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Matthew 13

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Then 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.

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

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

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

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

The 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;

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

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

Again, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then 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.

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

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

What does Matthew 13:15 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:15 is a verse within a larger section where Jesus explains why He speaks to the crowd in parables.

The verse itself quotes the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10) and emphasizes the spiritual insensitivity of the people. The "heart" refers to the inner life or the seat of understanding of an individual.

"Waxed gross" implies that their hearts have become hardened or insensitive.

The ears being "dull of hearing" suggests an unwillingness to listen to the message, and the closing of the eyes represents a conscious decision to ignore the spiritual truth before them.

The deeper meaning here conveys the idea that the people are in a state of self-imposed spiritual blindness, and this condition prevents them from turning back to God (converting) and being healed spiritually.

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Historical Context

This verse is set in first-century Palestine and is part of a dialogue Jesus is having with His disciples. In Jewish culture at the time, there was an expectation of a coming Messiah who would establish His kingdom.

However, there was a wide range of beliefs about how the Messiah would appear and what His kingdom would look like.

Jesus’ use of parables was a way to reveal the truths of the kingdom to those who were open to understanding, while at the same time concealing those truths from those who had hardened hearts due to their preconceived notions and resistance to His message.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives interpret this verse in various ways.

From a Calvinistic viewpoint, this verse may demonstrate the doctrine of total depravity, where humans are perceived as completely unable to turn to God without divine intervention.

An Arminian perspective might emphasize the human responsibility in responding to God's message.

Catholic and Orthodox traditions might focus on the need for continual conversion and the role of sacraments as means of grace for healing.

Additionally, this verse is often cited in discussions regarding the concept of spiritual blindness and the necessity of God's grace to draw people unto repentance and enlightenment.

Practical Applications

This verse challenges individuals to self-examine their receptiveness to spiritual truths and commands.

In everyday life, it can be applied as an encouragement to keep one’s heart soft and open, to actively listen for divine guidance, and to be willing to change one's ways (convert) in order to experience healing and growth.

It also serves as a reminder for believers to present the message of their faith in ways that can be understood by others, acknowledging that some may be resistant or unresponsive.

Cross-References

Isaiah 6:9-10: "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not."
Ezekiel 12:2: "Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house."
Mark 4:12: "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."
John 12:40: "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."

Language Study

The key words within this verse are significant in their original Greek language:

"Heart" (καρδία - kardia): refers to the inner self, including thoughts, will, and emotion.
"Waxed gross" (παχύνω - pachyno): to thicken, to make fat, or to make dull, indicating insensitivity or hardness.
"Dull of hearing" (βαρέω - bareo): to be heavy, burdened, or dull, often used metaphorically for being slow to understand.
"Eyes they have closed" (καμμύω - kammyo): to shut tightly, voluntarily not seeing.
"Converted" (ἐπιστρέφω - epistrepho): to turn around, to return, indicating a change in direction or behavior.
"Heal" (ἰάομαι - iaomai): to cure, make whole, or restore.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The theme of spiritual blindness and the need for a transformative experience echoes across various religious traditions.

In Hinduism, there is the concept of maya, or illusion, which prevents individuals from seeing the ultimate truth.

In Buddhism, ignorance is considered one of the root causes of suffering, and the path to enlightenment necessitates overcoming this ignorance.

In these contexts, Matthew 13:15 could be seen as addressing a similar need for an inner change to perceive spiritual realities.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific point of view, this verse intersects with the psychology of belief and perception.

Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that people have a psychological resistance to information that conflicts with their currently held beliefs.

This resistance can result in an unwillingness to consider new information, much like the spiritual blindness Jesus describes.

Understanding the science of belief can inform the ways in which religious messages are communicated and received.

Commentaries

Most biblical scholars and commentators agree that Jesus is addressing the hardness of heart and resistance to His teachings that he found among the people of His time.

Some, like Matthew Henry, emphasize the justice of God in giving people over to their own blindness when they persistently refuse the truth.

Others, like John Calvin, see in this verse a declaration of the effectual calling of God, suggesting that only those who are intended to understand will do so.

Contemporary commentators might stress the role of personal agency and the significance of making a conscious choice to either accept or reject the message of Christ.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 13:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?