Matthew 13:24–43

Passage

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

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 of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:24–43, ESV)

Introduction

What did they think the kingdom would be like?

1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream:
   • 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:34–35)
   • 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)
2. Daniel’s Vision:
   • 13 “I saw in the night visions,
     and behold, with the clouds of heaven
     there came one like a son of man,
     and he came to the Ancient of Days
     and was presented before him.
     14 And to him was given dominion
     and glory and a kingdom,
     that all peoples, nations, and languages
     should serve him;
     his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
     which shall not pass away,
     and his kingdom one
     that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV)
3. Isaiah’s Vision:
   • 6 For to us a child is born,
     to us a son is given;
     and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
     and his name shall be called
     Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
     7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
     there will be no end,
     on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
     to establish it and to uphold it
     with justice and with righteousness
     from this time forth and forevermore.
     The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6–7, ESV)
4. Together: A descendant of David would establish a kingdom that would bring all the other kingdoms of the world to an end—and his kingdom would never end. They looked for something big, political, dominant, obvious, and external, but Jesus came along in a different way.

Jesus told his disciples about the kingdom of heaven.

• He said it had been given to them to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven (13:11).
  • And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 13:11)
• He sowed—and they would sow—the word of the kingdom (13:19).
  • “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom…” (Matthew 13:18–19)

Q: So what is the secret word of the kingdom of heaven?

• A: The promised King has come and his reign has begun—but not in the way anyone expected. He didn’t inaugurate his kingdom with a sudden overthrow of evil people and political systems. Instead, his kingdom is present in Jesus himself—it comes quietly, hidden like a seed, growing until it fills the earth.
• It is found in Jesus—and he came along revealing the secret.
  • Quoting Psalm 78:2, Matthew said Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill the prophetic word of Asaph: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world” (35).
  • Jesus is a sage-king who, like the psalmists, conveys the beauty of the kingdom in parabolic form.

Q: So what is the kingdom of heaven like?

• Three parables: the field, the mustard seed, and the leaven.
  • We will discuss the field parable last (and most) because, though Jesus declared it to the crowds at the beginning of this section, he interpreted it to his disciples at the end of this section.
• Note—pastoral pivot: Pastor Manny was right!

1. The kingdom is small and unimpressive—at least for now. (Matthew 13:31–32)

31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32)

Details:

• Grain of mustard seed…it is the smallest (31, 32): Jesus did not make a botanical error, but repurposed a standard Palestinian proverb for the smallest cultivated seed sown in a field.
• Connection to the Old Testament.
  • Assyria: 6 All the birds of the heavens
    made their nests in its boughs;
    under its branches all the beasts of the field
    gave birth to their young,
    and under its shadow
    lived all great nations.
    7 It was beautiful in its greatness,
    in the length of its branches;
    for its roots went down
    to abundant waters. (Ezekiel 31:6–7)
  • Nebuchadnezzar: Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it…whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived. (Daniel 4:12, 21)
  • The Messianic King: On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. (Ezekiel 17:23)
  • Birds of the air come and make nests in its branches (32): The nations.
  • Implication: Jesus’ kingdom of heaven will fulfill God’s promises and replace the kingdoms of this world.
• Summary: Jesus’ kingdom of heaven starts small and unimpressive, but will steadily grow to be a resting place for all nations.
  • When?
    • Already: Right now, because he reaches the nations.
    • Not yet: But in the future, when he returns.
  • Emphasis: smallness that slowly turns to greatness.

Some applications:

• Be patient. Growth from seed to tree takes time.
• Guard against the idolatry of size. Scale, virality, fame, and quantifiable metrics aren’t faithful measurements in the kingdom.
• The kingdom is agricultural, not industrial. There is something garden- or farm-like about the kingdom, less manufactured.
• Appreciate our organic connection to Jesus’ humble beginnings. There is an unbreakable line runs from the scandal of the cross to cosmic victory.
• Look to God for supernatural growth. Only he can take a mustard seed to a tree.
• Rejoice that we get to be a branch. We are part of a kingdom that shelters and supports others.
• Honor the rest of the kingdom. Value its other parts—historically, geographically, and internationally.
• Cultivate a missionary spirit. We should want the birds of the air—the nations (Ezekiel 17:23; Daniel 4:12)—to come and nest in the kingdom’s branches.

2. The kingdom quietly transforms from the inside out—at least for now. (Matthew 13:33)

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33)

Details:

• This parable has a similar meaning to the mustard seed parable, but with a different emphasis.
• Three measures of flour (33): about fifty pounds of flour (echoing the feast Sarah made for the LORD; Gen. 18:6)—there is enough kingdom for everyone!
• Leaven that a woman took and hid (33): This speaks of quiet, silent, internal transformation—without much fanfare, the kingdom grows and spreads, transforming the world around it.
  • Difficult for many to see leaven as picture of the kingdom, because leaven is often used negatively in Scripture (Ex. 12–13, Passover; Matt. 16:6–12, false teaching; 1 Cor. 5:6–7, sinful behaviors in the church). But it is sometimes used in a positive sense (Lev. 7:13, 23:17, offering). Scripture will do this—example: the lion stands for both Satan and Christ (1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 5:5).
• Summary: Jesus’ kingdom of heaven quietly transforms from the inside out, but will one day fill everything—all will be leavened with his kingdom (33).
  • When?
    • Already: Right now, because he has transformed us.
    • Not yet: But in the future, when he returns with a new heaven and earth.
  • Emphasis: the slow, penetrating, permeating work of the kingdom.

Some applications:

• Appreciate invisible, quiet, inward transformation. We are looking for this leaven-like work to happen in people’s lives.
  • Church staff: value the less glamorous forms of ministry. We are rooting for the quiet permeation of the human heart.
• Work, spend, live, and parent in a quiet, leaven-like way.
  • Our lives can be leaven—part of how the kingdom expands. Quiet, covert, subversive, permeating the community.
  • Example: Joseph in Egypt—he slowly grew to a prominent position.
  • Example: Daniel in Babylon—steady faithfulness to Yahweh.
• Trust this method. The kingdom works by permeating.
• The word of Christ and his kingdom is up to the challenge. Three measures of flour is a massive amount to permeate.

3. The kingdom patiently coexists with evil—at least for now. (Matthew 13:36–43)

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 of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Details (Jesus’ Interpretation):

• The original parable: The key feature is that the enemy sowed weeds in the field, but the landowner told his servants to let the weeds grow up together with the wheat, lest they uproot the wheat with the weeds. He preferred to let both grow together until the harvest, when he would tell his reapers to burn the weeds and gather the wheat into his barn (29–30).
• The sower (37): The Son of Man (Jesus’ preferred messianic self-designation, drawing on Dan. 7:13–14).
• The field (38): The World (kosmos).
  • A foundational element in this decoding is Christ’s explicit declaration that the field is the world (kosmos), not merely the church.
    • This distinction is critical: the co-existence of good and evil is a cosmic and historical reality. Christians are called to reside, labor, and witness within a morally mixed culture without resorting to premature, coercive attempts to forcibly purge society through human zeal.
• The good seed (38): The Sons of the Kingdom (true believers)—which is fascinating, because in the Parable of the Sower, the seed was the word of the kingdom. Now we have sons of the kingdom who carry the word of the kingdom, broadcasting it into the world.
• The weeds (38): The Sons of the Evil One (those aligned with darkness).
  • This weed was probably darnel, which looks almost identical to wheat (for a time).
• The enemy (39): The Devil (diabolos).
• The harvest (39): The End of the Age.
• The reapers (39): The Angels.

Some applications:

• Have great patience and understand the times we are in. Pulling weeds from the field of the world cannot happen yet, but it will one day.
  • We cannot run ahead of our King in self-righteous zeal.
• Our self-image: good seed. We are scattered by the Son of Man to bear fruit in our place and time.
• Practice church discipline inside the church, not in the field of the world, today (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 5:9–13, God judges those outside).
• Accept God’s explanation for evil (and his method for eradicating it). Jesus said, “An enemy has done this” (28). And he is patient, allowing his kingdom to coexist with evil until the end of the age.
  • Military members (fighter pilot or data analyst): there is evil in this world. God has chosen to coexist with it in his kingdom for now, and one day he will banish it all. Your part in holding back evil in the present is, biblically, greatly valued (see Rom. 13:4, sword, servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer).
• Take that coming day of judgment seriously. It comes from the Son of Man.
  • The angels gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace (41–42). Jesus said, In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (42).
  • Excursus on hell: Scripture describes hell as the final, irreversible destiny of all who refuse refuge in Christ. It is a “second death”—eternal separation from God, who is the source of all life, goodness, and light (Rev. 20:14–15; 2 Thess. 1:9). Originally “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41), it becomes the ending place for those who reject God’s offer of salvation. The Bible describes it in vivid imagery: unquenchable fire, outer darkness, an undying worm, restless torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Isa. 66:24; Matt. 8:12; Mark 9:48; Rev. 14:11). Whether these images are taken literally or as symbols, they point to the same reality—real, conscious anguish and final exclusion from God’s kingdom. The verdict is fixed, with no appeals and no second chances after death (Luke 16:26; Heb. 9:27). Hell’s sobering reality should drive us to the Christ who bore judgment in our place (Rom. 8:1).
• Worship Christ as Sower, King, and Judge.
• Anyone can get in on this. You can become good seed—a son of the kingdom.

Conclusion

• Then the righteous will shine like the sun (43).
  • And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (Dan. 12:3)
  • The hiddenness of Jesus’ kingdom is not permanent.
    • The now-hidden light of the world (Matthew 5:14) will become the then-radiant glory of the Father’s kingdom

Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and Isaiah 9 led God’s people to expect a kingdom that would break every other kingdom in pieces and never end. Why did they look for something big, political, dominant, obvious, and external—and how does Jesus’ “secret” of the kingdom (Matt. 13:11, 35) both fulfill and surprise those expectations?
2. Jesus interprets the parable of the weeds piece by piece: the sower, the field, the good seed, the weeds, the enemy, the harvest, and the reapers (Matt. 13:37–39). Why is it so important that the field is the world (kosmos) and not merely the church, and how does that shape the way Christians live in a morally mixed culture?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

1. The mustard seed starts small and unimpressive (Matt. 13:31–32), and the sermon warns against “the idolatry of size”—scale, virality, fame, and metrics. Where are you tempted to measure your life, faith, or church by size? What would it feel like to rejoice simply in being a branch that shelters others?
2. Jesus said, “An enemy has done this,” and chose to let the wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest (Matt. 13:28–30). How do you honestly feel about God’s patience with evil? Where do you feel the pull to run ahead of the King in self-righteous zeal?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions, Beliefs)

1. The leaven quietly permeates three measures of flour until all is leavened (Matt. 13:33), like Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. In your work, spending, home, or parenting, what is one quiet, leaven-like act of faithfulness you will commit to this week?
2. The angels will gather out “all causes of sin,” and “the righteous will shine like the sun” (Matt. 13:41–43; Dan. 12:3). How does taking the coming day of judgment seriously move you toward Christ, who bore judgment in our place (Rom. 8:1)? And who will you pray for and invite to become good seed—a son of the kingdom?

Sources Used

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV)

Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 2—The Churchbook, Matthew 13–28

D. A. Carson, Matthew

R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew

Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew

Craig S. Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew

Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew