Matt.13.31 - Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Matt.13.32 - Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Matt.13.33 - Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Matt.13.34 - All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Matt.13.35 - That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Matt.13.36 - 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.
Matt.13.37 - He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Matt.13.38 - The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Matt.13.39 - The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Matt.13.40 - As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Matt.13.41 - The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Matt.13.42 - And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matt.13.43 - Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matt.13.44 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Matt.13.45 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Matt.13.46 - Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matt.13.47 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Matt.13.48 - Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Matt.13.49 - So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Matt.13.50 - And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matt.13.51 - Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
Matt.13.52 - 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.
Matt.13.53 - And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
Matt.13.54 - And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Matt.13.55 - Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Matt.13.56 - And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Matt.13.57 - And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Matt.13.58 - And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

In a later moment, Jesus explains to His disciples that He is the farmer, and the field is the entire world. The children of God's kingdom are the good wheat, and the children of the Devil are the weeds. For now, both will be allowed to live and grow. In the end judgment, however, they will be separated, and the evil ones will be thrown into a furnace (Matthew 13:36–43).

In a similar teaching, Jesus depicts the use of nets to catch fish. As the net is pulled through the water, it collects many different things. Once everything has been caught, fishermen sort what's valuable from what's not. In the same way, God's final judgment will distinguish between those who are His children and those who are not (Matthew 13:47–50).

The kingdom of heaven is also compared to a grain of mustard seed that grows to a large plant. This represents how the kingdom will be great and glorious, just as the Old Testament predicted—but not immediately. Rather, it will grow into that state (Matthew 13:31–32).

Christ also symbolizes the kingdom of heaven is like leaven in flour. What appears to be a tiny thing—small amounts of yeast—hidden among something large—a huge batch of flour. Likewise, the kingdom's apparently small, obscure beginning will come to affect the entire earth (Matthew 13:33).

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, or a costly pearl. Wise people recognize the value of these items and give up everything else to acquire them. The point of these parables is not that one must sacrifice everything to obtain salvation, but that there is a clear difference in value between earthly things and heavenly things. Giving up all we have only seems radical when we don't realize how valuable the rewards of the kingdom really are (Matthew 13:44–46).

When Jesus asks the disciples if they comprehend all He has told them, they answer "yes." They certainly grasp more about how the kingdom of God will be, compared to what they knew before. Jesus relates this to a wealthy person who shows others his treasures—both what is old and what is new. This represents the disciples being trained to teach others how lessons of the Old Testament fit with revelations from the New Testament. Despite the disciples insisting they know exactly what Jesus is saying, later incidents in Matthew's gospel show they still lack complete understanding (Matthew 13:51–52; 16:21–23; 26:6–13).

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