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of the kingdom of heaven, and Christ asserts that the knowledge of these secrets had been
given to the disciples, but not to the people as a whole:
"The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but
not to them . . . . . this is why I speak to them in parables. Though seeing, they do not
see; though hearing, they do not hear . . . . . but blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear" (13: 11-16, N.I.V.).
In verse 14 the Lord explains why His opposers in Israel did not see (understand). It
was because they had firmly closed their eyes and deafened their ears, and made their
minds so hard in their opposition to God that understanding of His truth relating to the
kingdom was impossible. And to prove this Christ quotes the momentous prophecy
contained in Isa. 6: 9, 10. This was the cause of Israel's failure in Isaiah's day. It also
explained why the leaders of the people and others associated with them rejected the
Messiah at His first coming. There are three quotations of this prophecy given in the
N.T. that occur at times of great crisis in Israel's history, namely here, in John 12: and
Acts 28: To ignore this is to throw away a divine key that explains so much of the
purpose of God contained in the N.T., and gives the reason why the chosen earthly people
failed so badly, and also throws light on their spiritual condition today.
The parables revealed the truth to those who were spiritually hungry, but veiled it
from those who opposed. From this time of rejection onwards the Lord maintained
parabolic teaching in public for "without a parable spake He nothing to them" (13: 34).
There are eight parables given in Matt. 13:, not seven as is sometimes taught, and
they are in perfect balance as the following structure by 100: H. Welch shows:
A | 1-9. The SOWER. The sowing of the seed into four kinds of ground.
13. They (Israel) did not understand.
B | 24-30. The TARES. Good and bad together.
Separated at the harvest (the end of the age);
the bad are cast into a furnace of fire,
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
C | 31, 32. The MUSTARD TREE. One tree.
D | 33. The LEAVEN. Hid in three measures of meal.
These first four parables spoken outside the house to great multitudes.
D | 44. The TREASURE. Hid in a field.
C | 45, 46. GOODLY PEARLS. One pearl.
B | 47-50. The DRAG NET. Good and bad together.
Separated at the end of the age;
the bad are cast into a furnace of fire,
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51. They (disciples) did understand.
A | 52. The SCRIBE. The treasure opened to those in the house.
These last four parables were spoken inside the house to the disciples.