1V ten deň vyšiel Ježiš z domu a posadil sa pri mori. 2Okolo neho sa zhromaždili veľké zástupy. Preto nastúpil na loďku a sadol si; a celý zástup stál na brehu. 3Hovoril im veľa v podobenstvách: „Rozsievač vyšiel rozsievať. 4Ako sial, niektoré zrná padli na kraj cesty; prileteli vtáky a pozobali ich. 5Iné padli na skalnatú pôdu, kde nemali veľa zeme, a hneď vzišli, lebo neboli hlboko v zemi; 6ale keď vyšlo slnko, zahoreli, a pretože nemali koreňa, uschli. 7Zasa iné padli do tŕnia, ale tŕnie vyrástlo a udusilo ich. 8Iné zrná padli do dobrej zeme a priniesli úrodu: jedno stonásobnú, iné šesťdesiatnásobnú a iné tridsaťnásobnú. 9Kto má uši, nech počúva!“ 10Tu pristúpili k nemu učeníci a spýtali sa ho: „Prečo im hovoríš v podobenstvách?“ 11On im odpovedal: „Preto, že vám je dané poznať tajomstvá nebeského kráľovstva, ale im nie je dané. 12Lebo kto má, tomu sa pridá a bude mať hojne. Ale kto nemá, tomu sa vezme aj to, čo má. 13Im hovorím v podobenstvách, lebo hľadia, a nevidia, počúvajú, a nepočujú, ani nechápu. 14Tak sa na nich spĺňa Izaiášovo proroctvo: »Budete počúvať, a nepochopíte, budete hľadieť, a neuvidíte. 15Lebo otupelo srdce tohto ľudu: ušami ťažko počujú a oči si zavreli, aby očami nevideli a ušami nepočuli, aby srdcom nechápali a neobrátili sa - aby som ich nemohol uzdraviť.« 16Ale blahoslavené sú vaše oči, že vidia, aj vaše uši, že počujú. 17Veru, hovorím vám: Mnohí proroci a spravodliví túžili vidieť, čo vidíte vy, ale nevideli, a počuť, čo vy počúvate, ale nepočuli. 18Vy teda počujte podobenstvo o rozsievačovi: 19Keď niekto počúva slovo o kráľovstve a nechápe ho, prichádza Zlý a uchytí, čo bolo zasiate do jeho srdca. To je ten, u koho bolo zasiate na kraji cesty. 20U koho bolo zasiate do skalnatej pôdy, to je ten, kto počúva slovo a hneď ho s radosťou prijíma, 21ale nemá v sebe koreňa, je chvíľkový. Keď nastane pre slovo súženie alebo prenasledovanie, hneď odpadne. 22U koho bolo zasiate do tŕnia, to je ten, kto počúva slovo, ale svetské starosti a klam bohatstva slovo udusia a ostane bez úžitku. 23A u koho bolo zasiate do dobrej zeme, to je ten, kto počúva slovo a chápe ho a ono prináša úrodu: jedno stonásobnú, druhé šesťdesiatnásobnú a iné tridsaťnásobnú.“ 24Predniesol im aj iné podobenstvo: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá človeku, ktorý zasial na svojej roli dobré semeno. 25Ale kým ľudia spali, prišiel jeho nepriateľ, prisial medzi pšenicu kúkoľ a odišiel. 26Keď vyrástlo steblo a vyháňalo do klasu, ukázal sa aj kúkoľ. 27K hospodárovi prišli sluhovia a povedali mu: »Pane, nezasial si na svojej roli dobré semeno? Kde sa teda vzal kúkoľ?« 28On im vravel: »To urobil nepriateľ.« Sluhovia mu povedali: »Chceš, aby sme šli a vyzbierali ho?« 29On odpovedal: »Nie, lebo pri zbieraní kúkoľa by ste mohli vytrhnúť aj pšenicu. 30Nechajte oboje rásť až do žatvy. V čase žatvy poviem žencom: Pozbierajte najprv kúkoľ a poviažte ho do snopov na spálenie, ale pšenicu zhromaždite do mojej stodoly.«“ 31Predniesol im ešte iné podobenstvo: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá horčičnému zrnku, ktoré človek vzal a zasial na svojej roli. 32Ono je síce najmenšie zo všetkých semien, ale keď vyrastie, je väčšie než ostatné byliny a je z neho strom, takže prilietajú nebeské vtáky a hniezdia na jeho konároch.“ 33Ďalšie podobenstvo im povedal: „Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá kvasu, ktorý žena vezme a vmiesi do troch mier múky, až sa všetko prekvasí.“ 34Toto všetko hovoril Ježiš zástupom v podobenstvách. Bez podobenstva im nehovoril nič, 35aby sa splnilo, čo predpovedal prorok: „Otvorím svoje ústa v podobenstvách, vyrozprávam, čo bolo skryté od stvorenia sveta.“ 36Potom rozpustil zástupy a vošiel do domu. Tu k nemu pristúpili jeho učeníci a vraveli mu: „Vysvetli nám podobenstvo o kúkoli na roli.“ 37On im povedal: „Rozsievač dobrého semena je Syn človeka. 38Roľa je svet. Dobré semeno sú synovia kráľovstva, kúkoľ sú synovia Zlého. 39Nepriateľ, ktorý ho zasial, je diabol. Žatva je koniec sveta a ženci sú anjeli. 40Ako teda zbierajú kúkoľ a pália v ohni, tak bude aj na konci sveta: 41Syn človeka pošle svojich anjelov a vyzbierajú z jeho kráľovstva všetky pohoršenia a tých, čo pášu neprávosť, 42a hodia ich do ohnivej pece. Tam bude plač a škrípanie zubami. 43Vtedy sa spravodliví zaskvejú ako slnko v kráľovstve svojho Otca. Kto má uši, nech počúva! 44Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá pokladu ukrytému v poli. Keď ho človek nájde, skryje ho a od radosti z neho ide, predá všetko, čo má, a pole kúpi. 45Nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá aj kupcovi, ktorý hľadá vzácne perly. 46Keď nájde veľmi cennú perlu, ide, predá všetko, čo má, a kúpi ju. 47A zasa nebeské kráľovstvo sa podobá sieti, ktorú spustia do mora a ona zachytáva všetky druhy. 48Keď je plná, vytiahnu ju na breh, posadajú si, dobré vyberú do nádob a zlé vyhodia von. 49Tak bude aj na konci sveta: vyjdú anjeli, oddelia zlých od spravodlivých 50a hodia ich do ohnivej pece. Tam bude plač a škrípanie zubami. 51Pochopili ste to všetko?“ „Áno,“ odpovedali. 52A on im povedal: „Preto sa každý zákonník, ktorý sa stal učeníkom nebeského kráľovstva, podobá hospodárovi, ktorý vynáša zo svojej pokladnice veci nové i staré.“ 53Keď Ježiš skončil tieto podobenstvá, odišiel odtiaľ. 54Prišiel do svojej vlasti a učil ich v synagóge. Oni sa divili a hovorili: „Skade má tento takú múdrosť a zázračnú moc? 55Vari to nie je tesárov syn? Nevolá sa jeho matka Mária a jeho bratia Jakub a Jozef, Šimon a Júda? 56A nie sú u nás všetky jeho sestry? Skadeže má toto všetko?“ 57A pohoršovali sa na ňom. Ale Ježiš im povedal: „Proroka si všade uctia, len nie v jeho vlasti a v jeho dome.“ 58A pre ich neveru tam neurobil veľa zázrakov.
Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary 1 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence allots to us. Christ taught in parables. Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant. The parable of the sower is plain. The seed sown is the word of God. The sower is our Lord Jesus Christ, by himself, or by his ministers. Preaching to a multitude is sowing the corn; we know not where it will light. Some sort of ground, though we take ever so much pains with it, brings forth no fruit to purpose, while the good soil brings forth plentifully. So it is with the hearts of men, whose different characters are here described by four sorts of ground. Careless, trifling hearers, are an easy prey to Satan; who, as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we take not care to keep it. Hypocrites, like the stony ground, often get the start of true Christians in the shows of profession. Many are glad to hear a good sermon, who do not profit by it. They are told of free salvation, of the believer's privileges, and the happiness of heaven; and, without any change of heart, without any abiding conviction of their own depravity, their need of a Saviour, or the excellence of holiness, they soon profess an unwarranted assurance. But when some heavy trial threatens them, or some sinful advantage may be had, they give up or disguise their profession, or turn to some easier system. Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin, and are a fruit of the curse; they are good in their place to stop a gap, but a man must be well armed that has much to do with them; they are entangling, vexing, scratching, and their end is to be burned,
Hebre 6:8. Worldly cares are great hinderances to our profiting by the word of God. The deceitfulness of riches does the mischief; they cannot be said to deceive us unless we put our trust in them, then they choke the good seed. What distinguished the good ground was fruitfulness. By this true Christians are distinguished from hypocrites. Christ does not say that this good ground has no stones in it, or no thorns; but none that could hinder its fruitfulness. All are not alike; we should aim at the highest, to bring forth most fruit. The sense of hearing cannot be better employed than in hearing God's word; and let us look to ourselves that we may know what sort of hearers we are.
24 (also
Matt 13:36-
Matt 13:43). 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.
31 The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter end would greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the soul where grace truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like leaven in the hearts of those who receive it. The leaven works certainly, so does the word, yet gradually. It works silently, and without being seen,
Mark 4:26-
Mark 4:29, yet strongly; without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but without fail. Thus it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel, hid a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was made powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into the soul, it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all the powers and faculties of the soul, and alters the property even of the members of the body,
Roma 6:13. From these parables we are taught to expect a gradual progress; therefore let us inquire, Are we growing in grace? and in holy principles and habits?
36 See note on
Matt 13:24.
44 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid in the field. Many slight the gospel, because they look only upon the surface of the field. But all who search the Scriptures, so as in them to find Christ and eternal life,
John 5:39, will discover such treasure in this field as makes it unspeakably valuable; they make it their own upon any terms. Though nothing can be given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake of it. 2. All the children of men are busy; one would be rich, another would be honourable, another would be learned; but most are deceived, and take up with counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price; in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. A man may buy gold too dear, but not this Pearl of great price. When the convinced sinner sees Christ as the gracious Saviour, all things else become worthless to his thoughts. 3. The world is a vast sea, and men, in their natural state, are like the fishes. Preaching the gospel is casting a net into this sea, to catch something out of it, for His glory who has the sovereignty of this sea. Hypocrites and true Christians shall be parted: miserable is the condition of those that shall then be cast away. 4. A skilful, faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who brings forth fruits of last year's growth and this year's gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over again, and new ones also.
53 Christ repeats his offer to those who have repulsed them. They upbraid him, Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is true he was reputed to be so; and no disgrace to be the son of an honest tradesman; they should have respected him the more because he was one of themselves, but therefore they despised him. He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Unbelief is the great hinderance to Christ's favours. Let us keep faithful to him as the Saviour who has made our peace with God.