PrevMatthew 13:54Next

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 13:54 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:54 presents a scene of Jesus returning to Nazareth, his hometown, and teaching in the synagogue.

The response from his audience is one of astonishment.

They recognize His wisdom and the extraordinary works He has performed, but they question the source of His capabilities.

The implications are that the townspeople are puzzled because they know Him and His family, which makes them skeptical about the origins of His wisdom and might.

The verse underscores the theme of unbelief and familiarity breeding contempt: the very people who should have known Jesus best were unable to recognize His divine nature and authority.

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, synagogues served as central places for teaching and learning the Jewish faith.

Nazareth was a small village in Galilee, where Jesus was raised, and it is likely that He would have been known to the inhabitants as the carpenter's son.

The historical context here is that Jesus, now a rabbi with disciples, returns to His own people who have heard of His teachings and miracles, yet they cannot reconcile His humble origins with His profound wisdom and the reports of miracles.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse touches upon the idea of prophetic rejection.

In the Christian tradition, Jesus is considered a prophet, among other roles, and His rejection at Nazareth is seen as a fulfillment of the proverb, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house" (Matthew 13:57).

The astonishment of the Nazarenes reflects a common biblical theme that God's messengers are often rejected by their own people.

Practical Applications

This verse can serve as a reminder of the dangers of prejudice and preconceived notions.

Practically, it invites individuals to be open to wisdom and truth, regardless of its source.

It also warns against the tendency to undervalue people we are familiar with and challenges believers to have faith even when miracles are not readily visible.

Cross-References

Mark 6:1-6 – This passage provides Mark's account of Jesus' teaching in His hometown and the skepticism He faced.
Luke 4:16-30 – Luke also recounts Jesus' visit to Nazareth, where He is rejected.
John 1:11 – "He came unto his own, and his own received him not," which can be related to the rejection Jesus faced.
Matthew 13:57 – Further emphasizes the rejection of a prophet in his own hometown.

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words to analyze include:

"Astonished" (ἐκπλήσσω, ekpléssō): To strike out or expel by a blow, to shock or amaze.
"Wisdom" (σοφία, sophia): Not just knowledge, but the deep understanding and practical application of truths.
"Mighty works" (δυνάμεις, dynameis): Acts of power, often referring to miraculous deeds.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many cultures and religious narratives, there is a common thread where a figure of significant spiritual or moral authority emerges from humble beginnings and is initially rejected by their community.

For example, in Greek mythology, heroes often face initial skepticism before their true identities and abilities are recognized.

Scientific Perspectives

Science generally does not address questions of wisdom and miraculous works as they are presented in this verse.

However, modern psychological understanding of cognitive dissonance can address why people might reject new information or individuals that challenge their pre-existing beliefs, similar to how the Nazarenes react to Jesus.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians provide insights into this verse:

Albert Barnes notes the prejudice and unbelief of Jesus' countrymen, preventing them from recognizing Jesus' messianic role.
John Calvin stresses the offense taken by the Nazarenes due to their overly familiar attitude towards Jesus.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges commentary highlights how extraordinary it was that these works and this wisdom did not lead to faith but rather to jealousy and astonishment.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:54 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 13:54 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?