Mysteries of the Kingdom: Sowers and Reapers – Matthew 13:24-43

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Matthew 13:24-43 Mysteries of the Kingdom: Sowers and Reapers

Mysteries or secrets of the Kingdom were revealed to Yeshua's disciples but were hidden from satan and the masses who did not have ears to ear the teachings Yeshua presented. Before Yeshua began to teach in parables, He taught in clear simple everyday speech to the people beginning with the Beatitudes and the Sermons on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5.

When Yeshua started teaching in parables, it required His listeners to inquire further for understanding; this separated those who wanted an understanding from those who did not.

In this teaching, Mysteries of the Kingdom: Sowers and Reapers, Yeshua speaks parables to the masses, but reveals to His disciples the Kingdom plan. Yeshua exposes the counterfeit plan and deceptive work of the enemy of sowing seeds to compete for the souls of men; and He explains the end-time Kingdom game plan of reaping the harvest.

Yeshua uses language to refer to people in ways that are unique. He speaks of humans in nonhuman terms. He refers to people as ground: rocky, wayside, thorny, and good ground.

Fields
Fish: fishers of men
Trees
Wheat and tare = good seed and bad seed
Sheep and goats
Harvest
Etc.

The word of God is referred to as

Seed
Water
Etc.

The Mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed by Yeshua to His disciples in various teachings in this passage and others in relations to:

Mt 13:31 … The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed,

Mt 13:33 … The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,

Mt 13:44 … Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field;

Mt 13:45 … Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Mt 13:47 … Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,

Mt 13:52 … the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Mt 20:1 … For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Mt 22:2 … The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

In this parable the mystery is “Sowers and Reapers”. Yeshua will explain or interpret the parable of “Sowers and Reapers” but will also speak two other parables in verse 31 and 33 without giving an explanation.

Mt 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Sowed – 4687 σπείρω speiro {spi'-ro}

Meaning: 1) to sow, scatter, seed 2) metaph. of proverbial sayings

Usage: AV - sow 43, sower 6, receive seed 4, vr sow 1; 54

Seed – 4690 σπέρμα sperma {sper'-mah}

Meaning: 1) from which a plant germinates 1a) the seed i.e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plants 1a1) of the grains or kernels sown 1b) metaph. a seed i.e. a residue, or a few survivors reserved as the germ of a new race (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing)

2) the semen virile 2a) the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny 2b) family, race, posterity 2c) whatever possesses vital force or life giving power 2c1) of divine energy of the Holy Spirit operating within the soul by which we are regenerated

Usage: AV - seed 43, issue 1; 44

When Yeshua spoke in parables, He had to explain or interpret the parable for it to be understood. He would explain it later to His disciples.

The parable was not the message but was like or compared to something. In this parable, it compares good seed being sown and although the words “bad seed” are not used, it is implied.

Mt 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Sowed – 4687 σπείρω speiro {spi'-ro}

Meaning: 1) to sow, scatter, seed 2) metaph. of proverbial sayings

Usage: AV - sow 43, sower 6, receive seed 4, vr sow 1; 54

Tares – 2215 ζιζάνιον zizanion {dziz-an'-ee-on}

Meaning: 1) a kind of darnel, resembling wheat except the grains are black

Usage: AV - tares 8; 8

Mt 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

The wheat and the tares looked similar in appearance until the fruit appeared. It wasn’t until the fruit manifested, that they were able to tell the difference between the wheat and the tares. Keep in mind, as Yeshua will interpret this parable, that both the wheat and the tares are compared to people.

Lolium temulentum (Darnel Ryegrass)

L. temulentum and wheat look alike until the ear appears and are distinguished as follows:
The ears on the real wheat are so heavy that it makes the entire plant droop downward, but L. temulentum, whose ears are light, stands up straight.
Wheat ripens to a brown colour, whereas L. temulentum turns black.

Source: https://keys.lucidcentral.org/

Environmental and other impacts

Lolium temulentum is a weed of wheat farmlands. Even a few grains of this plant will adversely affect crop quality. Its seeds are poisonous to people and livestock. It is very difficult to separate the seeds of L. temulentum from those of what and other small grain crops as they are similar in size and weight. L. temulentum can be a host to a variety of crop pests and diseases.

Mt 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? Mt 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? Mt 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Root up – 1610 ἐκριζόω ekrizoo {ek-rid-zo'-o}

Meaning: 1) to root out, pluck up by the Usage: AV - root up 2, pluck up by the root 2; 4

A mystery here is that underneath the surface of the soil, there is a mingling of roots, an interconnection that is hidden. Their roots are intertwined and to separate or uproot the tares from the wheat, you would inadvertently and unintentionally root up the wheat in the process. Plucking or pulling up weeds or tares from a garden inadvertently pulls up or uproots the actual planted seed that has sprouted in the process.

When I planted my garden and the weeds grew, I wanted to pull them up. The roots of the weeds had formed around the plants I had intentionally planted. When I pulled up the weeds, my plants came up too.

I concluded that it was best to let them grow together until it was time to harvest what I had planted.

Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

In the midst of speaking the parable about the wheat and tares, Yeshua gives two more parables.

Mt 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Mt 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Although mustard is an herb, it becomes a tree.

Mt 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

1470 ἐγκρύπτω ekgrupto {eng-kroop'-to}

Meaning: 1) to conceal in something 2) to mingle one thing with another

Usage: AV - hide in 2; 2

The interesting thing about the leaven is it is hidden. Although it is hid, it mingles with the flour and leavened the whole.

Mt 13:34 All these things spake Yeshua unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

Mt 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

The prophet in this passage is Asaph who wrote the 78th Psalm

2Ch 29:30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

Ps 78:0 Maschil of Asaph.

Ps 78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Ps 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Mt 13:36 Then Yeshua 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.

The disciples sought understanding of the parable of the tares of the field. Yeshua interprets the parable and explains the events of the end time harvest.

Mt 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

Mt 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the

children of the wicked one;

Mt 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Mt 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

Mt 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Mt 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Offend – 4625 σκάνδαλον skandalon {skan'-dal-on} ("scandal") Meaning: 1) the movable stick or trigger of a trap, a trap stick 1a) a trap, snare 1b) any impediment placed in the way and causing one to stumble or fall, (a stumbling block, occasion of stumbling) i.e. a rock which is a cause of stumbling Usage: AV - offence 9, stumbling block 3, occasion of stumbling 1, occasion to fall 1, thing that offends 1; 15

Iniquity – 458 ἀνομία anomia {an-om-ee'-ah}

Meaning: 1) the condition of without law 1a) because ignorant of it 1b) because of violating it 2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

Usage: AV - iniquity 12, unrighteousness 1, transgress the law + 4060 1, transgression of the law 1; 15

Mt 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Yeshua seems to be referring to Daniel who wrote:

Da 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Da 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Da 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

An applicable lesson from the Parable, along with the understanding of sowers and reapers, is to be a sower of good seed.

Yeshua sowed the Word in His disciples. His disciples sowed the Word into their disciples and so on…

If you never sow good seed (The Word), you will not understand reaping 30, 60, or a hundredfold.

The lesson applies to natural sowing of seed and a natural reaping from the seed sowed that becomes a harvest for reaping.

The lesson can be applied to the spiritual sowing of the word and a harvest of souls reaped from the word (seed) sowed, just as a natural harvest is reaped from the natural seed sowed.

The lesson is to become a sower of seed.

Assignment:

Grow a garden
Plant seeds and nurture them until the harvest in a plot of land, or in a pot if you live in an apt, or don’t have your own land to plant in.
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