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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
38
And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one.
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 emphasized that the field represents the world, the sower is the Son of Man, the good seed symbolizes the children of the kingdom, and the weeds signify the children of the evil one. The one who sows the weeds is the devil; the harvest signifies the end of the age; the reapers are the angels. All temptations pertain to the weeds, while the righteous are identified as children of the kingdom. Hence, as I previously mentioned, we must fully trust in what is conveyed from the Lord. What He has left to our discretion, we are to summarize. The “men who sleep” refer to the leaders within the Churches; and the “servants of the father of the house” signify angels, who constantly behold the Father’s face. The adversary is called the enemy of humanity because he has fallen from grace, and in the Ninth Psalm, it is written about him: “Arise, O Lord, lest man be strengthened.” Therefore, it is crucial for the Church’s leaders to be vigilant, lest through neglect the human adversary sow weeds, which are heretical teachings. The phrase “Lest, when you gather the weeds, you somehow pluck up the wheat along with them” illustrates how the sinner is allotted time to repent and urges us not to sever ties with a brother too quickly, as one who is currently misled by harmful doctrine may regain clarity and begin to uphold the truth. However, the subsequent directive to let both grow together until the harvest may appear to contradict the following command to “Remove evil from your midst,” and the other instruction to “In no way associate with those who are called brothers yet are actually fornicators and adulterers.” If eradication is prohibited and tolerance is permitted until the harvest, how can we expel those among ourselves? Between the wheat and the weed often referred to as “cucolus,” while it still bears the form of grass and has not yet produced a head, there is a significant similarity, making it challenging to discern between the two. Thus, the Lord cautions against being hasty in judgment when uncertainty exists, advocating that ultimate judgment be reserved for Him, so that when the day of reckoning arrives, He may separate not just those suspected of wrongdoing, but the clear offenders. His declaration that the weed bundles shall be cast into the fire, while the wheat is gathered into the barn, distinctly indicates that heretics and hypocrites in the faith will face the flames of Gehenna, while the saints, referred to as wheat, shall be welcomed into the barns, meaning the heavenly 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 is evident that the current world is His domain. Reflect, therefore, on the profound nature of His humanity, His readiness to show grace, and His disposition to refrain from punishment! When He sows, He does so personally; however, when He enacts judgement, it occurs through others, specifically through angels. Then, the righteous will radiate like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. This does not imply they will literally shine like the sun, but rather that, in the absence of a greater luminary, the Lord employs familiar imagery. In other contexts, Christ states that the harvest has already arrived; for instance, when He speaks to the Samaritans, ‘Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for the harvest is at hand’ (John 4:35). Again, He mentions, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few’ (Luke 10:2). Thus, why does He assert that the harvest is already here in one case, while indicating it is still to come in another? The term harvest can signify different aspects. Additionally, when He states in another passage, ‘In is he that soweth, and in is he that reapeth’ (John 4:37), why does He here affirm that it is He Himself who sows? Because, addressing the Jews and Samaritans, He contrasts the apostles not with Himself but with the prophets, as He also sowed through those prophets. In similar fashion, He sometimes equates reaping and sowing, understanding these terms from varying perspectives. When referring to the obedience and receptiveness of His followers, He denotes it as reaping, having completed His task. Conversely, when anticipating merely the results of listening, He calls it sowing, designating the outcome as reaping. Moreover, it is stated that the righteous shall be the first to be caught up (1 Thess. 4:16). Indeed, they will be first to ascend at Christ’s return. But first, the sinful will face judgement, and afterward, the righteous will enter paradise. The righteous are destined for heaven, while the Lord will descend to earth to judge all people, rendering decisions upon them; then, like a king arising with His companions, He will usher them into the blessed inheritance. Do you perceive the severity of this punishment: they will endure torment and find themselves estranged from glory? But what is the purpose, finally, when the crowd is dispersed, and Christ speaks to the apostles through parables? It's so they might grasp the parables, having been prepared through previous teachings. Hence, when He queried them after relaying the parables, ‘Do you understand all these things?’ they replied, “Yes, Lord” (Matthew 13:51)! Thus, the parable, among its numerous effects, also enabled the apostles to gain discernment."},{"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 points previously mentioned are reiterated. We reference heresies that are permitted to endure until the end times. Should we seek to eradicate heretics, it would lead to conflict and wars, resulting in the potential loss of many faithful individuals. Both Paul and the thief on the cross were like weeds before their conversion, yet they were not eliminated at that moment for the sake of the fruitful believers to come. Ultimately, they produced good works for God, while the weeds were consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the passion within their hearts."},{"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":"The village represents the world... As stated earlier. The good seed signifies... Who might they be? They are the children of the kingdom... The children of the kingdom are identified as those who hold steadfast to the true faith, sown by Christ the King to yield righteousness, and they will inherit His kingdom. Conversely, the children of the evil one are heretics, sown by the devil to produce wickedness, destined to share in the eternal flames prepared for him. The tares are the offspring of animosity. Currently, only this is mentioned about them."},{"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":"At times, weeds grow among the wheat. This serves as a representation of the righteous and the unrighteous. Weeds intermingle with the wheat, just as the wicked are found alongside the virtuous. Initially, the weeds appear indistinguishable from the wheat, but as the wheat ripens and produces grain, it becomes clear that the weeds are not wheat at all. In a similar manner, the wicked may not be immediately recognized, yet gradually their sinful nature becomes evident: \\"By their fruits you will know them,\\" affirms the Lord (Matthew 7:20). There exists a stark contrast between the weeds and the wheat, just as there is between the wicked and the righteous. Weeds, as we observe, are of no value; in contrast, the wheat is valuable and useful. Similarly, the wicked are ultimately of no benefit, while the righteous serve a meaningful purpose. The weeds, being unworthy, are gathered into bundles and burned during the harvest, while the wheat is collected into the granary. Likewise, the wicked, as unproductive, will be gathered at the end of the age, bound in bundles, and destined for eternal fire. Sinners, fornicators, adulterers, defilers, and those who find themselves inebriated will form their bundle. Thieves, predators, and robbers who take what belongs to others will also belong to that collection. The deceitful, sly, and crafty will comprise their own bundle. Murmurers, backbiters, and those who curse will be counted among them. Hypocrites, who portray holiness outwardly while inwardly remaining corrupt, will contribute to this gathering. These and other lawless individuals, unfruitful in the eyes of the Lord, will be cast into eternal flames to be consumed. In contrast, the righteous, the holy, and the good—those who bear fruit from God’s word with patience, yielding a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold—will be gathered into the heavenly kingdom like wheat into 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 gathered and burned, so it will be at the close of this age: the Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His kingdom all those who lead others astray and engage in wickedness, throwing them into the furnace of fire; 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). Sinners, let us turn back to God! May we not be consumed by eternal fire like the weeds, but instead bear worthy fruits of repentance. With God’s grace, may we be the wheat destined for the heavenly storehouse. “O God of Power! Restore us, and shine Your face upon us, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 79:4)."},{"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 mysteries of the kingdom, conveyed to the people through parables without further explanation; understanding is granted solely to the inner circle of disciples and especially to the first two. When the disciples requested the Lord to interpret this parable regarding the seed, He not only explained it to them but also provided specific guidance for their apostolic mission through familiar parables (Mk. 4:21-25; Lk. 8:16-18). The fruits of the Word must be manifested in their own preaching, where the extent of each individual's dedication will correspond to the depth of the message they deliver."},{"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 good seed refers to the children of the kingdom, meaning those who belong to the kingdom of Christ or His church on earth. They are the thriving result of the good seed, for the seed, which is the divine message, has transformed them into sons of the Kingdom of God, producing in them the fruits of righteousness and faith. The tares, on the other hand, signify the offspring of the evil one—the most corrupt members of Christ's Church on earth. Their immoral disposition is derived from the devil, as mentioned in texts such as Matthew 13:39, John 8:41, 44, and 1 John 3:8, 10. St. Chrysostom interprets the sons of the Evil One specifically as heretics, but such a restriction may not be necessary. Within the Church of Christ on earth, the sinful members include not only heretics but also anyone leading a life contrary to Christian teachings. Thus, all individuals within the Church who embody evil may rightly be designated as tares, which is further reinforced by verse 41, describing them as “all seducers and those who do iniquity.”"},{"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 significance of this parable is clarified by the Saviour Himself in response to the disciples' inquiry. Within the Church that He established, there will be both the wheat and the tares, as a result of the adversary’s sowing. However, it is solely the divine Judge who can declare the ultimate fate of both at the final judgment. In the current age, all individuals are afforded the chance to repent and transform from tares into good wheat. As Blessed Augustine notes, \\"For those who today are tares, tomorrow may become wheat.\\""},{"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 entirety of creation, encompassing every nation and land, serves as the expansive territory for this planting: the universe itself is the ground through which His universal Church will flourish. THE GOOD SEED, THESE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM, refer to those in whom the benevolent seed of God's word has been sown, taking hold in their hearts, transforming them into the wheat of God, prepared for the granary of Heaven, for the Kingdom of God. AND THE WEEDS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE;"}]}
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