Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

13:24 The kingdom of heaven may be compared to. Jesus draws on various common experiences to describe the arrival and activity of the kingdom. Cf. "the kingdom of heaven is like" (vv. 31, 33, 44, 45, 47; 20:1; see also 18:23; 22:1; 25:1).

13:25-30 Weeds (plural of Gk. zizanion, only here in the NT) are probably darnel, a weedy rye grass with poisonous black seeds which resembles wheat in its early growth but is easily distinguished from it at maturity. Any attempt to gather the weeds would only endanger the wheat, because the roots of the weeds would be intertwined with those of the wheat. Let both grow together (v. 30). God allows both believers and unbelievers to live in the world until the day of judgment; see note on v. 38.

13:31-32 The remarkable contrast between the small beginnings of the mustard seed and its final, large mustard plant had earned it proverbial status in Judaism (cf. 17:20). It was the smallest of all agricultural seeds in Palestine. becomes a tree. The mustard "tree" grows to a height of 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.7 m). Israel was not prepared for an insignificant beginning to the kingdom of God, so this image would have shocked the listeners. (See also note on Luke 13:19.)

13:33 Jesus uses the metaphor of leaven, which usually has a negative connotation in Scripture (cf. 16:6; 1 Cor. 5:6-7), to symbolize the positive, hidden permeation of the kingdom of heaven in this world. The kingdom is indeed active though not fully visible to the world, because it begins with an inner transformation of the heart. Three measures was probably about 50 pounds (39 liters) and would have produced enough bread to feed a hundred people.