Matthew 13:23

"What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful."

Key Reflection

In Matthew 13:23, Jesus uses agricultural imagery familiar to his first-century Jewish listeners. The phrase "what was sown among the thorns" describes a seed that sprouts but is choked by weeds and thorny shrubs, representing those who initially hear the word of God but are overwhelmed by worldly concerns like wealth and anxiety, leading them to produce no spiritual fruit. This parable underscores how external pressures can stifle genuine faith and devotion, a theme deeply rooted in the agrarian culture where crops were constantly threatened by invasive growth.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 23. Into the good ground. Those whose hearts are prepared by grace to receive it honestly, and to give it full opportunity to grow. In a rich and mellow soil-- a heart that submits itself to the full influence of truth, unchecked by cares and anxieties; under the showers and summer suns of Divine grace; with the heart spread open, like a broad luxuriant field, to the rays of the morning, and to evening dews--the gospel takes deep root, and grows; it has full room, and then and there only shows what it is.

Related Verses

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