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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
37
Who made answer and said to them: He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man.
9
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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":"He indicated that the field symbolizes the world, the sower represents the Son of Man, the good seed signifies the children of the kingdom, and the weeds denote the children of the evil one; the one who sows the weeds is the adversary; the harvest marks the conclusion of the age; and the reapers are the angels. All temptations relate to the weeds, while the righteous are acknowledged as children of the kingdom. Therefore, as previously mentioned, we must fully believe in what is taught by the Lord. What He has not articulated and leaves to our discernment must be summarized. Those who are spiritually asleep should be understood as the teachers of the Churches, and the servants of the father of the household refer to angels who continually behold the face of the Father. The adversary is termed the enemy of humanity because he has fallen from God’s grace, as noted in the Ninth Psalm: ‘Arise, O Lord, lest man be strengthened.’ Thus, the leader of the Church must remain vigilant, so that through negligence, the human adversary does not plant weeds, which represent heretical teachings. The phrase: ‘Lest, when you gather the weeds, you somehow pluck up the wheat along with them,’ gives sinners a chance to repent and cautions against hastily cutting off a brother, so that one now led astray by false doctrine might regain his senses tomorrow and begin to advocate for the truth. However, the later statement, “Let both grow together until the harvest,” seems to conflict with the later instruction, “Remove evil from your midst;” and then there's the command, “Do not associate with those who are called brothers but truly are fornicators and adulterers.” If eradication is forbidden and if tolerance is permitted until harvest time, how can we remove those among us? There exists a close resemblance between the wheat and the weed known as ‘cucolus’ while it still resembles grass and has not produced fruit; there may be little to no discernible differences, or any distinguishing traits are quite subtle. The Lord thus cautions us against rushing to judgement when matters are unclear, advising us to leave final judgement to Him, so that on the day of reckoning, He may remove not just the suspected wrongdoer, but the clear violator. His words indicate that the bundles of weeds shall be consigned to the fire, while the wheat will be gathered into the barn, which illustrates that heretics and faithless individuals will face the flames of Gehenna, whereas the saints, referred to as wheat, will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."},{"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":"If He is indeed the Sower, planting in His own field and reaping from His kingdom, it follows that this world belongs to Him. Reflect on the incomprehensible nature of His humanity, His readiness to bestow grace, and His inclination away from punishment! When He sows, He does so by His own hand, yet when it comes to punishment, He utilizes others, specifically angels. The righteous shall shine like the sun in the realm of their Father. This imagery does not imply that they will literally shine as the sun; rather, since there is no brighter light known to us, the Lord employs familiar imagery. In different contexts, Christ proclaims that the harvest is already upon us; for instance, when addressing the Samaritans, He says, “Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for the harvest is at hand” (John 4:35). Furthermore, He notes, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few” (Luke 10:2). So why does He state that the harvest has arrived in one instance while indicating a future harvest in another? The term ‘harvest’ must be understood in varied contexts. Additionally, when He comments elsewhere, “In is he that soweth, and in is he that reapeth” (John 4:37), why does He assert here that the Sower is Himself? It’s because in that passage, speaking in the presence of the Jews and Samaritans, He contrasts the apostles not to Himself but to the prophets through whom He also sowed. Similarly, He occasionally refers to reaping and sowing interchangeably, due to the different implications these terms carry. When referring to the obedience of His listeners, He frames it as reaping since His work is complete. If He merely awaits the fruit of their listening, then He considers that sowing, with the ultimate outcome being reaping. Moreover, it is stated that the righteous will be the first to be taken up (1 Thess. 4:16). Indeed, they will be the first to ascend during Christ’s coming. However, the unrighteous will face punishment first, followed by the righteous entering the heavenly kingdom. The righteous are destined for heaven, while the Lord descends to earth to judge all humanity, rendering His verdict upon them. Then, akin to a king alongside his companions, He will usher them into the blessed inheritance. Do you see how severe the punishment will be? They will endure fire and find themselves separated from glory. But why, when the crowd is dispersed, does Christ then share parables with the apostles? It is so they may comprehend the teachings, enlightened by what has previously been conveyed. This is why, after sharing the parables, He inquired, “Do you understand all these things?” and they responded, “Yes, Lord” (Matthew 13:51)! Thus, the parable served to cultivate discernment among the apostles as well."},{"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":"He refers to Himself as the Son of Man due to the human nature He displayed, frequently using this title to strengthen our belief that He genuinely became human. This understanding will become evident to you in the future."},{"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":"What has been expressed previously remains valid. We have discussed heresies that are permitted to persist until the conclusion of time. Suppressing and eliminating heretics could lead to discord and conflict, in which many believers might also be lost. However, both Paul and the thief were like tares before their faith, yet they were not eradicated at that moment due to the potential for the wheat to flourish within them. Eventually, they produced fruit for God, while the tares were consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the passion of their souls."},{"author-name":"Tichon of Zadonsk","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989ff6b5b4c943e70095_Tichon%20of%20Zadonsk.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":18,"exegesis-text":"In the field, there are moments when weeds grow among the wheat, representing the righteous alongside the unrighteous. Initially, these weeds are not easily distinguishable from the wheat. However, as the wheat begins to mature and produce grain, the true nature of the weeds is revealed: they are not wheat, but rather tares. Similarly, the wicked may not be immediately recognized, but gradually their true nature is laid bare. \\"By their fruits you will know them,\\" states the Lord (Matthew 7:20). \\n\\nThere exists a significant distinction between wheat and tares, just as there is between the righteous and the unrighteous. The weeds are ultimately worthless, whereas the wheat serves multiple purposes. Likewise, the wicked bear no value, while the righteous are of great utility. At harvest time, the tares, being unfit, are gathered into bundles and burned, whereas the wheat is collected and stored safely in the barn. In a similar manner, the wicked, as unfruitful, will be gathered at the end of the age, bound like bundles and cast into eternal flames. Their assembly will include fornicators, adulterers, and those who defile themselves, as well as thieves and robbers who exploit others. The deceitful, cunning, and slanderers will also form part of this group, along with hypocrites presenting a facade of holiness while harboring wickedness within. These lawless individuals will find themselves cast into the eternal fire, facing destruction.\\n\\nOn the contrary, the righteous, the holy, and the fruitful, who embody the Word of God with perseverance and yield returns of one hundred, sixty, and thirtyfold, will be received into the heavenly kingdom, akin to wheat gathered in the barn. \\"He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, as the tares are collected and burned, so it will be at the end of this age: the Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all who cause sin and those who do iniquity, casting them into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear\\" (Matthew 13:37-43). \\n\\nSinners, let us turn from our ways! May we not be consumed by the eternal fire like the tares, but rather produce fruits worthy of repentance. By the grace of God, may we be the wheat that is gathered into the heavenly barn. \\"O God of Power! Turn us, and enlighten Thy face, and we shall be saved\\" (Psalm 79:4)."},{"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":"He responded to them, saying, \\"The one who plants the good seed is the Son of Man,\\" a title that the Lord Jesus Christ often used for Himself. He personally sows the good seed of God's word throughout His earthly existence and continues to do so through His apostles, pastors, and teachers of the Church until the end of time."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The One who sows is referred to as the Son of Man. He casts forth the good seed, which signifies the Word of God; this represents the proclamation of the Gospel both during His earthly ministry and subsequently—continuing until the end of time—through His successors, including the apostles, shepherds, and instructors within the church. They bring this message back to His church through various acts of divine wisdom and the grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit. The act of sowing, or proclaiming, the Word of God has not been and will not be limited to a single location on the planet; rather, the entirety of the world, all nations, serves as the field for this sowing. Every individual must be given the opportunity to hear the message of God's Word: 'the field is peace.'"},{"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 interpretation of this parable is provided by the Savior Himself, responding to the disciples' inquiry, as well as to the initial audience. Within the Church established by Him, tares will coexist with the wheat, planted by the original adversary; however, it is solely the divine Judge who can deliver an unfavorable judgment concerning both at the final reckoning. This is because, in the current age, every individual has the complete chance to repent and transform from tares into good wheat. Blessed Augustine remarks, \\"For those who today are tares may become wheat tomorrow.\\""},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"These are the profound truths of the kingdom, conveyed to the people through parables without further clarification; the understanding is reserved for the chosen disciples, particularly the initial group. When the disciples inquired about this parable concerning the seed, the Lord elucidated its meaning for them and also provided explicit guidance for their apostolic mission using parables that were more familiar (Mk. 4:21-25; Lk. 8:16-18). The fruitfulness of the word within them must manifest in their own preaching, where the extent of each individual's fervor will correspond to the depth of the message of the word itself."}]}
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