Year of the Bible
Matthew 13
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Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 13:
Containing seven of Jesus’ parables, the thirteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel is sometimes referred to as “the parable discourse.” Facing ever-increasing opposition from Jewish religious leaders, Jesus shifts his ministry from the synagogues to the streets, to private homes, and to the open countryside. While the Pharisees’ hostility toward Jesus grows, many people are open to his message concerning the kingdom of heaven. It’s now that Jesus begins communicating through use of parables. An ingenious method of teaching, the parable places abstract ideas in familiar settings, a practice that makes the truth accessible to a wide range of listeners. Beginning with material that everyone understands and most likely has experienced on a personal level, the parable then draws listeners into deeper relationship with God. When Jesus tells a parable, it’s as though he’s holding a mirror up before his audience—those who hear these stories are able to discover for themselves in the secrecy of their hearts whatever truth Jesus is teaching, but listeners who are too lazy to think about the meaning of the story miss out on Jesus’ divine wisdom. The majority of Jesus’ parables focus on the kingdom of heaven—its small beginnings, its immense scope, and its unfathomable value.
The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 13:
The Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:
‘You shall indeed hear but never understand,
and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are heavy of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should perceive with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.”
Why Jesus Speaks in Parables
34 All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Three Parables about the Kingdom
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Treasures New and Old
51 “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren† James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
The Sons of the kingdom are good seed while the weeds are the sons of the evil one. In what ways can I let you Father me, Lord, so that I might prove fruitful and so shine with you in your kingdom?
Bible Commentary by Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 121.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Mateo 13
1 Aquel día salió Jesús de casa y se
sentó a la orilla del mar. 2 Se reunió
en torno a él una multitud tan grande,
que tuvo que subir a sentarse en una
barca, mientras toda la multitud permanecía
en la playa. 3 Y se puso a hablarles
muchas cosas con parábolas:
–Salió el sembrador a sembrar. 4 Y al
echar la semilla, parte cayó junto al camino
y vinieron los pájaros y se la comieron.
5 Otra parte cayó en terreno pedregoso,
donde no había mucha tierra y
brotó pronto por no ser hondo el suelo;
6 pero al salir el sol, se agostó y se secó
porque no tenía raíz. 7 Otra parte cayó
entre espinos; crecieron los espinos y
la ahogaron. 8 Otra, en cambio, cayó en
buena tierra y comenzó a dar fruto, una
parte el ciento, otra el sesenta y otra el
treinta. 9 El que tenga oídos, que oiga.
10 Los discípulos se acercaron a decirle:
–¿Por qué les hablas con parábolas?
11 Él les respondió:
–A vosotros se os ha concedido el
conocer los misterios del Reino de los
Cielos, pero a ellos no se les ha concedido.
12 Porque al que tiene se le dará y
tendrá en abundancia; pero al que no
tiene incluso lo que tiene se le quitará.
13 Por eso les hablo con parábolas, porque
viendo no ven, y oyendo no oyen ni
entienden. 14 Y se cumple en ellos la profecía
de Isaías, que dice:
Con el oído oiréis, pero no entenderéis;
con la vista miraréis, pero no veréis.
15 Porque se ha embotado el corazón
de este pueblo,
han hecho duros sus oídos,
y han cerrado sus ojos;
no sea que vean con los ojos,
y oigan con los oídos,
y entiendan con el corazón y se conviertan,
y yo los sane.
16 Bienaventurados, en cambio, vuestros
ojos porque ven y vuestros oídos
porque oyen. 17 Porque en verdad os digo
que muchos profetas y justos ansiaron ver
lo que estáis viendo y no lo vieron, y oír lo
que estáis oyendo y no lo oyeron.
18 Escuchad, pues, vosotros la parábola
del sembrador. 19 A todo el que oye la palabra
del Reino y no entiende, viene el Maligno
y arrebata lo sembrado en su corazón: esto es
lo sembrado junto al camino. 20 Lo sembrado
sobre terreno pedregoso es el que oye la palabra,
y al momento la recibe con alegría; 21 pero
no tiene en sí raíz, sino que es inconstante y,
al venir una tribulación o persecución por causa
de la palabra, enseguida tropieza y cae.
22 Lo sembrado entre espinos es el
que oye la palabra, pero las preocupaciones
de este mundo y la seducción de
las riquezas ahogan la palabra y queda
estéril. 23 Y lo sembrado en buena tierra
es el que oye la palabra y la entiende, y
fructifica y produce el ciento, o el sesenta,
o el treinta.
24 Les propuso otra parábola:
–El Reino de los Cielos es como un
hombre que sembró buena semilla en
su campo. 25 Pero, mientras dormían los
hombres, vino su enemigo, sembró cizaña
en medio del trigo y se fue. 26 Cuando
brotó la hierba y echó espiga, entonces
apareció también la cizaña. 27 Los siervos
del amo de la casa fueron a decirle:
Señor, ¿no sembraste buena semilla
en tu campo? ¿Cómo es que tiene cizaña?
28 Él les dijo: «Algún enemigo lo habrá
hecho. Le respondieron los siervos:
¿Quieres que vayamos a arrancarla?
29 Pero él les respondió: No, no vaya a
ser que, al arrancar la cizaña, arranquéis
también con ella el trigo. 30 Dejad que
crezcan juntos hasta la siega. Y al tiempo
de la siega les diré a los segadores:
“Arrancad primero la cizaña y atadla en
gavillas para quemarla; el trigo, en cambio,
almacenadlo en mi granero”.
31 Les propuso otra parábola:
–El Reino de los Cielos es como un
grano de mostaza que tomó un hombre
y lo sembró en su campo; 32 es, sin duda,
la más pequeña de todas las semillas,
pero cuando ha crecido es la mayor de
las hortalizas, y llega a hacerse como un
árbol, hasta el punto de que los pájaros
del cielo acuden a anidar en sus ramas.
33 Les dijo otra parábola:
–El Reino de los Cielos es como la
levadura que tomó una mujer y la mezcló
con tres medidas de harina, hasta
que fermentó todo.
34 Todas estas cosas habló Jesús a las
multitudes con parábolas y no les solía
hablar nada sin parábolas, 35 para que se
cumpliese lo dicho por medio del Profeta:
Abriré mi boca con parábolas,
proclamaré las cosas que estaban ocultas
desde la creación del mundo.
36 Entonces, después de despedir
a las multitudes, entró en la casa. Y se
acercaron sus discípulos y le dijeron:
–Explícanos la parábola de la cizaña
del campo.
Él les respondió:
37 –El que siembra la buena semilla
es el Hijo del Hombre; 38 el campo es
el mundo; la buena semilla son los hijos
del Reino; la cizaña son los hijos del
Maligno. 39 El enemigo que la sembró es
el diablo; la siega es el fin del mundo; los
segadores son los ángeles. 40 Del mismo
modo que se reúne la cizaña y se quema
en el fuego, así será al fin del mundo.
41 El Hijo del Hombre enviará a sus
ángeles y apartarán de su Reino a todos
los que causan escándalo y obran
la maldad, 42 y los arrojarán en el horno
del fuego. Allí habrá llanto y rechinar
de dientes. 43 Entonces los justos brillarán
como el sol en el Reino de su Padre.
Quien tenga oídos, que oiga.
44 El Reino de los Cielos es como un
tesoro escondido en el campo que,
al encontrarlo un hombre, lo oculta y, en
su alegría, va y vende todo cuanto tiene y
compra aquel campo.
45 Asimismo el Reino de los Cielos
es como un comerciante que busca perlas
finas 46 y, cuando encuentra una perla
de gran valor, va y vende todo cuanto
tiene y la compra.
47 Asimismo el Reino de los Cielos es
como una red barredera que se echa en
el mar y recoge toda clase de cosas. 48 Y
cuando está llena la arrastran a la orilla, y
se sientan para echar lo bueno en cestos,
y lo malo tirarlo fuera. 49 Así será al fin del
mundo: saldrán los ángeles y separarán a
los malos de entre los justos 50 y los arrojarán
al horno del fuego. Allí habrá llanto
y rechinar de dientes.
51 ¿Habéis entendido todo esto?
–Sí –le respondieron.
52 Él les dijo:
–Por eso, todo escriba instruido en
el Reino de los Cielos es como un hombre,
amo de su casa, que saca de su tesoro
cosas nuevas y cosas antiguas.
53 Cuando terminó Jesús estas parábolas
se marchó de allí. 54 Y al llegar a su
ciudad se puso a enseñarles en su sinagoga,
de manera que se quedaban admirados
y decían:
–¿De dónde le viene a éste esa sabiduría
y esos poderes? 55 ¿No es éste el
hijo del artesano? ¿No se llama su madre
María y sus hermanos Santiago,
José, Simón y Judas? 56 Y sus hermanas
¿no viven todas entre nosotros? ¿Pues
de dónde le viene todo esto?
57 Y se escandalizaban de él. Pero Jesús
les dijo:
–No hay profeta que no sea menospreciado
en su tierra y en su casa.
58 Y no hizo allí muchos milagros
por su incredulidad.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina para el día de hoy
Los hijos del Reino son buena semilla, mientras que las hierbas son los hijos del malvado. ¿De qué modos puedo permitir oh Señor que seas mi Padre, para que yo pruebe ser fructífero(a) y brille contigo en tu reino?
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dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).