Matthew 13:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

NIV: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

NASB: Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH LIKE THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.

CSB: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.

NLT: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

KJV: Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

NKJV: Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

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.

Matthew 13:36–43 follows Jesus away from the crowds and back into a house with His disciples. They ask Him to explain the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24–30). Jesus tells them He is the farmer, and the field is the world. The good wheat seeds represent the children of the kingdom, and the weeds—also known as "tares," likely an inedible plant that looks like wheat—are the children of the Devil who planted them. The harvest is the judgment at the end of the age. Then the reapers, God's angels, will gather all the wicked and all forms of sin and throw them into the fiery furnace. The righteous, though, will shine in the kingdom of their Father.

Matthew 13 focuses mainly on a series of parables. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Later, in a house, He explains to the disciples the meanings of the parables of the sower, the weeds, and the fish caught in the net. Jesus then travels to Nazareth, teaches in the synagogue, and is rejected by the people of His original hometown.

Matthew 13 follows Jesus from the overcrowded house at the end of the previous chapter to a crowded beach on the Sea of Galilee. He teaches a large crowd in a series of parables, which He doesn't fully explain. However, He reveals their meaning to His disciples inside a nearby house. Jesus pictures the kingdom of heaven as a sower, a sabotaged field of wheat, a mustard seed, and a pearl dealer, among other things. He then travels to His original hometown of Nazareth where He is rejected by the people He grew up with. This leads Matthew back to depictions of Jesus' miracles, after sadly recording John the Baptist's death.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.