THE HOLIEST Commentaries on St. Matthew
Tablet Twenty-One
Chapter 13
"The same day went Esa out of the house, and sat by the sea side.""And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore."
"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;" (Matthew 13:1-3)
<1>He taught the multitudes in parables but he taught his disciples directly as in chapters 5 and 6.
"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:""Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:"
"And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."
"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:"
"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." (Matthew 13:4-8)
<2>He gave this parable to the multitudes. Its meaning would be explained to his disciples later on.
"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 13:9)
<3>Those who have opened their spirit (Heart) can understand the meanings behind his teachings.
"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?""He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."
"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:"
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
"But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."
"For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." (Matthew 13:10-17)
<4>His disciples wondered why he did not teach the multitudes as he taught them but instead spoke in parables to the masses. Esa answered that the multitudes were not ready to receive the true teachings or in other words, they were more interested in their mundane things. <5>They were attracted to his powers, healing, and their daily lives rather than to higher things. That is why "to them it is not given" to "know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven."
<6>However, those who seek, knock, and ask will gain some knowledge about God, "for whosoever hath," and to such a people even more knowledge will be given through the Universal Mind, "and he shall have more abundance." <7>But those who do not seek the truth will be drowned in the ocean of Maya (ignorance), "but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." So they become deaf, blind, and dumb to the understanding of the spiritual truth. They become spiritually dead.
<8>Therefore, as Esaias said, these people hear but do not understand, they see but cannot perceive, and so on. Because they have closed themselves to the truth, even the Messiah cannot save them. <9>But through these parables a seed was planted in their subconscious minds, so one day they might, "see with their eyes, and hear...", then they would be saved, "I shall heal them."
<10>Blessed are those who have opened themselves to receive the truth. That is why they see and hear things that great Prophets desired to see and hear but did not.
"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower." (Matthew 13:18)
<11>Here Esa explained the meaning of the parable of the sower to his disciples.
"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side." (Matthew 13:19)
<12>He whose mind is crude will not understand the truth, because the truth will not even enter into it. So it is like the sower never planted the field and the seeds fall "by the way side." The tama guna ("the wicked one") causes them to be so ignorant that they will not receive the truth.
"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;""Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." (Matthew 13:20-21)
<13>He who sees the truth and embraces it, but when he tries to follow it he falls, because of other people's disapproval (tribulation), is one who has no depth. So the seed cannot root deeply into him to protect him from failure. This type of person has a mind (ego) which is like the stone, with only a little soil on it to receive the seed. Therefore because there is not deep ground for it to take root, it will not last long and will be destroyed.
"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22)
<14>He who receives the truth, recognizes it, but has stronger love for the world, will forget the truth for this love of the world and Maya ("the deceitfulness of riches"). That is what is meant by "choke the word," The Truth.
"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:23)
<15>Yet those who are ready and are true seekers will receive truth in their prepared Souls (Elected Ones). Each of them will bring fruit according to their capacities.
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:""But while man slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."
"But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also."
"So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?"
"He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?"
"But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them."
"Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:24-30)
<16>Those who go to the ocean of Maya will be drawn further in the depths of ignorance, "...bind them in bundles to burn." <17>But those who go toward Him, long for truth, and overcome Maya, will reach Pure Consciousness, "but gather the wheat into my barn."
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:""Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." (Matthew 13:31-32)
<18>Those who open themselves to the truth and/or receive the light of truth even as little as the size of a mustard seed, will have that little truth grow in them as a great light and they will become the Savior of many because of their light, "so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." (Matthew 13:33)
<19>Those who reach Pure Consciousness, "leaven," will help the whole universe to reach the same, "till the whole was leavened."
"All these things spake Esa unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:" (Matthew 13:34)
<20>He only spoke to the multitudes in parables because they were dead (ignorant). But it is amazing that with all these examples that understanding the truth is hard, still so many claim they know the truth!
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 13:35)
<21>Esa would utter the mysteries of God in parables, "which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." <22>But the same mysteries will be revealed by the seventh Angel without putting them in parables, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,...the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." (Rev. 10:7).