Bible In One Year Day 261 (Matthew 11 - 13, Proverbs 19: 5-8)

Day 261:  Ornate Souls 

Agape Bible Study 

Matthew 11-13 

Chapter 11: Opposition from the Jews

As Jesus' ministry moves forward we can see that He is becoming a cause for scandal among the people. He has already offended the Scribes and Pharisees and those Jews who thought of themselves as God's "righteous" by not seeking out their company and by eating with tax collectors and sinners (Mt 9:10). When they complained about His conduct, He told them: I did not come to call the righteous but sinners (Mt 9:13), suggesting that His mercy toward sinners reflects God's attitude toward them. He has also caused scandal by failing to observing the customary days of fasting (Mt 10:14). He has even gone so far as to forgive sins. When the Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy (Mt 9:3), Jesus told them that He was acting with divine authority (Mt 9:6) and, since sin is universal, those who pretend not to need salvation are blind to their own spiritual sins (Jn 8:33-36; 9:40-41).

Jesus' acts of mercy in forgiving the sins of those He healed presented the greatest dilemma for the religious authorities. When Jesus healed the paralytic and forgave the man's sins (Mt 9:1-8), they challenged Him by saying Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins (Mk 2:7)? Of course, in asking the rhetorical question, the Pharisees unknowingly provided their own answer. They must either conclude that Jesus is blaspheming by making Himself equal to God or they must conclude that He is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophet Ezekiel and is Jesus is God Himself come among His people (Ez 34:10-16). However, if they conclude that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Ezekiel chapter 34, they must admit that they are the corrupt shepherds of the same prophecy (see the quote from Ezekiel above; also see CCC 574-76).

Matthew 11:1 ~ When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Jesus' second discourse ends with a similar formula statement that ends each of His five discourses in the Gospel of Matthew, using the verb teleo: When Jesus finished [teleo] giving these commands ... (Mt 11:1). After commissioning His disciples and sending them on their first missionary journey, Jesus separates Himself from them to give them the ability to do what He taught them to do in announcing the Gospel of the kingdom and in curing the sick: he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns (Mt 11:1). In his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, St. John Chrysostom writes that Jesus did this because if He remained with them everyone would seek Him out and would not have approached His disciples (St. John Chrysostom, Gospel of Matthew 36.1).

Chapter 11 marks a major turning point in Jesus' ministry. The chapter begins by addressing the impact of Jesus' words and deeds on the people and what His actions reveal about His identity. In a section that extends from 11:2 to Matthew 16:16, the focus becomes the contrast between how the people either believe that Jesus is the Messiah or how they reject Him and His teaching. The division of the first three sections in Matthew chapter 11 can also be classified thematically: 

1. Unbelief/rejection (verses 2-19)
2. Unbelief/rejection (verses 20-24)
Invitation/acceptance of the Christ (verses 25-30)

The first section opens with the statement that St. John the Baptist is in prison (Mt 11:2), an event already announced in 4:12 and which resulted in Jesus relocating to the Galilee to begin His ministry. Matthew 11:2-19 can be subdivided into three parts dealing with the subject of John the Baptist:

1. John's disciples inquire about Jesus' eschatological office and Jesus responds (verses 2-6)
2. Jesus reveals John's true identity (verses 7-15)
3. The response of "this generation" to Jesus and John (verses 16-19)

Matthew 11:2-6 ~ The Disciples of St. John the Baptist Come to Jesus (Unbelief/rejection)

St. John was imprisoned at Macherus, Herod Antipas' fortress in Perea, located east of the Dead Sea (Antiquities of the Jews, 18.5.2 [119]). He was apparently able to receive visitors while in prison. Hearing about Jesus' miracles of healing and raising the dead, St. John sent his disciples to the "Christos," which means "Messiah."

Matthew 11:7-15 ~ Jesus' Testimony to St. John

Jesus asks the crowds a series of six rhetorical questions. Jesus' reference to "someone dressed in fine clothing" living "in royal palaces" may be an allusion to Herod Antipas who had arrested and imprisoned John the Baptist. John wore course camel's hair for his garment and he was firm in his message of repentance; he was not a "reed swayed by the wind" of secular society.

Matthew 11:16-19 ~ Jesus Rebukes His generation

Question: To what does Jesus compare "this generation" in this proverb?
Answer: He compares His generation to two groups of children playing make-believe games. One group complains that the other group refuses to play either the "wedding game" ("we played the flute" as in joyful music for a bridal procession) or the "funeral game" ("we sang a dirge but you did not mourn" as in a funeral procession).

Mathew 11:20-24 ~ Jesus' Rebuke of Unrepentant Towns in the Galilee (Unbelief/rejection)

Question: What else did Jesus and John's generation and the Exodus generation have in common?
Answer: No other generations in salvation history had witnessed so many miracles to bring them to faith and trust in God.

In 11:20-24 the theme of unbelief continues, but now Jesus rebukes the towns where the people had not repented after witnessing His "mighty deeds." A "woe" is a curse judgment in a covenant lawsuit issued by a prophet of God against people or places who refused the prophet's warnings to repent their sins. Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida are important towns at the north end of the Sea of Galilee (also see Lk 10:13). These three Galilean communities not only had the privilege of hearing the Son of God preach and witnessing His miracles, they actually had the opportunity to see Him, to talk to Him, and to touch Him, a gift very few people would receive in salvation history. Each of these towns received a "corporate" judgment, but that does not mean that those few within the communities who accepted Jesus were condemned.

Matthew 11:25-27 ~ Jesus' Prayer to the Father in Thanksgiving (Invitation/acceptance)

Question: Who are those of childlike faith for whom Jesus gives thanks?
Answer: Those who have accepted St. John's baptism of repentance and who have, by the grace of God the Holy Spirit, experienced the conversion of heart that is necessary to open their minds and hearts to welcomed Jesus.

The Catechism teaches that what moves us to belief is not just being convinced of revealed truths that are intelligible in the light of our natural reason, but we believe "because the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived." Moved by the Holy Spirit, our faith is more certain than our human intellect because it is founded on the Word of God who does not lie and is Himself "Truth" (see CCC 154-157).

Matthew 11:28-30 ~ Jesus' Invitation to Come to Him (Invitation/acceptance continued)
28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Jesus' invitation recalls one of the reoccurring images of the Old Testament prophets for the people in covenant union with God: domesticated animals obediently following the commands of their master (see the complete chart "Symbolic Images of the Old Testament Prophets" in the chart section).

Image	Part I Covenant relationship	Part II Rebellion	Part III Redemptive Judgment	Part IV Restoration Fulfilled
Animals examples in Scripture	Domesticated animals obedient to the Master's yoke Mic 4:13; Is 40:10-11; 65:25; Ez 34:15-16	Resist the yoke; run away and become wild Ex 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9; Dt 9:6, 13; Is 50:6; 53:6; Jer 5:5d-6; 8:6b-7; 23:1-2; Ez 19:1-9	Ravaged by wild beasts/birds of prey Is 50:7; Jer 8:15-17; 50:6-7; Ho 8:1-14; 13:6-8	Rescued by their Master Mt 11:28-30; Jn 1:29, 36; 10:1-18; Heb 3:20; Rev 5:6, 13; 7:9-17; 14:1-10; 19:2-9; 21:9-23; 22:1-3

Chapter 12:1-14 ~ The Pharisees Challenge Jesus

Chapter 12 repeats the three-part thematic division of chapter 11 but is presented in two 3-part divisions:

1. First Section
   1. Unbelief/rejection (verses 1-8)
   2. Unbelief/rejection (verses 9-14)
   3. Invitation/acceptance (verses 15-21)
2. Second Section
   1. Unbelief/rejection (verses 22-37)
   2. Unbelief/rejection (verses 38-45)
   3. Invitation/acceptance (verses 46-50)

Since Sacred Scripture was originally written without any chapter or verse divisions, it is possible to view the thematic divisions in chapters 11-12 as a triad.

Matthew 12:1-8 ~ Picking Grain on the Sabbath (Unbelief/rejection)

The words, At that time..., that begin this chapter in verse 1 are a repeat of the same words in 11:25 that began the passage in 11:25-30 and point to the link between the two passages. The allusion to the Sabbath "rest" in 11:28-30 serves as a bridge to the first two events in chapter 12 in which Jesus explains why His "yoke" is a lighter burden than the heavy "yoke" of the Pharisees (for Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees' "heavy yoke" see Mt 23:13-36). The next two sections concern Jesus and the Sabbath:

1. The possible violation of the Sabbath "rest" by Jesus and His disciples when they picked grain in a field on the Sabbath (12:1-8).
2. The possible violation of the Sabbath "rest" when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath (12:9-14).

Matthew 12:9-14 ~ The Man with a Withered Hand (Unbelief/rejection)
Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples attend the prayer service at the local synagogue of the Pharisees who had challenged Him. The Pharisees are not willing to let the debate rest and ask Jesus if it is lawful to cure on the Sabbath "hoping to trap Him so they can again accuse Him of rejecting the Law.

Matthew 12:15-21 ~ Jesus, the Chosen Servant of God (Invitation/acceptance)

It is uncertain where the confrontation with the Pharisees took place but it may have been in Capernaum. When Jesus read the wicked hearts and thoughts of the Pharisees, He left the Synagogue and perhaps the town, but He continued to heal many people.

Matthew 12:22-37 ~ Jesus Cures a Deaf and Mute Demonic and is accused of being Beelzebul's Servant (Unbelief /rejection)

Encouraged by the healing of the man with the deformed hand, the people brought Jesus a man whose possession by demons had left him both blind and mute and therefore completely cut off from his family and the covenant community. Jesus' healing of the deaf and dumb demonic man is a fulfillment of Isaiah 29:18-19: On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. It is also a metaphor for the healing Jesus is offering to the covenant people.

Matthew 12:33-37 ~ Jesus Continues Answering the Pharisees' Accusation (Unbelief/rejection continued)

For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks ... You will recall that in the Bible the heart of a person represents the total essence of that person "for good and for evil.

Jesus gives the Pharisees another warning using another of the covenant images of the Old Testament prophets "a tree and its fruit:

Image Groups	Part I Covenant relationship	Part II Rebellion	Part III Redemptive Judgment	Part IV Restoration Fulfilled
Vineyard or Fig tree Examples in Scripture	Well-tended vineyard/fruitful fig tree Isaiah 5:1-4; Ezekiel 19:10-11; Jeremiah 24:4-7	Vines grow wild/failure to produce good fruit Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 2:14; Micah 7:1-4; Joel 1:7; 11-12	Weeds overgrow vineyard/ ruin and destruction Isaiah 5:3-6; Ezekiel 19:12-14; Jeremiah 8:13; Nahum 3:12-15	Vines are replanted/ fruitfulness of the tree restored John 15:1-2, 4-6 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower ...I am the vine, you are the branches ...

The four reoccurring symbolic images of the prophets representing the people's covenant relationship with God are (1) marriage, (2) the fruitful vine and tree, (3) domesticated animals, and (4) drinking wine (See the chart "The Symbolic Images of the Prophets").

Matthew 12:38-42 ~ The Pharisees Demand a "Sign" (Unbelief/rejection part 2)

A "sign" is not a synonymous with a miracle. The Pharisees are asking for a "sign" that is evidence of Jesus' divine authority to support the claims He makes. For example:

• God gave Moses ten plague judgments as "signs" that his authority came from Yahweh (Ex 3:20).
• In St. John's Gospel Jesus' miraculous acts are called "signs" because their reveal His divine authority (Jn 20:30-31).
• The inspired writer of Hebrews recorded: God added his testimony by signs, wonders, various acts of power, and distribution of the gifts of the holy Spirit according to his will (Heb 2:4).

Matthew 12:43-45 ~ Jesus' Warning Concerning Unclean Spirits (Unbelief/rejection part 2 continued)

Question: What happens when an unclean spirit/demon is cast out?

Answer: Something else needs to fill the space left vacant in the person's soul. If the person does not fill the void with what is holy, the demon will return with greater force.

If Jesus' generation persists in resisting His call to repentance and purification, they will grow worse. He has come to heal them, but refusal to repent will only be an invitation to fall more deeply into sin and further away from God. What Jesus said is also true of those who reject the Gospel message of salvation today or rejects Christ's vehicle of salvation "His Church. If one doesn't make God the center of one's life, one will find other "gods" in a futile attempt to fill the empty space "material possessions, self-worship, work, alcohol and other addictions.

Matthew 12:46-50 ~ Jesus Defines His Family (Invitation/acceptance)

Jesus' mother, Mary, and His kinsmen have traveled from Nazareth to see Him. It has always been a teaching of the Church that Mary remained a virgin all of her life and Jesus' other kinsmen were His step-brothers (and step-sisters) from St. Joseph's first marriage and His cousins (see the document "Did Jesus have Brothers and Sisters?").

Question: Was Jesus rejecting His family relationship with Mary and His kinsmen? See Lk 1:38; Jn 2:1-11; Acts 1:13-14.
Answer: No, He was expanding the definition of His family with the invitation that all who became His disciples also became His cherished family members. He was defining family by the covenant bond of obedience to God the Father. Mary is the model disciple, submitting herself to the will of God for her life and supporting Jesus in His ministry by petitioning Him in His first public sign. His mother and kinsmen became part of Jesus' New Covenant family community.

Chapter 13 ~ Discourse # 3: The Kingdom Parables

Chapter 13 signals a turning point in Jesus' ministry "He begins to speak in parables. In this third great discourse in St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus teaches seven parables. He gives the reason why He is teaching in parables as well as an explanation for two parables that His disciples found difficult to understand.

The Greek word for "parable" is parabole. In the usual sense in Greek literature, a parabole presents a "comparison" to inspire deeper thought. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament uses the word parabole to translate the Hebrew word masal. In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, masal is the designation given to a variety of literary forms including allegories, axioms, proverbs and similitudes (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 5, "Parable," page 146). In the New Testament, parables are primarily stories that are meant to illustrate a certain truth. Jesus uses parables that are comparisons between the truths of His teachings and the events of everyday life.(3)

Chapter 13 is divided into three sections, after the opening verses that set the scene (13:1-3a):

1. The Kingdom Parables (verses 3b-53)
   1. Parable of the Sower (verses 3b-9, 18-23)
   2. Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat (verses 24-30, 36-43)
   3. Parable of the Mustard Seed (verses 31-32)
   4. Parable of the Yeast (verse 33)
   5. Parable of the Hidden Treasure (verse 44)
   6. Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (verses 45-46)
   7. Parable of the Sorting of Good and Bad Fish (verses 47-50)
2. Instruction on how to understand Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven (verses 51-53)
3. Jesus' Rejection at Nazareth (verses 54-58)

Notice that like the other discourses, the third discourse on the parables of the Kingdom is summed up with three Last Judgment (eschatological) teachings:

1. The Kingdom Compared to a Hidden Treasure (13:44)
2. The Kingdom Compared to a Pearl of Great Price (13:45-46)
3. The Kingdom Compared to the Sorting of Good and Bad Fish (13:47-50)

Matthew 13:1-9 ~ The Parable of the Sower

The location is probably Peter's house in Capernaum. Jesus coming out of the house and sitting by the sea is the signal that He is ready to teach. Such a large crowd assembled that Jesus relocates to one of Peter's boats. The boast is positioned just off the shoreline to give the crowd the best advantage to both see and hear Jesus speak. Like the prophets of old, He begins to teach in parables, using topics of everyday life and making comparisons to make His teaching points that reveal "the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven" (13:11). Jesus will use the word "kingdom" twelve times (Mt 13:11, 19, 24, 31, 33, 38, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47 and 53); it is for this reason that the parables in chapter 13 are called "the seven Kingdom Parables."

His first parable is about sowing seeds in different kinds of soil. Every element in the parable is symbolic.

Question: Who is the in the sower of the seed in the parable? See 13:37.
Answer: Jesus is the sower. Jesus' teaching plants seeds of faith, like the sower in His parable.

Question: What does the seed represent? See Mk 4:14; Lk 8:11.
Answer: The seed is the "word of God," the Gospel message of salvation. It is the same message broadcast to every person within the scope of Jesus' teaching.

Question: What do the different soil conditions represent?
Answer: The different kinds of soil represent the different kinds of human response to Jesus' message of salvation in the coming of the Kingdom.

When the sower in Jesus' parable casts his seed, he casts it in every direction into every kind of soil condition. This was a common farming technique in which most, but not all, of the seed was expected produce healthy plants. The technique used up a lot of seed, but the generosity in broadcasting the seed assured the area was well covered and that many plants would spring up resulting in a fruitful harvest.

Question: How is this method of sowing seed similar to Jesus' teaching?
Answer: Jesus "broadcasts" God's message of salvation in every direction "to the receptive faithful, to those wishing to be entertained by a Galilean rabbi who performs miracles, to skeptics, and to those who are hostile to His message. His focus is the harvest of souls.

The more difficult part of the parable concerns the comparison in the four different kinds of soil where the seed falls. In Scripture the number four represents the world. Later, Jesus will explain the meaning of the parable in verses 18-23. One of the keys to understanding the parable is that the produced fruit is far beyond a normal yield.

Matthew 13:10-17 ~ Why Jesus Speaks in Parables

Question: Why has knowledge of the Kingdom been granted to the disciples but not to others?
Answer: God has granted knowledge to the disciples because their receptive hearts have made them open to accepting the revealed mystery. And it is because of their response to the gift of God's grace that they will receive more understanding. But to those who have listened with a closed and critical heart, He will take away even what little they have heard in that they will fail to understand the significance of what Jesus taught.

Jesus says a little proverb in verse 13 explaining why He now speaks in parables, and then, quoting from Isaiah 6:9-10, Jesus makes another fulfillment statement. Since the crowds have rejected His message, He speaks in parables so they will not readily understand in fulfillment of the judgment prophecy in Isaiah against an unrepentant people (see the harsher statement in Mk 4:12).

Question: What is the contrast with the disciples?
Answer: They have heard with their ears, seen with their eyes, and understood with their hearts. They have been converted and healed spiritually by Jesus the Messiah in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom.

Matthew 13:18-23 ~ The Parable of the Sower Explained

St. Luke explains that the disciples, failing to grasp the full meaning of the parable of the sower, asked the Master to explain: Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand' (Lk 8:9-10).

Jesus reveals the symbolic meaning of the four different kinds of soil that receive the seed/Gospel of salvation.

1. Seed sown on the path	This person hears the word of the kingdom without making any effort to understand and embrace the truth. Since he has failed to understand, Satan is able to separate him from the truth and from his place in the Kingdom.
2. Seed sown on rocky ground	This person receives the word of God with joy, but he has not applied the word to his life; he has no internal stability ("roots"). In a time of hardship, he abandons his faith in God.
3. Seed sown among the thorns	This person hears the word but does not love God above all else; the secular world pulls him away from faith and he bears no good fruit/works.
4. Seed sown on rich soil	This person hears the word, understands it, and applies it to his "heart"/life and bears the fruit/works of faith in abundance.

Matthew 13:24-30 ~ The Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat

After Jesus has dismissed the crowds, the disciples will ask Jesus to explain this parable (verse 36). We will look at the meaning of the parable in verses 36-43, but for now it is sufficient to understand that like the Parable of the Sower, the sower of the wheat is Jesus, the wheat represents the children of the Kingdom of God, the weeds are the sinners sown by Satan, and the field is the world. The Greek word translated as "weeds" is darnel, a poisonous weed that, early in its growing cycle, resembles wheat. The only use for the darnel was to bundle the plants and burn it for fuel (see 13:30). It is a good metaphor for the unrepentant sinner who can masquerade as one of the righteous.

Matthew 13:31-32 ~ The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Jesus uses hyperbole in describing the mustard seed as the smallest of seeds and its plant in full growth as the largest of plants/trees (a mustard tree could only grow as high as 8-12 feet). The contrast here is between the small beginnings of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and its future expansion to encompass the whole earth, sheltering all who come to dwell in the household of Jesus that is the Church. The allusion to the kingdom becoming so large that "birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches" is a reference to the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in which he saw a huge tree that sheltered "birds of the sky" and other animals (Dan 4:7). Daniel interpreted the tree and the animals to represent Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and the many different peoples over whom he ruled. The comparison is that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be even greater than the Kingdom of the Babylonians (also see Dan 9:17-19)

Matthew 13:33 ~ The Parable of the Yeast

Yeast is a fermenting agent that, when mixed with flour into a dough, causes the dough to rise and expand. In Scripture leaven/yeast is usually a negative image often representing sin (Ex 12:15, 19; 13:7; Mt 16:6; 1 Cor 5:6-8) but not in this parable. Three is always a significant number in Scripture, symbolizing perfection, completeness, and an important event in salvation history. Three measures of wheat flour is a huge amount of flour and could produce enough bread to feed over a hundred people (Jeremias, Parables of Jesus, page 147). This parable, like the Parable of the Mustard Seed, illustrates the same point "the amazing growth of the Kingdom.

Matthew 13:34-35 ~ The Use of Parables

The quote is from Psalms 78:2; the Hebrew text uses the word masah which in translated in the Greek as parabole/parable. As in the other "fulfillment" statements, St. Matthew applies the fulfillment of this verse to Jesus' parable teachings. Psalms 78 is attributed to Asaph who is called a prophet in 2 Chronicles 29:30.

Question: What has happened to cause Jesus to stop teaching directly to the crowds and to begin only teaching in parables (aside from fulfilling the prophecy of Psalms 78:2)? It is the same reason other Old Testament prophets began to speak in parables during their ministries.
Answer: What has happened is the opposition of the Pharisees and chief priests "their questioning had turned to outright rejection and hostility. Jesus reacts to the opposition of the religious leadership in the same way that other prophets of God have reacted to the rejection of God's messenger or the failure of the civil and religious authorities to guide the people in righteousness "He begins to speak in parables.

Matthew 13:36-43 ~ The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Question: What are the two themes of this parable?
Answer: The themes of this parable are both the patience of the Lord in waiting for sinners to repent and the inevitability of a final judgment.

As in the Parable of the Sower, when His disciples do not understand, he patiently explains His teaching. Jesus tells His disciples that the "field" is the world and the harvest is the judgment at the end of the age. There are five different people or kinds of people mentioned in the parable "six if you count the slaves in the first telling of the parable. Jesus identifies five different groups/persons:

1. The sower of the seed	He who sows good seed is the Son of Man
2. The good seed/wheat	the good seed the children of the kingdom
3. The darnel/weeds	The weeds are the children of the evil one
4. The sower of the weeds	and the enemy who sows them is the devil
5. The harvesters	and the harvesters are angels

Matthew 13:44 ~ The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Matthew 13:45-46 ~ The Parable of the Pearl without Price
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

Question: How are Jesus' disciples like the merchant who found the pearl?
Answer: When they discovered the Messiah who had come to announce the Kingdom, they left everything worldly behind to follow Christ and possess the Kingdom.

Matthew 13:47-48 ~ The Parable of the Sorting of the Good and Bad Fish

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. 48 When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they thrown away."

Matthew 13:49-50 ~ Jesus' Summary statement for the last three parables
49 "Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

Like the other discourses, the Kingdom Parables come to an end with the subject of the Last Judgment at the end of the age. The angels, who were the "harvesters" in the parable of the weeds among the wheat, will separate the wicked from the righteous.

The righteous are the ones who treat the kingdom like a precious treasure worth more than anything earthly life can offer. They are the "good" fish who are separated from the "bad" fish, and they are destined for eternal glory. The wicked treat the kingdom as through it has no value for them. They are like the "bad" fish who, in the choices they have made, are destined for eternal damnation.

The place of eternal damnation is describes as the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Jesus used the same expression, "wailing and grinding of teeth," to describe the unfaithful Old Covenant people being expelled from the kingdom in 8:12: but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth..

Matthew 13:51-52 ~ Jesus Concludes His Discourse

The theme of this passage is understanding Jesus' teachings. He asks His disciples if they have understood His parables. It is not only a question for them but a question for all generations of those who call themselves His disciples. Their affirmative answer is significant because they are identified as the "seed that fell on good soil" and "understanding" is what Jesus' said the crowds and the Pharisees lacked (13:13-15).

Matthew 13:54-58 ~ Jesus' Rejection at Nazareth

St. Joseph was a tekton, a craftsman who worked in hard materials like wood and stone. Most scholars believe Matthew's account of Jesus' rejection at Nazareth is the same event told in more detail in the Gospel of Luke where the people of the town became angry and tried to kill Him. The full story of Jesus' rejection at Nazareth is found in the Gospel of Luke 4:16-30. Other scholars suggest the account in Matthew 13:54-58 was Jesus' second attempt to preach to the people of His hometown. Nazareth was about 23 miles southwest of Capernaum.

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 261 Infallibility and Convenience

CHALLENGE: “Infallibility is a matter of convenience. When it suits Catholic apologists, they declare a teaching infallible, but when it’s embarrassing, they say it’s not. There aren’t objective criteria for when a teaching is infallible.”

DEFENSE : This challenge is false on a number of levels.

First, there are objective criteria for when a teaching is infallible (see Code of Canon Law 749 §§1–2; Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus 4; Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 25).

Second, Catholic apologists are frequently in situations where it would be easier if they did not have to defend infallible teachings, particularly ones that are difficult for human reason to grasp (e.g., God is a Trinity of Persons, transubstantiation occurs in the Eucharist) or that are supported primarily by Tradition rather than Scripture (e.g., Mary was immaculately conceived and bodily assumed into heaven). The fact that competent apologists don’t claim that these teachings aren’t infallible reveals infallibility isn’t a matter of convenience for them.

Third, a certain expertise in Catholic theology and how the Magisterium uses language is needed to evaluate whether the criteria for infallibility have been fulfilled. This leads to misunderstandings in this area.

Sometimes Catholic apologists may make mistakes in thinking that a particular teaching is infallible when it is not (or vice versa). However, they naturally tend to have more expertise in reading Church documents than critics of the Church do. Consequently, critics are more prone to misunderstand the status of a teaching.

This tendency is reinforced by the history of Protestant/Catholic polemics and tension between the two groups. It is a natural human tendency, which all must guard against, to commit the straw man fallacy by attacking a caricature of another’s position rather than his real position. As a result, there has been a tendency among anti-Catholics to assume that statements made in historical sources are infallible, when they were not, for purposes of having an easier target to attack. Thus critics have had more of a hermeneutic of convenience when it comes to infallibility than Catholic apologists have.

Fourth, the Church indicates that in cases of doubt a teaching is to be regarded as non-infallible:

“No doctrine is understood as defined infallibly unless this is manifestly evident” (can. 749 §3). Canonically, the burden of proof is on the one who would claim that a particular teaching is infallible.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist