The kingdom of heaven is likened ... - That is, the "gospel resembles." The kingdom of heaven (see the notes at Matthew 3:2) means here the effect of the gospel by its being preached. The meaning of this parable is plain. The field represents the "world," in which the gospel is preached. The "good seed," the truths preached by Christ and his apostles.

The kingdom of heaven - God's method of managing the affairs of the world, and the concerns of his Church.

Is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field - In general, the world may be termed the field of God; and in particular, those who profess to believe in God through Christ are his field or farm; among whom God sows nothing but the pure unadulterated word of his truth.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,.... Somewhat like the former, but with a different view: for whereas the design of the former was to show the different sorts of hearers that attend upon the ministry of the word, three parts in four being bad; this is to show the difference of members in churches, some being comparable to good seed, and others to tares.

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: by "the kingdom of heaven", is not meant the ultimate glory of the saints in heaven, or the state of happiness in the other world; for there will be no tares there; nor the Gospel, and the ministration of it, but the Gospel dispensation, and times, and kingdom of the Messiah; or rather the Gospel visible church state, on earth, called a "kingdom", of which Christ is king, and in which the saints are subject to him; where proper laws are made for the orderly government of it, and proper officers appointed to explain, and put those laws in execution; and which consists of various persons, united under one head, and independent of any other government: and it is styled the kingdom of heaven, in distinction from the kingdoms of this world; the subjects of it are, or should be, heaven born souls; the word, laws, and ordinances of it are from heaven; and there is some resemblance between a Gospel church state and heaven, and it is very near unto it, and is even the suburbs of it: or else the king Messiah himself is intended, who is compared to a man, a sower; and so it is explained, Matthew 13:37 "he that soweth the good seed is the son of man": which is a name and title of the Messiah, by which he is called both in the Old and New Testament; who, though the seed of the woman, yet was the son of man, as of Abraham, and David; and which denotes the truth, and yet the infirmity of his human nature: he is the sower that went about preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, in the Jewish world, or throughout Judea and Galilee, in his own person: and who also, by the ministry of his apostles, sowed the seed of the word in the several parts of the world, which was made effectual for the beginning of a good work of grace on the souls of many; for by "his field" is meant "the world", as appears from Matthew 13:38 and means either the whole world, in which both good and bad men live and dwell; and is the field Christ is the proprietor of, both by creation, as God, and by gift, as mediator: or the church, the visible Gospel church state throughout the world; which is as a field well tilled and manured; and is Christ's by gift, purchase, and grace: and by the good seed sown in it, are meant "the children of the kingdom"; as is said, Matthew 13:38 such as have a good work begun in them, and bring forth good fruit in their lives and conversations.

Put he forth (παρέθηκεν)

But this would be rather the translation of προβάλλω, from which πρόβλημα, a problem, is derived, while the word here used means rather to set before or offer. Often used of meals, to serve up. Hence, better, Rev., set he before them. See on Luke 9:16.

{4} Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

(4) Christ shows in another parable of the evil seed mixed with the good, that the Church will never be free and rid of offences, both in doctrine and manners, until the day appointed for the restoring of all things comes, and therefore the faithful have to arm themselves with patience and steadfastness.

13:24 The kingdom of heaven is likened. The object of all parables in this connection is to explain various features and principles of the kingdom of heaven.

Unto a man which sowed. It is important to note what the kingdom of heaven is likened to. It is not to the field in which the tares and wheat were both sown, nor to the enemy who sowed the tares, but to the man who sowed the good seed. The kingdom does what the Sower is represented as doing. It sows the good seed.

Good seed. It is declared in Mt 13:19 that the seed is the word of the kingdom, and in Mt 13:38 that the good seed are the children of the kingdom. These are those in whose heart the good seed has fallen, and their new lives, as children of the kingdom, are the fruit of the good seed.

In his field. The controversy has turned upon what the Savior represents by the field. (1) It is not the kingdom, or church, for this is represented by the man that sowed good seed in his field. (2) It is the place where the good seed is sown by the Son of man, or through his agency; in other words, the place where the gospel is preached to men. (3) Mt 13:38 states emphatically that the field is the world.

13:24 He proposed another parable - in which he farther explains the case of unfruitful hearers. The kingdom of heaven (as has been observed before) sometimes signifies eternal glory: sometimes the way to it, inward religion; sometimes, as here, the Gospel dispensation: the phrase is likewise used for a person or thing relating to any one of those: so in this place it means, Christ preaching the Gospel, who is like a man sowing good seed - The expression, is like, both here and in several other places, only means, that the thing spoken of may be illustrated by the following similitude. Who sowed good seed in his field - God sowed nothing but good in his whole creation. Christ sowed only the good seed of truth in his Church.

[2] parable

This parable Mt 13:24-30 is also interpreted by our Lord Mt 13:36-43. Here the "good seed" is not the "word," as in the first parable Mt 13:19,23 but rather that which the word has produced. 1Pet 1:23, viz.: the children of the kingdom. These are, providentially Mt 13:37 "sown," i.e. scattered, here and there in the "field" of the "world" Mt 13:38. The "world" here is both geographical and ethnic--the earth-world, and also the world of men. The wheat of God at once becomes the scene of Satan's activity. Where children of the kingdom are gathered, there "among the wheat" Mt 13:25,38,39. Satan "sows" "children of the wicked one," who profess to be children of the kingdom, and in outward ways are Song like the true children that only the angels may, in the end, be trusted to separate them Mt 13:28-30,40-43. Song great is Satan's power of deception that the tares often really suppose themselves to be children of the kingdom Mt 7:21-23. Many other parables and exhortations have this mingled condition in view (e.g.)

Mt 22:11-14 25:1-13,14-30 Lk 18:10-14 Heb 6:4-9

Indeed, it characterizes Matthew from Chapter 13 to the end. The parable of the wheat and tares is not a description of the world, but of that which professes to be the kingdom. Mere unbelievers are never the children of the devil, but only religious unbelievers are Song called (cf) Mt 13:38 Jn 8:38-44 Mt 23:15.

Margin The kingdom

See Scofield "Mt 3:2".

24, 36-38. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field-Happily for us, these exquisite parables are, with like charming simplicity and clearness, expounded to us by the Great Preacher Himself. Accordingly, we pass to: Mt 13:36-38. See on [1289]Mt 13:36; [1290]Mt 13:38

13:24-30, 36-43 This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them in the other world. So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced. The servants complained to their master; Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? No doubt he did; whatever is amiss in the church, we are sure it is not from Christ. Though gross transgressors, and such as openly oppose the gospel, ought to be separated from the society of the faithful, yet no human skill can make an exact separation. Those who oppose must not be cut off, but instructed, and that with meekness. And though good and bad are together in this world, yet at the great day they shall be parted; then the righteous and the wicked shall be plainly known; here sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them. Let us, knowing the terrors of the Lord, not do iniquity. At death, believers shall shine forth to themselves; at the great day they shall shine forth before all the world. They shall shine by reflection, with light borrowed from the Fountain of light. Their sanctification will be made perfect, and their justification published. May we be found of that happy number.