“Parables in Matthew 13”

Sunday, June 11, 2017

In addition to the parables of the sower and the tares, there are five shorter parables in Matthew 13. They are the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price and the dragnet.

The Mustard Seed (verses 31-32)

The emphasis in this parable is that the kingdom of the Lord (His church) would begin small and grow until it had covered the whole earth. Christ would teach, in another setting, that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). If only a few Christians live in a community, if they will band together in love and unity and faithfulness to God and His word, great things can happen. It also shows us that when we do seemingly small and insignificant things for God, He can accomplish much through our efforts. All too often, we are hesitant to do the little things, perhaps because we are looking to do bigger things. We should learn that the small things we do in the kingdom can make a big difference in peoples’ lives and in their eternal destiny

The Leaven (verse 33)

Some people believe this is teaching the same lesson as the mustard seed, that something small can grow and become bigger. And perhaps that is true. But it is also possible that He is warning us about the malevolent influence of seemingly small and insignificant wrong deeds we may do. They too can grow and become worse and worse as time goes on. In the church and in our personal lives, sin may start small but it grows and the consequences can be very serious indeed.

The Hidden Treasure (verse 44)

In another one verse parable, Jesus is telling us to appreciate the value of the Lord’s church/kingdom. It is a special blessing indeed for us to be a part of the spiritual body of Christ and we must never denigrate its worth. The church was designed in eternity past in the mind of God (Ephesians 3:9-11) and it was so valuable to Him that it cost the blood of His Son (Acts 20:28).

The Pearl of Great Price (verses 45-46)

Similar to the hidden treasure parable, this one tells us that we should be willing to give up anything and everything to be a part of the Lord’s kingdom. This is a “counting the cost” lesson to remind us that nothing is more important than seeking first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33; Luke 14:25-33).

The Dragnet (verses 47-52)

This parable tells us that some bad people will become a part of the church (not intentionally, of course but through deception) and that God will separate the wicked from the righteous at the final judgment.

--Roger Hillis

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