Matthew

Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower appears in all three of the synoptic Gospels (see Mark 4:3-8, 13-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15). The traditional name of the parable is not accurate. The parable is more about the soil that the seed.  The seeds are not bad, but some of the soil has not been prepared to receive the seed.

Why does Jesus teach this series of parables? These parables are explaining why the kingdom has not come / is not coming in the manner which some of the crowd was expecting.  If they were looking for a messiah who would be a new David and establish a real military kingdom in Rome, they will be disappointed in Jesus who intends to inaugurate the kingdom by sacrificing his life on the cross.

Jesus Teaches the Great Crowd in Parables

The Parable of the Sower follows the Pharisee’s rejection of Jesus (12:22-37) and their demand for a sign (12:29-45).  Even though they have condemned him as having his authority through the “prince of Demons,” he still commands the attention of a large crowd. The crowd was so large that in order to separate himself to teach he had to go out in a small boat.  Some see the boat as security against anyone who might wish to silence him.

In the Parable of the Sower Jesus gives three examples of soil which has not been prepared to receive seed and does not bear fruit: in a pathway (v. 4), on rocky ground (v. 6-5) and among the thorns (v. 7). The see which falls on prepared soil produces a good crop (v. 8).

Jesus ends the parable with “he who has ears, let him hear” (13:9).  This phrase is to invite the listener to think about what he has said and understand the meaning. The phrase appears in the gospel of Matthew three times all within the context of this passage. The phrase means, “if you have enough spiritual insight to figure this out, do so and react appropriately.” It usually has the implication that the listeners will not understand it!

That the crowd did not understand this parable is clear from the question from the disciples in verse 10. They seem to be perplexed, wondering the reason Jesus has chosen to speak in parables to the crowd rather than the more direct teaching that he did at the Sermon on the Mount.

The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower

After explaining to his disciples why he is teaching in parables, Jesus interprets the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:18-23). If seed is the “message of the kingdom,” the then sower is Jesus. The act of sowing the seed is his preaching of the message of the kingdom in Matthew 4:12-12:50.

Some of those who heard the message of the kingdom were not prepared to fully accept Jesus’s teachings (they do not “do the will of the Father,” Matthew 12:50).

The seed that fell on the pathway (v. 4) is like the one who “hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart” (v. 19)

The seed that fell on the rocky ground (v. 6-5) is like “the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (v. 20-21). This seed found soil, but not enough to survive, it was shallow dirt. Literally this is “no depth”, probably meaning  there was a thin layer of soil over rocky ground, cf. Sirach 40:15, “The children of the ungodly put out few branches; they are unhealthy roots on sheer rock.”

The seed that fell among the thorns (v. 7) is like “this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (v. 22). This seed also found some soil to grow, but the land was not properly prepared for the seed, and it was choked out by weeds.

The Prepared Soil

But some who heard Jesus’s message of the kingdom accepted it, they had “ears to hear” and will bear fruit (13:23). In contrast to the other three types of soil, this is good soil and the seed grows immensely.  The seed planted in the right soil that has been properly prepared will grow and produce fruit. The typical yield for seed at the time was six times, ten was considered a very good return.  This is a good example of hyperbole used to grab attention. The listeners would be amazed that any farmer got even thirty times return on their seed.

This is parable explains Jesus’s ministry up to this point in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus is describing exactly what he expects from his disciples:

• Commitment to Jesus
• Grounded in the Word
• Strong under persecution
• No mixed loyalties with the world
• Production of fruit

In its original context, the Parable of the Sower refers to those who have rejected or accepted Jesus’s message about the nearness of the Kingdom of God. But like most parables, the four soils in the parable can be easily applied to spiritual condition of the modern church.

Jesus’s description of his disciples as his brothers and sisters serves as the conclusion to the conflict stories in Matthew 8-12 and a segue into the Parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13. Jesus’s true family are those who do the will of the father. This stands in contrast to the Pharisees who declare Jesus casts out demons by the power of Beelzebul. The Pharisees are given the sign of Jonah and in the last days they will be judged by the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the south.

Differences from Mark 3:20-21

Matthew does not include an important detail found in Mark 3:20-21. His family heard about the huge crowds and they came to “take charge of him” because they thought he was out of his mind. Following this the teachers of the law declare Jesus is casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub (3:22-30) and Jesus’s mother and brothers come to take him home (3:31-35).

Another key difference is Mark does not mention the disciples (those sitting around him). Matthew specifically states it is the disciples who are the ones doing his will. In both Matthew and Mark, the next section begins with the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20; Matthew 13:1-23).

Jesus’s Brothers Do Not Believe

That Mary should have some doubts is surprising for most readers. Although in Luke’s version of the story, an angel appeared to her and explains her son will be the “Son of God” (Luke 1:35). In Luke 2:22-37 Simeon and Anna recognized her child as the messiah. It may be the case she had some doubts because Jesus does not appear to be interested in taking the throne of his father David or reigning over the house of Jacob (Luke 1:32-33).

Where is Joseph? He would be thirty years older than Jesus at the least. If Joseph was even twenty when Jesus was born, he would be on the high end of the average life expectancy for a hard laboring peasant in the first century world. In some traditions Joseph was considerably older than Mary, making his death by this time more likely.

That Jesus has brothers is no surprise to Protestants, it is only a problem for Roman Catholics who believe in perpetual virginity of Mary. These must be cousins of Jesus or Joseph’s children from a prior marriage. The unbelief of Jesus’s brothers is more prominent in John’s gospel (John 7:1-5).

Why do Jesus’s brothers not believe Jesus is the Messiah? John 7 implies they have seen some of his signs yet still do not believe. They may not believe for the same reason as the Pharisees, Jesus may be doing messianic signs, but he is not doing the commonly expected messianic acts. Jesus does not seem interested in an earthy kingdom. He is not acting like David, Solomon, or even Judas Maccabees. In the next chapter Jesus will describe what he means by the kingdom of heaven through a series of parables. He calls this “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” because his kingdom is in many ways radically different than Jewish messianic expectations in the first century.

Pointing to his disciples, Jesus declares his family are those who do the will of the Father (12:49-50). What is “doing the will of the Father”? Jesus as the son of God does what the Father commands, the disciples are the insiders who hear what the Father commands and respond proper.

By opposing Jesus, the Pharisees and others are not doing the will of the Father. They hear but they do not understand, see both do not perceive who Jesus is. They therefore fulfil the words of Isaiah 6:9-10. As a result, Jesus begins to teach the crowds in parables so that only his family will understand.

Rather than give the Pharisees a sign, Jesus says he will give them only the sign of Jonah. Jesus understands the Pharisees have evil intentions with this request. It is not just this small group of teachers who are “evil and adulterous,” but all of the Jews who question the source of Jesus’s power.

An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign (Matthew 12:39). An “adulterous generation” may allude to Hosea and other prophets who describe Israel’s idolatry as an unfaithful spouse. Rather than coming to Jesus the bridegroom’s wedding banquet and celebrating with him (Matt 8:15), they are complaining about his dinner companions, his practice of the Sabbath and (non) practice of hand washing.

The only sign Jesus will give (now) is the “sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:40-41)

What is the sign from the book of Jonah Jesus has in mind? The story of Jonah is well-known and does not need to be rehearsed here. Jesus states that just as Jonah was three days Jonah the great fish, Jesus will be in the “heart of the earth.” Jonah is a model for Jesus’s own death and resurrection.

Was Jonah dead? According to Josephus, Jonah was cast up on the shore, “still living and unharmed in the body” (Ant. 9.213). The Lives of the Prophets 10:6, Jonah is the son of the Widow of Elijah raised from the dead, associating his experience with the great fish with resurrection. In Lives of the Prophets 10:10, Jonah gives a sign (teras) of the fall of Jerusalem.

For some Jewish writers, Jonah was a righteous prophet who willingly offered his life for the sake of Israel. If Jonah died, then Nineveh would not be warned, and Israel would be saved from the Assyrians (Mek. Pisha 1.80-82, 84-86; cf. p. Sanh. 30b. 56-63; Pirqe R. El. 10. Chow, The Sign of Jonah Reconsidered, 25).

Jonah’s three days in the fish confirmed he was indeed God’s prophet when he announced the judgement on Nineveh (Nolland, Matthew, 511). Jesus will spend a similar three days in the heart of the earth, anticipating the resurrection.

Jesus says he will only give them sign of Jonah, if this sign is rejected, no further signs should be expected. If they reject Jesus after the resurrection, they will face judgment in the last days.

Both Nineveh and the Queen of the South will judge this generation (Matthew 12:41-42)

The people of Nineveh saw a great sign (the resurrection of Jonah), and responded in repentance. Even though these gentiles did not really understand Jonah’s God or know what he required, they repented with fasting and sackcloth in hopes they might receive mercy.

The Queen of the South refers to the Queen of Sheba and her visit to King Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-29). She traveled to Jerusalem and heard the wisdom of Solomon and witnessed the grandeur of his kingdom, and (it appears) she responded properly to the son of David. The Queen of Sheba traveled to test (πειράζω) the son of David “with hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1). Traditionally these hard questions are riddles (αἴνιγμα or “puzzling reflections,” BDAG). It is not clear in 1 Kings if her goal was to trap Solomon, the word does not usually have negative connotations.

Both will rise in judgment over the present generation because the present generation have witnessed someone even greater than Jonah or Solomon, yet they did not respond with belief.

How is Jesus “greater than Solomon”? Based on the use of Solomon in exorcism texts in the Second Temple period, Larry Perkins suggested this refers to Solomon’s power over demons (Perkins, “‘Greater Than Solomon,’” 208). He cites Wisdom of Solomon 7:17-20, wisdom tempers “the violent force of evil spirits.” Since the immediate context is the source of Jesus’s power of demons, this is an intriguing possibility. Perkins cites a passage in Josephus in which exorcist named Eleazar used Solomon’s name to cast out demons in from of Vespasian (Ant. 8.46-48)

This generation will be worse than at first (Matthew 12:43-45)

This is an analogy based on the presumed behavior of an unclean spirit (12:43-45a). Is this the way demons work? Nolland suggests this is a parable and not a comment on evil spirits or exorcisms in general (Matthew, 514).  But parable like sayings tend to have some basis in reality so the audience can understand the point. It may be Jesus is reflecting the way people thought demons operated, they might return after they are cast out unless the person makes use of some form of protection, changes how they live, etc.

Jesus’s point is to warn the Pharisees and others that his healing and exorcism ministry should draw people to follow him as the messiah, they ought to commit themselves to the coming/arriving kingdom of God. Otherwise, the effect is temporary, they may be free from spiritual danger now, but in the coming judgment they will be far worse off than before!

So it will be with this generation (Matthew 12:45b)

By analogy, if Israel rejects the messiah now, then their situation will be worse in the future. The fate of “this generation” is the subject of Matthew 24-25, the Olivet Discourse. In Matthew 24:36-41 the coming days will be like the time of Noah, people will live their lives unaware the great judgment is coming; it will be like a “thief in the night” (24:42-44) or a servant who is caught by his master not obeying orders (24:45-51). The fate of the one judged in the parables in Matthew 24-25 is severe, they are cast outside in the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

From Matthew’s perspective as the author of the gospel, this generation is already in a state of rejection. God has sent the Gospel to the Gentiles and they are responding. (Perhaps) Jerusalem has been destroyed and the Temple has been burned.

However, this judgment should not be understood as anti-Semitic. Just as the Jewish prophets always recognized a righteous remnant and always looked forward to the renewal of Israel in the future, so too Jesus has gathered a righteous remnant, the little ones who will endure to the end.

Why did the Jews demand a sign, if Jesus has been doing the messianic signs all along?

Signs can be misinterpreted.

If Jesus commands demons, does that authority come from God or from the Satan? Mark 8:11 and Luke 11:16 says the request is a “sign from heaven,”  Matthew omits “from heaven.” The Pharisees what to see something that certainly comes from God.

There is malicious intent behind this request. Both Mark 8:11-12 and Luke 11:16 say the Pharisees were trying to test (πειράζω) him. Although Matthew does not directly state this is a test, the Pharisees are seeking a way to accuse Jesus. If Jesus does a sign on demand, perhaps they can twist that into something they can use. In Matthew 12:9-10 the Pharisees get Jesus to heal on the Sabbath because they were looking for a reason to bring charges against him.

Do the Pharisees mean to imply the signs and wonders Jesus has done are not messianic signs from God? The meaning of “sign” (σημεῖον) is important. This is more than a miracle, but this word refers to a wondrous deed that confirms the one doing the sign is from God.

What is a Sign?

A sign is “an event that is an indication or confirmation of intervention by transcendent powers” (BDAG).  For example, Jesus did many miracles, but John records seven signs which prove Jesus is the messiah, and that by believing readers can have life in his name (John 20:30-31). In Isaiah 7, when the Lord promised Ahaz he would be saved from this political enemies, he tells the king to ask for a sign. The king refused, but was given the sign of Immanuel anyway. When King Hezekiah was healed he asks “what will be the sign this is so?”

In Acts miracles accompany the preaching of the Gospel so that the audience knows the speaker is a representative of the messiah. When Peter heals a lame man in Acts 3, he is doing the same kind of messianic sign Jesus did and the audience understands this sign as coming from God. Hebrews 2:3-4 says the salvation first announced by the Lord was testified by “signs, wonders and various miracles.”

Signs are not always indications a person is from God, false prophets can produce lying signs and wonders. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 indicates prophets may arise in Israel and do signs and wonders, yet they encourage the people to peruse other gods, they are to be rejected even if they have done signs and wonders. Jesus warns his disciples about false prophets doing sings and wonders (Matt 24:24). Finally, Paul warns the coming Man of Sin will do false signs and wonders (2 Thess 2:9).

Jews Demand a Sign

Paul famously said the Jews demand signs; Greeks seek wisdom, “but we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:22). When Peter healed the lame man, the Jews understood the miracle as a messianic sign; when Paul healed a lame man in Acts 14 the Gentiles in Lystra misunderstood the sign as a miracle performed by the gods Zeus and Hermes (and chaos ensues).

In the years leading up to the Jewish revolt, there were a number of “Jewish Sign Prophets” (to use Barnett’s phrase) who claimed to do some sort of sign in anticipation of God sending his messiah or messianic kingdom.

Most styled themselves as a new Moses, leading people out into the wilderness to renew Israel. Some may have done signs, most claimed they were do a great sign (destroy the walls of Jerusalem, for example). They all developed a little following and eventually came to nothing (usually killed by the Romans). These are the men Gamaliel mentions in Acts 5:33-39.

But Barnett points out Josephus never describes them as messiahs. He never used the term Χριστός even if they considered themselves to be kings or messianic figures. The Egyptian, for example, styled himself as a king.  Barnett does not think these prophets were charlatans who were pushing a political agenda by faking signs. The signs promised by these messianic prophets intended to “force the hand of God to speedily bring his ‘Salvation’” (p. 688). They “sought to activate God’s eschatological salvation” (p. 693).

Barnett suggests these prophets did some sort of Exodus-Conquest signs (crossing the Jordan, knocking down the walls of Jerusalem like Jericho). If this was the case, perhaps the Pharisees expected Jesus so follow up his implicit claim to be a new Moses with some miracle drawn from the Exodus or the Conquest. In Matthew 14, Jesus will do just that, leading his followers into the wilderness he will give them food, recalling the miraculous feeding of Israel in the wilderness.

The Jews expected the messiah to do signs and wonders, which is why Jesus did many signs and wonders. But in this case, the sign he will give points back to Jonah, while looking forward to his resurrection.

Bibliography: P. W. Barnett, “The Jewish Sign Prophets – A.D. 40-70: Their Intention and Origin.” NTS 27 (1980-81):679-97.