Matteo 13:8 Commento

In this chapter, we have, I. The favour which Christ did to his countrymen in preaching the kingdom of heaven to them (Mat 13:1-2). He preached to them in parables, and here gives the reason why he chose that way of instructing (Mat 13:10-17). And the evangelist gives another reason (Mat 13:34, Mat 13:35). There are eight parables recorded in this chapter, which are designed to represent the kingdom of heaven, the method of planting the gospel kingdom in the world, and of its growth and success. The great truths and laws of that kingdom are in other scriptures laid down plainly, and without parables: but some circumstances of its beginning and progress are here laid open in parables. 1. Here is one parable to show what are the great hindrances of people's profiting by the word of the gospel, and in how many it comes short of its end, through their own folly, and that is the parable of the four sorts of ground, delivered (Mat 13:3-9). and expounded (Mat 13:18-23). 2. Here are two parables intended to show that there would be a mixture of good and bad in the gospel church, which would continue till the great separation between them in the judgment day: the parable of the tares put forth (Mat 13:24-30), and expounded at the request of the disciples (Mat 13:36-43); and that of the net cast into the sea (Mat 13:47-50). 3. Here are two parables intended to show that the gospel church should be very small at first, but that in process of time it should become a considerable body: that of the grain of mustard-seed (Mat 13:31, Mat 13:32), and that of the leaven (Mat 13:33). 4. Here are two parables intended to show that those who expect salvation by the gospel must be willing to venture all, and quit all, in the prospect of it, and that they shall be no losers by the bargain; that of the treasure hid in the field (Mat 13:44), and that of the pearl of great price (Mat 13:45, Mat 13:46). 5. Here is one parable intended for direction to the disciples, to make use of the instructions he had given them for the benefit of others; and that is the parable of the good householder (Mat 13:51, Mat 13:52). II. The contempt which his countrymen put upon him on account of the meanness of his parentage (Mat 13:53-58).

The same day Jesus went out of the house,.... Where he had been preaching, and working miracles: where this house was, is not certain; it seems to have been in one of the cities of Galilee, probably Capernaum, since that was by the sea coast: the reason of his going out of the house was, either to converse with his mother and brethren, as they desired; or to withdraw himself from company, and take some refreshment by the sea side; or because it would not hold the people, and therefore he quitted it for a more convenient place. The time he went out of it, was the same day he had cast the devil out of the man blind and dumb, and had delivered himself so freely concerning the Scribes and Pharisees, who had blasphemously ascribed that miracle to the assistance of Satan; and the same day his mother and brethren came to see him, and speak to him. And sat by the sea side; either as weary, and for his refreshment, or in order to preach to the people; for, Mark says, "he began again to teach by the sea side", Mar 4:1. This was the sea of Galilee, sometimes called the sea of Tiberias.

But others fell into good ground,.... Not beaten and trodden by the feet of men, nor stony, nor thorny, but well broke up, manured, and tilled; which designs good, honest hearted hearers who become so by the Spirit and grace of God; who with a spiritual understanding, experience, savour, and relish, what they hear; see Mat 13:23 and brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold: some seeds produced an hundred, others sixty, and others thirty. The first of these especially was a large increase, but what was sometimes had, and which Isaac received in Gerar, in the land of the Philistines, Gen 26:12 and is what Pliny says (g) of Byzacium, a country of the Lybiphoenicians, that it yielded an hundred fold to its husbandmen; and of such fruitfulness was the land of Israel, of which the Jewish doctors say some things incredible: they tell us a story (h) of "one that sowed a measure of vetches, or pease, , "and it produced three hundred measures"; they say unto him, the Lord hath begun to bless thee, &c.'' Here, in the parable, these various increases intend the different degrees of fruitfulness in gracious souls; for though the fruits of grace, in believers, are of the same quality, yet not of the same quantity. Some believers are grown to a greater maturity than others; some are but little children, some are young men, some are fathers. (g) Nat. Hist. 1. 5. c. 4. (h) T. Hieros. Peah, fol. 20. 2.

What then comes of this seed? Three parts perish, and one is saved. "And when He sowed, some seeds fell," He saith, "by the way side; and the fowls came and devoured them up." He said not, that He cast them, but that "they fell." A fourth part is saved; and not this all alike, but even here great is the difference. Now these things He said, manifesting that He discoursed to all without grudging. For as the sower makes no distinction in the land submitted to him, but simply and indifferently casts his seed; so He Himself too makes no distinction of rich and poor, of wise and unwise, of slothful or diligent, of brave or cowardly; but He discourses unto all, fulfilling His part, although foreknowing the results; that it may be in His power to say, "What ought I to have done, that I have not done?" And the prophets speak of the people as of a vine; "For my beloved," it is said, "had a vineyard;" and, "He brought a vine out of Egypt;" but He, as of seed. What could this be to show? That obedience now will be quick and easier, and will presently yield its fruit. But when thou hearest, "The sower went forth to sow," think it not a needless repetition. For the sower frequently goes forth for some other act also, either to plough, or to cut out the evil herbs, or to pluck up thorns, or to attend to some such matter; but He went forth to sow. Whence then, tell me, was the greater part of the seed lost? Not through the sower, but through the ground that received it; that is, the soul that did not hearken. And wherefore doth He not say, Some the careless received, and lost it; some the rich, and choked it, and some the superficial, and betrayed it? It is not His will to rebuke them severely, lest He should cast them into despair, but He leaves the reproof to the conscience of His hearers. And this was not the case with the seed only, but also with the net; for that too produced many that were unprofitable. But this parable He speaks, as anointing His disciples, and to teach them, that even though the lost be more than such as receive the word yet they are not to despond. For this was the case even with their Lord, and He who fully foreknew that these things should be, did not desist from sowing. And how can it be reasonable, saith one, to sow among the thorns, on the rock, on the wayside? With regard to the seeds and the earth it cannot be reasonable; but in the case of men's souls and their instructions, it hath its praise, and that abundantly. For the husbandman indeed would reasonably be blamed for doing this; it being impossible for the rock to become earth, or the wayside not to be a wayside, or the thorns, thorns; but in the things that have reason it is not so. There is such a thing as the rock changing, and becoming rich land; and the wayside being no longer trampled on, nor lying open to all that pass by, but that it may be a fertile field; and the thorns may be destroyed, and the seed enjoy full security. For had it been impossible, this Sower would not have sown. And if the change did not take place in all, this is no fault of the Sower, but of them who are unwilling to be changed: He having done His part: and if they betrayed what they received of Him, He is blameless, the exhibitor of such love to man. But do thou mark this, I pray thee; that the way of destruction is not one only, but there are differing ones, and wide apart from one another. For they that are like the wayside are the coarse-minded, and indifferent, and careless; but those on the rock such as fail from weakness only.

(Verse 5 and following) Some fell by the wayside: and the birds of the air came and devoured them. Others fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Valentinus uses this parable to prove his heresy, introducing three natures: spiritual, natural or animal, and earthly; while there are actually four: one by the wayside, another rocky, a third full of thorns, and a fourth of good soil. We postpone the interpretation of it for a while with the disciples, wanting to hear privately what is said.

This parable Valentinus lays hold of to establish his heresy, bringing in three different natures; the spiritual, the natural or the animal, and the earthly. But there are here four named, one by the wayside, one stony, one thorny, and a fourth the good ground.

But those things which He silently left to our understanding, should be shortly noticed. The wayside is the mind trodden and hardened by the continual passage of evil thoughts; the rock, the hardness of the self-willed mind; the good soil, the gentleness of the obedient mind, the sun, the heat of a raging persecution. The depth of soil, is the honesty of a mind trained by heavenly discipline. But in thus expounding them we should add, that the same things are not always put in one and the same allegorical signification.

Three quarters of the seed perished and only a quarter was saved. For few are they who are saved. At the end He speaks of the good ground, thus giving us hope of repentance. For although a man be rocky ground, or by the way side, or among the thorns, yet it is possible for him to become good ground. Nor do all who accept the word bear fruit equally: but "one a hundredfold," perhaps he who has attained perfect non-possessiveness and extreme asceticism; "another sixtyfold," perhaps the monk dwelling in a monastic community, and he, too, yields fruitfully; "and another thirtyfold," he who has chosen honorable marriage and diligently practices the virtues as much as he is able. See the goodness of God, how He accepts everyone: those who achieve great things, those who achieve moderate things, and those who achieve small things.

But someone might say: it was foolishness on the part of the sower. It can be said that if this were about sensible earth, it would be true; but it is about spiritual earth, and so the objection does not hold, because it is turned to diverse materials. Once the impediments are set down, the fruit of the seed is treated: others fell upon good ground and brought forth fruit. Earth that is not by the wayside, that is not rocky, that is not thorny, is good earth, namely, a good heart; and if seed is sown there, it bears fruit; Psalm 84:13: the Lord will give goodness, and our earth shall yield its fruit. But what fruit? Some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. Some refer this to the reward that is in heaven, because some have a hundredfold, etc. Wisdom 3:15: the fruit of good labors is glorious. Others refer the thirtyfold fruit to faith in the Trinity, the sixtyfold to the fruit of good works, and the hundredfold to the contemplation of heavenly things. But this cannot be, because it is the hearer who bears the fruit. Likewise, the reward is received. Hence it must be referred to the perfection of justice. Fruit, therefore, is properly the last thing expected from a tree; so the fruit of justice is had from preaching. And this is the hundredfold, etc., because there is a threefold perfection: lesser, greater, and middle; so that the hundredfold belongs to martyrs, the sixtyfold to virgins, and the thirtyfold to married persons. And why? Because etc. But the perfection of virgins is the sixtyfold, because then they ought to be free from malice; therefore this perfection belongs to virgins and those at rest who are separated from the world. By the thirtyfold is the perfection of those fighting in this life, because such persons are fit for battle. Others assign it by a computation on the hand, etc., as is found in the Gloss. Otherwise, you can consider it according to the nature of the numbers. For seed bears fruit in perfection. See then that the seed is the commandment of God: the number thirty is composed of three and ten; sixty of six and ten; one hundred from ten multiplied by itself. Three is a complete number and has a common perfection; six likewise is a perfect number, because nothing is lacking to it, for it has the perfection of integrity; ten is a perfect number, because it is the first limit of numbers, and hence has the perfection of an end. Thus there is a threefold perfection. Common justice, and so it is the perfection of three, which is had through the number thirty; but when one has more beyond the common, then one is said to bear sixtyfold fruit; but when one is perfect and already foretastes the sweetness, then one reaches the hundredfold fruit. Or otherwise, according to Augustine, insofar as men stand in three ways with respect to temptations. For some are gravely tempted but resist strongly; and these have the thirtyfold fruit. Others are little tempted but rise up; and these have the sixtyfold. But those who already remain in peaceful rest have the hundredfold.

JESUS TEACHES BY PARABLES. ( = Mark 4:1-34; Luk 8:4-18; Luk 13:18-20). (Mat. 13:1-52) The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside.