is there an aspect of your life that you need to give up for Christ?

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2020 evolke

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