Kingdom of Heaven: Parables in Matthew; Agricultural Parables, Special Parables of

Matthew

1. Introduction
The concept of the kingdom is one of the important topics and also that has invoked greater
confusion and controversy in the New Testament. Herman Ridderbos quoted: “The whole of
the preaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles is concerned with the kingdom of
God.”1Among the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew is unique in his use of the phrase “kingdom of
heaven” while the other Gospels use the phrase “kingdom of God”. In the Gospel of
Matthew, Parables are one of the methods of Jesus’ communication to the people. Matthew’s
gospel used agricultural connection such as parable of the sower, seed, soil, and harvest
which Rudolf Schnackenburg calls “growth parables”. With some unique parables in
Matthew’s gospel this paper deals with kingdom of heaven and agricultural parables.

2. Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew employs the phrase “kingdom of heaven” (basileia ton ouranon) rather than the
phrase “kingdom of God” which is found elsewhere in the New Testament. Matthew’s unique
phrase kingdom of heaven occurs 32 times in the gospel. 2 Whereas Mark and Luke, who
wrote for non-Jewish Christians, consistently uses the Kingdom of God, Matthew uses
“kingdom of heaven” 32 times, the genitive ton ouranon being a typically Jewish reverential
periphrasis for the divine name. The Jewish setting of Matthew also explains his preference
for the term “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God”. The Hebrew, Aramaic and
Greek terms translated “kingdom” usually signify the concept of “reign” or “authority” or
“rule”.3 The usage of the word “heaven” (ouranos) in Matthew is also found in the other
phrases “Father in heaven”, occurring 13 times and the “heavenly Father”, occurring 7 times.
Matthew, an ardent Jew, prefer to use the phrase “kingdom of heaven” that would
communicate better in the Pharisaic-type circles that he was engaging. Some have articulated
that Matthean use of “heaven” might be that he wanted to stress the absolutely incomparable,
transcendent, cosmic-universal character of the reign of God. Some may have speculated that
its usage was intended for a Jewish audience and the Jewish emancipation of a nation under
the reign of the Messiah. Another view by Jonathan Pennington reveals that many times

1
Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom (Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1962), xi.
2
Jonathan T. Pennington, Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew (Netherlands: Brill Publishers,
2007), 71.
3
Craig S. Keener,The Gospel of Matthew (Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2009), 68.

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Matthew uses “kingdom of heaven” as part of a contrast between the heavenly and earthly
realms (e.g. Matt.17:24-18:5; 4:1-11). Matthew is urging upon the readers the sense that there
is a great disjunction between heaven and earth, between God’s way of doing things and
ours.4 Matthew prefers “kingdom of heaven” not because of his aversion to referring to
Yahweh as God, rather to emphasize the heavenly origins and nature of the kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven is both present and future. Like the Old Testament, Jewish teachers
could speak of God’s present rule among the people who obeyed his law (Ps. 146:10). When
Jesus declared the presence of the kingdom, he was not only referring merely to the eternal
reign of God in the heavens but he is also proclaiming the present assertion of God’s end-
time rule, the current manifestation of God’s future saving sovereignty. Moreover, the Jewish
people also looked for the Kingdom as God’s future rule, when he would reign unchallenged
(Isa. 9:6-7; Zech 14:9). This was very much central to the preaching of Matthean Jesus who
proclaims the Kingdom of Heaven as the future display of power and judgment and eventual
establishment of God’s rule over creation. Characteristically, the emphasis on the nature of
the kingdom in Matthew and the other Gospels is exhibited in the form of parables and
sayings of Jesus. Jesus uses metaphors, similes, prophetic utterances, and parables to teach
what the kingdom is all about.5 All of Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom presuppose the
reality of God who exercises sovereignty over the world.6

3. Jesus as the Messiah

The Messiah, or the “Anointed one”, or “Christ” is actually a royal title. The coming of the
Messiah is still the great hope of the Jewish people. From the opening title of the Gospel,
Matthew affirms Jesus as Messiah through use of the title Christos. The title occurs
frequently in the first two chapters (Matt 1:16, 17, 18; 2:4) and then not much until Peter
confesses Jesus to be the Messiah (Matt 16:16). Jesus’ messianic claims are prominent in the
passion narrative, where the high priest asks Jesus to disclose if he is the Messiah (Matt
26:63), the Sanhedrin mockingly calls him “Messiah” (Matt 26:68), and Pilate refers to Jesus
as “the one called the Messiah” (Matt 27:17, 22).7

4. Teachings of the Messiah about the kingdom

4
Pennington, Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew , 71
5
Keener, Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew, 69.
6
Howard Clark Kee & Franklin W. Young, The Living World of the New Testament (London: Darton,
Logman & Todd, 1957), 119.
7
Frederich Dale Bruner, Matthew (Michigan: Wm B. Eerdmans, 2004), 5.

2
In Matthew, the kingdom of God is the central message of Jesus’ teaching. The Beatitudes
are framed with reference to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3, 10). Entering the kingdom is
what Jesus exhorts people to do (Matt. 5:19-20; 7:21; 18:3; 21:31; 23:13). The great Christian
prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, has at its heart the request for God’s kingdom to come to earth
(Matt. 6:10). And Jesus gives a whole series of parables in chapter 13 (and then again in
chapters 20 and 22) which describe what the kingdom is like.

The Presence of the Kingdom: In Matt. 4:17, Jesus says, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.” This implies that the kingly reign of God was already operative in present history.
Future hope had become present experience.8 The message of the kingdom at present calls for
repentance, submission and obedience.

The mystery of the Kingdom: Jesus insists that the kingdom, though present in a hidden
way in the ministry of Jesus and his followers, is the glorious anticipated kingdom of God
(Matt. 13:31-33). The promise of the kingdom was fulfilled in an unexpected, secret or
hidden invasion of divine power in the on-going flow of human affairs. Those with eyes to
see and ears to hear could recognize in them the manifestation of God’s reign. But the
spiritually unperceptive and those who deliberately hardened their hearts in unbelief might be
taken as evidence of madness. This is probably what Jesus meant by the ‘secret’ or ‘mystery’
of the kingdom discernable only by the eyes of faith (Matt. 13:11).9

The Inclusiveness and Peace of the Kingdom: Jesus historically directed his mission to ‘the
lost sheep of the house of Israel,’ (Matt.15:24), but his ministry is not exclusively to Jews but
also related freely to the Gentiles. Inheritance of the kingdom was by invitation; it was a gift
offered by God to the nation that had to be received by repentance and faith (Matt.4:17).
Jesus utterly repudiated violence and military insurrection as a fitting means for promoting
the kingdom. God’s kingdom brought with it a radically new demand: ‘love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven’.
(Matt.5:44). Members of the kingdom community are to be peacemakers. (Matt.5:9).10

Discipleship: During the course of Jesus’ ministry, the disciples were sent out to preach and
heal (Matt 10:7). Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom puts his disciples in the task that the
disciples are to cure the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out the demons and experience the trials

8
O. E. Evans, “Kingdom Of God,” The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, edited by G. A. Buttrick
(Nashville: Abingdon Press,1962), 20.
9
R. T. France, Matthew, Evangelist and Teacher (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1989), 225.
10
Louis Berkhoff, An Introduction to the New Testament (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 2004), 38.

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and tribulations in their journey (Matt. 10:8). They are to offer their life as living witnesses
and share the peace and justice of God. Accordingly, the mission and the challenge of
discipleship is the experience of community and partnership with God in the work of the
kingdom which has already arrived in the person and ministry of Jesus whom they follow.

The Fatherhood of God: In the Lord’s Prayer, there is the petition, “Thy kingdom come”
and in Jesus teaching on anxiety and trust, there is the exhortation “to seek first his kingdom”
(Matt.6:33). It is the kingdom of “your Father in heaven who knows what you need before
you ask.” For God who is King and sovereign ruler of the universe is also the Father of
Mankind. Jesus extorts the disciples to “seek the kingdom”; here we see the expression of
God’s Fatherhood, for he gives his kingdom to those who seek it.11

5. Agricultural parables
Parables in Matthew’s gospel that has agricultural connection are appropriate to mention as
agricultural parables. In chapter 13 Jesus introduced parables with the formula, ‘The kingdom
of God is like…’ Obviously the subject matter of the parables is the kingdom of heaven. 12
The kingdom is one that emerges suddenly and inexplicably in the world by God’s will; this
is expressed by the parables of growth: the mustard seed and the leaven (13:31-33). The
kingdom that involves judgment—reward or punishment is expressed by the parables of the
weeds, and the net with the fishes (13:24-30 and 13:47-50). Common agricultural parables
are parable of the sower (13:1-9), parable of the weeds (13:24-30), parable of mustard seed
(13:31-32), parable of workers in the vineyard (20:1-16), parable of two kinds of farmers
(21:33-46). The agricultural parables are discourses about the kingdom of heaven, the
doctrine about the kingdom, and a mediation of the kingdom’s nearness. The main features of
agricultural parables can be seen as the followings:

Response to the Kingdom of Heaven (13:1-9): The agricultural parables concern responses
to the kingdom of heaven. This is clearly visible from the parable of the sower. The parable
of the sower contrasted those who acted upon Jesus’ word and those who did not. 13 God is
giving deeper insights about the kingdom of heaven to those who receives the message of
Jesus with faith while those who close their minds are left in extreme spiritual
poverty.14Those who respond the word of God are disciples who understand the message to
11
Kee & Franklin W. Young, The Living World of the New Testament, 122.
12
Daniel J. Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991), 198.
13
Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, 201.
14
Rudolf Schnackenburg, The Gospel of Matthew, translated by Robert R. Barr (Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans, 2002), 125.

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produce a crop. However, disciples are not all the same, and so equally genuine disciples may
produce different levels of crop, depending on their different gifts and circumstances.15

Participation in the Kingdom of God (13:24-30): Jesus’ agricultural parable reveals the
reality of the kingdom of heaven on earth. That reality is participation in the reign of God in
order to make sure division between good and evil persons at the end of the age. 16 The
parable of the weeds also emphasizes the hiddenness of the kingdom in the present, that is,
children of the kingdom must coexist with children of the evil one in this world until their
vindication at the end.17 When his slaves asked permission to remove weeds from the wheat
the landowner did not allow for it is difficult to uproot the weeds without causing damage on
the wheat since their roots were intertwined. This shows the tender love of God upon his
people, because God does not want to destroy his people along with the wicked.

Growth and Quality (13:31-32): The parable of the mustard seed points out the contrast
between the littleness of the means and the largeness of the end. Bruner is of the opinion that
historically Jesus is teaching that his little ministry will be gloriously vindicated and
theologically, Matthew’s church heard Jesus teaching disciples to have confidence in telling
and living the little gospel.18 Though the beginning of the kingdom of heaven is small, a
group of twelve disciples with Jesus like a tiny mustard seed, the end of the growth of the
kingdom of heaven will be very big and vast to accommodate everyone just like the tree (of
mustard) gives shelter to birds of the sky. Here Matthew points to the mysteriously working
powers of God which has in turn results to the growth of God’s reign on earth. 19 The kingdom
of heaven where God is reigning may be unnoticed by most people for the time being, but the
time will come when it will be impossible to ignore it.

Unlimited Love and Right to earn: Another agricultural parable of Matthew is the parable
of equal wages for unequal work found in 20:1-16. The dominating theme of this parable is
the reversal of human expectations in the kingdom of heaven. Love is the basis on which the
kingdom of heaven operates. There is no room for envious comparisons in the kingdom of
heaven which Jesus is proclaiming for God is ruling by grace. The parable is solely oriented
to the conduct of God, and in an advertisement calling people to understand God in terms of

15
R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2007), 522.
16
Schnackenburg, The Gospel of Matthew, 129.
17
Keener, The Gospel of Matthew, 385.
18
Frederick Dale Bruner, The Churchbook: Matthew 13-28 (Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1990), 33.
19
Schnackenburg, The Gospel of Matthew, 130.

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goodness and mercy and again, that God’s goodness must lead people to a different
relationship with one’s fellow human beings.20

Rise of New Nation: Rise of new community in the kingdom of God can be seen in the
parable of the vineyard (21:33-45). Traditionally interpreted God is the owner of the vineyard
in which his leadership has been rejected and even his son Jesus Christ had been killed by the
Israelites. Here the parable portrays God as patient, but warns that he will eventually judge
the abusive leaders. There is a notion of the coming of a new nation neither Israel nor
Gentiles but drawn from both which is characterized not by ethnic origin but by faith in Jesus
where sovereignty of God acknowledged by people who are in that new nation.

6. Special Parables of Matthew

There are fourteen parables in the gospel of Matthew. Among them there are eight parables
that do not appear in other gospels. The special parables of Matthew are parable of weeds
(13:24-30), of yeast (13:33), of hidden treasure and of the net (13:44-50), of unforgiving
servant (18:21-35), of labourers in the vineyard (20:1-16), of the two sons (21:28-32), and of
the ten bridesmaids (25:1-13). The parables of weeds and of labourers in the vineyard are
already dealt above, so the remaining special parables are deal with as follow:

Worth of the Kingdom of Heaven: R. T. France opines that the parables of hidden treasure
and of the pearl (13:44-46) have same emphasis that is the worthiness of the kingdom of
heaven that is not seen by all since they are about enthusiastic and wholehearted commitment
to the kingdom of heaven with the secondary theme of costly renunciation for the sake of the
greater good.21 The worthiness of the kingdom of heaven is not comparable to anything since
people who find treasure sold it in order to have their found treasure and pearl.

Judgement in the End time: One of the emphases of Matthew’s special parable is judgment
of false disciples at the end which is found in the parable of the net (13:47-50). 22 True
disciples and false disciples will stay together in this world as the weeds and wheat together
till the harvest time (cf. 13:24-30). But the final judgment will reveal who was truly
committed to the kingdom, and how wise the committed were to invest their lives in it. 23
True forgiveness: This imperative of true forgiveness is seen in the parable of unforgiving
servant (18:21-35). A slave who received forgiveness of his huge debt from his master cannot
20
Schnackenburg, The Gospel of Matthew, 193.
21
France, The Gospel of Matthew, 539.
22
Robert H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art (Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans, 1982), 280.
23
Keener, The Gospel of Matthew, 392.

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forgive his co-slave only for a small sum of money. This parable shows that true forgiveness
is not simply from lips rather from the heart. The parable does not teach about repetition of
forgiveness which Peter asked about (v. 21), rather wants to emphasize that fellow disciples’
forgiving one another is a condition of God s forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven.24

Highlighting the Disobedience of the Jewish Leaders: Here the Jewish leaders, the chief
priests and elders, are compared to the son (21:28-32) who said yes to the father but failed to
carry through by practicing their principles. In the kingdom of heaven everything depends on
really doing the Father’s will.25 The son who said yes to his father without obedience and real
work according to the father’s will is not welcomed in the kingdom of heaven. Such kind of
character is what of the Jewish religious leaders. For Matthew’s Jesus, those disobedient sons
were preceded by prostitutes and tax-collectors in the entry into the kingdom of heaven.

Alert for the Parousia (25:1-13): The call to be alert for the unexpected parousia is the main
emphasis in special parable of the girls waiting for the bridegroom. Readiness on long-term
provision whatever form it takes is very important for those who wait the coming of the Son
of Man in the kingdom of heaven. 26 This shows that there is eschatological implication in the
special parables of Matthew. Those who wait for the coming of the Son of Man must wait
according to the will of Jesus Christ, who will be coming as the awaited bridegroom.

7. Conclusion
As universally accepted, the Kingdom of heaven was the fundamental thematic of Jesus’
proclamation. The Kingdom is a symbol of God’s sovereignty, representing the long-
expected eschatological coming of God in power to save, to forgive and to reconcile. For
Matthew, the phrase kingdom of heaven functions as a comprehensive term for the ministry
of Jesus as well as the mystery of his person, his death and resurrection in relation to the
sovereignty of God. To make the teachings about the Kingdom of Heaven relevant to his
community Matthew extensively used Parables (e.g., Agricultural parables—assumed that
Matthew has agrarian community). All special parables of Matthew’s gospel also have a focal
point of teaching i.e. the impending kingdom of Heaven.

Bibliography

24
Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 374.
25
Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, 301.
26
France, The Gospel of Matthew, 947.

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Bruner, Frederich Dale. Matthew. Michigan: Wm B. Eerdmans, 2004.

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Darton, Logman & Todd, 1957.

Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of Matthew. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2009.

Pennington, Jonathan T. Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew. Netherlands: Brill
Publishers, 2007.

Ridderbos, Herman. The Coming of the Kingdom. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed,
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Schnackenburg, Rudolf. The Gospel of Matthew. Translated by Robert R. Barr. Michigan:

Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2002.