Matthew 13:31-58

31He gave them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

32It 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.”

33He 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.”

34Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds; he did not speak to them without a parable.

35This 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.”

36Then 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.”

37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

38The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,

39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40As the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.

42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

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.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

46When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish.

48When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away.

49It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous

50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51“Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.”

52Then 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.”

53Now when Jesus finished these parables, he moved on from there.

54Then 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?

55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

56And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?”

57And 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.”

58And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.