Matthew brings together seven parables. He explains the Lord's purpose in bringing them, v10-17; 34-35, that they reflect the hardness of men's hearts, and bring a challenge to faith in Christ.

v1-2: Great multitudes heard the Lord teaching; v34 indicates that this is His normal method of teaching the mixed multitude, although Matthew contains much other material. The idea is that the stories themselves are easy to remember, but the application of them sifts the hearers. Later the Lord Jesus explains their meaning to the disciples.

v3-9: The parable of the sower. The seed is not sown indiscriminately, but it is inevitable that not all will fall on good ground. There is therefore a challenge to be more zealous in witness, but recognising that not all will respond in faith.

The farmer's intention is clearly to see fruit, for his livelihood, and his family's, depends on it. Jesus has already spoken of personal fruit, in 7.15-20; 12.33-37. Fruit is described in the word; it comes from the word of God, the seed, and it produces "after its kind;" we therefore know what the good fruit should look like. The man of faith hears and obeys, taking in God's truth and applying it.

v10-12: The explanation here, that the mysteries of God are hidden from unbelievers, see7.6. True spiritual understanding comes by faith in Jesus Christ, and we continue to receive grace upon grace.

In contrast the unbeliever receives nothing; even what he has, or what he thinks he has, will be taken from him.

v13-15: Parables separate believers from unbelievers, see v34. The people are held responsible for their unbelief. They have closed their minds to the truths of God, and they will suffer the consequences of judgment. The emphasis here is the judgment of this life.

v16-17: The privilege of the apostles, and of those who come after them; 1 Pet 1.12; the prophets predicted such things, but did not see their fulfilment. This privilege fulfils v12, "whoever has will be given more."

We too have privilege, of a completed Bible, of the in-dwelling Spirit of God, the glorious salvation of Jesus Christ, and therefore the responsibility to live to that great light.

v18: The One who delivers the parable has utter authority to give its meaning.

v19-22: Three seeds which do not grow to maturity.

• There is the evil one (the wicked one), the source of all opposition to Jesus Christ; he appears as the enemy in another parable, v25, 28, 39. The hearer lacks understanding.
• There is persecution because of the word. The hearer has no root, and falls away.
• There is the powerful influence of the cares of this world, like the seed struggling amongst thorns.

In contrast the Lord is the sower of the seed, the owner of the field, the Lord of the harvest; and He is responsible for bringing fruit for His glory. Although there is failure, it is not the 'fault' of the seed, being the word of God, but of the hearers, as Jesus Himself experienced. Yet there is an overarching expectation that the sower will return to find fruit.

v23: Fruit will not come immediately, but it will surely come; this is an evidence of belonging to Christ. We know too that we gain understanding by the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 2.12-13.

v24-30: Weeds, if milled, produce poisonous bread. Those who are listening with 'Jewish ears' understand the necessity of separating the wheat from the weeds.

The weeds are sown amongst the wheat; true in the church, where false doctrines, confusion and lawlessness have come in. The righteous cry out, "How long, O Lord?" (Rev 6.9-10); but the time of separation and judgment is yet to come. Our part is to be patient and discerning.

Jerome says; 'wheat and tares are so much alike, until the blade of the wheat comes to bring forth the ear, that it is next to impossible to distinguish them.' (quoted in Jonathan Edward, Religious Affections)

The enemy came to sow the weeds at night; he has covert schemes, seeking to destroy and to spoil. We see that wheat and weeds grow together, both gaining in influence and in followers. One of the effects of the weeds is that the wheat is separated; thus, one of the enemy’s schemes is to sow division amongst the people of God.

Jonathan Edwards comments on the application of the parable to us as individuals: 'There is indeed something very mysterious in it, that so much good and so much bad, should be mixed together in the church of God; as it is a mysterious thing, and what has puzzled and amazed many a good Christian, that there should be that which is so divine and so precious, ... with so much corruption, hypocrisy and iniquity, in a particular saint.' (Religious Affections)

See v36-43 for Jesus' explanation.

v31-32: The mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. Christ and His gospel is frequently despised by the world, yet ultimately His kingdom will fill the earth, Dan 2.35, 44.

There are the birds of the air, picturing unbelievers, finding shelter. (Birds damage flowers and eat fruit, so they are unwelcome.) As with other parables, there is a mixture of good and bad, as believers find blessing within the church; there will always be a mixed multitude.

v33: The inclusion of yeast, the flesh, to make things bigger. Fleshly attitudes have to do with appearance, with reputation, with the physical and material.

v34-35: Jesus' purpose in bringing parables; He is distinguishing between believers and unbelievers. This is the Lord's public practice, for He does not speak to His disciples in parables. The primary application is into His time and culture, yet we must apply lessons for Christians living and church life today.

Reading the parables demonstrates the glory of spiritual realities, and the little worth of the things of this world. Some things do not last, and we must not set our hearts upon them.

v36: The disciples' desire to understand is rewarded by a later, private explanation.

Matthew has gathered his material, making no attempt at a detailed chronology; rather he brings different incidents together within his overall purpose.

v37-40: Explanation of the parable of the weeds.

The Son of Man, who is only good, sows good seed, the sons of the kingdom, the righteous. The weeds are the sons of the wicked one, sown by the enemy. His deliberate intention is to confuse and to oppose the good. These practice lawlessness.

The end of the age will come, the time for harvest and accountability and recompense.

v41-43: The harvest is at the initiative of the Son of Man, the Lord of the harvest. It is the Lord, not the devil, who is in overall control. The harvest is therefore a time of cleansing, as all things that offend are removed from His kingdom.

In 8.12, the sons of the kingdom, unbelieving Jews, are cast into outer darkness. We note that, when we find an apparent contradiction, we must remember that each parable is designed to teach a specific thing, not the whole truth of the gospel. The lesson here is the separation of believer and unbeliever at the end of the age. The parable emphasises divine initiative and power, and provides a balance to the parable of the sower, which emphasises our responsibility.

v44-46: The hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. This is often seen as picturing Christ, but is more likely to be describing the church. Christ gives all that He has, even His own life, to buy a people for Himself; this is the joy that is set before Him. We see that the initiative is seeking and finding is Christ's.

v47-50: The dragnet, which catches all kinds of fish; again, at the end of the age, there is separation, with only two possible outcomes.

v51: The disciples are growing in understanding. The parables each have their own meaning, but together they present spiritual truths.

v52: Learned disciples are to be instructed scribes, bringing out many good things, providing for and blessing others. Jesus here draws on Song 7.13; ‘At our very door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you.’

v53: Jesus the itinerant, moving from place to place.

v54: Mighty works as well as wise words; either way, the people are amazed.

v55-57: The people are astonished at His miracles, but offended at Him; they do not receive Him, John 1.11. Like the seed sown along the path, the word is snatched away.

There is no mention of Joseph here; perhaps by this time he has died. This is consistent with John 19.26-27.

In Jewish society, the son almost always followed his father in his trade. So Jesus became a carpenter, just as Joseph had. This was one of the most important responsibilities of a father. Failure to teach his son a trade was akin to teaching him to steal!

v58: Their unbelief apparently limits their enjoyment of His power; being astonished is not faith!