THE WORD: The parable of the scribe

“The evangelist Matthew and the angel” by Rembrandt (1661) is a painting in the collection of the Louvre-Lens Museum, Lens, France (Public Domain)

The final parable in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the scribe. Some scholars don’t consider these final verses to be a separate parable. When read as a whole, the words serve as their own statement and as a capstone to the teaching displayed in Matthew 13. Our eight-week journey through Matthew 13 also ends this week. The chapter teaches that the kingdom of Heaven is accessible to all but threatened by the work of evil. But, the choice of being a Christian, according to Christ, is one with real consequences, including “the furnace of fire.” This final parable compares the scribes, who know the Old Testament and the Gospels, to a home owner who combines things old and new. Christ teaches that the Bible is essential, in its entirety.    

MATTHEW 13: 51-53

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.