Matthew 13:1-23  Mysteries of the Kingdom: Sowing Seed

The religious leaders of Israel resisted and fought the ministry of Yeshua and His message of repentance. Yeshua’s family was concerned about His mental condition as discovered in the previous lesson. Satan, the prince of the power of the air, had blinded the minds of the religious leaders and dispatched evil spirits that occupied and bound up the people of the land. 

Repentance and acceptance of the Gospel of the Kingdom was the only hope for the people to be set free from the bondage of satan and the evil spirits that bound them. 

Yeshua knew that once He left, the enemy would try to devastate the people of the land of Israel by increasing the demonic presence seven-fold. Therefore, the only hope for the people was for the seeds of the Word to be planted throughout the land. 

In this portion of Matthew, Yeshua reveals secrets of the Kingdom to His disciples that had been hidden from the people and the devil. 

The devil’s target was Yeshua. The devil put his focus on Yeshua and thought if he could stop or destroy Yeshua, that would be the end to God’s plan.

YeHoVaH’s plan, manifested through Yeshua, was to duplicate or replicate Himself through discipleship, a Kingdom form of cloning. Through discipleship, Yeshua could multiply Himself into many and evangelize through multiple people all saying what He said and doing what He did. 

By the time the devil realized the plan, it was in full blown effect, and he was unable to stop it. Instead of trying to stop one man, the devil now has thousands to try to stop.

Yeshua’s model was

• Discipleship 

• Evangelism

• Replication/Reproduction

The Discipleship Model

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is much bigger than trying to get you to keep the Sabbath or celebrate the Feasts.

• It is much bigger than finding you a place to fellowship and serve.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is about being a worshipper, not just going to a worship service.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is about making disciples, who will make disciples, who will make disciples.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is about equipping the saints.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is about evangelizing in your everyday life, which is a byproduct of being discipled and equipped.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom is about being a witness of what Messiah has done in your life and in others’ lives.

The Vision of House of Israel is to be; 1. A Worshipping People (Johnn 4:23,24)2. An Evangelistic Community (Acts 2:42-47)

3. A Discipleship Center (Matthew 28:19)4. An Equipping Network (Ephesians 4:12)5. And a Worldwide Witness for Yeshua The Messiah (Acts 1:8)

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

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 “Sowing Seed”: evangelism and teaching.

Mt 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 

Mt 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 

Mt 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 

Yeshua explained later why He spoke in parables.

Mt 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

Mt 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 

Mt 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

Mt 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 

Mt 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Yeshua concludes the parable with this statement.

Mt 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

Mt 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 

Mt 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Why was it not given to them? 

They did not have ears to hear.

YeHoVaH spoke directly to the people at Mt Sinai, but they did not listen.

YeHoVaH spoke through Moses and the prophets, but the people, as a whole, did not listen.

Yeshua spoke publicly and the people did not hear him. 

He said to a Pharisee named Nicodemus: 

Jn 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 

Jn 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

At this point, Yeshua began to speak to the people in parables for those who had ears to hear. 

Teaching in parables was particularly effective and easy to remember because Yeshua used comparisons the people of His day would have been familiar with. 

Although parables clarified Yeshua’s teaching, they also included hidden meanings that needed further explanation. These hidden meanings challenged the sincerely interested to further inquiry, and taught truths that Yeshua’s enemies could find no direct statements to use against Him.

Whoever has ears to hear will hear and more will be given to them.

Mt 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

Mt 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  

Mt 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 

Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts… 

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 

Isa 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 

Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Yeshua interprets Isaiah’s prophecy: 

Mt 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have heard it all before. Blah, blah, blah was most of the people’s attitude toward what Yeshua was saying. Therefore, He begin to weed the people out with parables to identify those who were interested in learning the truth.

You can talk to people, and they don’t hear what you are saying because they already believe what they believe.

Mt 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Mt 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

Mt 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 

Mt 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 

They do not understand what they have heard and do not ask for clarification or seek understanding.

Proverbs states: 

Pr 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 

Pr 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 

Pr 4:3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 

Pr 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 

Pr 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 

Pr 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 

Pr 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Mt 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mt 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

David wrote: 

Ps 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

Ps 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

Ps 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 

Ps 92:15 To show that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Mt 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

The rich young ruler? 

Mt 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

Mt 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

Mt 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mt 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mt 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mt 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Mt 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Mt 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The Divine Strategy: 

The devil thought if he eliminated Yeshua, the Gospel of the Kingdom would go away. What the devil did not know was that the mystery of God in Yeshua was the mystery of replication. Yeshua’s model was a model of replication or duplication.  

By duplication or replication, Yeshua multiplied Himself or cloned Himself through the discipleship process.  This process was Yeshua taking everything in Him and putting it into others, who would then put it into others. This was the Great Commission.

Yeshua knew the day would come when He would give His life and His earthly ministry would be over, but that would not be the end of His earthly ministry.

All of Yeshua‘s disciples, apostles, and those who heard him publicly speak, are all dead. Yet Yeshua’s ministry continues.

I know the day will come when I will be dead, just like all those before me. This is not about me. The Gospel is not about me. The Gospel is about the ministry of Yeshua. 

You and I were part of YeHoVaH’s divine strategy. 

This also is a mystery of the Kingdom.

Sow Seeds Y’all!