‏ Matthew 13

* The parable of the sower. (1-23) The parable of the tares.

(24-30; 36-43) The parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven.

(31-35) The parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great

price, the net cast into the sea, and the householder. (44-52)

Jesus is again rejected at Nazareth. (53-58)

1-23 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less

pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he

teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet

that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences

God in his providence allots to us. Christ taught in parables.

Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those

willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and

obscure to those who were willingly ignorant. The parable of the

sower is plain. The seed sown is the word of God. The sower is

our Lord Jesus Christ, by himself, or by his ministers.

Preaching to a multitude is sowing the corn; we know not where

it will light. Some sort of ground, though we take ever so much

pains with it, brings forth no fruit to purpose, while the good

soil brings forth plentifully. So it is with the hearts of men,

whose different characters are here described by four sorts of

ground. Careless, trifling hearers, are an easy prey to Satan;

who, as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great

thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we

take not care to keep it. Hypocrites, like the stony ground,

often get the start of true Christians in the shows of

profession. Many are glad to hear a good sermon, who do not

profit by it. They are told of free salvation, of the believer's

privileges, and the happiness of heaven; and, without any change

of heart, without any abiding conviction of their own depravity,

their need of a Saviour, or the excellence of holiness, they

soon profess an unwarranted assurance. But when some heavy trial

threatens them, or some sinful advantage may be had, they give

up or disguise their profession, or turn to some easier system.

Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in

with sin, and are a fruit of the curse; they are good in their

place to stop a gap, but a man must be well armed that has much

to do with them; they are entangling, vexing, scratching, and

their end is to be burned, #Heb 6:8|. Worldly cares are great

hinderances to our profiting by the word of God. The

deceitfulness of riches does the mischief; they cannot be said

to deceive us unless we put our trust in them, then they choke

the good seed. What distinguished the good ground was

fruitfulness. By this true Christians are distinguished from

hypocrites. Christ does not say that this good ground has no

stones in it, or no thorns; but none that could hinder its

fruitfulness. All are not alike; we should aim at the highest,

to bring forth most fruit. The sense of hearing cannot be better

employed than in hearing God's word; and let us look to

ourselves that we may know what sort of hearers we are. 24-30, 36-43 This parable represents the present and future

state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's

enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in

this world, and the separation between them in the other world.

So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares,

he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas,

when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced.

The servants complained to their master; Sir, didst thou not sow

good seed in thy field? No doubt he did; whatever is amiss in

the church, we are sure it is not from Christ. Though gross

transgressors, and such as openly oppose the gospel, ought to be

separated from the society of the faithful, yet no human skill

can make an exact separation. Those who oppose must not be cut

off, but instructed, and that with meekness. And though good and

bad are together in this world, yet at the great day they shall

be parted; then the righteous and the wicked shall be plainly

known; here sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them.

Let us, knowing the terrors of the Lord, not do iniquity. At

death, believers shall shine forth to themselves; at the great

day they shall shine forth before all the world. They shall

shine by reflection, with light borrowed from the Fountain of

light. Their sanctification will be made perfect, and their

justification published. May we be found of that happy number. 31-35 The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show

that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter

end would greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the

heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the

soul where grace truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps

at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great

strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like

leaven in the hearts of those who receive it. The leaven works

certainly, so does the word, yet gradually. It works silently,

and without being seen, #Mr 4:26-29|, yet strongly; without

noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but without fail. Thus

it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel, hid

a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was made

powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none

can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into

the soul, it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all

the powers and faculties of the soul, and alters the property

even of the members of the body, #Ro 6:13|. From these parables

we are taught to expect a gradual progress; therefore let us

inquire, Are we growing in grace? and in holy principles and

habits? 44-52 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid in

the field. Many slight the gospel, because they look only upon

the surface of the field. But all who search the Scriptures, so

as in them to find Christ and eternal life, #Joh 5:39|, will

discover such treasure in this field as makes it unspeakably

valuable; they make it their own upon any terms. Though nothing

can be given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be

given up for the sake of it. 2. All the children of men are

busy; one would be rich, another would be honourable, another

would be learned; but most are deceived, and take up with

counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price;

in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and for

ever. A man may buy gold too dear, but not this Pearl of great

price. When the convinced sinner sees Christ as the gracious

Saviour, all things else become worthless to his thoughts. 3.

The world is a vast sea, and men, in their natural state, are

like the fishes. Preaching the gospel is casting a net into this

sea, to catch something out of it, for His glory who has the

sovereignty of this sea. Hypocrites and true Christians shall be

parted: miserable is the condition of those that shall then be

cast away. 4. A skilful, faithful minister of the gospel, is a

scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to

teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who

brings forth fruits of last year's growth and this year's

gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old

experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our place

is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over

again, and new ones also. 53-58 Christ repeats his offer to those who have repulsed them.

They upbraid him, Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is

true he was reputed to be so; and no disgrace to be the son of

an honest tradesman; they should have respected him the more

because he was one of themselves, but therefore they despised

him. He did not many mighty works there, because of their

unbelief. Unbelief is the great hinderance to Christ's favours.

Let us keep faithful to him as the Saviour who has made our

peace with God.