“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 13:36 Mean?
"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." The disciples ask for private explanation after the public teaching. Jesus taught the parables to the crowd outside. He explains them to the disciples inside. The pattern establishes two levels of engagement: the crowd hears the story (and must decide what to do with it). The disciples hear the interpretation (because they asked for it). The interpretation isn't withheld from the crowd maliciously — it's given to those who pursue it.
The phrase "went into the house" creates a physical separation between public teaching and private explanation. The house becomes the classroom for deeper understanding. Those who follow Jesus inside get more than those who stay outside.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you staying with the crowd (hearing stories) or following Jesus into the house (pursuing explanation)?
- 2.What parable or truth from God are you currently sitting with at the surface level that needs deeper pursuit?
- 3.What would 'going into the house' — pursuing private, deeper understanding — look like in your spiritual practice?
- 4.How does the disciples' simple act of asking produce the understanding the crowd didn't receive?
Devotional
The crowd heard the parable. The disciples asked for the explanation. Two levels of engagement with the same teacher, separated by a door and a question.
Jesus sends the multitude away. The public session is over. The stories have been told. The crowd has the parables — the mustard seed, the leaven, the tares, the treasure, the pearl, the net. What they do with them depends on what kind of soil they are. Some will understand. Most won't. The crowd experience ends at the door.
Went into the house. Inside the house is where the deeper work happens. The parables that were stories outside become doctrine inside. The images that were entertainment for the casual listener become theology for the committed follower. The house is the next level — and it requires following Jesus through the door.
Declare unto us the parable. The disciples ask. That's the key action. The explanation isn't broadcast. It's requested. The crowd didn't ask — they dispersed. The disciples pursued — they followed Jesus inside and said: explain this to us. The explanation is available to anyone who follows and asks. It's not available to those who hear the story and walk away satisfied with the surface.
This is how spiritual depth works: you hear the story with everyone. You follow Jesus into the house. You ask: what does this mean? And the explanation that the crowd doesn't receive, you do — not because you're better but because you pursued. You didn't stop at the parable. You followed through the door and asked for more.
The crowd had the same access to the teacher. The disciples had the same parables. The difference: the disciples went into the house. The depth you experience with God is proportional to how far you follow him past the public teaching into the private explanation. The house is always open. The question is whether you walk in.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The field is the world,.... That which is represented by "the field", in which the good seed is sown, is not only the…
Declare unto us - That is, explain the meaning of the parable. This was done in so plain a manner as to render comment…
In these verses, we have, I. Another reason given why Christ preached by parables, Mat 13:34, Mat 13:35. All these…
Explanation of the Parable of the Tares, in St Matthew only
39. the end of the world Literally, the completion of this…
Cross References
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