In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable of a farmer sowing seed. The text places Jesus sitting by "the lake," namely, the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd surrounded Jesus, so he got into a boat and sat in it some distance from the shore. Someone once suggested that Jesus did this because the water acted as a kind of microphone, which he would have needed for addressing such a large crowd. That would have been the PA system of Jesus' time.

In this parable, a farmer scattered seed on various kinds of soil. Some fell alongside the road, where birds came and ate the seed. Some fell in rocky places. There was not a lot of soil there and the plants sprung up quickly, but the plants were scorched when the sun came up, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which choked the seed as it grew up. Other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop: a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Ancient Israel was overwhelmingly an agricultural society, so Jesus often used farming images when he taught, because farming was one of the things with which the people would have been most familiar.

In verse 10, the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. Jesus said that the secrets of the kingdom of heaven had been given to the disciples but not to the crowds. *Secrets such as these are often passed on in veiled language to the elect and usually relate to eschatological events, or end times events, such as in the book of Daniel. Perhaps the disciples' hearts were better prepared for such revelation than most of the people. Jesus hints at this by quoting the prophet Isaiah.

Both Jesus and Isaiah said that although the people could see, they did not perceive what God was doing in their midst. Although they heard the parables and teachings, they did not understand. Verse 15 says that the people's hearts had become calloused. It was not God's desire that they be excluded. He wanted (and still wants) a close relationship with his people, but their hearts were far from God. Verse 15 goes on to describe what God did desire for them: that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts.

Are we being perceptive to God's activity in our towns, state, nation, and world? If not, it is possible that some examination may be in order to help us walk closer with God. James wrote that if any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask God and God will give us the wisdom we need to examine the situation and make the necessary corrections.

In Psalm 139: 23, 24, the psalmist wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." The writer hesitates to use the term "self-examination" here because it is really a joint examination with the believer and God working together.

The last phrase in Matthew 13:15 expresses God's intent for these people, that they would turn and God would heal them. If we have strayed in our walk with Christ, that is God's desire for us, as well. God is continually working towards that very goal.

Jesus said that the disciples are blessed because they do perceive God's activity in their midst and they do hear what Jesus is teaching. They are receptive. They want to understand. Jesus said that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what the disciples are seeing and to hear what the they are hearing. The prophets and other righteous people did not get to see and hear such things, however.

In many places in the gospels, the interpreters of Scripture are left to infer the meanings of parables without being explicitly told what they mean. One of the ways to determine what certain words and images mean in parables can be discovered by looking at the ways those words or images are used in other places in Scripture. This is a basic method of Bible interpretation. In this passage, however, the reader is treated to an explanation by Jesus of the meaning of the parable rather than being left to infer the meaning of the passage.

Jesus explained that the first type of soil symbolized a person who hears the message about the kingdom of heaven but doesn't understand it. He said the evil one, namely Satan, comes and takes away the seed which has been planted in that person's heart. Satan doesn't want the person to come to an understanding of the message of the kingdom, because that could lead to the person's salvation, which is what God is working toward and the enemy is working to prevent. It can be too easy to forget that we do have enemies who are actively working to prevent the spread of the gospel. Far eastern religions tend to see good and evil as equal and opposite forces. Thankfully, Scripture shows us that while they are opposite forces, they are far from equal.

The second type of soil is the seed that falls in rocky places. The person receives the word with joy, but it has no root, so it lasts for only a short time. When trouble or persecution come because of the Word of God, the person quickly loses heart and falls away. The question of whether this implies that a person can lose his or her salvation is outside the scope of this commentary, since the arguments on both sides are many and complicated. It is the writer's position that a person who is genuinely saved cannot lose his or her salvation. The text here carries the tone that Jesus is describing three kinds of soil that describe the heart of an unsaved person and one that describes the heart of a saved person. If you have more in-depth questions on this issue, please email the writer at ask_jeff@komstadchurch.org.

The third type of soil is described as a seed that falls among thorns. The person hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the message, making it unfruitful. All kinds of cares in this person's life choke the message, and the person doesn't come to salvation in Christ.

The fourth type of soil is good soil, and the seed that falls on it produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what is sown. This is the type of soil that describes a person who is genuinely saved. Our lives can and should bear fruit for Christ. The question is whether we will make ourselves available for God to use as he wishes.

In verses 24-30, Jesus makes another comparison by telling the parable of the weeds. A man sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. When the wheat sprouted up and formed heads, the weeds also appeared.

The servants saw this and recalled that the man had sown good seed, not weeds. The owner recognized that an enemy had done this. The servants asked if they should go and pull up the weeds. The owner prevented them because of the possibility that they may uproot the wheat along with the weeds. The owner allowed them to grow together until the harvest. Then the weeds would be bundled together and burned while the wheat would be brought into the owner's barn.

Verses 36-42 explain the meaning of the parable of the weeds. The one who sowed the seeds is the Son of Man, Jesus. The field is the world and the good seed stands for the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows the weeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Jesus said that just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

The next logical question is how we can know whether we are among the wheat or the weeds? How can we be sure that we are among the wheat? Ephesians 2:8,9 says that being among the wheat isn't anything we can achieve by our own works but rather a gift that comes from God. We can and should do good works, but the works by themselves don't change the fact that we've still sinned. However, Jesus took the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross and rose from the dead to give us eternal life. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Confess to Jesus in prayer that you have sinned, and ask him to forgive you and help you to live the life that he wants you to live.

It's that simple. We do need to do our best to live according to what the Bible commands, but that is also a continual growing process. God assured us he will help us with that. If you have further questions on how you can know you are among the wheat, please email the writer at the email address provided earlier.

*= Denotes taken from Expositor's Bible Commentary