The Harvest Parables and their context

What was Jesus about?

Jesus arrives on the sin in the midst of the story of this world and of Israel.

Israel,

whom God rescued—by sheer grace—from their oppressors;

whom God called to be his precious and particular people;

entered into a relationship—called covenant—with God, willingly and gladly, in which God promised to bless them abundantly if they kept the covenant, but would discipline them if they rejected the covenant.

Keeping and honoring the relationship involved obedience to the law. “Perfection” was never the standard; God had provided the sacrifices to make things right. Thus, repentance and turning towards God, was always a mark of a people after God’s own heart.

Israel’s story tells of such a turning, hear and there, but most often, God’s people could only be described as “heard hearted” and “stiff-necked”:

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.”

As a result, God disciplined them, stripping them of all they had, even of their land and of their temple. Israel in exile speaks of a deep awareness, that Israel had been unfaithful.

But embedded deep in the memories of Israel-in-exile, there was God’s promise not to forget, but to restore them when they return to the Lord in obedience and with all their hearts:

New International Version (2011) Chapter 30

Deut:30 1

Jesus enters the scene at this point in Israel’s history, announcing:

the end of the covenant discipline, the duration of Israel’s captivity ending.

the return of God to reign among his people, and along with it restoration for those who repent, but judgment for those who refuse.

Jesus announces himself as God’s divine representative, authorized by God to teach what it means to follow God’s commands, and his teaching is authenticated by God by his divine healings and exorcisms.

Simultaneously, the healings and exorcisms provide real liberation in the present.

However, his welcome is lukewarm;

The scribes and Pharisees get into hot debates about Jesus’s teachings (a whole other topic), leading some of the religious leadership to accuse Jesus of being from Satan, rather than from God. Jesus accuses them of blaspheming the Spirit of God through whom the miracles are taking place, and that the religious leaders neither know nor keep the Law properly.

All this leads us to Matthew 13 and why Jesus taught in parables, before we look at a few that deal with our topic today: The Harvest.

Why did Jesus teach in parables?

The parables served to reveal the identity of the hearers.

How we read them reveals who we are:

Do we read as skeptics?

It asks the question: “Did God really say…”

A skeptical approach makes the reader the judge of what’s write and wrong; it de-centers the scripture from its role in correcting the reader.

It is already set in its ways—unrepentant, and not open truly understanding and changing course.

Or do we read as participants?

Are the parables (or scripture) allowed to read us, as we read them; to work on us, as we work at understanding them?

A participational approach is not a passive reading; but instead is “faith seeking understanding,” a hungry investment to know about what God is about.

Participational approach also invites to inhabiting the world that is being opened up to the seeker.

As Jesus was confronted by a skeptical audience, he turned to parables, because those who were truly hungry would delve in so to understand and then to participate in the world he was announcing.

The parables serve to reveal the kingdom of God/heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven is like (6 times): They served as windows into the genuine world, where God’s reign (his rules and commandments) are being worked out. He is inviting his listeners to look into the world, that God is establishing and will finally establish at the end of the age.

It is hard to see, because we have been blinded by the rules by which humanity has attempted to rule the world. Human priorities are different even opposite from God’s.

Jesus parables (and even his lived-out life) show us what is valuable, effective, and eternal.

Outline and Summary of Matthew 13:1-53

[what I do when I am reading a passage: read out, create an outline, and summarize in my own words the different sections of the text. For we can only understand any word, or sentence, or story within its greater context.]

vs 1-3 — The opening of this teaching section.

“On that day, Yēsous, exiting the house, was sitting next to the Sea [Rabbis sat to teach]. 2 Many crowds assembled to him so that he, boarding down into the boat, sat, and the whole crowd had been standing on the shore. 3 He spoke many things to them in analogies, saying

This section is bookended by 13:53 “When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.”

vs 3-9 — Jesus tells the parable of the soils

Parable sows prodigiously scattering seed on various soils: along the path, the stony soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.

To various effect

as the birds ate the seed that fell along the path,

the seed grew quickly in the stony soil but didn’t the root to sustain itself in the hot sun,

the seed among the thorns grew, but thorns grew too and choked the plant,

the good seed however grew and bore fruit 100, 60, and 30 times over.

vs 10-17 — Jesus explains why he is (now) teaching parables

the disciples ask: Why do you teach in parables?

Contextually: Because the general response to Jesus’s direct teaching has been skepticism and unbelief:

Jesus and the Law of Moses: The Gospels and the Restoration of Israel within First-Century Judaism 3. The Law on the Mount

These episodes lead to accusations of blasphemy or transgression, in response to which Jesus provides some legal defense. Unconvinced, they express doubts that he is working by the Spirit of God, instead accusing him of working by “the ruler of the demons” (

Jesus, in line with Deuteronomy and the prophets, speaks in enigma’s.

Deuteronomy 29:4 “But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.”

Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.”

Jeremiah 5:21 “Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:”

Thus, the current generation is like rebellious Israel in the past, that decided not to accept God’s authorized messengers, turned from Him, and were therefore recipients of judgment.

However, his disciples have responded to Jesus’s word, therefore they are blessed with ears that hear and eyes that perceive (rightly).

vs 18-23 — Jesus explains the parables of the soils

the seed along the path that is eaten by the birds: The Evil One comes and snatches out of the heart of the hearer.

the seed on the rocky soil that withers: the person who joyfully accepts the word, but when persecution and trouble comes, they fall away.

the seed among the thorns that is choked: the person whose faith is suffocated by this age’s anxieties and worries, and they become fruitless.

the seed that grows and bears fruit: the one who hears and understands, who also bears fruit.

vs 24-33 — Three Parables on what the kingdom of heaven is like

24-30: The kingdom of heaven is like is like a human planting beautiful seed in his field, but an enemy comes while everyone is sleeping and scatters weed-seed in the field. The crop grows and the servant inquires of the master: did you not plant beautiful seed? The master responds: The enemy did this. The servant replies: Do you want me to pull the weeds? The master responds: No, because it might damage the wheat, but when the harvest is ready, then sort out the good from the bad, bundling up the weeks to burn, but gathering the wheat for the barn.

31-32: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man plants, and though initially small takes over the garden by the end.

33: The kingdom of heaven is like [a little] yeast that a woman hides (ἐγκρύπτω) in 27 kgs of flour until the flour is thoroughly leavened.

vs 34-35 — Jesus’s teaching in parables is the unearthing of things hidden

Jesus has shifted to teaching the crowds exclusively in parables.

He does so to fulfill out what the prophets said (Ps 78:2), the things hidden from the creation of the world.

vs 36-43 — Explanation of the Parables of the Wheat and the Weeds

The son of man is the sower of the good seed, thereby identifying his role as the authorized teacher and representative.

The field is the world (not just the Jewish people).

The good seed are the children of God.

The weeds are the children of the evil one.

The enemy who plants them, the accuser.

The harvest is the end of the present age.

The harvesters God’s angels.

vs 44-45 — More Parables of the Kingdom

44: The koH is like a man, who finds treasure, hides it again, and—with joy—sells all he has to purchase the field and so gain the treasure.

45: The koH is like a merchant looking for pearls, who when he finds one of great value, sells all he has to purchase it.

47-48: The koH is like a net that catches fish indiscriminately, but which fishermen then sort out, the good from the bad, after pulling it to shore.

49-50: At the end of the age, the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous, who will tossed into the fiery furnace.

vs 51-53 — Understanding and bringing out old and new treasures

The disciples affirm they have understood all this. After which Jesus affirms, that teachers of the law who have been apprenticed to the kingdom of heaven is like a house owner who brings out old and new treasures.

After this, Jesus moves on.

Reflection

3 Harvest Parables

The Parable of the Soils

The first parable is both a response to the skeptical reception Jesus has been receiving and a challenge to his listeners. For the sower is sowing generously here and there for seeds are falling everywhere.

The question is: How receptive are the soils to the seed?

The parable speaks of the sorts of soils that divide up into those who turn from him and from those who turn towards him.

The weight of responsibility seems to weigh on the soils: Each has been treated the same way,

but if the soil is hard (not tender), the seed can’t find purchase in the soil;

if the soil is shallow (resistent to deep-rootedness), the seed can’t produce a plant that stays faithful;

if the soil is nurturing isn’t wholly committed (weedy with other distractions), the seed can’t produce a plant that is fruitful;

Only a soil that is soft, deep, and well-weeded will produce the sort of plant that is fruitful.

The (second) Parable of the Seeds and their distinction

The second parable speaks of the good/beautiful seed planted by the Son of Man and the weeds planted by the devil, and how in this age the will be together, but at the end of the age, there will be separation and judgment between “the righteous” i.e. those who are obedient to Jesus’s teaching and do good, and those who are disobedient and “do evil.”

The (third) Parable of the harvest of fish and their distinction

At the end, a third parable, the kingdom of God is like a net, let down in the sea, hauling all up indiscriminately, but will then be sorted, tossing the bad and keeping the God, all of this will happen at the end of this age.

The 4 woven-through parables

2 Groupings of 2: From small to great

The parables of the mustard seed and of the woman hiding sourdough starter:

they both describe something hidden, but having a huge effect; the mustard seed into a tree that harbors birds, the sourdough starter eventually permeating a huge quantity of four flour, and able then to be made into bread for a 100 people.

perhaps: though God’s kingdom lived out in Jesus’s ministry is now small and questioned, have no doubt, it will grow.

The parables of treasure hunting:

speaks of what it is like to discover or pursue that which is of most worth, in context, Jesus as God’s representative and his authorized teaching and ministry.

To discover him is to joyfully give up all else to acquire him;

to pursue him requires all of you to claim him.

The Final Teaching

Those who teach God’s commandments as disciples of Jesus, brings out treasures both new and old. This is a puzzle that commentators have long puzzled over. But it seems to suggest that Jesus’s followers are the teachers who are able to reproduce Jesus’s authorized teaching about what it means to God’s covenant people.

Final Takeaway

Jesus is God’s authorized messenger, teaching the true heart of the the commandments and covenant, confirmed by God through signs and exorcisms.

Jesus’s word is being scattered generously throughout the world and it is good, but how will you (or we as SFC) respond to this teaching? Which soil will we be? What kind of seed / fish are we? Are we demonstrating repentance and faith, an active participation in what Jesus is saying and doing? Or are we passive or even skeptics, standing in disbelief over and against his claims and his teachings?

Repeatedly (and not just here), Jesus, inline with all of scripture, warns of upcoming judgment, one in which people will be separated according to their obedience to Jesus’s teaching and the law of God. It is according to our deeds by which we will be judged. Have we been faithful to God in the way we live our life?

Finally, as Jesus’s disciples, we too are seed scatterers in this world. Let us sow generously, here and there, for we don’t know the soil of people’s hearts, moreover, it is God who makes the growth.

Discussion Questions:

Our educational system trains us from early on to be critical and skeptical. How are you challenged to nurture a heart and mind that is ready to receive Jesus and his teaching?

Judgment is not a popular topic. If you think more broadly, who in our society and world would see judgment as something positive? Who would want to avoid judgment?

It is interesting, that we will be judged according to what we’ve done, not what we’ve believed, or how authentic we are. What does that tell you what it means to be loyal to Jesus?

What would you like prayer for this week?