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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
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CONCISE EXEGESIS:
SERMONWRITER SUBSCRIBERS can use their password to access the complete exegesis. We also include the complete exegesis in their weekly email.
You can access the following sermons on this text FREE:
• "Let Both of Them Grow Together," by the Rev. Charles Hoffacker
• "Mom, Where Do Weeds Come From?" by Pastor Steven Molin
CHAPTERS 12-13: THE CONTEXT
Chapter 12 seethes with conflict. Pharisees criticize Jesus (12:1-8) and set out to destroy him (12:14). But chapter 13 offers hope in the midst of this evil. It includes seven parables that deal with the reality of opposition and evil, promising that these will not define the ultimate outcome. In the end, God and those faithful to God will win and win big.
VERSES 24-30: THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SEED AND THE BAD SEED
24He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds (Greek: zizania –– bearded darnel) among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' "
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good see in his field" (v. 24). The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are roughly synonymous, and refer to the realm over which God reigns.
"but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds" (v. 25). Jesus mentions a weed (zizania –– bearded darnel) that in its early stages closely resembles wheat, making it almost impossible to identify. As the plants mature, the roots of the weeds and wheat intertwine, making them almost impossible to separate –– any attempt to pull the weeds will also pull the wheat. Separation, however, is necessary, because darnel is both bitter and mildly toxic. If not removed prior to milling, darnel will ruin the flour. The usual solution is to separate the grains after threshing by spreading them on a flat surface and having people remove the darnel, a different color at that stage, by hand.
Matthew has a serious concern for ethical behavior, because the church of Matthew's day faced serious ethical lapses. The Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7) is especially significant in this regard. At the sermon's climax, Jesus says: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven" (7:21) –– a disturbing word for a salvation-by-grace church.
Matthew clearly would feel more comfortable in a purer church. Nevertheless, to his credit, he also includes a different perspective. He knows that scribes and Pharisees, who personified high ethical standards among the Jews, caused most of Jesus' problems. Therefore Matthew mutes his concern for purity, and includes Jesus' words, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged" (7:1).
"So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well" (v. 26). This parable deals with a very practical problem. In the church, we find bad mixed with good. Every congregation has members whose sexual conduct is embarrassing –– or whose business ethics are questionable –– or who treat people unkindly –– or who advocate questionable doctrine.
"The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, 'No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them" (vv. 28b-29). But, in this parable, Jesus calls us to patience and faith –– patience with those who fail to meet the standard (this is the concern of the parable itself –– vv. 24-30) and faith that God will deal with them at the right time (this is the concern of the interpretation –– vv. 36-43). Jesus calls us to withhold action lest we create more problems than we solve –– lest we destroy the good with the bad –– lest we "uproot the wheat along with (the weeds)."
"Let both of them grow together until the harvest" (v. 30a). "The point here is not that we should abandon efforts to keep the church pure (18:15-20)…. The point is that the kingdom remains obscure in the present world and only the final day will bring God's true children unto their vindicated glory and banish the wicked from among them" (Keener, 244)
God has not equipped us with the insight necessary to weed the garden. Reapers will accomplish the separation at harvest-time –– in God's scheme of things, soon enough.
The disciples to whom Jesus addresses the interpretation of this parable include Judas, who will betray Jesus (26:47 ff.) –– Peter, who will deny him (26:69 ff.) –– Thomas, who will doubt him (John 20:24 ff.)–– and James and John, whose concern has more to do with personal ambition than the kingdom of God (20:20-23; cf. Mark 10:37). In the end, only Judas will be lost –– and I am convinced that, had he asked the resurrected Christ to forgive him, even he could have been redeemed.
That said, we must also note that Matthew also includes a methodology for reproving sinners (18:15-20). Jesus charges the church, when faced with evil, to confront it. Confrontation begins at the level of the individual –– and then the whole church –– and finally the removal of the sinner from the fellowship.
"and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn" (v. 30b). Jesus will treat this principle in greater detail in chapter 25, where he changes the metaphor to sheep and goats (25:31-46).
VERSES 36-43: THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
"Then he left the crowds, and went into the house" (v. 36a). Jesus goes into the house, out of the reach of the crowds.
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field" (v. 36b). In the privacy of the house the disciples request that Jesus explain the parable, just as he had done with the Parable of the Sower. The private setting and interpretation are Matthew's way of highlighting the "insider" status of the church –– and of the reader of this Gospel.
"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man" (v. 37). Jesus' interpretation is allegorical (an interpretation in which things have a hidden or symbolic meaning). He says that:
–– The one who sows the good seed = the Son of Man (v. 37).
–– The field = the world (v. 38).
–– The good seed = the children of the kingdom (v. 38).
–– The weeds = the children of the evil one (v. 38).
–– The enemy = the devil (v. 39).
–– The harvest = the end of the age (v. 39).
–– The reapers = the angels (v. 39).
"the field is the world" (v. 38a). Jesus identifies the field, not as Israel or the church, but as the world.
"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; …and the enemy who sowed (the weeds) is the devil" (vv. 37, 39a). Jesus accounts for the presence of evil in our midst. We are uncomfortable today with the idea of the devil and, for the most part, we ignore it in our preaching. However, "the ignored devil sneaks in by back doors –– through the appeal of the occult, the magical, the falsely supernatural, prophecy conferences, astrology, New Age, or other irrational movements" (Bruner, 507).
"The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vv. 41-42). Jesus does not provide this graphic description so that we might gloat, but that evil people might be warned. Those in danger of fire are "all causes of sin (panta ta skandala –– all who create stumbling blocks) and all evildoers" (tous poiountas ten anomian –– those who practice lawlessness) (v. 41). The skandala are those who cause others to sin (cf. 16:23; Romans 14:13; 16:17; 1 John 2:10). Evildoers are those who practice anomia –– literally a (without) nomos (law) –– the lawless –– those in rebellion against God's law.
"they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (v. 42; cf. Daniel 3:6 for the "furnace of fire" imagery). We are uncomfortable in the presence of this fire-and-brimstone language. We want grace, not law –– love, not demands –– affirmation, not condemnation. But Jesus warns instead that "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (v. 42 –– cf. 8:12; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).
But the good news is that "the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (v. 43a). This beautiful image comes from Daniel 12:3, and promises us in poetic language than the faithful can look forward to a wonderful reward.
"Let anyone with ears listen!" (v. 43b). Jesus issues a call to hear and to heed the lessons of this parable. It is both a way of providing emphasis and a veiled warning that those who fail to heed the parable do so at their own peril.
–– Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barclay, William, Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)
Bergant, Dianne with Fragomeni, Richard, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)
Blomberg , Craig L., New American Commentary: Matthew, Vol. 22 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992)
Boring, M. Eugene, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)
Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV –– Year A (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)
Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 2, The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word, 1990)
Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992)
Gardner, Richard B., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Matthew (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1990)
Hagner, Donald A., Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 1-13, Vol. 33a (Dallas: Word, 1993)
Hanson, K. C., Proclamation 6: Pentecost 1, Series A (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995)
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Johnson, Sherman E. and Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1951)
Keener, Craig S., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Matthew, (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997)
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Morris, Leon, The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1992)
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Pfatteicher, Philip H., Lectionary Bible Studies: The Year of Matthew, Pentecost 1, Study Book (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1978)
Senior, Donald, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998)
Soards, Marion; Dozeman, Thomas; McCabe, Kendall, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993)
Tiede, David L. and Kavanagh, O.S.B., Proclamation 2: Pentecost 1, Series A (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981)
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