The Gospel of Matthew continually presents pictures of those who “get it” and follow Jesus and those who don’t, who reject Him. In Matthew 13, Jesus shares a number of parables that reinforce these points that Matthew has already been documenting. The parables effectively break people into two categories: those in the Kingdom and those out. In the course of the parables, you have the three bad kinds of soil (out) and the good soil (in), you have the wheat (in) and the weeds (out), and you have the good fish (in) and the bad fish (out). In the end, there are only two categories. They have either received Christ, or they haven’t.
What is interesting is that throughout life, the true nature of the person is realized. In the parable of the sower there are four kinds of soil, but the nature of the soil never changes. Someone is either found to be on the path, on the rocky ground, on the thorns, or to be good soil. The seed on the path is immediately devoured and doesn’t indicate any hint of being a disciple. However, the next two have signs that last temporarily. The rocky ground soil springs up immediately! They are those who receive the word gladly and immediately spring up a small, healthy plant. It’s off to a great start! But eventually trials or persecution destroy the young plant because it has no depth of soil (13:20-21).
Likewise, the one on thorns grows up for a time, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the small plant and kill it (13:22). Only one truly bears lasting fruit, and that is the seed on the good soil (13:23). This represents true, genuine believers. What is interesting is that the nature of the soils doesn’t change. Thorny ground doesn’t later become good ground, and likewise the good ground doesn’t later become rocky ground. Surely all of us know someone who at one point was on fire for the Lord and has fallen away. Did this person “lose their salvation?” Were they a genuine convert that later fell away? According to the testimony of Scripture, and this parable especially, they were instead rocky soil or that which was sown amongst the thorns. Truly, one of the necessary signs of genuine converts to Christianity is perseverance until the end. No one who is the good soil will later be lost.
True converts will bear fruit, a hundredfold, sixty, or thirty (13:23). There will be proof in the pudding as it were that they belong to Christ. They will be those who see the surpassing value of the Kingdom like the pearl of great price or the treasure in the field and sacrifice all else in order to receive that Kingdom (13:44-46). There will be no competition that will pull them away. The deceitfulness of riches won’t ensnare them. The cares of this world won’t choke them. Truly, even trials and persecutions won’t displace them. They’ve been planted in good soil, they’ve responded to the message of the Kingdom, and they’ve put their faith in Christ. They will persevere and bear fruit until the end because they are genuine. Wheat doesn’t become weeds, and weeds don’t become wheat. Bad fish don’t become good fish, and good fish don’t become bad faith. They’ve either truly received Christ and are in the Kingdom, or they are on the outside destined for the day of judgment. In the Scripture there is no fence or gray area. It’s black and white.
For those who are in, by the grace of God, we’ll see that this Kingdom will endure. While it might start small, as a grain of mustard seed, it’s going to grow (13:31-32). Like leaven, it will slowly and steadily permeate the creation behind the scenes (13:33). In Matthew 13, we find many sources of hope. We see that true converts to Christianity will endure. By the strength of Christ within them, they’ll endure any season of trial or want (see Phil. 4:11-13). By their love for Christ and His Kingdom, they’ll fight off the temptations of what this world provides whether riches or other pleasures. And by the power of the Holy Spirit within them, they will bear fruit. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23, ESV). These things are evidences of those who are truly a part of this Kingdom. Those who are the good soil. Those who are wheat, not weeds. Those who are the good fish that will be collected and not tossed out. Those who will bear fruit and like leaven permeate this present world with that Kingdom until Christ returns in glory.
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