The kingdom grows now, but judgment comes later

13:24 He presented them with another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?' 13:28 He said, 'An enemy has done this.' So the slaves replied, 'Do you want us to go and gather them?' 13:29 But he said, 'No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn."'" 13:31 He gave them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches." 13:33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen." 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable. 13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world." 13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 13:37 He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen! 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 13:46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it. 13:47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:51 "Have you understood all these things?" They replied, "Yes." 13:52 Then he said to them, "Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old."

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is present now, even though the world still contains both good and evil. It may begin small and work quietly, but it has great worth. Final separation and judgment belong to the end of the age under the Son of Man.

These parables belong together. Each one begins with the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like.” Jesus gives several pictures of one kingdom reality. Together, they show why God’s reign is real even when the world still looks mixed, hidden, and unimpressive.

In the parable of the weeds, a man sows good seed in his field. But an enemy comes at night and sows weeds among the wheat. When both begin to grow, the servants want to pull up the weeds right away. The owner refuses. He says that if they remove the weeds too soon, they may also harm the wheat. So he tells them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then the wheat and the weeds can be separated safely.

Jesus later explains this parable. The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one. The enemy is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. This matters because it keeps us from making the wrong point out of the parable. Jesus says the field is the world, not the church. So the main lesson is not chiefly about church discipline. The main lesson is that in this present age the righteous and the wicked live together in the world, and God has appointed a future time for final separation.

The delay is not weakness. It is deliberate. The owner’s command, “Let both grow together until the harvest,” shows that this waiting is part of God’s present rule. At the same time, the delay does not cancel judgment. At the end of the age, the Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather out everything that causes sin and all who do evil. These will be thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Jesus ends with a strong warning: “The one who has ears had better listen.”

The mustard seed and the leaven add another side of the picture. The kingdom does not begin with outward greatness. It begins small. The mustard seed is tiny, but it grows into a large plant. The birds nesting in its branches point to broad growth and shelter. The leaven works quietly through the whole lump of dough. Jesus’ point is that the kingdom may seem small at first, but its growth is real and its influence spreads far.

Matthew says that Jesus spoke these things in parables to fulfill Scripture. This shows that Jesus’ parables are not random stories. They are part of God’s plan to reveal what had long been hidden.

The hidden treasure and the pearl of great value show the worth of the kingdom. In both stories, a person finds something so valuable that everything else becomes less important. The man who finds the treasure sells all that he has and buys the field. The merchant who finds the pearl does the same. The point is not that people earn the kingdom by buying it. The point is that the kingdom is worth everything. When a person truly sees its value, a whole-hearted response is right. In the treasure parable, joy is part of the response. The man sells all because he is glad to have found something better.

The dragnet parable returns to the same warning as the weeds. A net gathers fish of every kind. When it is full, the fishermen sort the good fish from the bad. Jesus says it will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will separate the evil from the righteous and throw the wicked into the fiery furnace. Again, the present mixture is temporary. Again, the separation is future. Again, the warning is serious.

Jesus then asks the disciples if they have understood all these things. When they say yes, he speaks of a trained teacher of the kingdom being like a householder who brings out treasure both new and old. The point is that a true disciple must handle God’s truth faithfully. He must bring together what God has already given and what Jesus now reveals.

So this passage teaches several truths. The kingdom is present now, but not yet in its final form. Evil still remains in the world, but that does not mean God’s rule has failed. The kingdom may start small and work quietly, but it will grow. It is of such great worth that it calls for a total response. And final judgment is certain, though it belongs to the end of the age, when the Son of Man will act openly and decisively.

• The field in the weeds parable is the world, not primarily the church.
• The present coexistence of the righteous and the wicked is temporary.
• Final separation belongs to the end of the age, not to human impatience now.
• The kingdom often appears small and hidden, yet its growth and influence are real.
• The kingdom is of great worth and calls for a wholehearted response.
• Jesus presents himself as the Son of Man who will send angels, judge the wicked, and vindicate the righteous.
• Understanding kingdom truth brings a duty to steward and teach it faithfully.

• Do not assume the kingdom is unreal because evil still exists in the world.
• Do not use the weeds parable to deny all present obligations of holiness, correction, or discernment.
• Do not turn the delay of judgment into a denial of judgment.
• Do not force every symbol in every parable to mean the same thing it meant elsewhere; the local context controls the meaning.
• Do not press the shorter parables into detailed allegory where Jesus himself does not provide it.
• Do not treat the treasure and pearl as teaching that salvation is earned.
• Do not reduce the kingdom to a purely present inner experience with no future public judgment.

Jesus says these parables fulfill Scripture and reveal what had long been hidden. They show God’s kingdom plan in two ages: hidden growth and mixed conditions now, then final separation, judgment, and vindication at the end of the age.

Be patient about the mixed condition of the world without becoming careless about sin. Leave final judgment to Christ. Do not despise small beginnings. Let the value of the kingdom reorder your priorities. Read and teach Scripture in a way that honors both the old and the new under Jesus’ authority.

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