Matthew 13.1–23 ESV – Bible Gateway
At the start of this section, the reference he went out of the house is likely a reference to St. Peter’s house in Capernaum. He teaches a series of 8 parables, with the first parable of the sower being presented in this Gospel passage.
There is a large crowd present and Jesus gets into a boat, sits down, and teaches them. Some have wondered, “How could one be heard by ‘a large multitude’ without the benefit of some sort of sound amplification?”
Archaeologist Cobbey Crisler, together with acoustic engineer Mark Myles conducted tests near Tell Hum, site of ancient Capernaum.[1]
Among several coves near Capernaum, there is one that has recently been found to have such sound characteristics of a natural amphitheater. It is located around mid-way between Capernaum and Tabgha, amongst the major areas of Jesus’s Galilean ministry. Acoustical tests were carried out on this site to show that ‘a great multitude’ of some five thousand to seven thousand people could indeed have clearly heard a person speaking from a boat located at a spot near the cove’s center.”[2]
We are used to Jesus’ teachings in parables, so the disciples’ question can be confusing..
From the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture:
But there is a dramatic shift in Jesus’ teaching method: he spoke to them at length in parables. This is the first time Matthew specifically uses the word parables to describe Jesus’ teaching. While Jesus occasionally spoke in parables before, here he suddenly addresses the crowds “at length” in parables, giving several in rapid-fire succession. This movement from teaching the crowds primarily in a straightforward manner (Matt 5–7) to a new emphasis on parables (Matt 13) surprises Jesus’ own disciples, who ask, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (13:10).[3]
This commentary also mentions that “For the ancient Jews, a parable was a cryptic saying or story intended to stimulate thought.”[4] As Brad Pitre often references, Jesus parables often involved a twist, something unexpected.
Jesus’ reply to the disciples can also seem puzzling with both his answer and referencing to Isaiah.
St. Thomas Aquinas into his commentary on Matthew, remarks on this:
The reason is twofold. One reason is that, by parables of this kind, sacred things would be hidden from the unbelievers, lest they blaspheme: for it was said above, “Give not that which is holy to dogs” (7, 6). Therefore, because many men were blaspheming, for that reason, He wished to speak in parables. Hence, “To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to the rest in parables” (Lk. 8, 10). The second reason is that uncultured men are taught better through parables of this kind. Hence, men, namely, the uncultured, when divine things are explained under similitudes, comprehend and retain them better. For that reason, the Lord wished to speak in parables, so that they might be better committed to memory. For because He had known that worthy men would receive His doctrine, He wished to give it to them in such a way that they might remember it better; “I will open my mouth in parables” (Ps. 77, 2).[5]
Brant Pitre remarks on the apparent carelessness of the sower:
So let’s start back at the beginning of parable. Jesus says: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path.” Now pause there, that is the first unexpected element to this parable, because any first century Jew would’ve known that if you’re going to go and get seed—which was expensive—and you are going to plant it in your field or in your garden and that’s your livelihood, you’d better take good care that none of the seed gets lost. And so what is being described here is a sower who is careless in his sowing of seed.[6]
This facet of the parable strikes me as an aspect of God’s grace. God repeatedly gives us grace, but we often seem to carelessly waste it.. This seems to me to be a glimpse of the same aspect of God’s generousness revealed in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.
Another point that strikes me is that this sowing of the seed is not a one-time event in our lives. Jesus the sower does not just come once and we hope to be lucky enough that he comes when we have good soil. In my life, I can recall my own rocky landscape where I rejected grace because I was confident in my atheism.. There were other times in my life where I was sure of my atheism, but wanting to be wrong since I was living a nihilist existence. Those tentative steps towards Christianity, the thorns of my pride choked them and a grasping towards faith withered away. It was only after so much time that the soil became more suitable for growth. Nothing could grow until I could grow.
Oddly, quickly looking up “Amending rocky soil”:
- Remove Large Stones….
- Use A Straight Rake To Remove Surface Rocks And Debris….
- Use A Shovel To Break Up The Soil….
- Work In Organic Compost….
- Rake A Layer Of Top Soil Onto Your Chosen Area.
I now see how that process applied spiritually for me. First, those large stones of sin being removed. Continuously working on sins that thus became visible. Repeating the process and replacing evil practices with more virtuous ones. I did not know at the time I was doing this or what this ultimately would lead to, other than knowing I was not a good man and desired to be one. What is annoying is that this is a never-ending process in this life to grow closer to Christ.
Sources
- The Gospel of Matthew (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)
- St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew
- Catholic Productions, Commentaries by Brant Pitre
- Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
- “The Acoustics and Crowd Capacity of Natural Theaters in Palestine”, Biblical Archaeologist Dec 1976, pp. 128–41. ↩
- The Holy Land Jesus Knew, Robert J. Bull and B. Cobbey Crisler ↩
- The Gospel of Matthew, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Edward Sri and Curtis Mitch ↩
- The Gospel of Matthew, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Edward Sri and Curtis Mitch ↩
- Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, Dolorosa Press ↩
- Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre, 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time ↩
