Matthew 13, the third major discourse of the apostle’s gospel, is comprised almost entirely of parables. While it may seem that all the parables serve the same purpose in fulfilling the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), the parables found in verses 44–52, at the very least, function outside that purpose.
This essay intends to distinguish which parables were meant for crowds, which were meant for disciples, and the intent of those private parables for the disciples. This can only be done if we examine the entire pericope (a scholarly word for self-contained excerpt), which begins at Matthew 12:46 and continues until the end of chapter 13:
A. 12:46–50: Rejection from biological family.
B. 13:1–33 Parables outside the house.
C. 13:34–35 Jesus is the mystery of Israel’s salvation revealed.
B’. 13:36–52 Parables inside the house.
A’. 13:53–58 Rejection from hometown.
Matthew employs the imagery of a house to differentiate between Jesus’ disciples and everyone else.
When Jesus is speaking inside of a house, Jesus’ biological family, outside of that house, approaches and sends word for Jesus to come to them (12:46–47). Upon hearing their request, Jesus effectively denies that they are his family and instead points to the disciples, stating, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus’ biological family sought to interrupt Jesus’ time with his disciples. They do not understand his mission because they do not understand his identity. Jesus’ flesh and blood have rejected him as the Christ, and so his true family is the disciples, those inside the house. The disciples are now members of the household of God in Christ, and everyone else is an outsider to the house.
Jesus then leaves the house (13:1) and begins speaking to the crowds in parables. As a fulfillment of Isaiah, the parables are a test for the crowds to see if they have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand (13:13–15). Though the disciples remain confused, Jesus explains the parables to them, for blessed are their eyes, for they see, and their ears, for they hear (13:16). What remains hidden for the crowds is revealed for the disciples.
The picture is clear: the crowds are not members of the house; therefore, the parables are a test of their faith. The disciples, though confused, are given the secrets of the parables, for they are members of Christ’s house (13:11).
At the climax of our chiasm, Matthew tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment to Psalm 78. Here, the psalmist traces Israel’s history, revealing the mystery of God’s salvation culminating in David despite Israel’s covenant faithlessness. Matthew’s connection to Psalm 78 reveals that Christ is the true David in whom Israel’s true salvation is found. Jesus is both the teacher of parables and the fulfillment thereof; he is Wisdom incarnate. Matthew’s use of Psalm 78 also indicates a marked change in the purpose of parables. Previously, when spoken to the crowds, parables intended to further darken understanding (13:12), but for the disciples, who are members of the house of God in Christ, the parables now reveal that which has “been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Therefore, we must discover what it is the parables are revealing.
Jesus then leaves the crowds and goes into a house. Here he explains a parable first given to the crowds. Though it was originally delivered outside the house, its explanation to the disciples is inside the house, thus properly belonging to them.
The first parable spoken exclusively to the disciples is that of the hidden treasure (13:44). Upon discovering treasure in a field, a man in his joy sells all that he has to purchase the field. On the one hand, the meaning is obvious: the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that it is worth selling everything for the one thing. But on the other hand, the treasure is specifically from the earth. This is an important distinction in light of the next parable.
A merchant discovers one pearl of great value and sells all that he has for the one pearl of great value (13:45). This is essentially the same parable as before, but the origin of the treasure is different. The treasure is from the sea.
Perhaps these two nearly identical parables are simply given for the sake of emphasis, but the next parable also uses the land/sea motif. In the parable of the net, fishermen throw a net into the sea, pulling in a large haul of fish. While ashore, the fishermen separate the good fish from the bad; likewise, the angels will come and separate the righteous from the evil, throwing the evil into the fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (13:47–50). If this parable sounds familiar, it is because it is the exact same parable as that of the wheat and tares (13:24–30). The only difference is the location of the harvest. In the first parable, the location was on the land; the second is the sea.
As previously noted, the parable of the wheat and tares was originally spoken to the crowds while outside the house; however, the explanation of that parable was given to the disciples inside the house. Furthermore, the parable of the net includes its own explanation with the addition of the angels at the end of the age and the fiery furnace. Again, Jesus is not hiding heaven’s secrets from his disciples.
Jesus has given the disciples, who are members of the household of God, two parables, each split into two versions, one of the land and one of the sea.
These distinctions are not superfluous but are rooted in biblical symbolism. As far back as Genesis, God’s covenant people are represented by land, and outsiders to the covenant by sea. We first encounter this symbolism in the three-decker world model: the heavens above, the earth below, and the waters under the earth (Genesis 1:6–8). This world model is imposed on Eden (Eden, Garden, World), from which one river (water/sea) splits into four and flows to the four corners of the World, as well as Noah’s Ark, Mount Sinai, and the Temple. The heavens correspond to God’s dwelling, the Land his people’s dwelling, and the Sea the dwelling of covenant strangers. This three-decker cosmos is referenced in both Old and New Testaments (e.g., Exodus 20:11; Psalm 146:6; Acts 4:24; Philippians 2:10).
This world model becomes more apparent as we move through biblical revelation. Levitical worship required the ordination of an animal on the worshipper’s behalf to represent the worshiper before the Lord. Israel could only offer clean, domesticated animals in worship (bull, goat, ram, sheep) because Israelites were the livestock to the Lord’s pasture (Ezekiel 34:31). Also, Israel is often depicted as either a fig tree or a grape vine because these are cultivated plants (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 2:21). In the same way that domesticated animals are not wild but have a master, so too cultivated plants are not wild but have a gardener.
What’s more, Israel is represented by the precious stones of the land as seen in the High Priest’s ephod and breastpiece. The shoulder pieces of the ephod contained two onyx stones, with six tribe names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. The breastpiece contained 12 precious stones, each representing one tribe of Israel, so that when the High Priest went before the Lord, he bore the tribe of Israel for remembrance. Therefore, “land” is a proper representation of God’s covenant people.
Beyond the separation of the land from the waters at creation, the Noahic flood also separated the peoples by means of water, for the household of faith was kept above the waters, whereas the wicked perished below the waters. Likewise, Israel passed through the Red Sea on dry land, whereas Pharaoh’s army was consumed by the waters. The correlation is quite clear, and the psalmist and the prophets make it more so, for not only are Gentiles associated with the sea, but their rulers are described as sea monsters. Pharaoh is Leviathan, Nebuchadnezzar a sea monster, and Rome the great beast of the sea (Psalm 74:13–14; Jeremiah 51:34; Revelation 13:1).
Lastly, because Gentiles correspond to the sea, their wealth does also. As Gentiles draw near to Zion, they bring their wealth with them to beautify the City of God (Isaiah 60:4–7). Thus, along with sea creatures, treasures from the sea signify Gentile peoples.
The final parable that Christ gives the disciples clarifies the purpose for which the parables were taught to them (Matthew 13:51–52). He first asks if they have understood what he has taught, something he never does for the crowds, and concludes, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus’ intent is unmistakable; the parables spoken to the disciples were given for their training, for they are scribes for the kingdom of heaven, masters of the heavenly house. The inside and outside house distinctions given by Matthew are now brought to the forefront by Jesus, and these disciples who are members of the house, are being trained as masters also. Now in Christ, the disciples are being trained as scribes, for they will not remain as students but will become teachers. But, unlike the scribes of their day, the disciples will bring out of their treasure “what is new and what is old.” Therefore, the parables were given to train them in these things.
The “newness” of Christ’s mission should not come as a surprise to the disciples. John the Baptist had previously announced the coming of the Lord and his judgment (Matthew 3:11–12), and judgment always precedes recreation. The anticipation of the Messiah was an anticipation of judgment, deliverance, and recreation. Yet, Jesus elsewhere qualifies that the new creation he establishes does not completely destroy the old but fulfills it (5:17; 10:16–17). Likewise, the one house has one treasure, and the one treasure contains both what is new and what is old. The old is not destroyed by the new, but they both fill the treasure chest.
The lesson for the disciples is clear: the heavenly house being built in Christ is a house for both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is not only the mystery of salvation revealed for Israel, but he is the mystery of salvation revealed for the whole world (Ephesians 3:6).
As masters of the house, the disciples must not only rejoice at the discovery of hidden treasure in the field, but they must also understand the value of the pearl in the marketplace. Likewise, they must be prepared for the coming judgment, for the Lord would not only strike Israel but the whole world, and the great harvest of the new creation would include both wheat and fish. The disciples were being trained not only to seek the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:6) but to become fishers of Gentiles (4:19).
As co-architects with Christ, the disciples would dutifully collect precious stones and priceless pearls and masterfully construct them into the very walls of God’s house (Revelation 21:19–21). In doing so, they would display Christ’s choicest treasure for all the world to see.
David is a North Carolina native, and earned his B.A. Philosophy & Religion from UNCW, and his M.A. Intercultural Studies from SEBTS. After years of pastoring in Vermont, David is happy to be back home in the Old North State. David and his wife, Kaitlyn, have four blessed children. He enjoys tinkering on projects, outdoor recreation, and boisterous conversations with friends.