|
| |
Matthew 13:24-43
 | Reading the Text:
|
| Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
 | The
Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto. |
| Stephen Carlson's color-coded Greek Synoptic Parallels: 13:24-30. |
| Comparative primary texts about Sin and Justice from Mishnah and
Babylonian Talmud. At Mahlon H. Smith's Into
His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus, Rutgers University. |
| Similitude VIII.3,
Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145) |
| Chapter, XVI,
The First Apology of Justin
Martyr. (c 150) |
| XVII.1-8, 11-12,
15-17, 19-26; Tatian's Diatessaron
(c. 150-160). |
| IV.XXVI.1, IV.XL.2, 3, IV.XLI.1, 3,
V.X.1, V.XXVII.1, V.XXXIII.3, Adversus
Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons.
(c. 180) |
| Chapter II, Adversus
Judaeos, Tertullian
(c. 198) |
| I.11, Paedagogus,
Clement of Alexandria (c 200) |
| V.12, VI.15, VII.15, Stromata,
Clement of Alexandria (c 200) |
| Chapter XVI, On
the Soul, Tertullian
(c. 210) |
| Chapter
XXXII, Chapter
XXXV, On the Resurrection of the Flesh, Tertullian
(c. 211) |
| Chapter
I, Against Praxeas, Tertullian
(c. 213) |
| V.III, V.IV, IX.VII, The
Refutation of all Heresies (Philosophumena), Hippolytus of Rome.
(c. 225) |
| X.1-3,
XI.4, Commentary
on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen. (c.247) |
| Epistle V --
Cyprian of Carthage (c. 250) |
| Latin text of Augustine's Sermon 73 (Mt 13:4-30). |
| Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Chrysostom
(c. 380):
|
| From the
Catena
Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas. |
| "The
Parable of the Tares Which an Enemy Sowed in the Field," by Martin
Luther.
 | "People securely think here God is enthroned without a rival and
Satan is a thousand miles away, and no one sees anything except how they parade the Word,
name and work of God. That course proves beautifully effective." |
|
| From the Geneva Notes.
| "God begins his kingdom with very small beginnings so that by its growing
(even though men neither hope nor expect it to) his mighty power and working may be
displayed all the more." |
|
| From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary.
| "So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go
his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be
tended, watered, and fenced." |
|
| From Wesley's
Notes.
| "Cares are thorns to the poor: wealth to the rich; the desire of other
things to all." |
|
| From the Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
| "...is it straining the parable... to suppose that, besides the wonderful growth
of His kingdom, our Lord selected this seed to illustrate further the shelter, repose
and blessedness it is destined to afford to the nations of the
world?" |
|
| "Wheat
in the Barn: Matthew 13:30," Charles H. Spurgeon. From Farm Sermons
(c 1875).
| "Heaven is the palace of the King, but, so far, to us a barn, because it is
the place of security, the place of rest for ever. It is the homestead of Christ to which
we shall be carried, and for this we are ripening." |
|
| From The People's
New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
| "The tares are not bad church members, but bad men; those who have been
under the influence of the wicked one." |
|
|
| Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
|
"Weeds and Wheat," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from
Seattle,
Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
| "The Greek word for weeds is 'zizania' which is a very
particular type of weed that looks just like wheat as it is
growing up. You can hardly tell the difference. Today it is called
'darnel' wheat. It looks like wheat, it appears like
wheat but it is not wheat. It fools you." |
|
| Synopsis (English) and discussion by Dr. Mahlon H. Smith,
Rutgers University. Focus is on literary relationships of texts. Includes non-canonical
parallels and discussion of textual origins.
|
|
Comments
(commentary) and
Clippings
(technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican
Diocese of Montreal. |
|
"First
Thoughts on Year A Gospel Passages in the Lectionary:
Pentecost 9"
William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia, 2002.
| "Never uproot people in your mind or
attitude by treating them as no longer of any worth!" |
|
|
"Wheat and Tares," Rev. Todd Weir, bloomingcactus.
| "The psychologist Carl Jung would have
approved of the parable of the wheat and tares. Jung explored the nature
of the unconscious “shadow” that lives in each soul." |
|
|
Exegetical Notes
by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
| "For a slightly different illustration
of making things worse by trying to fix them, I'm using From Stuck to
Unstuck: Overcoming Congregational Impasse, by Kenneth a. Halstead..." |
|
|
"Violent Parables and the Nonviolent Jesus," study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at)
"Parables," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2006. |
|
Exegesis,
Proper 11A, by
Richard Donovan at lectionary.org.
| "Jesus mentions a weed (zizanion --
bearded darnel) that in its early stages closely resembles wheat, making
it almost impossible to identify. As the plants mature, the roots of the
weeds and wheat intertwine, making them almost impossible to separate.
Separation, however, is necessary, because darnel is both bitter and
mildly toxic." |
|
|
Matthew in the Margins, by
Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia. |
|
Sermon
Preparation Thoughts and Questions by Wesley White, 2005.
| "We have certainly spent
a lot of energy battling one another. We have pulled up our own values,
morals, and intentions as we try to eradicate another point of view. This
is part of the warning of the parable. The destruction you intend for
another will come back to bite you at the same place your focused your
attention." |
|
|
Wellspring of
the Gospel, Ordinary 16A, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn
Turner, Weekly Wellsprings. |
|
"Wheat and
Weeds, Good and Evil," Larry Broding's
Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for
This Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family Activity,
Support Materials.
| "Has the problem of evil in the world
ever challenged your faith?" |
|
|
"Jesus Says, 'Love One Another'," Keith E. Gatling, The Lutheran,
2005.
| "Does that mean we must all agree?" |
|
|
"The
Parable of the Weeds," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible
Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed
textual notes. |
| "Growing
in the Sonlight," analysis in Sabbatheology by the Crossings
Community of St Louis, Missouri.
| "We no longer need scramble to secure our place in the field, but are free
to help the ones around us turn their faces toward him as well. Together we grow and
though it's not always easy waiting for the fulfillment of the harvest, God is always
right on time." |
|
|
"God
So Loves the Wheat," Garret Keizer. Commentary from The
Christian Century, July, 1999. At Religion Online.
| "God is like a teacher who
does not care so much about who cheats as he cares about who learns.
She bides her time with a classful of smug stinkers just so one
struggling under-achiever can pass his test." |
|
| Reflection on
Matthew 13:24-30, Rev. Wanda Copeland. At Environmental Reflections, Lectionary
Year A, Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, Environmental Stewardship Commission.
| "Can we even comprehend a God that
loves the world so much that every grain of wheat is significant. What if we started
living our lives as if that were true?" |
|
|
| Articles & Background:
|
"Parables of Jesus,"
"Weeds among the
Wheat,"
"Mustard
Seed,"
"Yeast," wikipedia. |
|
"Matthew's Nonviolent Jesus and Violent Parables," Barbara E. Reid,
O.P., (other resources at)
"Parables," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2006.
| "Jesus' Sermon on the Mount instructs us to not
return violence for violence; instead we should be like God, who
offers boundless, gratuitous love to all. But in the same Gospel
Jesus tells eight parables in which God deals violently with
evildoers. Which of the divine ways are we to imitate?" |
|
|
"The Zeal of
Phinehas: The Bible and the Legitimation of Violence," John J. Collins,
Journal of Biblical Literature, 2003. (This URL links entire journal
in one .pdf file. Slow connections will require long download times.)
| "At a time when the Western world is
supposedly engaged in a war on terrorism, it may be opportune to reflect
on the ways in which the Bible appears to endorse and bless the recourse
to violence, and to ask what the implications may be for the task of
biblical interpretation." |
|
|
"Parables
and their Social Contexts," Chapter 6 in What Are They
Saying about the Parables? by David Gowler (Paulist Press, 2000).
| "In the face of the
exploitative urban elite (e.g., redistributive institutions like the
Roman state and Jewish Temple), the concentration of land holdings
in the hands of a few, rising debt, and other destabilizing forces,
Jesus responded by calling for a reversal of the centralization of
political power and economic goods." |
|
| "Jesus
and Women in Matthew," Jane Kopas,
University of Scranton. Theology Today, 1990.
| "It is not only the gentiles
but mothers and daughters and other marginalized people or outsiders
who get a special hearing from Jesus, Not only do they receive a
special hearing, but they seem to hear and see the possibilities in
his mission beyond what others see." |
|
|
Sower's Cove, location profile, Walking in Their Sandals, Journey Through the
Land of the Bible.
|
|
"Jesus,
Apocalyptic, and World Transformation," David B. Batstone. Theology
Today, 1993.
| "It is often overlooked how
ideologically explosive the notion of the kingdom of God was within
Jesus' own social milieu. In first-century Palestine, it did not
have the same metaphorical and strictly religious connotation that
makes the term so safe within our own theological world. In fact, it
evoked the memory and visionary impulse of Yahweh who acts to
deliver Yahweh's 'chosen ones' from occupation and oppression at the
hands of alien nations. Intrinsic to that symbolic universe is the
conviction that the chosen suffer and the unjust prosper in the
present day only because history stands at the brink of a great
reversal." |
|
|
| Articles in
ATLAS Journals. (Direct link when you are
subscribed and logged in to
ATLASerials online collection of Religion and Theology Journals.):
| Bailey, Mark L., "The Kingdom in the
Parables of Matthew 13," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1998-1999:
|
| Bridges, Linda McKinnish, "Preaching
the Parables in Matthew's Gospel in Ordinary Time: The Extraordinary
Tales of God's World," Review & Expositor, 2007. (Section on this
text begins on p.342, but is best read in context of entire article.)
Image Browse -
PDF |
| Burghardt, William, S.J.,
"Gospel Joy, Christian Joy," The Living Pulpit, 1996. (see
Joy issue focus of The Living Pulpit 5.4, 1996.) |
| Glancy, Jennifer A.,
"Slaves and Slavery in the Matthean Parables," Journal of Biblical
Literature, 2000. |
| McIver, Robert K., "The Parable of
the Weeds among the Wheat (Matt 13:24-30, 36-34) and the Relationship
between the Kingdom and the Church as Portrayed in the Gospel of
Matthew," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1995.
Image Browse -
PDF |
|
| Reviews: |
| Sermons:
|
"Why Can't
We Pull Up the Weeds?" the Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams, Day 1, 2006. |
|
"The Ohio Two-Car
Collision Theory," Dr. Eugene Winkler, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago
Sunday Evening Club, 1993. |
| "A
World Full of Weeds," the Rev. Jim Somerville, Day 1, 2005. |
|
"Weeds and Wheat - A Strange Mix!"
9 Pentecost - 17 July 2005, Hubert Beck, Göttinger Predigten im Internet: Every Sunday Sermons based on the
RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors. |
|
"Weeds and Wheat,"
Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle. |
|
"Growing Up
Out in the Fields," Rev. Sarah Buteux,
Cambridge Swedenborg Chapel, Cambridge, MA. |
|
"Problems Beyond Our Power to Fix," the Rev. Dr. Thomas Lane Butts, Day 1, 1997. |
|
"The Mustard Seed," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. |
|
"Hungry for
Justice - or - 'Let It Be'," John Jewell, 1999. |
|
Father
Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily
|
|
| With Children:
|
"Paper Dolls," Talks to Children, Rev. Donald
McCorkindale, Dalgety Parish Church, Fife, Scotland. |
|
"Feeding the 5,000,"
"Parable of the
Weeds," Fr. Max
Bowers, Kid's Church. |
|
"Dealing with Weeds,"
Lois Parker Edstrom, Lectionary.org. |
|
"Weeds Grow Among
the Wheat," Sunday School
Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc. |
|
"Weed
Killer," Children's Time, in Sermons and Liturgies. Richard J.
Fairchild. (Scroll down in liturgies to find Children's Time.) |
|
"Wheat and
Weeds," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com. |
|
"Parable of Wheat
and Tares,"
children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian
Center. |
|
| Drama:
|
| Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
|
Clip Art Images:
Matthew 13:24-43, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú. |
|
Matthew 13:24-43, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora,
Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use
these for free.") |
|
Matthew 13:24-43, at
Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration.
Liberation emphasis. |
|
| Hymns and Music:
|
"The Gospel Garden," TEXT: Mark Ryman (2005) based on Matthew 13:24-30,
36-43. TUNE: "Bethlehem."
New Hymns for the Lectionary. |
|
"Siblings
of the Risen Prince," Brenton Prigge, NewHymn, weekly new, relevant hymn set to traditional tunes. |
|
Hymns with Scripture
Allusions: Matthew 13:31, 38, 39, 40. The Cyber Hymnal. |
| At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke
files, projection text):
|
|
| Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's
Art Index: |
| Movies scenes with the following themes,
listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance: |
| Study Links and Resources for the Book of Matthew |
|
