Matthew 1:1
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1:1 This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 13:1-58
The Parable of the Sower
13:1 On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake.
13:2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
13:3 He told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow.
13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
13:5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep.
13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered.
13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them.
13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!”
13:10 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
13:11 He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.
13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.
13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand,
you will look closely yet will never comprehend.
13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
13:16 “But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.
13:17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
13:18 “So listen to the parable of the sower:
13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.
13:20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.
13:21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
13:22 The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.
13:23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
13:24 He presented them with another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.
13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
13:26 When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
13:27 So the slaves of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
13:28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’
13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.
13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
13:31 He gave them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
13:32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”
The Purpose of Parables
13:34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.
13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Explanation for the Disciples
13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
13:37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,
13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
13:40 As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.
13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
13:46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.
13:48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away.
13:49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous
13:50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”
13:52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
Rejection at Nazareth
13:53 Now when Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.
13:54 Then he came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?
13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?”
13:57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.”
13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Matthew 19:1-30
Questions About Divorce
19:1 Now when Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River.
19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
19:3 Then some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful to divorce a wife for any cause?”
19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”
19:8 Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.
19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.”
19:10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!”
19:11 He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given.
19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”
Jesus and Little Children
19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them.
19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.
The Rich Young Man
19:16 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”
19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?”
19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!
19:24 Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”
19:25 The disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?”
19:26 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.”
19:27 Then Peter said to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
19:29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.