Matthew 13:24–46

A Story about Weeds in the Wheat

²⁴Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. ²⁶When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared. 

²⁷“The owner’s workers came to him and asked, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’ 

²⁸“He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’ 

“His workers asked him, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’ 

²⁹“He replied, ‘No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I’ll have them bring the wheat into my barn.’ ” 

Stories about a Mustard Seed and Yeast—Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–21

³¹Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone planted in a field. ³²It’s one of the smallest seeds. However, when it has grown, it is taller than the garden plants. It becomes a tree that is large enough for birds to nest in its branches.” 

³³He used another illustration. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until the yeast worked its way through all the dough.” 

³⁴Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story. ³⁵So what the prophet had said came true: 

“I will open my mouth to illustrate points. 

I will tell what has been hidden since the world was made.” 

The Meaning of the Weeds in the Wheat

³⁶When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means.” 

³⁷He answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. ³⁹The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. ⁴²The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. ⁴³Then the people who have God’s approval will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen! 

Stories about a Treasure, a Merchant, and a Net

⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man discovered it, he buried it again. He was so delighted with it that he went away, sold everything he had, and bought that field. 

⁴⁵“Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found a valuable pearl, he went away, sold everything he had, and bought it.