C. Adaptations because of Israel's rejection of Jesus 13:1-53

"The die is cast. The religious leaders have openly declared their opposition to their Messiah. The people of Israel are amazed at the power of Jesus and His speech, but they fail to recognize Him as their King. Not seeing the Messiahship of Jesus in His words and works, they have separated the fruit from the tree. Because of this opposition and spiritual apathy, the King adapts His teaching method and the doctrine concerning the coming of the kingdom to the situation."⁵¹⁷

Jesus had occasionally used parables to illustrate His teaching (e.g., 7:24-27; 9:15-17; 11:16-19; 12:43-45). Rising opposition led Him to use them more. Now He began to use parables to reveal new truth about the kingdom.⁵¹⁸Chapter 13 contains Jesus' third major discourse in Matthew, His Parables about the Kingdom.⁵¹⁹John and Jesus had previously announced that the kingdom was at hand. Jesus stopped saying that when Israel's rejection of Him was firm (i.e., after chapter 12). Instead He began to reveal new truth about the kingdom because of Israel's rejection of Him and His rejection of the nation. This new truth, revelation not previously given, was a mystery. The term "mystery"as it occurs in the New Testament refers to newly revealed truth. It has nothing to do with spookiness. God had previously not revealed it, but now He did.⁵²⁰

Matthew presented this discourse in a chiastic (crossing) structure.⁵²¹This structure is common in the Old Testament and in other Jewish writings. It enhances the unity of the discourse and focuses attention on the central element as what is most important. A diagram of this structure follows.

AThe introduction vv. 1-2

BThe first parable to the crowds vv. 3-9

CAn explanatory interlude: purpose and explanation vv. 10-23

DThree more parables to the crowd vv. 24-33

EAn explanatory interlude: fulfillment and explanation vv. 34-43

D'Three parables to the disciples vv. 44-48

C'An explanatory interlude: explanation and response vv. 49-51

B'The last parable to the disciples v. 52

A'The conclusion v. 53

This structural analysis reveals that the discourse consists of two sections of four parables each, the first four to the multitudes and the last four to the disciples. In each section one parable stands out from the others. In the first group this is the first parable and in the second group it is the last one. The central section between the two groups of parables explains the function of the parables and explains one of them.

 1. The setting 13:1-3a (cf. Mark 4:1-2; Luke 8:4)

Matthew linked this parabolic teaching with the controversy in chapter 12 by using the phrase "on that day"(NASB) or "that same day"(NIV, Gr. en te hemera ekeine). These parables were a response to Israel's rejection of her King. Jesus sat down by the Sea of Galilee to teach the people in typical rabbinic fashion (cf. 5:1-2). In response to the large crowd that assembled to listen to Him, Jesus sat in a boat where more people could hear Him more easily. He proceeded to teach these crowds most of whom had rejected Him (cf. 11:16-24).

Jesus proceeded to tell four parables to the crowd assembled before Him (vv. 3b-9, 24-30, 31-32, 33). He did not interpret the meaning of these parables to the crowd.

Matthew prefaced Jesus' first parable by introducing what follows as parabolic teaching. The Greek word paraboleis a noun, and paraballois the verb meaning "to throw beside."The noun means "a placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition, as of ships in battle."⁵²²Metaphorically it means "a comparing, comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude."⁵²³The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word masalwith parabole28 of its 33 occurrences in the Old Testament.⁵²⁴The word masalrefers to proverbs, maxims, similes, allegories, fables, comparisons, riddles, taunts, and stories embodying some truth. Thus it has a wide range of meanings. The New Testament uses of parabolelikewise reflect a wide range of meanings though essentially a parable involves a comparison. Most parables are extended similes or metaphors.

". . . in the Synoptic Gospels a parable denotes an extended comparison between nature or life and the things involving the spiritual life and God's dealings with men."⁵²⁵

Jesus' use of parables was not just to clarify in this discourse, however. They did clarify truth to Jesus' disciples, especially after Jesus explained them to them. Jesus deliberately spoke in parables to conceal truth from the unbelieving crowds (vv. 11-15; cf. 7:6). Why did He speak to them in parables if He did not want them to understand what He said? He did so because a parable might be the instrument God would use to enlighten some who had not yet firmly rejected Him but were still open-minded (cf. 11:25-26). By concealing the truth from His unbelieving critics, Jesus was showing them grace.

"They were saved from the guilt of rejecting the truth, for they were not allowed to recognize it."⁵²⁶

As will become clear, Jesus was instructing His disciples about what would happen since Israel had rejected Him. God would postpone the messianic kingdom until a later time. If Jesus had told the multitudes that the kingdom would not begin immediately, the people would have turned against Him in even greater numbers. Most of the Jews could not bring themselves to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It would be even more difficult for them to accept a postponement of the kingdom. Significantly Jesus' teaching about the postponement of the kingdom followed Israel's rejection of Him as her King.⁵²⁷

Jesus also taught in parables because the Old Testament predicted that Messiah would speak in veiled language (v. 35; cf. Ps. 78:2).

 2. Parables addressed to the multitudes 13:3b-33

 3. The function of these parables 13:34-43

This section, like the other two interludes in the discourse (vv. 10-23, 49-51), has two parts. The first is an explanation about parables generally (vv. 34-35), and the second is an explanation of one parable in particular (vv. 36-43).

 4. Parables addressed to the disciples 13:44-52

The first and second parables in this group are quite similar as was true of the third and fourth parables in the preceding group. This is a further reflection of the chiastic structure of this section (vv. 1-53).

 5. The departure 13:53

Matthew leaves the reader with the impression from this concluding transition, as well as from the structure of the discourse, that Jesus related all the preceding parables at one time. This was apparently the case. Jesus now left Capernaum and travelled to Nazareth (v. 54).

The clause "and it came about that when Jesus had finished"signals the end of the discourse and the end of another major section of the Gospel. Matthew traced the course of opposition to the King carefully in this section. Israel's rejection of Jesus was so clear that the King began to tailor His teaching more to unbelievers and to believers.

"Thematically the three chapters (11-13) are held together by the rising tide of disappointment in and opposition to the kingdom of God that was resulting from Jesus' ministry. He was not turning out to be the kind of Messiah the people had expected. Even John the Baptist had doubts (vv. 2-19), and the Galilean cities that were sites of most of Jesus' miracles hardened themselves in unbelief (vv. 20-24). The nature of Jesus' person and ministry were hidden' (an important word) from the wise, despite the most open and compassionate of invitations (vv. 28-30). Conflicts with Jewish leaders began to intensify (12:1-45), while people still misunderstood the most basic elements of Jesus' teaching and authority (12:46-50)."⁵⁷⁵

However, Jesus' enemies had not checkmated Him. The kingdom would still come. Matthew 13 provides assurance of this fact. Jesus added new revelation to old about the kingdom in this chapter to appeal further to the crowds and to prepare His disciples for what lay ahead. He did not teach about the church in this chapter though He did describe conditions that would exist in the churchage, which is part of the inter-advent era. The new revelation that there would be a "church"did not come until chapter 16. He did give further revelation concerning the coming messianic kingdom here (ch. 13).⁵⁷⁶