|
Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.(A) 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s servants(B) came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
31 He(C) presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven(D) is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”(E)
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven[a] that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds[b] of flour until all of it was leavened.”(F)
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable,(G) 35 so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.[c][d](H)
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”(I)
37 He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,(J) 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.(K) 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.(L) 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin[e] and those guilty of lawlessness.[f](M) 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace(N) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(O) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears[g] listen.(P)
Read full chapter