Readings in the New Testament - Matthew Chapter 13 vs 1-23
We now go on to reading in Matthew Chapter 13 vs 1-23.
Chapter 13 is a longish Chapter full of parables. As I have said before, Matthew does not record a straight description of Jesus’ life, rather he collects material into themes. If you want a more normal biographical approach, read Mark. Here Matthew has taken a theme of parables.
We begin with a very well known parable, that of the Sower. It occurs in both Mark and Luke, together with the sections on what parables are about and also what this particular paragraph means. The inclusion of this explanation by Jesus is unusual, although there is another example later in this same Chapter.
The explanation that I might normally place here is fully given in verses 18-23 and I refer you to those for any understanding. What I want us to consider is the effect of the parable on the people it was addressed to. There are really two groups, those who would form the congregation for this time and then move on to continue their daily lives, and those amongst the disciples who would go out and deliver the word of God to other groups.
To the first, Jesus is covering all the different ways in which the word is received. I surely cannot be unique amongst the members at Wisewood in admitting that there have been times when I have not given my full attention to what has been said to me.
Thoughts have crowded in about the week ahead, or memories of yesterday; a thousand and one different ways of being distracted. At least Jesus is saying to me that I am not alone in this, it might not be desirable, but we are all human with human weaknesses.
To the second group, those who will preach, Jesus is giving encouragement to persevere in the face of difficulties. It will be rare that preachers will be actively opposed, but common for a feeling that the words are not penetrating the minds of the listeners, if indeed they really are listening at all. Jesus is saying that this happens because of the nature of people. We just need to be aware and be humble about it, whilst still doing as good a presentation of the Gospel as we can.
10-17 poses some difficult questions. Jesus seems almost to be saying that what He says to people is wrapped up in such a way that they will not really understand. In other words, He is deliberately obscuring what He is saying. This cannot be true, there must be other reasons for this way of teaching.
First there is the fact that many aspects of Christianity only become understandable and reasonable when we accept the teaching and commit ourselves to God.
There is a good example in the Communion Service; to an outsider a rather sparse meal being shared by a group of people; to a believer a deep sharing of personal contact with Jesus. Only understandable in its fullest sense to those who fully understand and accept the sacrifice of Jesus.
The second reason is clearer in Matthew than in Mark (Chapter 4;11-12). Mark seems to be saying that God is responsible for the obscurity, as if He wants to exclude people. In Matthew we have a better presentation, which can still be read into Mark if we read carefully, that people are prevented from understanding God because of their own failings.
Parables are a good way of teaching people and we use them all the time in everyday life. We try examples of other events to explain what may seem difficult. We see this in, for example, the fables of Aesop. To stress the fact that perseverance is desirable, Aesop tells the fable of the hare and the tortoise. This is like a parable and makes the meaning clearer and fixes it in the mind of the hearer.
Jesus was using the same techniques, but the full meaning of what He was saying would only really become evident to the believing and committed listener. Many would go away hearing a story about plants growing in a field, and that would be it. Maybe it was the importance of encouraging the disciples that made Jesus provide the explanation on this occasion.
To those with belief and an enquiring mind there would be a tossing around of the story in their heads and a realisation that there were far deeper meanings to be gathered.
David Battye