One of my favorite things in the whole world is digging deep into a passage of Scripture with friends! Do you have friends who will jump into Scripture with you and mine the nuggets that are found in God’s Word? If not, turn some of your friends into Bible gold diggers by asking them to schedule 30 minutes with you to talk about a passage of Scripture. It is glorious!

I have such friends and we spent time recently digging into Matthew 13. It’s a familiar chapter in which Jesus teaches several parables, then reveals to His disciples the meaning of those parables. Why did He reveal the meanings only to His disciples rather than the whole crowd who heard the parables. Is there a gold nugget to dig there? My friends and I set out with our mental picks and shovels, hoping to fill our bucket with treasure. God’s Word did not disappoint!

So come along on the journey. Who knows, you may find some of the same nuggets, and God may grant you insight into even more nuggets! But before our first shovel breaks ground, let’s survey the land. Read Matthew 13 in its entirety.

Now, put your shovel to the ground and scrape away the top layer. What do you find there? If your Bible has headings, or if you are reading online via the link above, you will find:

• 7 parables (Sower, Wheat and Tares, Mustard Seed, Leaven, Hidden Treasure, Pearl of Great Price, Dragnet)
• 2 explanations (Sower, Tares)
• The purpose of parables
• Prophecy and the parables
• The rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

Pull out your Biblical pick and let’s take our first whack at breaking ground! First, let’s define a parable. In the Bible, Jesus often taught in parables, meaning He would tell a story to Illustrate a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to reveal truth to those who wanted to know it and conceal truth from those who rejected it or were indifferent. I suspect the same is true of His recorded parables, so it applies today!

Did you identify the 7 parables? Do they have a common theme or structure? Is there a phrase that is repeated throughout those parables? Why do you suppose Jesus used 7 different parables to teach about the kingdom of heaven?

Now that ground is broken, consider the explanation of the parable of the sower in verses 18-23. Each type of soil represents a type of response to the Word of God.

• Seed that fell by the wayside. (Hears but doesn’t understand.)
• Seed that fell on stony places. (Hears but it doesn’t take root.)
• Seed that fell among thorns. (Hears but is chocked out by the cares of the world.)
• Seed that fell on good ground. (Hears and bears fruit.)

Is truth being revealed to you? If you are a disciple (follower) of Jesus, yearning for truth, He will make it known to you!

Now consider the explanation of wheat and tares in verses 36-43:

• Who sows good seed? (Who is the Son of Man?)
• What (or where) is the field?
• What (or who) are the good seeds?
• What (or who) are the tares?
• Who sows tares?
• The harvest is the end of the age. (The end of time on earth as we know it.)
• The angels who reap the harvest will cast tares into the furnace of fire (hell) while the wheat will shine forth as the sun. Two different eternal destinies.

Do these parables encourage or discourage you? For you, upon what type of soil does seed fall? Are you wheat or a tare?

There is no guilt or condemnation here for those whose soil is not as rich as it could be. Like a farmer’s field, we may have patches of soil that are better than others. The point is for us to walk away encouraged that, if our soil needs some enrichment, the remedy is simple: ask God to enrich the soil of your heart, then get into His Word! The Sower of Good Seed wants to sow seeds in good soil, and when we surrender our lives, our time, our talent, and our treasure He is able to sow on fertile ground.

If your ground is on the wayside, is stoney, or is thorny, why not stop right now to ask the God of the harvest (God the Father) to prepare the soil of your heart to receive the truth of God’s Word. If you ask, He will answer!

We’re far from done in Matthew 13. Put your pick and shovel down for now, then join us right back here tomorrow for more golden nuggets!