Matthew 13:1-3

Matthew 13:1-3

[1] The same  day  went  Jesus  the house,  and sat  by  the sea side.  [2] 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.  [3] And  he spake  many things  unto them  in  parables,  saying,  Behold,  a sower  went forth  to sow; 

What does Matthew 13:1-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Matthew linked this parabolic teaching with the controversy in chapter12by using the phrase "on that day" (NASB) or "that same day" (NIV, Gr. en te hemera ekeine). These parables were a response to Israel"s rejection of her King.
Jesus sat down by the Sea of Galilee to teach the people in typical rabbinic fashion (cf. Matthew 5:1-2). In response to the large crowd that assembled to listen to Him, Jesus sat in a boat where more people could hear Him more easily. He proceeded to address these crowds, most of whom had rejected Him (cf. Matthew 11:16-24).
Jesus proceeded to tell four parables to the crowd assembled before Him ( Matthew 13:3-9; Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:31-33). He did not interpret the meaning of these parables to the crowd. They would have to figure them out on their own, and disbelief in Jesus as the Messiah clouded their understanding.
Matthew prefaced Jesus" first parable by introducing what follows as parabolic teaching. The Greek word parabole is a noun, and paraballo is the verb meaning "to throw beside." The noun means, "a placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition, as of ships in battle." [1] Metaphorically it means "a comparing, comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude." [2] The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word masal with parabole 28 of its33occurrences in the Old Testament. The word masal refers to Proverbs , maxims, similes, allegories, fables, comparisons, riddles, taunts, and stories embodying some truth. Thus it has a wide range of meanings. The New Testament uses of parabole likewise reflect a wide range of meanings though essentially a parable involves a comparison. Most parables are extended similes or metaphors.
". . . in the Synoptic Gospels a parable denotes an extended comparison between nature or life and the things involving the spiritual life and God"s dealings with men." [3]
"So understood, a parabole is an utterance which does not carry its meaning on the surface, and which thus demands thought and perception if the hearer is to benefit from it." [4]
Jesus deliberately spoke in parables to conceal truth from the unbelieving crowds ( Matthew 13:11-15; cf. Matthew 7:6). Why did He speak to them in parables if He did not want them to understand what He said? He did so because a parable might be the instrument God would use to enlighten some who had not yet firmly rejected Him but were still open-minded (cf. Matthew 11:25-26). By concealing the truth from His unbelieving critics, Jesus was showing them grace.
"They were saved from the guilt of rejecting the truth, for they were not allowed to recognize it." [5]
Jesus also taught in parables because the Old Testament predicted that Messiah would speak in veiled language ( Matthew 13:35; cf. Psalm 78:2).
As will become clear, Jesus was instructing His disciples about what would happen since Israel had rejected Him. God would postpone the messianic kingdom until a later time. If Jesus had told the multitudes that the kingdom would not begin immediately, the people would have turned against Him in even greater numbers. Most of the Jews could not bring themselves to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It would be even more difficult for them to accept a postponement of the kingdom. Significantly, Jesus" teaching about the postponement of the kingdom followed Israel"s rejection of Him as her King. [6]
"The seven parables of ch13 , called by our Lord "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" ( Matthew 13:11), taken together describe the result of the presence of the Gospel in the world during the present age, that Isaiah , the time of seed-sowing which began with our Lord"s personal ministry and will end with the "harvest" ( Matthew 13:40-43). The result is the mingled tares and wheat, good fish and bad, in the sphere of Christian profession. It is Christendom." [7]