Category: Matthew 13

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When people we love refuse our testimony

The gospels

I mentioned before that there were two times Jesus was amazed. The first time was when he saw a Roman centurion’s great faith. (Matthew 8:5-13)

The second time was here. Jesus, by this point, had become well known throughout the nation. This was, in fact, the second time we see him visit his hometown after he had started his ministry.

But though the people noted his miracles, and they noted his wisdom, they refused to believe.

Why? Perhaps it was because they had the picture of a carpenter in their heads. A person who put together their tables, and all the other wooden things in their houses.

All that time, they had never thought of him as anything special. He was just “the carpenter.”

Or perhaps they still thought of him as that little boy who lived down the street. The one who played with their children, and who had visited their houses and shared their food.

But because of these things, they could not imagine taking instruction from him. They could not imagine that they could learn anything from him. And so they took offense at him when he tried to teach them.

That’s why Jesus said,

Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor. (Mark 6:4)

What can we take from this? I think there are two things.

First, God can speak to us through the most unexpected of people. But we can miss it if we’re too busy looking down on them.

Sometimes we look down on them because they are younger than us and less experienced. Maybe we look down on them because they are less educated.

Essentially, what it comes down to, whether we admit it or not, is that we look down on them because we don’t think God thinks much of them. And because we think that way, we do not receive the things that they say.

But God can use the old and the young, the educated and uneducated, to speak to us.

He can use the pastor you respect, and he can use the brother or sister or neighbor that annoyed you when you were a kid (and maybe still does annoy you).

If anyone has given their lives to the Lord, the Holy Spirit is living in them, and he can and will speak through them. The question is, do we have a heart that is humble enough to listen? A heart that can see beyond the person to the Spirit that is in them.

The second thing we can learn is that there will be some people that will reject your testimony simply for the reasons I mentioned above.

If it happened to Jesus, and he was perfect, how can you be surprised if it happens to you when you are far from perfect?

You can’t control that. You can’t make someone believe. All you can do is share what God has given you and done for you. And if they reject your testimony, pray for them.

Because there is only one person who can change the human heart, and that’s God.

So in short, don’t get discouraged when people reject your testimony. Stay humble. And always be on the watch for whenever God may be speaking to you. If you do, you’ll find that he speaks a lot more than you ever realized.

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Sharing what we know

Matthew

What do we do with what we have received?

This is the question that will be asked of us when the day of judgment comes. And I think that’s partially, at least, what Jesus was telling his disciples here.

First, he asks, “Do you understand these things? Do you understand all I have said about God’s kingdom?”

When his disciples said yes, he told them,

Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old. (Matthew 13:52)

I take from this two things.

First, knowledge of the kingdom of heaven is a treasure. It is not to be taken lightly or treated with disdain.

Second, we are to bring these treasures out to meet the needs we face, not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

We have a treasure in the knowledge of the kingdom.

We have treasure in knowing that God sees each person as a valuable pearl of great price, so much so, that he gave up everything in order to purchase them.

We have a treasure in knowing that the evil that we see will not last. It will be purged, and all evil will be judged.

We have treasure in knowing that God is working in this world even now, and that though the seeds he has planted are small, and though we cannot totally understand how, they will inevitably grow and cannot be stopped.

And they will bring joy and peace to all who take shelter under the work he has done and is doing.

Some of these things will be old news to those who hear, but to some, it will be completely new.

But as we see the people in this world, a people crying for love, a people crying for purpose and meaning, let us bring out these treasures of the kingdom. For only in doing so will their spiritual hunger and thirst be satisfied.

Just as importantly, however, God will hold us accountable for the knowledge that he’s given us.

And he will ask you, “What have you done with what I’ve taught you? Have you shared it with those who are dying around you?”

What are you doing with the treasures God has given you?

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Parable of the net: A coming judgment

Matthew

It has been said that Jesus spoke more on hell than he did about heaven. And here we see one of his teachings on the coming judgment.

As I’ve mentioned before, it can get frustrating to see all the evil in the world and wonder why God doesn’t do more about it.

But here, we see the day is coming when he will. All will be caught up and brought before him to be judged, both the living and the spirits of those who have died.

On that day, those who are evil will be weeded out from those who are righteous. While the righteous will be rewarded and go on to live with God forever, it is the wicked that Jesus focuses on here.

And he says of them,

The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49-50)

Why does he tell us this? I think more than anything, it’s to give us hope. It’s to remind us that evil will not last forever, and that it will be dealt with for all eternity. And in a world full of evil, we need that hope.

But I think he also tells us this as a warning. That God’s patience will not last forever.

God does not desire that any should perish, but if they stubbornly reject him despite all his entreaties to them, he will let them have what they desire. A life without him forever.

Unfortunately, what they will find out is that a life without God is a life of despair. And that’s what they will have for all eternity.

So many people run from God because they think he’s trying to kill their joy. But the reality is that there is no joy apart from him.

So as you look at the evil around you, remember a day of judgment is coming. And ask yourself, “Am I ready?”

If you are, if you have received God’s salvation by faith, ask yourself the next question: “Are those I love ready?”

If they aren’t, are you doing everything you can to make sure that they are.

Hell is a reality. Jesus taught it. Do you believe it? Do you believe it enough that you are working for the salvation of those you love?

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Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl: The joy of salvation

gold coins

I read a story recently of a couple in California that were walking through their garden and found a can sticking out from under their tree. When they took a careful look, they found a number of gold coins in it.

They then found other cans with coins in them dating back to the 1800s. In all, they are worth more than 10 million dollars. Imagine finding that in your garden!

That’s very similar to the picture Jesus gives in these two stories.

In the first, a man finds some buried treasure in a field, and when he does, he quickly covers it up and sells everything he has to buy the field (unlike this couple which already owned the property).

In the second, a pearl merchant is searching for pearls, and finds one for sale, but it was worth a great price. Because he didn’t have the money to buy it, he sold everything he had in order to get it.

Two things strike me. First the joy of the finder. Second, how much he was willing to purchase what he found.

A lot of people compare this story to the joy people have in coming to Christ.

In Christ, they find someone of great value, and so they give up everything for him. They give up their homes, their families, and all they possess in order to follow him. (Mark 10:29)

And though there may be pain in doing so, there is also a joy that overwhelms any feeling of sorrow or loss.

But there is another way to look at this parable. We can also see Jesus as the finder with we as the treasure or pearl.

Jesus sought long and hard for us who were lost and dead in our sins. And when he found us, with great joy, he gave up everything he had to purchase us.

He left heaven, giving up his prerogatives as God and his glory, and became one of us. He hungered, he thirsted, he grew tired, he suffered pain. And ultimately, he died a gruesome death on a cross.

Why? Because to him, we are a pearl of great value. We are a buried treasure, that though stained by rust and dirt, nevertheless are of immeasurable worth. And so he gave up everything in order to purchase us.

So how should we respond? The apostle Paul admonishes us,

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Let us therefore live every day honoring the Savior who valued us so much that he gave up everything in order to purchase us.

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The qualities of a good teacher: What made Jesus the master teacher

The gospels

I have been teaching English for the last 19 years, and have been teaching the Bible in some way, shape, or form for the last 27, going back to my high school days.

But as long as I have been teaching, I doubt I’ll ever match the greatness of Jesus as a teacher. He was the true master teacher.

What made him so great? It was the way he taught. How did he teach?

According to this passage, he taught through parables. Why did he use parables?

I’ve mentioned this before, but one reason was to see who really wanted to learn. Those who did asked questions. Those who didn’t may have been entertained, but remained blind to the truth.

But for those who asked, the stories were something that people could easily understand and remember, because Jesus took stories from everyday life and applied them to spiritual truths.

That’s one of the marks of a good teacher. They take a spiritual truth and put it in a way that anyone can understand.

Some teachers are more interested in impressing their audience with their education or spiritual knowledge and use a number of theological words that no one understands.

Or they introduce all these Greek or Hebrew words that no one has heard of before.

At the end of the day, people are indeed impressed, but they end up saying things like, “That was a very deep message. Very scholarly. I wish I knew what it meant.”

But Jesus kept his language simple and basic so that anyone could understand it.

Because of this, and because of the stories he told, he did something else important that a good teacher does. He kept his audience interested.

There are few things more painful in a classroom than a teacher that bores his students to tears. Jesus never did that.

Jesus also understood his audience’s level. It says in Mark that Jesus spoke the word to them as much as they could understand. (Mark 4:33)

He didn’t give them more than they could handle.

In short, as the writer of Hebrews put it, you can’t give solid food to babies. You give them milk until they can handle solid food. Then when they are mature enough, you give them more. (Hebrews 5:11-14)

Finally, he answered questions. Again in Mark, it says that when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything in more detail. (Mark 4:34)

You see in other passages that he generally did this in response to their questions. Unlike Jesus, we may not have all the answers. But it gives us the opportunity for us ourselves to learn more when we allow people to ask us questions.

You may or may not be a teacher in the church. But all of us have teaching opportunities, with our children especially, but also with the people God brings into our path.

So let us all strive to be teachers like our Master.

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Parable of the leaven: Transformed

The gospels

I’m not a baker, but Jesus gives an illustration about God’s kingdom that even non-bakers can understand.

When a baker makes bread, he puts a bit of yeast in the dough. What does the yeast do? Two things.

First, it spreads throughout the dough. Second it transforms the dough. It makes what would be flat, hard, unleavened bread, into a bread that is fluffy and tasty.

The kingdom of God works the same way.

When we plant the yeast of the gospel in people’s hearts and by faith people embrace it, it starts to spread throughout their entire being and transforms them into a whole new person.

Their way of thinking changes, their behavior starts to change, and everything becomes new.

Paul puts it this way,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The same happens with the kingdom of God at large. We are not going to transform this world by political means, by fighting for changes in rules and laws.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t pursue these things. Certainly, in a democracy, we should take advantage of the rights we have to fight for change in our society.

But we are kidding ourselves if we think that changing the laws are going to change human hearts.

Even if we were to outlaw homosexual marriage, it would not stop people from engaging in homosexual behavior. Even if we were to outlaw abortion, people would still find a way to end their pregnancies.

The kingdom of God comes one heart at a time. As God the Holy Spirit transforms hearts one by one, starting with us, and then the people that we touch, then and only then will we see his kingdom spread, transforming our nations.

The question is, what are we doing with the gospel? Are we letting it transform us from the inside out?

And are we sharing it with those around us that the Holy Spirit may start his work in them as well?

May our prayer always be,

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

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Parable of the mustard seed: Starting small

The gospels

I love the vividness of the pictures Jesus paints as he tells stories.

As he talks about God’s kingdom, he talks about how the mustard seed, though it is extremely small, grows into a tree in which birds can find shade from the sun.

What is Jesus’ point? The kingdom of God doesn’t usually start with a bang, it usually starts with something small.

This is especially true in terms of the kinds of people that God uses for his kingdom. Think of Mary, a simple, poor, teenage girl. Think of Joseph, an ordinary carpenter.

And when Jesus came, he didn’t come as a great king surrounded by his armies. He, like Joseph, was a carpenter.

When Jesus chose his disciples, he chose ordinary fishermen, a hated tax collector, and a political radical.

When the Christian movement started, it started in a relatively insignificant city, at least compared to the other great cities of the world.

And yet, through these people in this insignificant city, the gospel spread to the very ends of the earth.

What can we get from this?

You may feel insignificant. Small. Useless to the kingdom of God.

Yet it is because of this very fact that God is so eager to use you. The kingdom of God is filled with such “insignificant” people that others are quick to look down on.

But it is through people like you and me that the kingdom spreads and touches the people around us.

Paul puts it this way,

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Never think that you are insignificant concerning God’s kingdom. It is through the small that God’s great work is accomplished.

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Parable of the weeds: Why evil?

Matthew

The problem of evil is one that many people in this world struggle with. They wonder how a good God could allow evil in this world.

In this parable, we see at least part of the reason.

I think the first thing we should note is that God is not responsible for the evil in this world. God is holy. He never does anything wrong. All the seeds he sows are good seeds.

But there is an enemy. And Satan sows his seeds in the hearts of people as well, causing them to grow as weeds in this world, causing much damage to those around them.

God could pull them out, but Jesus says here that if he were to do so, it would be impossible to do so without wrecking havoc with those God has called to salvation.

How is that possible? I’m not sure. But there are, for example, some people that are so indifferent to God, that it takes something painful to shake them up and turn them to God.

It might be a natural disaster. It might be some hurt that another causes to them.

But through these things, they come to God. And God knows that if they never went through these experiences, they would never come to him. And so he allows the “weeds” to remain in the world.

In short, there are many things that God sees that we don’t. There are many things that God knows that we don’t.

But remember this. There will be a day of judgment. For the murderer or rapist. For everyone who rebels against God.

And on that day, people will see the difference between those who serve God and those who reject him.

So as I’ve said before, when you see the evil around you, don’t lose hope. Wait patiently, for the time is coming when all will be made right.

And on that day, God’s justice and wisdom will be known to all.

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Parable of the sower: Planting the seed

The gospels

As I looked back on the last blog, there was one last point that occurred to me that I want to put here.

So often, I think of the farmer as Jesus. But I think it’s equally if not even more valid to think of the farmer as Christians.

Because while Jesus was here for a short time, planting the words of God in the hearts of people, it is we, here and now, who are planting the seeds in the hearts of people today.

Taken that way, I think there’s one more valuable lesson to take from this parable.

Sometimes, as we plant the word of God in people’s hearts, as we scatter the seed, some seeds fall on hardened hearts. People hear us, but they don’t understand, and Satan quickly snatches that seed away.

Other people hear it, and we’re encouraged because they get excited. Perhaps, they even make a profession of faith. But then trouble or persecution comes, they get discouraged, and they fall away.

In other cases, people receive the word and start to grow. But then work starts to get in the way of their relationship with God. Or they start getting too wrapped up in money or possessions.

Maybe they still go to church every Sunday, but they no longer grow. They bear no fruit.

But for other people, they hear the word of God, and in their lives, they produce the fruit of God, making an impact for his kingdom.

What’s my point? We are not responsible for the results. We cannot shape people’s hearts. What can we do?

Plant the seed. Water it. And then pray. Paul put it this way: one person plants, another person waters, but only God can make the seed grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

Do you get discouraged because the seeds you plant don’t seem to bear fruit? You can’t control that. All you can do is keep planting the seed. Keep watering it. And leave the rest to God.

How about you? Are you planting the seed in the hearts of the people around you?

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Parable of the four soils: The state of our hearts

The gospels

This is the first full on parable we hear from Jesus, although he did give numerous illustrations to explain his points on previous occasions.

Here he gives a picture of a farmer scattering his seed along the ground. It wasn’t, perhaps, the most efficient way of doing things by modern standards, but it was how things were done in those days.

Some of the seed fell on hard ground, and Jesus said that these are the people that hear God’s word but don’t understand it. I think we can add another point here: they make no effort to understand it.

As I mentioned before, the parables distinguished the people who really wanted to learn from those who simply wanted to be entertained.

The ones who really wanted to learn, like Jesus’ disciples, asked questions. Those who didn’t, just went home.

Perhaps they enjoyed their time listening to Jesus, but because they didn’t understand the true message, nor did they try, Satan quickly took those seeds Jesus had planted and they forgot what they heard.

Others fell on rocky ground.

The picture here is not a bunch of rocks on the ground, rather it was a thin layer of dirt on limestone. Because the dirt was so shallow, the seeds quickly sprouted, but because there was no root, they died in the heat of the day.

Jesus said that these were people who heard his words and received them with great joy, even believing them for a short time, but when persecution or trouble came, they fell away.

Were these ever true Christians? Probably not, since they “had no root.”

It’s possible that all they had was an emotional experience. But when the emotion wore off, and trouble came because of their “faith,” they quickly fell away.

Still other seeds fell on thorny ground, and when they grew up, they were choked out by the thorns.

Jesus said these were those whose faith was choked out by the worries of life, and the desire for wealth, pleasure, and possessions.

Too many Christians are like this today. They are so in love with the world, they’ve forgotten their love for Jesus.

Finally, there are those who fell on the good ground, and produced great fruit.

Jesus says these are those who hear God’s word, understand it, accept it, and retain it. Such people bear great fruit for the kingdom of God.

What kind of heart do you have?

When you hear God’s word and don’t understand it, do you just leave it to the side, or do you seek to understand? Do you ask questions?

It’s through questions that we grow. But if we never ask, we never grow, and Satan takes away the seed God wants to plant in your heart.

When you go to church, are you just seeking an emotional experience?

Emotions come and go. They go up and down according to our circumstances. And if you try to build your faith on your emotions, it will not last. Are you instead building your faith on Christ and his Word?

What are you seeking in your life? Is God above all? Or are you so busy seeking money, pleasure, and things, that you don’t have time for God anymore? That you no longer seek his will in your life? That you no longer pursue his kingdom?

Or are you a person that hears God’s word and pursues understanding? Do you accept God’s word, trusting that it is true, and retain it in your heart and mind, bearing fruit as a result?

What is the state of your heart?

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Parables of Jesus: Eyes to see, ears to hear

The gospels

One of Jesus’ favorite phrases was,

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 8:8)

You see this admonition in the gospels, and you also see it in Revelation.

What did Jesus mean?

When Jesus told his parables, his disciples asked, “Why do you speak this way?” And Jesus answered,

The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:11-15)

It seems a bit unfair for Jesus to say, “I’m giving you the secrets of the kingdom, but not them.”

But here are some things to consider.

First, anyone who wanted to could hear the parables. And while Jesus says that the meanings of these stories were concealed from many, it was not meant to be so in perpetuity.

Rather, Jesus set out these stories to ultimately give light, not to hide the truth. And anything that was hidden from the people would eventually be disclosed and brought into the open. (Luke 8:16-17)

Therefore, whenever anyone asked him the explanations to his parables, he would give them, and the apostles eventually passed these teachings on to everyone they taught.

The question, however, is do people want to know the truth? Are they seeking answers? Or do they just want to be entertained?

That’s what the parables did. It separated those who really wanted to see and hear God’s truth from those who were just caught up in the popularity of Jesus.

The trouble with so many church-going people today is that they’re more interested in being entertained than in hearing God’s truth.

Therefore, though they hear the things the pastor preaches, and sing the songs, the words may “tickle their ears” but never penetrate their hearts.

And when something does strike their hearts and God speaks, they get uncomfortable and stop listening.

Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned before, if they do this long enough, they’ll stop hearing God entirely, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus quoted in Matthew.

They see but don’t really see. They hear, but don’t really hear. Rather, they close their eyes (and ears) to God’s truth.

So Jesus warns, “Consider carefully how you listen. Think carefully about what you hear from God.” (Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18).

If you listen carefully and act on it, God will give you more. But if you don’t, not only won’t you be able to hear God’s voice anymore, you’ll forget what things he’s already taught you.

But Jesus told his disciples,

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17)

How about you? Do you have eyes that see and ears that hear what God is teaching you?