Sunday, June 10, Lesson: Matthew 13:24-33; Time of Action: 28 A.D.; Place of Action: by the Sea of Galilee

Transcription

1 Sunday, June 10, 2018 Lesson: Matthew 13:24-33; Time of Action: 28 A.D.; Place of Action: by the Sea of Galilee Golden Text: Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn (Matthew 13:29-30). I. INTRODUCTION. Jesus taught in a number of different ways. One of the more common ways was by using parables. Simply put, a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus taught this way to explain truth to believing, receptive hearts and to hide it from those who were unbelieving. Our lesson this week includes three parables from the seven parables in Matthew. These seven parables reveal truth about the time from the ascension of Christ to His return in the future. In other words, the seven parables in Matthew chapter 13 cover the time period during which the King is absent from earth. Yes, the King is currently absent, but this won t always be the case. He will come again. We would do well to examine our lives in view of the promise from the Lord that He will return. The study of the parables in this week s lesson will remind us of our need to be ready when the Lord comes.

2 II. LESSON BACKGROUND. The events in this week s lesson took place in the second year of Jesus public ministry (see Luke 3:23 and Mark 1:9-2:1). He was in the midst of His great Galilean work (see Luke 4:14-15). The Savior continued to experience growing opposition and disapproval from the religious leaders of Israel (see Matthew 9:10-11, 34; Mark 2:5-6, 15-16). In chapter 12, Jesus has a confrontation with the Pharisees about the Sabbath Day. They accused His disciples of breaking the Sabbath law by picking corn to eat on their way to the synagogue (see Matthew 12:1-8). After setting the Pharisees straight about actions on the Sabbath Day, Jesus entered the synagogue and healed a man with a withered or deformed hand (see Matthew 12:9-13) declaring to the Pharisees that it is a good thing to do good on the Sabbath Day. As a result, the Pharisees left the synagogue to discuss what they could do to destroy Jesus (see Matthew 12:14). Jesus could read their minds so He also left the synagogue and told the multitude that followed Him not to tell anyone where or who He was (see Matthew 12:14-21). Once again Jesus defended Himself to the Pharisees who confronted Him and accused Him of casting out demons by the devil (see Matthew 12:24-30). Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees by accusing them of blaspheming the Holy Ghost (see Matthew 12:31-37). The Pharisees then asked Jesus to give them a sign and He gave the sign of Jonah and the queen of Sheba to illustrate His coming death and resurrection and also to declare that He was greater than Solomon (see Matthew 12:38-42). In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus was informed that His mother and brethren were there

3 to see Him. This prompted Jesus to reveal new relationships that He would establish with those who do the will of His Father. They would become His mother and brothers meaning His new family. Then in Matthew 13:1-9, Jesus gives the parable of the sower and the soils and explains why He spoke in parables (see Matthew 13:10-17) and also explained what that parable meant (see Mathew 13:18-23). Our lesson begins with Matthew 13:24 with Jesus giving the parable of the wheat and the tares. This is where our lesson begins. III. THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES (Matthew 13:24-30) A. Two kinds of seeds (Matthew 13:24-25). 1. (vs. 24). Our first verse says Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. Jesus had just given the parable of the sower and the soils and now He was giving His disciples Another parable. In this parable, Jesus likened or compared the kingdom of heaven to a man who planted good seeds in the ground. Jesus interpreted this parable in Matthew 13:36-43 and He identified the man which sowed good seed in his field as the Son of man or Jesus Himself (see Matthew 13:37). However, Jesus also interpreted the parable of the sower and the soils in Matthew 13:18-23, but He didn t identify the sower in that parable. Jesus also interpreted the seed in this parable as being the

4 children of the kingdom meaning believers (see Matthew 13:38). Note: Parables are normally defined as a similitude or likeness used to teach or enforce a truth. A simpler definition of a parable would be an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. A parable compares something familiar with something unfamiliar. Here Jesus compares what is familiar, the man who plants seed to the unfamiliar which is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus used parables to help us understand spiritual truths by using everyday objects and relationships. Parables compel listeners to discover truth, while at the same time concealing the truth from those too lazy or too stubborn to see it. To those who are honestly searching, the truth becomes clear. When asked by His disciples why He spoke in parables, Jesus admitted He had two purposes. First, that His followers might know the mysteries of the kingdom, and second that those whose hearts were hardened might neither hear, nor understand the mysteries of the kingdom (see Matthew 13:9-13). However, we must be careful not to read too much into parables, forcing them to say what they don t mean. All parables have one meaning unless Jesus specifies otherwise. Regarding the term kingdom of heaven, it is only used in Matthew s Gospel. In general, it refers to the rule of the God of heaven over the earth. The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are similar in many respects and they are sometimes used synonymously. However, sometimes in Matthew s gospel, the kingdom of heaven is contrasted with the kingdom of God as in the parables Jesus gave where the kingdom of heaven includes men and women on

5 earth and not angels or other creatures. The kingdom of heaven includes both the saved and the lost as shown by the wheat (the saved) and the tares (the lost) where the tares are cast out of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is also compared to a net containing both good and bad fish which are later separated (see Matthew 13:47). The gospel writers use the term kingdom of God to designate the sphere of salvation that can only be entered into by the new birth (see John 3:5-7). It includes only the saved. When the term kingdom of God is contrasted with the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God includes those who have truly confessed Jesus Christ whereas the kingdom of heaven includes both those who have confessed Jesus Christ as well as those who have only professed Him which can be real of false (see Matthew 25:1, 11-12). In addition, when the kingdom of heaven is used to distinguish it from the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven refers to the church age while Jesus is absent. In essence, when the two terms are used to distinguish one from the other, the kingdom of heaven includes both saved men and women here on earth. The kingdom of heaven when spoken of as different from the kingdom of God will be complete at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. However, the kingdom of God will not be complete until Jesus Christ, having put all enemies under His feet, including the last enemy, death, delivers the kingdom to God, even the Father (see I Corinthians 15:24-28). Christ did triumph over death at His resurrection (see I Corinthians 15:54-55), but death, the last enemy, is not actually destroyed until

6 the end of the millennium. The kingdom of God is not a geographical location, but is a spiritual realm where God rules and where we share in His eternal life. We join that kingdom when we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The kingdom of God will never end, but will continue forever into the eternal state. 2. (vs. 25). Jesus continues to say in this verse But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. During the night when everyone was asleep, the enemy of the sower who sowed the good seed, came and sowed tares among the wheat. When Jesus interpreted this parable, He identified the enemy as the devil (see Matthew 13:39). The owner of the land had planted wheat, which was good seed, but his enemy, the devil came along and planted tares among the wheat. The devil who planted the tares was determined to do damage to the good crop and to the one who planted it. After the devil did his dirty work, he went his way probably to do the same thing somewhere else. We should never think that we are the only ones the devil is after. I Peter 5:8 warns us to Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Believe me, Satan never quits! Note: Tares or darnel grass as it is called in Israel, looks like wheat throughout the growing stages. In its growth and form, darnel grass has a strong resemblance to genuine wheat. The stalks look very much alike, but the darnel produces no grain. If eaten, it causes dizziness and sometimes vomiting. In Jesus parable, the two different kinds of seeds were sown by

7 two different men in the same soil. So what was the major teaching of this parable? It was to illustrate how truth and error, the saved and the lost can exist side by side and are often indistinguishable from each other. B. Two kinds of fruit (Matthew 13:26-27). 1. (vs. 26). This verse says But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. It s true that the fruit produced by anything tells the tale. When the wheat started growing the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit. In other words, when the wheat began to grow the blade it produced is referred to as fruit. Once the blade or actual wheat appeared, then appeared the tares also. However, before the fruit or actual wheat appears, the tares and the wheat look alike. Note: The same thing is true in spiritual matters. Mere profession and true possession are often indistinguishable except for the fruit. People often profess to have faith in Jesus Christ, but they show little or no fruit (works) of that faith. Remember, faith without works is dead (see James 2:20). Certainly we must be careful not to judge; yet Scripture is clear in its teaching that a tree will be known by its fruit (see Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43-45). There s nothing wrong with being fruit inspectors. 2. (vs. 27). This verse says So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? It seems that when the servants saw the

8 tares in the field, they were puzzled. Knowing the habits, wealth and character of the householder, the servants expected a purer crop of wheat. So they went to the householder and asked Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? They were well aware that only wheat was planted, but they were surprised to find tares in the wheat. No one would deliberately grow tares anywhere, especially among a good crop of wheat. C. Enemies at work (Matthew 13:28-29). 1. (vs. 28). This verse says He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? The householder immediately knew what happened. He answered the servants question saying An enemy hath done this. In truth, the tares themselves were enemies of the wheat. They took the place of wheat and hindered the growth of the wheat. But just as the householder stated, the one who planted the tares was also an enemy. From the householder s answer, it was clear that the tares didn t belong in the wheat field. So the servants asked him Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? In other words they were asking the householder if he wanted them to go and pull up the tares. Notice, that being good servants they asked permission from their master, the owner of the field before they did anything. In so doing they showed submission to the will of the owner. This truth has profound meaning for those who would be Jesus servants. They too, must be subject to His will. Remember, when Jesus

9 interpreted this parable, He identified the owner of the field as Himself (see Matthew 13:37). 2. (vs. 29). This verse says But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. In response to his servants request to pull up the tares, the householder answered Nay or no. He realized that tares and wheat growing together had their roots intertwined, so he continued to say to his servants lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. The householder knew that pulling out the tares would destroy much of the wheat crop. The tares or darnel grass usually wrapped itself around the root of good grain; so it is impossible to separate them without plucking up both. Note: We must not understand this parable of our Lord to mean that evil should never be separated from righteousness. But when it comes to determining heart conditions, we are not qualified to make that separation. We cannot always detect with certainty the counterfeit Christian from the true one. The two will be separated from each other by God in His time and in His way. The chief concern of the householder was the wheat. The same is true with our Lord. His major interest is His own. He guards and protects them always. D. Harvest time (Matthew 13:30). This verse says Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. The

10 householder, realizing the damage that could be done to the wheat if the tares were pulled up, came up with a plan that would call for the servants to be patient. The plan was twofold. First, it involved allowing the two to grow together until the harvest. The owner said Let both grow together until the harvest. The harvest is a metaphor for the judgment (see Jeremiah 51:33; Revelation 14:15-16). Jesus further explained that the harvest is the end of the world (see Matthew 13:39). The second part of the owner s plan included the reapers. In His interpretation of this parable, Jesus identified the reapers to be angels (see Matthew 13:39). In this parable, the owner continued to say to his servants, in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them. The householder decided that the good and the bad seed should be allowed to grow together, but at harvest time (the end of the world), a distinction will be made. Although it s hard to tell the good from the bad who are together in this world, at the judgment they shall be separated. No tares will be among the wheat and no sinners will be among the saints. The reapers, who are the angels, will gather the tares first and tie them into bundles and burn them (see Revelation 20:10-15). Note: This will be fulfilled at the end of the world (see Matthew 13:40), when Jesus Christ returns to reign and the wicked will be destroyed (see Malachi 4:1). They will be cast into a furnace of fire which will be the end of wicked, mischievous people, who are in the church like the tares were in the field. They are fit for nothing but fire and to it they will go; it is the fittest place for them. Let us pray, as David did, Lord, gather not my

11 soul with sinners (see Psalms 26:9), but let it be bound in the bundle of life, with the Lord our God (see I Samuel 25:9). The Church, already translated before the tribulation will be gathered into the millennial kingdom together with those living believers who have survived the tribulation period (see Matthew 13:43; 24:13; 25:31-34), and the resurrected righteous men and women of all the previous ages. Then the wheat will be gathered and put in the owners barn which refers to the kingdom of God (see the note at verse 24). Note: At the time of the harvest or the end of the world, it will be easy to detect the tares and separate them from the wheat. At that time, removing the tares will not affect the wheat, whereas before it would have. Among the truths taught by this parable, several things stand out in importance. First, notice that Jesus said the field is the world (see Matthew 13:38) and not the church. We can expect that those who are outwardly good but are merely professors of faith will always be in the world among true believers. Second, the wheat was not responsible for the presence of the tares. Truth does not produce falsehood. Hypocrisy and counterfeits are the result of Satan s deceit. Third, even though we might want to, it will be impossible to completely remove all the counterfeit believers from the world until the Day of Judgment when Jesus Christ will separate the true believers from the false ones (see Matthew 25:31-46). We need to be sure that our faith in Jesus Christ is sincere and not counterfeit.

12 IV. THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED (Matthew 13:31-32) A. Planting a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31). This verse says, 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. Here Jesus gives Another parable to the multitudes (see Matthew 13:2-3, 34). This time He said that The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field. The mustard seed is a very small seed, but the tree that grows from it is quite large. In this parable, Jesus said that a man took a grain of mustard seed and planted it in his field. B. The growth of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:32). Still referring to the mustard seed, Jesus said in this verse 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. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard see that He says Which indeed is the least of all seeds. The word least here literally means smaller. Jesus went on to say that when the mustard seed is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree. Unlike the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus did not interpret the meaning of the mustard seed parable to His listeners. However, the contexts of the other parables help us understand the point Jesus was making with this parable. The Lord s point here is that the kingdom of heaven like the mustard seed, had a very small

13 beginning, but it has grown to produce great results. The kingdom of heaven began on earth with just Jesus and His twelve disciples, but it continued to grow so fast that a few weeks after His resurrection there were at least 120 believers (see Acts 1:15). As the kingdom of heaven continues to grow, it includes both true believers and counterfeit believers. In the parable, Jesus goes on to say that the tree that the mustard seeds grow into is large enough so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. The Bible doesn t state conclusively what the birds represent. But based on other passages, it appears that the birds in this parable represent people (see Ezekiel 31:3,6; Daniel 4:10-12, 19-22), those who are not truly born again who associate themselves with the outward form of Christianity but have not experienced any spiritual change. They seek shelter among true believers, but they only defile the tree. The birds who lodge in the branches of the great tree of Christendom in this parable represent those who are not members of the kingdom, but are men and women in general who find the church beneficial and enjoy its influence in the world. This would mean that the quickly growing kingdom of heaven will provide shelter even for children of Satan. However, the church must be aware of those who would use the body of Christ for personal, economic, political, or social advantages instead of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Note: Some objections have been raised about the truthfulness of Jesus referring to the mustard seed as the smallest seed. It is true that there are smaller seeds than the mustard seed like the orchid seed. But there really is no issue here. When we consider Jesus audience, He most likely used the mustard seed because it had

14 become a proverb for small size (see Matthew 17:20). Although it was not literally the smallest of seeds, and it yielded a shrub rather than a tree, using the mustard seed plant conveyed Jesus point better than any other that a small thing can become mighty. In addition, around the Lake of Galilee, the mustard seed tree commonly reaches eight to ten feet. V. THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN (Mathew 13:33). Our final verse says 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. Again the Lord taught by using something that the people would easily understand. This is a principle that should be used by all who desire to teach God s truth. In this parable, Jesus likened the kingdom of heaven to leaven. Almost everywhere in the Bible leaven is used to stand for what is evil (see Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 10:12; Matthew 16:6; I Corinthians 5:6-8). The only exception is in Leviticus 23:17. The context of Matthew 13:33 reveals that here leaven refers to evil. Jesus said, that The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Leaven is a substance added to dough to make it rise. Leaven was really fermented (sour) dough and was added to the new dough. A piece of fermented dough was kept ready for the next baking. Not much leaven was required because a little could leaven a large lump of dough (see I Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9).

15 The fact that this woman hid the leaven in the meal simply means that she put it in the meal or dough. With this parable, Jesus was evidently depicting the secret growth of evil in the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 13:27). When unbelievers, under the pretense of having saving faith enter the congregation, the church is leavened. Unbelievers points of view can spread through the whole church just like the leaven in a loaf of bread, until the whole loaf is affected. When that happens, the church loses its testimony, and its ministry to reach the lost is destroyed. The main point in the use of the leaven in the parable was to show that it didn t take much to affect the whole amount of meal or dough. It appears that the meal in the parable represents what is true. The leaven corrupts it. So Jesus was teaching that in the present church age, false doctrine will permeate true Christianity. Certainly this has been true and still is. Note: There are some who understand the leaven to refer to the gospel and that Jesus was teaching that ultimately the whole world will be converted. But nowhere is this taught in Scripture. In fact, the opposite is true. Instead of worldwide conversion, the Bible describes the last days as especially wicked and filled with rebellious Christrejecting men and women (see I Timothy 4:1-3; II Timothy 3:1-7). In addition, it seems strange that the leaven would be hidden in the dough if it refers to the gospel. The good news of salvation is never to be hidden, but must be published and spread over the whole world (see Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

16 VI. Conclusion. Jesus taught the multitudes in parables in order that He might reveal things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world (see Matthew 13:34-35). There is much for us to learn from our Lord s teaching in these parables. Surely, we are not to teach and proclaim His message in such a way that the obstinate and rebellious will not understand. Jesus message about the present form of the kingdom was unique. It came immediately after He and His kingdom were rejected by the religious leaders. That s why He taught the multitude and His disciples the way He did. We need to use every possible means to get the message of the gospel out. We should not busy ourselves by spending all our resources and efforts trying to separate the wheat from the tares. Besides, that s God s business. Instead, we must get on with the task of proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ as it is revealed in the Bible. ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***