What does Matthew 13:43 mean?

Jesus has given His disciples a detailed explanation of the meaning of the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:36). He is the sower of the field, which is the entire world. He has sown into His field good wheat seeds, which are the sons of the kingdom of heaven. The devil has come in the night and sown into the field weeds, which represent those who belong to him. When the harvest comes, Jesus has said, He will send His angels into the world to gather up all those who belong to the evil one, the lawbreakers and anything that causes sin. They will be thrown into the fiery furnace, hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in agony (Matthew 13:37–42).

Now Jesus concludes by describing the fate of those who belong to God. He calls them "righteous." They will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Not only will they be granted entrance to the kingdom, they will shine as children of God the Father (Proverbs 4:18; 1 John 2:8; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

The New Testament is clear that entrance into this kingdom is found only through faith in God's Son, Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–10). His death on the cross pays the price for the sin of those who trust in Him, and they are given credit for His righteous life, as well as being entrusted with good works to carry out.

Jesus concludes His explanation with a solemn warning to pay close attention, and to apply His words. The phrase "he who has ears, let him hear" was used during this time to call attention to especially important teaching.