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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 13
Why Jesus taught in parables—He gives the parables of the sower, the
wheat and the tares, the grain of mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure hid
in the field, the pearl of great price, and the net cast into the sea—A
prophet is not honored by his own people.
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1 THE same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by
the asea side.
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.
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1a
D&C 128:20;
2a
Mark 9:2 (2-13);
Luke 9:29 (28-36);
John 1:14;
2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19);
TG
Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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Parable of the Sower
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3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
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1a
D&C 128:20;
2a
Mark 9:2 (2-13);
Luke 9:29 (28-36);
John 1:14;
2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19);
TG
Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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5 Some fell upon astony places,
where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had
no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
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1a
D&C 128:20;
2a
Mark 9:2 (2-13);
Luke 9:29 (28-36);
John 1:14;
2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19);
TG
Jesus Christ, Glory of;
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7 And some fell among athorns; and
the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
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8 But other fell into good ground, and
abrought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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Why Speak in Parables?
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10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in aparables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the amysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 aFor whosoever hath, to him
shall bbe given, and he shall have more
cabundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken
away even that he hath.
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13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall ahear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
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15 For this people's aheart is
waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their
beyes they have cclosed; lest at any time
they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be
converteda, and I
should dheal them.
16 But blessed are your
aeyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many
aprophets 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.
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15a should be converted With conversion comes both a
blessing and a cursing. Often for those who are not properly prepared to receive the doctrine of the
kingdom, it would be better for them not to be converted when not prepared, but to wait until their
'soil' might be prepared. Along the wayside of the trodden paths is not a good place for planting as
the plant would not be cared for but todden under foot. In stony ground where the stones have not been
removed and the soil turned over or even supplimented with rich soil, also is not a good place to
plant for it will not grown there either. Perhaps it will shoot up in the rain but the waters run off
and do not remain and the sun comes out and tries up the plant for the lack of it having deep roots.
Nor is it a good place to plant where the earth is weed infested, for the weed will grown up round
the plant and choke it out. And thus it is so with the word of God. It is best planted in the good
prepared soil where the testimony will last and grow unto the full stature of the tree of life. So
it is often better for such poor conditions not to be the places of conversion lest the testimony be
lost and the cursing comes upon the people and prevents them from hearing and being converted when
they are well prepared and able to receive the word of God.
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Parable of the Sower Expounded
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18 ¶ aHear ye therefore the
parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
aunderstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked
one, and bcatcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
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20 But he that received the seed into
astony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and
anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when atribulation or
bpersecution ariseth because of the word, by and by
che is offended.
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22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this aworld, and the
bdeceitfulness of criches, choke the
word, and he becometh unfruitful.
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23 But he that received seed into the good ground is
he that aheareth the word, and
bunderstandeth it; which also beareth
cfruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty.
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Parable of Wheat and Tares
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24 ¶ Another aparable put he
forth unto them, saying, The bkingdom of heaven is likened
unto a man which sowed good cseed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
atares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
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27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the
aharvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together bfirst the tares, and bind them
in bundles to cburn them: but gather the wheat into my
barn.
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Parable of Grain of Mustard Seed
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31 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a agrain of
mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when
it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the
abirds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
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Parable of Leaven
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33 ¶ Another parable spake he unto them; The
kingdom of heaven is like unto aleaven, which a woman took,
and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
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Again, Why Parables?
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34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in aparables; I will
utter things which have been kept bsecret from the
foundation of the world.
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Parable of Tares Explained
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36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into
the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the
parable of the atares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the
good aseed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the
children of the kingdom; but the atares are the children of
the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
athe bharvest is the end of the world;
and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in
the fire; so shall it be in the aend of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his
aangels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that boffend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there
shall be awailing and bgnashing of
teeth.
43 Then shall the arighteous
bshine forth as the csun in the kingdom
of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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Parable of Treasure Hid in a Field
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44 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto
atreasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found,
he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth
that field.
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Parable of Pearl of Great Price
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45 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one
apearl of great price, went and sold ball
that he had, and bought it.
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Parable of a Net
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47 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a
net, that was cast into the sea, and agathered of every
kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the aend of
the world: bthe angels shall come forth, and
csever the wicked from among the
djust,
50 aAnd shall cast them into the
furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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Parable of the Scribe
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51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every
ascribe bwhich is instructed unto
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which
bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
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53 ¶ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54 And when he was come into his own country, he
taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were
aastonished, and said, Whence hath this man this
bwisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter's
ason? is not his mother called Mary? and his
bbrethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
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57 And they were offended in
hima. But Jesus said
unto them, A prophet is not without ahonour, save in his
own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of
their aunbelief.
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57a they were offended in him
Many where likewise offended by the wisdom, learning and mighty works of
one young unschooled farmer lad who proclaimed that he had seen God the
Father and His Son Jesus Christ. In a gospel which proclaims to rise up of
the weak things of the earth to take His word unto the world, even Jesus
Christ, a mere capenter's son was so discriminated against by the high ivory
towers of prestigeous position and learning. Indeed, He was a common man in
His position in the eyes of the world. Now today, have we lost such sight of
the Lord's key to the greatness of the Kingdom, that it is founded, not upon
the scholarship and learning of the world, but upon the meek reliance of the
ordinary common man upon the support of the guidance and direction of the
Holy Spirit of God. That it is the Priesthood of God bestowed upon the
common man which bears this Church's greatness to the world. In deed, as
taught by the Lord himself in Him preface to this work, section 1 of the
Doctrine and Covenants, He had proclaimed that it is the weak of the world
who is called by him to take this kingdom to the world. So was Joseph Smith,
the unschooled farmer lad, the great prophet of this last dispensation, upon
whom this Church is so established by the hand of man guided by the
direction of God.
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