Matt 13

Date: 18 January 2009

Bible (NT/OT):

Matt 13

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
"'You will indeed hear but never understand,and you will indeed see but never perceive.15 For this people's heart has grown dull,and with their ears they can barely hear,and their eyes they have closed,lest they should see with their eyesand hear with their earsand understand with their heartand turn, and I would heal them.'
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 "Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

The Parable of the Weeds

24 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

31 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
33 He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."
Prophecy and Parables
34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

51 "Have you understood all these things?" They said to him, "Yes." 52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”

Ps 13:5

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

Sun Tzu:

“When you are going to attack nearby, make it look as if you are going to go a long way; when you are going to attack far away make it look a if you are going just a short distance.”
“When you are going to Battle make it seem as if you are retreating. When you are going to hasten, make it seem as if you are relaxing”
“Deception is for the purpose of seeking victory over an enemy; to command a group requires truthfulness”

The Intellectual Devotion:

The Parthenon was built in Athens Greece in the 15 years between 447-432BC. Dedicated to Athena Parthenos (patron god of Athens), it was built to celebrate the victory of the Greeks over the Persians. The Parthenon was used as a house of worship even centuries after the fall of Athens. It was converted to a church in the 6th century, then a mosque by the Turks in 1458. During a battle in 1687, a Venetian shell landed on a Turkish powder keg stored in the temple and destroyed most of the building. In 1801 the British ambassador received permission to ship most of the Parthenon’s sculptures to England, where he sold them to the British Government. Today many of the best art works still sit in British Museums despite Greek efforts to have them returned to the Parthenon.

Events:

Mom came in yesterday. My parents go to Argentina next week and may otherwise, miss seeing me before I deploy. We went shopping in Bracken Village (small girly shopping center) where I spent most to the time talking to my good friend Joel. I feel incredibly privileged to call Joel my friend as for a long time we had more of a “father/son” relationship when I was a young believer. We met in College and for the first 2 years of our relationship, I was an unbeliever. Joel prayed for me then and watched me believe and then mentored me for the first 2-3 years of my walk. We still have much the same “father/son” relationship when we play chess (he destroys me every game) but in life, I am glad to say we have become brothers. Joel is my longest running friend and over the years we have both accomplished much (Joel finished 4 years in the Army, had awesome 2 kids, then went back seminary where he will finish up this year during which time he has been promoted from part time ICU nurse to a full time position managing a hospital) but we have managed to stay very close. Joel will be moving to Washington DC this summer and is currently raising support for an internship that he will do next year and a church plant that he has been slotted for the following year. Marla and I will of course be supporting him as no one has been more influential to my faith than my best friend Joel. Don’t know if anyone will read this but if you do, please consider helping his family out as well.
After shopping we went out to Spice for dinner and it was awesome. We came home and watched one of the cheesiest movies that I have ever seen (but sort of heart-warming ,I guess) The Note.

Thoughts:

Bible:

1. v10 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Christ here says that he speaks in parables explicitly to keep the “weeds” (next parable) from even coming close to a knowledge of the Kingdom. Non-Christians frequently make comments about Jesus being an “amazing teacher” because he spoke in parables. But what “great teacher” intentionally speaks in riddles to deceive his students. The parables of Christ are not meant to be a simplification doctrine in order that the laity derives some life application. The parables of Jesus are told so that the “weed,” may hear but not understand, and see but not really see. 1st Corinthians 2:9-15 gives us a bit more understanding:
What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Without the Holy Spirit, men are “not able” to understand the gospel message. The prerequisite Holy Spirit given at regeneration necessarily precedes our ultimate repentance and salvation. This is why Christ later says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. (John 6:44)”

2. v18 "Hear then the parable of the sower” So what seed is indicative of the true believer? Is it possible to be a carnal Christian? This is the heart of the “Lordship Salvation” controversy. Can Jesus be your savior if you still fail to submit to his Lordship? The answer is in how we define “Carnal Christian.” If by “Carnal Christian” you mean someone who understands, believes and trusts in the gospel but is trapped in a life of sin that they are trying desperately to escape from then yes, it is entirely possible to be a “Carnal Christian.” If however, you mean someone who has knowledge of the Gospel (first 3 seeds) but feels no need to repent of their deeds and escape their sin then no, it is not possible to be a Carnal Christian. The bible teaches that true believers have the Holy Spirit (see yesterday) and the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to convict the believer of sin and lead the believer to Christ. Thus is would not be consistent to say someone is a believer (has the Holy Spirit) yet still has no conviction of the life of sin that he is in. We all sin, we all fall, the difference is that a believer feels conviction away from sin and towards repentance. The unbeliever feels no such convection.

3. "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. Many live with the misconception that God unconditionally loves every person in the world. In this parable we see the clear segregation between God’s Chosen people (good seeds), those who God truly loves as adopted children through Christ, and those children of wrath (weeds). In fact, before we became Christians, we were all children of wrath, as Paul writes in Eph 2:1-4
“and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4. The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl both point to the unsurpassing greatness of the kingdom that, through Christ, we have gained as our promised inheritance. The worlds present struggles and even joy’s are nothing compared to our reward in heaven. When we have this worldview, we need not be anxious about our finances, relationship or even health because we remember that we are aliens in this world. This is not our final resting place. The concerns of today that seem so overwhelming will not even be remembered in 10,000 years when we sit in heaven with Christ our king and our fellow believers as our neighbors.

5. v49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Make no mistake, the bible teaches of a final judgment and punishment for those who die outside of a saving faith in Christ. It may seem unloving or intolerant for Christians to preach of the Judgment to come but, if it is truth (as the Bible teaches) then it is far more unloving not to send out the warning of the coming Judgment.

6. And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? More biblical evidence that Jesus was not Mary’s only child. Just in case it ever comes up in conversation.

7. 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Jesus does not heal for healing’s sake. Jesus heals for faith’s sake. While Jesus does have compassion on the suffering people for their physical ailments his primary objective is their spiritual ailment. As Jesus instructed his disciples, Matt 10:14-15
14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
True to his word, even in his hometown, Jesus see’s his town’s hard hearts and washes his hands of them. Jesus desires the Father’s glory, not his own glory or his hometown’s glory. The reason we are saved is not our glory (though we will be glorified), not for our eternal joy (though there will be eternal joy) but the glory of God.

8. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." It seems to me that the “intellectual” laity feels that, thought they may not be able to explain the mysteries of the universe, there is someone out there with a long white coat on that can. For goodness sake, look how far science has come; look how smart we humans are, surely there is someone out there who can explain evolution even if I can’t. Well, let me be the first in a long white coat to tell you that we can’t. It is utter nonsense to look at the creation (general revelation) and say, “there is not God.” Follow me on this, does it take more faith to believe in a creator who fashioned the universe or to believe the Big Bang theory (our best guess now). Lets briefly talk about the Big Bang theory, out of nothing was appeared 2 particles (might as well believe in 1 creator out of nothing if you’re going to believe in 2 particles), these 2 particles found each other vast expanse of nothingness and collided. While trillions of particles collide on the head of a needle every second, this collision caused a fusion reaction and explosion to the extent that it created not just 1 new particle (normal fusion) but many (crazy, fictious fusion) then these many particles began to expand and (defying the very rules of Entropy (tendency of nature todards disorder)) began to combine to form larger and more complex structures. These Structures got bigger and bigger until they were so massive that they became hot enough in the center to create fusion reactions themselves, thus creating all of the other elements on the periodic table. These elements then defied entropy again and formed particles, defied entropy again and formed single celled organisms, life then sprung into existence (out of nothing). These singled celled organisms then decided it would be better to work together (though they have no brain or sense) and formed multi-celled organisms, these multi-celled organisms choose to differentiate (at no particular advantage to the next cell) in order to become Large multi-celled differentiated organisms. Pretty stinking unbelievable, each step in this nonsensical cascade requires as much, if not more faith than simply believing that a creator organized it. You would have to be a madman to believe this all occurred without an orchestrator. I laugh when people accuse Christians of checking their brain at the door. Sadly, many Christians have bought into the worlds lie that Religion and Science are incompatible. Far from incompatible with religion, science magnifies my faith. I could tell you things about the human body that would blow your mind. When polled, it has proven true that far from being less spiritual, scientists tend to be far more spiritual when compared to nonscientists. Truly, the fool says in his heart, “There is no God”