Matthew 13:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

NIV: He answered, 'The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

NASB: And He said, 'The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

CSB: He replied, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

NLT: Jesus replied, 'The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.

KJV: He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

NKJV: He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

Jesus begins to explain to His disciples the meaning behind a parable that He taught to a large crowd (Matthew 13:24–30). Now the crowd is gone, and Jesus and His disciples are alone in a house, likely in Capernaum (Matthew 13:36). The parable began with Jesus comparing the kingdom of heaven to a man who planted good seed in his field. In that parable, the man who sowed a field represents Jesus Himself, the "Son of Man."

The title "Son of Man" is how Jesus most often described Himself (Matthew 26:24; Mark 2:10; Luke 7:34; John 8:28). He was a literal son of man in the sense that He was fully human. However, this is also an important symbol of the Messiah, taken from a vision seen by Daniel (Daniel 7:13–14). Jesus Christ was also this "Son of Man" described as ruling over all peoples forever. Jesus was both man and God, and the fulfillment of prophecy, which may be why He took on this specific descriptor so frequently.

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.

Accessed 4/30/2024 5:14:22 AM