Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 13:31-43

"Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven 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 it was all leavened. All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world. Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil [one]; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear." — Matthew 13:31-43 (ASV)

Previously, the Lord showed the obstacles to the Gospel's teaching through two parables. However, because someone might say: ‘If the teaching is hindered in these ways—namely, that some seed fell by the wayside, other seed fell on stony ground, and so on—it seems that it cannot flourish’; for that reason, He adds other parables about the marvelous growth of the seed, because it did, in fact, flourish for two reasons.

1. Its growth is marvelous on account of its apparent smallness.
2. Its growth is marvelous on account of its hiddenness.

Therefore, He presents two parables. The second is where it is said, Another parable He spoke to them. Thirdly, the Evangelist supports His way of preaching with the authority of a prophet, where it is said, All these things Jesus spoke in parables.

Regarding the first reason, He discusses it in three stages:

1. He first discusses the sowing.
2. He discusses the smallness of the seed.
3. He speaks of the greatness of the fruit.

The second point is where it is said, Which is the least indeed of all seeds; the third point is where it is said, Which when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs.

He says, therefore, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, etc. In a kingdom, there is a king, a prince, subjects, and also prisoners. Likewise, there are the rich, and so on.

Therefore, we can compare a kingdom to all these things. Consequently, because He says that the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, it can be explained, as Jerome says, that the Gospel's teaching is understood by the grain of mustard seed.

And why is this? It is because this grain is hot; likewise, it protects against poisons. And this is signified, because the Gospel's teaching makes one strong by faith: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from here to there, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible to you (Matthew 17:19).

Likewise, the Gospel's teaching excludes errors; therefore, it is useful for reproving, as it is stated in 2 Timothy 3:16.

Which a man took and sowed. This man is Christ, who sowed this seed; or he is anyone who sows the Gospel's teaching. In His field, meaning in his heart, when he gives his assent to it. Christ sowed, because He gave the faith by which we are saved: For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Likewise, anyone who obeys, sows in his field, meaning in his heart: Diligently till your ground (Proverbs 24:27).

In this field are various seeds, which are the various doctrines. The doctrines of Augustine and Jerome seem great and are confirmed by powerful arguments; the same seems true for the doctrine of the Law. But the doctrine of the Evangelical law appears to be something small, because it preaches a God who suffered, was crucified, and things of this kind. And who can believe this? The word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness: but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). And, for that reason, He says, Which is the least indeed of all seeds; therefore, at first it appears to be the least.

Its greatness follows. This is shown in two ways:

1. Its greatness is related.
2. Its greatness is confirmed, where it is said, But when it is grown up, meaning when it sprouts forth, it is greater than all herbs. This is because the Gospel's teaching bore more fruit than the doctrine of the Law, for the doctrine of the Law only bore fruit among the Jews. Therefore, it was said: He has not done in like manner to every nation: and His judgments He has not made manifest to them (Psalms 147:20).

For no philosopher has convinced his whole country to follow his teaching. If any philosopher, such as Plato, had said that such and such will happen, he would not have been believed. The wicked have told me fables: but not as your law (Psalms 118:85). Therefore, the Gospel's teaching is greater in solidity, universality, and utility.

It is greater in solidity because other teachings are soft herbs lacking firmness, as they are subject to human reason: For the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain . But this is a firm tree: Forever, O Lord, your word stands firm (Psalms 118:89); Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away (Luke 21:33). Thus, just as this tree compares to other trees, so this teaching compares to other teachings. So that the birds of the air come, and dwell in its branches.

Likewise, it is more excellent in the vastness of its teaching, for this knowledge has many branches and shows people what is necessary for life. Therefore, if they are married, they are informed through this teaching how they should govern themselves; similarly, clerics are informed how they should live, and so on for other people. For that reason, the various dogmas are the different branches.

Similarly, it is more excellent in its usefulness, because the birds dwell in its branches, meaning all whose minds are in heaven: our conversation is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). These people come, meditate, and rest; for those who dwell on earth are not birds: We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Chrysostom explains the parable as relating to the Apostles, whom Christ compared to a grain of mustard seed because they were fervent in spirit. This grain a man took, meaning Christ, in His field, meaning in the Church, and from this grain the Church has all her fruitfulness. They were small and abject, for no knowledge has been spread among the people through such lowly men; therefore, Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble; but the foolish things of the world has God chosen, that He may confound the wise, etc. (1 Corinthians 1:27).

But when it is grown up, it is greater in its yield than all herbs, because the Apostles produced greater fruit. Alexander drew one part of the world to himself, and Rome similarly, but they never gained as much as these men, who did so much that the birds of the air, meaning good men, dwell in the branches, meaning in their teaching: They shall hold fast the skirt of one that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you (Zechariah 8:23).

Hilary explains the grain as referring to Christ, who was a grain of mustard seed on account of His fervor, because He was full of the Holy Spirit. This seed He sowed afterwards at His death, in His field, meaning, in His own people. This seed was the least on account of the contempt of the unbelievers: We have seen Him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of Him, despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity (Isaiah 53:2–3).

And it is greater than all herbs, meaning He was greater than all perfect men were. Gold cannot equal it (Job 28:17). And perfect men are compared to herbs because herbs are given to the sick, for one who is sick eats herbs. But Christ’s teaching is given to the perfect, and in this way He is considered to be a tree. And the latter is signified by a tree, about which tree it is stated in Daniel 4.

Another parable He spoke to them. Here a parable is presented about the growth of the Gospel's teaching, and it is shown to be marvelous because its growth is from a hidden seed. Therefore, He says, The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.

Note that it is not inappropriate for the same thing to be interpreted sometimes as good and at other times as evil. For example, a rock is sometimes interpreted as Christ, and sometimes as something contrary, such as hardness: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Accordingly, leaven is sometimes interpreted as a bad thing, insofar as it involves decay: Purge out the old leaven, etc. (1 Corinthians 5:7). Likewise, in the same place it is said, Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). But in that it leavens and has the power of expanding, in this way, it expresses something good.

What, therefore, is signified by it? Four things are signified. Chrysostom says that the Apostles are this leaven. A woman, divine wisdom, hid them in three measures of meal, meaning it oppressed them with tribulations. But first it took them; therefore: I have chosen you out of the world that you should go forth (John 15:16). Those whom He sent among the faithful, He placed in three measures of meal. The ‘satum’ is a measure, and it has the value of a modius and a half; and so three ‘sata’ (plural of satum) means three measures of meal. And why is it said, in three? A finite number is put for an infinite one, because the Apostles were placed in the midst of many nations. Or it is because of the three parts of the world, as they were sent to all parts of the world; or it is because of the nations which arose from the sons of Noah. Until the whole was leavened, meaning until all were converted to God: Their sound has gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world (Psalms 18:5).

Alternatively, according to Augustine, leaven signifies the fervor of charity, because leaven expands the meal, just as charity expands the heart: I have run the way of your commandments, when you did enlarge my heart (Psalms 118:32). The woman, meaning reason or the soul, hid in three measures, that is, in the whole heart, in the whole soul, and in the whole strength. Or the three measures signify the three states—namely, of prelates, of contemplatives, and of active men, which are understood by Noah, Job, and Daniel. Or they can be referred to the hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold fruit.

Jerome explains this parable as referring to the Gospel's teaching, which a woman (meaning wisdom) hid in three measures of meal, which are the spirit, soul, and body, or the rational, irascible, and concupiscible appetites. Alternatively, by the woman, faith is understood; by the three measures, the three Persons in the Divinity are understood. Hilary explains the parable as referring to Christ, who is the leaven, which by the Father’s providence was hidden in the world in the three laws: the natural law, the Mosaic law, and the law of the Gospel.

All these things Jesus spoke in parables, etc. Having presented various parables to the multitudes, here the Evangelist confirms or approves them by the authority of a prophet. It is divided into three parts:

1. Christ’s custom of speaking in parables is related.
2. The authority is cited.
3. The explanation of the preceding parables is related.

The second part is where it is said, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet; and the third part is where it is said, Then having sent away the multitudes, He came into the house.

He says, therefore, All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes. Why, therefore, was He speaking to the multitudes in parables? There is a twofold reason: first, because believers and unbelievers were mixed in the crowd, and likewise, some were of good will and some of bad will. On account of the men of bad will and the unbelievers, He was speaking in this manner so that they might not understand, as it was said above, so that seeing, they may not see.

And this is stated in Mark 4:22. It was also on account of the believers, so that they might better grasp and retain what was said. I could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1).

And without parables He did not speak to them. This seems to be false, because in the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount and in many others, He was not speaking in parables. Chrysostom resolves this objection by saying that He preached this whole sermon parabolically to the multitudes. Augustine resolves this objection by saying that the reason it is said, without parables He did not speak to them, is because He did not deliver any discourse to the multitudes without inserting some parable into it. Therefore, in the Sermon on the Mount He inserted a parable, where He said, Let not your left hand know what your right hand does (Matthew 6:3). And He says that if a discourse is sometimes found without a parable, it should be said that the Evangelists did not relate them in order.

Therefore, even if it was not written, a parable should be understood, because He says in this passage that without parables, He was not speaking to them, and so He did not speak without inserting parables.

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying : I will open my mouth in parables. The Lord has spoken in two ways to the human race:

1. He spoke in prophets.
2. He spoke in Himself: Behold it is I myself that spoke, behold I am here (Isaiah 52:6).

In both He spoke parabolically—many times in the prophets, and similarly through Himself. For what was done in the prophets was a sign of that which would be done by Christ; therefore, He says, ‘I the Lord, I who opened the mouths of the prophets in parables, will open My own mouth in parables. I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.’

The opening of the mouth signifies the manifestation of secrets, as was said previously; an utterance pertains to intimate things. He is said to utter whenever He releases secrets from the depth of His wisdom: My heart has uttered a good word (Psalms 44:2). The Lord’s wisdom is hidden: It is hid from the eyes of all living (Job 28:21); No man has seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him, etc. (John 1:18).

He uttered things hidden, and things which were hidden from the foundation of the world: Which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit (Ephesians 3:5). Alternatively, I will utter those things that are from the foundation of the world, which are hidden. And why? It is because He Himself is from the foundation of the world, and He revealed Himself to us through those things which He made: The invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (Romans 1:20).

Then having sent away the multitudes, He came into the house. Here one of the previous parables is explained. This is done in three parts:

1. The place is described.
2. The questioning of the disciples is described.
3. The exposition of the parable is described.

He says, therefore, Then having sent away the multitudes, He came into the house. In doing this, an example is given to us: if we wish to investigate secrets, we should enter a secret place: When I go into my house, I shall repose myself with her ; Be first to run home to your house, and there withdraw yourself, and there take your pastime and do what you have a mind, but not in sin or proud speech, etc. .

And His disciples came to Him, saying: Explain to us the parable of the cockle of the field, etc., because they were more in doubt about this parable. Sometimes they dared not come to Him out of reverence, as it is stated in John 4:27, that no one said to Him why He was speaking with the woman, etc. But here they took special courage, because they had heard, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. In the same way, if we wish to understand the meaning of some mystery, we should come to Him: Come to Him and be enlightened (Psalms 33:6).

Who made answer and said. Here the explanation of the parable of the cockle is related. This is done in three parts:

1. The explanation regarding the first sowing is related.
2. The explanation regarding the oversowing is related.
3. The explanation regarding both is related.

And first, He explains who the sower is, what the field is, and what the seed is. He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man. He calls Himself the Son of Man, both on account of humility and so that He might refute future heretics, for certain men denied that He was God, while others denied that He was a man. Therefore, He says that He is the Son of Man, which pertains to a man; and He says that He sows a spiritual seed, which pertains to God. The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us, etc. (Psalms 4:7).

The field is the world, which He created; therefore, He said above, In His field; He came unto His own, etc. (John 1:11). Again, in the same place, it is said: The world was made by Him (John 1:10). And the good seed are the children of the kingdom, from whom other people were propagated, who were the good children: Because if they are sons, they are heirs also (Romans 8:17).

Then He explains what relates to the oversowing, and He says what the seed is. And the cockle are the children of the wicked one: Woe to the people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children (Isaiah 1:4). Then He says who the sower is, saying, And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil, who brought sin into the world: But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world .

Afterwards, the separation is discussed, and He does three things:

1. The time of the separation is related.
2. The ministers are related.
3. The separation itself is related.

He relates the time, saying, But the harvest is the end of the world. As it was said, the first harvest was made by the Apostles, about which it is said, Lift up your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35). But the other harvest is that in which there will be the harvest of the fruits, about which it is said: What things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap (Galatians 6:8). And the reapers are the angels.

For just as in the Church that is now, the good ministers are men, so then, the good ministers will be the angels. Afterwards, He relates the end of both kinds of people, where it is said, Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, etc. And:

1. He speaks regarding the bad ministers.
2. He speaks regarding the good ministers.
3. He awakens the Apostles to the consideration of the spiritual meaning of the parable.

He says, therefore: Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, and burnt with fire: so shall it be at the end of the world.

The Son of Man shall send His angels (these words show that He is man and God), and they shall gather out of His kingdom all scandals. He is applying the words of the parable to sins committed against one’s neighbor. What follows, however, And them that work iniquity, refers to other sins. Now that which is said, kingdom, is understood to mean the Church that is now, because there will not be scandals in the Church triumphant, and people will know the wicked through the tribulation preceding the final judgment.

Augustine says that we do not read that the wicked are meant to reward the good, but the good are sometimes found to punish the wicked. That which He says, all scandals, should be understood to mean the scandals which exist in the Church that is now, through tribulations inflicted by God, by which the wicked and even the good are punished. Chrysostom interprets the kingdom to be our heavenly home. And when He says, all scandals, He does not mean that scandals exist there, but that scandals do not exist there; therefore, they will gather and will separate the wicked from the good, so that they are not with them in heaven, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.

The pain of loss is the lack of the beatific vision. But the pain of sense is mentioned when it is said, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: There shall not enter into it any thing defiled (Revelation 21:27). And He, meaning the Son of Man by His judicial power, shall cast them into the furnace of fire; therefore, it is said: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41).

This passage has been explained; nevertheless, it can be affirmed, based on these words, that the damned will be punished both in soul and in body; therefore: Fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). For weeping pertains to the eyes, and gnashing pertains to the teeth; now the eyes and teeth are bodily members, and in saying this, the truth of the resurrection is indicated. Likewise, by weeping, which is quickly produced by smoke, the pain of fire is signified; by gnashing of teeth, coldness is signified. Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat (Job 24:19).

Alternatively, it may be explained that the weeping is from sadness and the gnashing is from anger; therefore, it is said that they gnashed with their teeth at Him (Acts 7:54). Behold my servants shall rejoice for joyfulness of heart, and you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for grief of spirit (Isaiah 65:14). Woe to you that now laugh: for you shall weep (Luke 6:25). Similarly, impatience and strife are signified by this gnashing: They gnawed their tongues on account of their impatience in withstanding pain (Revelation 16:10).

Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Here He explains the parable in relation to the good, and in them there shall be a double splendor. The first, namely, will be in the soul, through which they shall see God: In your light we shall see light (Psalms 35:10)—that is to say, an uncreated light; He will fill your soul with brightness (Isaiah 58:11). And it will flow on to the body: He will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of His glory (Philippians 3:21). The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds, etc. .

That which He says, As the sun, should not be understood absolutely as an equality in every way, for they will have a greater brightness than the sun; but this is said because among the sensible things of this world, the sun shines the most. They will be like the sun, however, because just as the sun is not changed, so neither will the just be changed. A holy man continues in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon .

Then He stimulates a spiritual understanding of the parable: He that has ears to hear, meaning interior ears, let him hear, that is to say, by understanding. The Lord God has opened my ear (Isaiah 50:5).