马太十三章前四个比喻是在船上露天说的。这四个比喻就是撒种者、稗子、芥菜种和面酵的比喻。这四个比喻中，每一个都有与吃有关的东西。由此可见，前四个比喻是论到食物的事。神的心意是要在地上得着一班人，作他国度的构成分子，这些人必须像适合满足神和人的食物。但仇敌进来，把稗子撒在麦子中，阻挠麦子生长，并且破坏麦子。撒但使原来要作食物来源的芥菜，畸形的长成大树，因而失去出产食物的功用，反而成了邪恶的宿处。这是今天基督教国的一幅图画。我们在各种基督教的组织里，看见很大的建筑物、办公室和复杂的阶级制度。撒但又进一步把酵加在细面里，在这里我们看见撒但的狡诈。首先，他把稗子撒在麦子中间，阻挠麦子生长；其次，他使芥菜畸形的生长，失去其功用；第三，他看见有些麦子产生出来，要磨成细面，作满足神和人的饼，就把酵加在面里。
前四个比喻都与耕地有关。在林前三章九节保罗说，“你们是神的耕地，神的建筑。”在这一章里，我们看见神的耕地最终产生了金、银、宝石。何等奥秘，神耕地的出产成了金、银、宝石，就是为着神建造的材料。神的耕地出产生命的东西，这些生命的东西成了为着神建造的材料。因此，神的耕地是为着神的建造。
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The First Four Parables Related to the Farm – 1 Cor. 3:9
The first four parables were given in the boat in the open air. These are the parables of the sower, the tares, the mustard seed and the leaven. In each of the first four parables there was something related to eating. By this we see that the first four parables cover the matter of food. God’s intention is to have a people on earth to be the constituents of his kingdom, and these people must be like food that is good to satisfy both God and man. But the enemy came in to plant tares among the wheat to frustrate the growth of the wheat and to damage it. Satan caused the mustard herb, intended to be a source of food, to grow abnormally into a big tree and thereby to lose its function of producing food. Instead, it became an evil lodging place. This is a picture of Christendom today. In the various Christian organizations we see big buildings, offices, and complex hierarchies. We see the branches of the big tree, but nothing of the fine flour or the mustard herb. According to the fourth parable, Satan then took the further step of adding leaven to the fine flour. Here we see Satan’s subtlety. Firstly, he sowed tares among the wheat to frustrate the growth of the wheat; secondly, he caused the mustard herb to grow abnormally and to lose its function; thirdly, seeing that some wheat was produced to make fine flour for a loaf to satisfy God and man, Satan added leaven to the meal.
The first four parables are all related to the farm. In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says, “You are God’s farm, you are God’s building”. In this chapter we see that God’s farm eventually produces gold, silver and precious stones. God’s farm produces the things of life, and these things of life become the materials for God’s building. Thus, God’s farm is for God’s building.