In Matthew 13, Jesus proclaimed to the people of Israel the parable of the Sower and the seed (Matthew 13:1-9). Jesus ended that parable with the command for the one having ears (“ ὁ ἔχων ὦτα“), let him hear (“ἀκουέτω”–present active imperative). Then Jesus explained to His disciples in private that He spoke to the people in parables because they were not granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens. You may recall that the term “mystery” (“μυστήριον”) in the New Testament means something that was hidden in previous generations, but now has been revealed through the apostles and prophets (Romans 16: 25-27; Ephesians 3:1-7). Jesus reproved the nation of Israel for its unbelief. The people of Israel had heard the words of Jesus and had seen His signs. And yet, they did not believe in Jesus as Messiah, God in the flesh and Savior. Jesus explained that when a person hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand (“συνιέντος”) it, then the evil one comes and snatches (“ἁρπάζει”) away what has been sown. Those people are the ones on whom the seed was sown beside the road (Matthew 13:19).  So, some people had heard the word (“τὸν λόγον”) of the kingdom (“τῆς βασιλείας”), but did not understand it, had it snatched (“ἀρθήσεται”) from them, thus fulfilling the prophecy that even what they had would be snatched from them (Matthew 13:19).

Jesus told His disciples that they had been granted (“δέδοται”) to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens. In contrast, the people of Israel, as a whole, had not been granted such knowledge (Matthew 13:11). Jesus explained that to know (“γνῶναι”) the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens  was a gift of God. Those people who had received that special gift to know the mysteries of of the Kingdom of the Heavens would have that gift in abundance.  Regarding the one who had not been granted to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom, Jesus proclaimed that even what he had would be taken from him (Matthew 13:12).  Jesus then revealed the implications of that gift to know the mysteries of of the Kingdom of the Heavens and to know them in abundance.

Jesus quoted Isaiah the Prophet to the unbelieving people of Israel, saying they fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: in hearing (“Ἀκοῇ”), you will hear (“ἀκούσετε ), and not (“οὐ”) may not (“μὴ”) understand (“συνῆτε”); and seeing (“βλέποντες”) you will not see (“βλέψετε”), and not (“οὐ”) may not (“μὴ”) behold (“ἴδητε”) (Matthew 13:14). Jesus observed that the heart (“καρδία”) of the people of Israel had grown dull (“ἐπαχύνθη”) so that the people had barely heard (“ἤκουσαν”) with their ears and they had closed (“ἐκάμμυσαν”) their eyes, lest they may see (“ἴδωσιν”) with their eyes and may hear (“ἀκούσωσιν”) with their ears, and in their heart (“καρδίᾳ”) they may understand (“συνῶσιν”) and may return (“ἐπιστρέψωσιν”) and Jesus will heal (“ἰάσομαι”) them (Matthew 13:15). By quoting Isaiah, Jesus showed the generation presently hearing and seeing Him was not different from its ancestors who rejected Jesus before them.

Jesus provided a psychological explanation of why He spoke to the people of Israel only in parables. Because the people of Israel, as a whole, were not granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens, Jesus spoke to them about their unbelief. He used the physical parts of a human body to outline their unwillingness to be healed spiritually by Jesus. He began with their eyes and ears. We can now briefly review those words of salvation to learn more about exegetical psychology.

Section One

βλέπουσιν

The first reason Jesus gave for talking to the people of  Israel in parables (like the Sower and the seed) concerned their eyes. Because (“διὰ τοῦτο“) the people of Israel had not been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the Heavens, Jesus spoke to them in parables. Then Jesus used common anatomical terms to explain the link between eyes and seeing, particularly here in understanding the parable of the Sower and the seed. Jesus spoke of  the people of Israel as: “seeing (“βλέποντες”–present active participle), not (“οὐ”) they will see (“βλέπουσιν”–future active indicative) (Matthew 13:13). Jesus meant that the people would be in the group physically seeing Jesus, but they would not truly see with spiritual eyes because it had not been granted to them to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens. Therefore, we learn that the people of Israel saw the truth about Jesus as Savior, but they rejected Him. Furthermore, we also learn that to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens means we receive the gift of knowing Jesus as Savior, God in the flesh. Also please take notice that the people of Israel “seeing” today meant that they would not “see” Him in the future.

 

Section Two

ἀκούουσιν

Jesus next focused upon their ears.  Jesus said that “hearing” (“ἀκούοντες”–present active participle), not they will hear (“ἀκούουσιν”–future active indicative) (Matthew 13:13). Therefore, we learn that the people who had not been given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens would also have a hearing problem, in addition to their seeing problem described above. Without the gift of knowing the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens, the people could hear Jesus speaking to them in parables, but they could not hear the truth of the parable,  Jesus as Sower and Savior. Again, they will hear today, but they will not hear Jesus in the future.

Section Three

συνίουσιν

Jesus next explained that people must use their eyes and ears to understand the spiritual truths He proclaimed (Matthew:13:13). The people of Israel were hearing Jesus, but did not may not understand (“συνίουσιν“). In order to grasp the meaning of the term understand (“συνίουσιν“), we may see how Matthew used that term in Matthew 16 (under the inspiration of God). In Matthew 16:6, Jesus warned His disciples to watch out for the leaven leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples thought that Jesus was talking about physical bread (Matthew 16:7). At that point, Jesus said that His disciples were men of little faith (Matthew 16:8). He then asked them if they mind  (“νοεῖτε”–present active indicative) and remember  (“μνημονεύετε”–present active indicative): (a) the five loaves and the five thousand and how many baskets they gathered;   (b) and seven loaves for the four thousand and how many baskets they gathered? Jesus then disclosed to His disciples that He was not talking about physical bread (Matthew 16:11). The disciples then understood (“συνῆκαν”) that He was not speaking  about the leaven of bread, but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:12).

Jesus applied the Isaiah prophecy to the generation hearing Him (Isaiah 6:10).  Using the Isaiah prophecy, Jesus translated the common Hebrew word (“תָּבִ֔ינוּ”–Qal imperfect) to the Greek (“συνῆτε”).  Therefore, we may learn that spiritual understanding only comes from God providing knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens. Furthermore, Jesus applied the Isaiah prophecy to the generation hearing Him in the flesh, but rejecting Jesus as Sower and Savior.  Jesus must open your mind (“νοῦν”)  to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). 

Section Four

ἴδητε

As Jesus continued His exposition of the Isaiah prophecy, He used the term “behold” (“ἴδητε”) to describe the nation of Israel seeing and hearing Jesus, but not beholding Him (Isaiah 4:10). In this context, “behold” means to see the special event and understand the spiritual message proclaimed to the beholder. Jesus emphasized that the nation of Israel not (“οὐ”) may not (“μὴ”) behold (Matthew 13:14). He meant that under no actual or possible circumstances would the nation of Israel hear, see or behold Jesus as Savior.

Section Five

καρδίᾳ

As Jesus explained the parable of the Sower and the seed, Jesus indicated that some of the seed fell beside the road. Even so, the seed was sown in the heart of those people. Because they did not understand the Word of God, the birds snatched the seed out of their hearts (Matthew 13:19). Therefore, Jesus explained that the people of Israel had heart trouble. 

Section Six

ἐπιστρέψωσιν

Even after hearing and seeing Jesus, the heart (“καρδία”) of the people of Israel had not returned (“ἐπιστρέψωσιν–Aorist subjunctive passive“). The term “return” here means that the people of Israel were to return to the true God of Israel. Jesus revealed that understanding comes from the heart of the people (Matthew 13:15). Jesus  then explained that because the people had a dull heart, they barely heard (“ἤκουσαν”) with their ears and they have closed (“ἐκάμμυσαν”) their eyes. Instead, they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and the heart they should  understand and He would return and heal them (Matthew 13:15). Therefore, when the heart has become dull (“ἐπαχύνθη–aorist passive indicative), then the people cannot see, hear or understand the spiritual truths Jesus presented to them (Matthew 13:15). Simply put,  if the people of Israel heard and saw Jesus, and understand with their hearts, so that they returned to Jesus, He w0uld return to them and He would heal them. So, we dive deeper into the concept of healing in this passage.

 

Section Seven

ἰάσομαι

Jesus provided a deep and insightful analysis of the people of Israel. If the people of Israel heard and saw Jesus, and understood with their hearts, so that they returned to Jesus, He w0uld return to them and He would heal *”ἰάσομαι–Future middle indicative”)  them. The concept of healing in this context has both physical and spiritual aspects. Physically, the people of Israel lived under the burden of Roman occupation. Spiritually, the people had not grown up in Christ. Even if their eyes and hears suddenly worked properly because their heart returned to Jesus, the growth and development in their spiritual life would take time. Often the term heal (“iaomai”) meant physical healing in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 8:8-9; 15:28; Mark 5:29). While Jesus healed entire crowds of their physical problems, that healing did not necessarily include healing of the heart to understand Jesus and the word of the kingdom and eternal life.