(Verse 32) The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. It should not be a burden to the reader if we present all the parables. For those things that are obscure should be explained more fully, lest they be more entangled by excessive brevity than expounded. The kingdom of heaven is the preaching of the Gospel, and the knowledge of the Scriptures which leads to life; and of which it is said to the Jews: The kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation producing its fruits (Matthew 21:43). Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. The man who sows in his field is understood by many as the Savior, who sows in the hearts of believers. By others, the man himself who sows in his field, that is, in himself and in his own heart. Who is this who sows, if not our understanding and our soul, who, receiving the grain of preaching, and nurturing the seed with the moisture of faith, causes it to sprout in the field of his own heart? The preaching of the Gospel is the least of all disciplines. Indeed, for the first doctrine has no faith in the truth, preaching man as God, God as dead, and the scandal of the cross. Compare such doctrine with the dogmas of philosophers and their books, the splendor of eloquence and the composition of speeches, and you will see how much smaller it is than the other seeds of the Gospel. But when it grows, it demonstrates nothing biting, nothing vivid, nothing vital, but all flabby and withered, and soft, it boils in vegetables, and in herbs, which quickly wither and fall. However, this preaching, which seemed small at first, when it is sown either in the soul of the believer or in the whole world, does not rise in vegetables, but grows into a tree: so that the birds of the sky (which we must understand as either the souls of believers or the strengths owned by God's service) come and dwell in its branches. The branches of the evangelical tree, which have grown from the mustard seed, are diverse in doctrines, on which each of the aforementioned birds rests. Let us also assume the wings of the dove (Ps. LIV), so that, flying towards higher things, we may be able to dwell in the branches of this tree, and make nests for ourselves of teachings, fleeing earthly things and hastening towards heavenly things. Many, reading the smallest seed of mustard, and what is said in the Gospel by the disciples: 'Lord, increase our faith' (Luke XVII, 6), and the Savior answers them: 'Amen I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, and you say to this mountain, move from this place, it will move,' they think the apostles are either seeking little faith or doubting the Lord about little faith; whereas the apostle Paul considers faith compared to a grain of mustard seed to be very great. For what does he say? If I have faith to move mountains, but do not have love, it profits me nothing (I Cor. XIII, 2). Therefore, what the Lord said about faith being able to move mountains, the Apostle teaches can be done with complete faith.
13:33
(Verse 33.) And he spoke another parable to them. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened. The stomachs of different people are different: some are pleased with bitter, some with sweet, some with more harsh, and some with more gentle foods. Therefore, as we have already said, the Lord presents various parables, so that there may be different remedies according to the varieties of wounds. That woman, who took the leaven and hid it in three measures of flour until it was all leavened, seems to me to be the apostolic preaching or the Church, which is gathered from diverse nations. She takes the leaven, namely the knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures, and hides it in three measures of flour, so that the spirit, soul, and body, brought together as one, do not disagree with one another; but when two or three come together, they obtain from the Father whatever they ask for (Matthew 18). This place is being discussed, and in another way. We read in Plato, and the common teaching of philosophers is that there are three passions in the human soul: the rational, which we can interpret as reason; the spirited, which we can call full of anger or irascible; the appetitive, which we name concupiscible. And that philosopher thinks that our reason dwells in the brain, anger in the gall, and desire in the liver. And so, if we accept the fermentum of the Evangelical holy Scriptures, about which it was said above, the three human passions will be brought together into one, so that we may possess prudence in reasoning: in anger, hatred against vices; in desire, longing for virtues; and all this will be accomplished through the Gospel teaching, which our mother Church has provided for us. I will also mention a third interpretation for some, so that the curious reader may choose from among many what pleases them: They interpret this woman and the Church itself, which has mixed the faith of man with enough flour for the belief of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And when it has been fermented into one, it leads us not to the threefold God, but to the knowledge of one divinity. Likewise, three sown grains of wheat, while there is not a different nature in each, draw substances toward unity. Indeed, pius quidem sensus, but never can the understanding of parables and the interpretation of obscure enigmas proceed to the authority of doctrines. Now, the sown grain is a measure, according to the custom of the province of Palestine, holding one and a half modius. Other things are said about this parable, but it is not the purpose of this material to speak about everything.
13:34
(Verse 34) Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the crowds, and he did not speak to them without a parable. He speaks to the crowds in parables, not to the disciples; and even today the crowds listen to him in parables: the disciples ask the Savior at home.
13:35
(Verse 35) So that what was said through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world. This testimony is taken from the seventy-seventh psalm (Verse 2). It is read in some codices, and a diligent reader may perhaps find the same thing in the place where we have put it, and the Vulgate edition has: So that what was said through the prophet might be fulfilled, written there, through the prophet Isaiah, saying. Because it was not found in Isaiah, I believe it was later removed by prudent men. But it seems to me that it was originally written like this: 'What is written by the prophet Asaph, saying. The seventy-seventh psalm, from which this testimony is taken, is inscribed with the title of Asaph the prophet.' And the first scribe did not understand Asaph, and thought it was a mistake of the scribe, and corrected it to the more obvious name of Isaiah. It must be known, therefore, that in the psalms and hymns and songs of God, not only David, but also the others whose names are written, are to be called prophets: namely, Asaph and Idithun, and Heman the Ezrahite, and Ethan, and the sons of Korah, and the rest whom the Scripture mentions. And that which is said in the person of the Lord: I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world, must be carefully considered and found to describe in a more detailed manner the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and all the signs that are contained in the story of Exodus. From this we understand that all those things that are written should be understood in a parabolic manner: not only to sound out the obvious letter, but also the hidden mysteries; for this is what the Savior promises, opening his mouth in parables, and revealing secrets from the foundation of the world.
13:36
(Verse 36) Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.' Jesus sent the crowds away and returned to the house, so that his disciples could come to him and privately ask him about the things that the people were not worthy to hear or understand. 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.'
13:37-42
(Verse 37 onwards) And he answered, saying: The one who sows good seed is the Son of Man. But the field is the world. And the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of the evil one. And the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And the harvest is the end of the age. And the reapers are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and those who practice lawlessness, and will throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He clearly explained that the field is the world: the sower, the Son of Man; the good seed, the sons of the kingdom; the tares, the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest, the end of the world; the reapers, angels. All scandals are referred to the tares; the righteous are considered sons of the kingdom. Therefore, as I have said above, we must apply our faith to what has been explained by the Lord. And those things which have been left unspoken and neglected by our understanding must be briefly touched upon. Understand that the men who are asleep are the leaders of the Churches. Do not welcome servants of the household of the father except for the angels, who daily see the Father's face (Matt. XVIII). But the devil is called the enemy of man because he stopped being God. And it is written of him in the ninth psalm: Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail (Psalm IX, 20). Therefore, let the one who is placed over the Church not sleep, lest through his negligence the enemy sows weeds, that is, the dogmas of heretics. But what is said, 'Lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat together with them,' gives place to repentance, and we are warned not to cut off our brother immediately, because it may happen that he who is corrupt in his understanding today, may tomorrow begin to be sound and to defend the truth. Also that which follows: 'Allow both to grow until the harvest,' seems to be contrary to this precept: 'Take away the evil from among you'; and there is to be no fellowship with those who are called brethren, and are adulterers and fornicators. For if eradication is prohibited, and patience must be maintained until the harvest, how are certain ones to be expelled from among us? Between wheat and weeds, which we call darnel, as long as it is grass and the stem has not yet come to the ear, there is a great similarity, and in distinguishing, either no difference or a very difficult one. Therefore, the Lord warns us not to quickly pronounce judgment when there is any ambiguity, but to reserve the judgment of God: so that when the day of judgment comes, he may expel not suspicion of crime, but a clear guilt from the assembly of the saints. But what he said, that the bundles of weeds are to be burned with fire, and the wheat is to be gathered into barns, it is clear that the heretics and hypocrites are to be burned with the fires of hell; but the saints who are called wheat are to be received into the barns, that is, the heavenly mansions.
13:43
(Verse 43.) Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
13:44
(Verse 44) The kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Hindered by frequent obscurities of parables, we surpass the literal interpretation, so that we seem to have transitioned from one kind of interpretation to another. This treasure is either all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden, or God's Word, which is seen hidden in the flesh of Christ (Colossians 2), or the holy Scriptures, in which the knowledge of the Savior is preserved: and when someone finds Him in them, they should consider all the benefits of this world as nothing in order to possess Him whom they have found. But what follows: When a man finds it, he hides it, is said not because he does this out of envy, but because out of fear of losing it, he hides it in his heart, which he preferred to his former abilities.
13:45-46
(Verse 45, 46.) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. Upon finding one exceedingly precious pearl, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. In other words, the same thing as was said above. The good pearls that the merchant seeks are the Law and the Prophets. Listen, Marcion; listen, Manichaeus: the good pearls are the Law and the Prophets, and the knowledge of the Old Testament. But there is one most precious pearl, the knowledge of the Savior, and the sacrament of his passion, and the mystery of his resurrection. When a person, like the apostle Paul, discovers it, they despise all the mysteries of the law and the prophets, and the practices of their former life, in which they were blameless, as worthless filth and rubbish, in order to gain Christ (Philippians III). Not that the discovery of a new pearl condemns the old pearls, but by comparison, every other gem is worthless.
13:47-50
(Verses 47 and following) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw away the bad ones. This is how it will be at the end of the world: the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah, who said, 'Behold, I will send many fishermen to you' (Jeremiah 16:16). When Peter, Andrew, James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, heard this, they followed Jesus and became fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). They wove together a net of gospel teachings from the old and new testament and cast it into the sea of this world, which even to this day stretches in the midst of waves, capturing whatever falls into it from the salty and bitter depths, both good and bad people, and the best and worst fish. But when the consummation and end of the world comes, as he explains more clearly below, then the fishing net will be drawn to the shore: then the true judgment of separating the fish will be displayed, and as if in a very calm harbor, the good will be placed in the vessels of celestial mansions: but the wicked will be received to be burned and dried up by the flame of hell.
13:51
(Verse 51.) Did you understand all these things? They said to him: Yes. He said to them: To the apostles specifically this speech is; and to them it is said: You understood all these things; He does not want to hear them only as a people, but to understand them as future teachers.
13:52
(Verse 52.) Therefore, every learned scribe in the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a household who brings forth from his treasure new and old things. The apostles were instructed, the scribes and notaries of the Savior, who recorded his words and precepts on the tablets of the fleshly heart, in the sacraments of the heavenly kingdoms, and they possessed the wealth of the household, casting forth from their treasure new and old teachings: so that whatever they preached in the Gospel, they would confirm with the voices of the law and the prophets. Wherefore the Bride also in the Canticles saith: 'I have kept for thee my brother, both New and Old.' (Cant. VII, 13)
13:53-54
(Verse 53, 54.) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that he departed from there. And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they marveled and said. After the parables that he spoke to the people, and that only the apostles understood, he went to his own country to teach more openly there.