Matthew 13:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.”

NIV: Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.'

NASB: Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.'

CSB: Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

NLT: Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, 'Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.'

KJV: Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

NKJV: Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

Large crowds followed Jesus as He travelled around Galilee. Most of the people were not followers in the sense of being committed to belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Rather, most came to see His miraculous healings or to hear His compelling teaching, but not in any sincere effort to follow God. Jesus described them as the fulfillment of Isaiah's words about a people with dull hearts and no capacity to understand the truth (Matthew 13:13–16).

In this chapter, Jesus had taken a seat on a boat and taught to a large crowd gathered on the beach on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 13:1–2). Matthew has been clear that Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven only in parables (Matthew 13:34). Now He has finished and enters a house, likely in Capernaum, with only His disciples. They ask Him to explain the parable of the weeds and the wheat which He taught to the crowd (Matthew 13: 24–30).

Although Jesus will not explain His parables to the crowds, He is willing to do so for the disciples. He has told them that it has been given to them to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11) and that they have the spiritual willingness to understand in a way the larger crowds cannot (Matthew 13:16; John 7:17).

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.