Abstract
It is probably correct to say that all of Jesus’ parables revolve around one main theme: the kingdom of God. 12 Matthew prefers the phrase “the kingdom of heaven,” which is most likely a Semitic idiom, where heaven is a substitute for the divine name. The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are one and the same. But how are we to understand this kingdom? The kingdom of God is not a literal realm, a territory to be located on a map; rather, the expression refers primarily to God’s dynamic reign. To restate the point, the phrase “the kingdom of God/heaven” is not so much a statement about a thing called “the kingdom;” instead, it is a declaration about God—he is the king! Therefore, “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt 4:17) means that God is taking over as king, and to “enter the kingdom” (Matt 5:20) is to come under his rule. Against the backdrop of the Old Testament expectation of the coming rule of God, the New Testament declares that Jesus Christ is the bringer of the kingdom. In Jesus Christ, God’s power and authority broke into the world in an unprecedented way. Christ inaugurated the kingdom during his earthly ministry, but the consummation of the kingdom awaits his return. Thus, the kingdom of God is both present and future. We will need to keep these clarifications in mind as we study the five short parables in Matt 13:31-33, 44-50.
The theme of the kingdom is explicit in our parables; each one begins with the formula, “the kingdom of heaven is like…” The kingdom is compared to a mustard seed (vv. 31-32), yeast mixed with flour (v. 33), treasure hidden in a field (v. 44), a merchant in search of fine pearls (vv. 45-46), and a net cast into the sea (vv. 47-50). As we interpret the parables, we must remember that some details provide only local color to enhance the fictional picture constructed. These knickknacks of the narratives should not be pressed for meaning. Usually, the principal characters/items of the stories are the conversation pieces, the elements designed to disclose an allegorical meaning. As we consider the five parables contained in this section, we will discover three important points about the kingdom of heaven.
The Disproportional Growth of the Kingdom (vv. 31-33). The mustard seed and the yeast together make the point that remarkably small beginnings produce surprisingly large results. The main items of the parables are the seed and the leaven. The human characters are added only because a seed does not plant itself and bread does not leaven itself. The mustard seed was proverbial for its smallness. It is sometimes pointed out that the mustard seed actually is not the smallest of all the seeds, but certainly it was the smallest that Jews in the first century knew about. The seed is extremely tiny; it takes about 750 of them to weigh even a gram. And yet, the tiny agent produces a great shrub or shade tree, large enough for birds to nest in its branches. The final line of the first parable may be an echo of Ezek 17:23, in which the mighty cedar of Lebanon is said to shelter birds of every sort. In Ezekiel, the birds symbolize all of the non-Jewish nations of the world coming to know about the God of Israel.
Likewise, a small amount of leaven is mixed into a large batch of flour, a practice that people who bake bread from scratch still follow today. The amount of bread produced in this second parable is colossal in comparison with the small lump of dough with which the baker begins. The bread would have fed over 100 people. Additionally, it is important to note that the last and thus most emphatic word of the second parable is the word holos, “whole.” The entire mass of dough is leavened. The first pair of parables, then, depicts the growth of the kingdom of heaven, all out of proportion to its size at the beginning of the Jesus movement.
The Inestimable Value of the Kingdom (vv. 44-46). The next two parables, the treasure hidden in the field and the merchant in search of pearls, stress the inestimable value of the kingdom of heaven. The conversation pieces are the treasure and the pearl of great value. We should not be distracted by other inquiries, such as the ethics of finding a treasure, re-burying it, and then purchasing the trove. Nor should we press the details of the stories to make it seem as if we purchase the kingdom. Treasuring the kingdom is the point of these two parables. One man deliberately searches for finer things. Another haphazardly stumbles across a precious item. But both individuals are prepared to trade everything for the prize. The two short stories emphasize the fact that the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that it is worth giving up whatever it takes to be its citizens. Even if it costs a person everything he or she has, this is a small sacrifice in return for gaining the kingdom.
The Great Ingathering of the Kingdom (vv. 47-50). The final parable focuses on God’s future ingathering and judgment of all humanity. The central item of the narrative is the net, which is cast into the sea and collects an enormous number of fish that must be separated. The good fish are kept, and the bad fish are thrown away. The collection of “fish of every kind” in one part of the sea is the most striking element of the parable, especially since the word for “kind” (genos) is generally used for a race or tribe of people. The thrust is that, when Jesus Christ returns, all who have ever lived—“every kind”—will be judged on the basis of their response to Jesus’ person and message. All those whom God has declared righteous will enjoy eternal life with him, while all the unredeemed will experience eternal, agonizing separation from him. No category of person can evade the kingdom net or escape God’s final sorting.
Revelation always demands a response. Having heard the five parables, there is but one fitting response: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). The kingdom is here, hidden in the present. It will advance mightily until, finally, Christ will return to complete his victory over all evil powers. In the present, both the person who is diligently searching for spiritual riches and the one who is entirely apathetic toward God must give up whatever stands between them and the kingdom of heaven. Only then will they be true disciples of Jesus, citizens of the kingdom. When Christ comes, the final assembly and separation will take place. The citizens of the kingdom will delight in the Lord for all eternity, but all those who have not borne the fruits befitting repentance will be thrown into the fire, where there will be grief and everlasting torment. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Footnotes
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In addition to the commentaries, helpful resources on the parables include, David Wenham, The Parables of Jesus (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1989); Klyne R. Snodgrass, Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008); Craig L. Blomberg, Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004); idem, Interpreting the Parables, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2012). Here, I am especially indebted to Blomberg. I commend his works to those who endeavor to preach/teach the parables.