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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
1
The same day Jesus going out of the house, sat by the sea side.
7
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The crowds were unable to enter the dwelling of Jesus or be present where the apostles received profound truths. In His compassion and goodness, the Lord stepped outside and settled by the sea of this world so that the vast numbers who could not access Him inside might approach and listen to Him on the shore. He took a position in a small boat, while the entire crowd remained firmly planted on the beach. Jesus was amidst the waves, subject to the turbulent waters from all sides; however, His divine majesty was impervious to danger, as He ordered the boat to be brought closer to land. The people stood steadfast on the shore, ready to receive His words without facing the peril and trials they were not equipped to withstand."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He declares, \\"If you desire to see and hear Me,\\" and indeed, He makes His presence known through speech. After performing numerous miracles, He aims to render His message impactful once more, positioning Himself by the shores to draw mankind to Himself. His choice to sit by the sea was deliberate, as the evangelist suggests by highlighting this detail; His intention was to ensure that all could be before Him, with no one concealed behind. The crowds gathered around Him so that He could board a boat and take His seat, while the people stood on the shore."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"This dwelling undoubtedly belonged to a person of faith in Him. He positioned Himself by the water's edge, as it provided ample space; yet when a large crowd assembled, He stepped into a boat and took a seat, drawing those on the land to Him as one collects fish."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord entered the boat to address the multitude, ensuring that all could hear His words. From the depths of the sea, He reaches out to those upon the land."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The mysteries of God's kingdom, as declared by Christ our Savior, are profound and transcendent; however, not all truths could be conveyed openly to those burdened by preconceptions and misconceptions regarding the anticipated kingdom of the Messiah. Yet, the Lord desired to provide guidance even to His adversaries, and in His divine love and wisdom, He chose a different method of imparting His teachings in a manner that was accessible to the masses: parables. In a general sense, a parable refers to figurative language, but more specifically, it is a plausible and complete narrative drawn from human life or nature, aimed at elucidating a truth of faith or a principle of spiritual existence. God is the singular Creator of both the visible and invisible realms; in both, He has fashioned the world in accordance with His wisdom and goodness, imbuing it with divine perfections and laws. Thus, there exists a remarkable unity and affinity between the visible and invisible realms, and the former communicates to our hearts and minds the principles of the latter. \\"The heavens declare the glory of God,\\" states the royal Psalmist (Psalm 18:2). \\"For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived,\\" asserts the Apostle Paul (Rom. 1:20), \\"ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.\\" Consequently, the entire visible world—with its sun and moon, light and darkness, sowing and reaping, life and death, and the myriad experiences of humanity—serves as a vivid parable, a divine text wherein God has inscribed profound spiritual truths through striking imagery to bolster our faith and comprehension. \\n\\nA parable is distinct from a fable; while fables often rely on the fantastical, like animals or plants conversing, the Lord abstained from such fabrications, as they contradict the natural order. Parables are akin to the comparisons and illustrations found in proverbs—what is succinctly stated in a proverb is elaborated upon in a parable. This is why sages from ancient times have employed parables to visualize moral truths. In the East, particularly, there is a fondness for parabolic language when addressing spiritual matters. However, there are no writings among humanity that contain parables as profound as those in the Scriptures, and within the Scripture itself, none surpass the parables of our Savior, Jesus Christ. These stories hold great significance across all ages and situations; they are accessible even to young children while offering depths for the most astute minds to contemplate. \\"The Lord speaks in parables,\\" explains St. Chrysostom, \\"to enhance the expressiveness of His words, to clothe the truth in a vibrant image, to etch it more profoundly in memory, and to visually present it.\\" A parable engages not only the intellect but also the heart and imagination of the listener, allowing the truth to be remembered more easily, like a picture. Although some listeners may not grasp the meaning of the parable, the parable itself plants a good seed within them, which can flourish when their hearts are touched by the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. \\"The Lord's parables,\\" observes one interpreter, \\"are a beautiful tapestry woven by His love and wisdom—partly to shroud the truth until the appropriate time, preventing it from overwhelming the eyes of the weak, and partly to awaken attention to the mysteries concealed beneath this enigmatic covering. Their inherent obscurity and mystery draw people to Jesus seeking understanding.\\" On that particular day, recounts St. Matthew the Evangelist, \\"when the Lord rebuked the Pharisees who sought a sign from Him, He sat by the sea, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, after being informed that His mother and brothers were looking for Him.\\""},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The event that took place in the house of Simon the Pharisee clearly illustrated that mere instruction was inadequate to stir the inactive consciences of the people and to elucidate the profound truths of the new kingdom. What was essential was a method that would captivate and astonish the audience through its clarity, charm, and expressiveness—a method that profoundly impacted Simon the Pharisee, revealing his unloving and inhumane disposition toward the repentant sinner. Since this approach resonated with all those present, Christ utilized it to further illuminate the teachings He proclaimed. Thus began a remarkable series of parables, which represented the pinnacle of Christ's ministry. The parable (mashal) was familiar to the Jews, as the Old Testament had already made attempts to convey certain truths through similar means (Judges 9:7; Exodus 5:1; Ezekiel 13:11, and others), and by this time, it was regularly employed by the rabbis. Its distinctive feature lies in conveying moral or spiritual truths in a more vivid manner than is achievable through straightforward explanation, using the most familiar and recognizable aspects of nature or daily life. These comparisons vividly illustrate the intended truth and leave a lasting imprint on the listeners' memories. Essentially, the parable resembles a fable in that it may involve imaginary events, yet it adheres to plausibility and avoids attributing characteristics to its figures that are not true to their nature. While inherently simple, it is also marked by a serious and elevated nature, distilling profound truths from the most basic phenomena, truths that are capable of becoming firmly lodged in the minds of those who hear them. The entirety of life around offered a boundless source for parables; Christ, embodying divine wisdom, expressed the realities of the kingdom of heaven through them. The sower amidst the hills, the weeds within the field, the minuscule mustard seed, the leaven intermingled in the dough, the treasure discovered by a plowman, and many other everyday occurrences served as vehicles for Him to convey the profoundest truths comprehensible to the human intellect in the most engaging manner. While other educators had occasionally succeeded with exhortations and speeches, it was through Christ that this approach attained a truly divine and exalted quality, making the parable one of the most effective means of instilling the greatest truths of God's kingdom into the hearts of humanity. Upon leaving Simon the Pharisee's house, the Savior was followed by a throng of people eager to hear His heavenly teachings. Christ proceeded to the lakeshore, where the crowd was considerable, pressing in upon Him to the point that His voice struggled to be heard. Therefore, He stepped into a boat, as He had done previously, and from the high stern, akin to a pulpit, He addressed the gathered multitude with His teachings, specifically with parables. The inaugural message of these wondrous teachings was the parable of the Sower, illustrating the initial act of planting God's word in human hearts. In a region like Galilee, the imagery and scenes depicted in this parable could not be more familiar or relatable, with the sower likely visible to all as he scattered seed over a freshly plowed field on a hill sloping down to the lake."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After finishing his rebuke of the Pharisees, Jesus Christ left his home and went to the banks of the Sea of Galilee, where he took a seat. Soon, a crowd from various towns began to gather around him, eager to hear every word he spoke. As the throng pressed in, the Lord decided to sit in a boat, allowing the people, anticipating his teaching, to settle on the shore."}]}
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