Matthew Matthew 13:1-23 Parables ~ An Introduction

Transcription

1 Matthew Matthew 13:1-23 Parables ~ An Introduction P arables are not unique to Christ. He may have used them more frequently, or more of His are recorded. But I m sure your are familiar with a pretty well-known one in the Old Testament. And in this example you can see one way in which a parable can be used. The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity. Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master s house to you, and your master s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. This is what the LORD says: Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel. Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. (2 Samuel 12:1-13). VIII Rising Opposition to the Kingdom 11:1-13:52 H. Third Discourse: Parables on the Nature of the Kingdom 13: The Parable of the Sower Verses 1-23 a. The Parable Verses 1-9 b. Why Parables? Verses c. The Parable s Meaning Verses 18-23

2 Introduction: This morning we are beginning to look at Christ s parables. In Chapter 13 we find a series of parables, the first of which is the Parable of the Sower. In the midst of this section His disciples ask a reasonable question, Why are you teaching this way? And after He speaks to this, He provides an explanation of the parable. Parables, an overview: But before analyzing the text, I want to speak to the whole issue of parables as a style of teaching, how they are to be interpreted, and how they are not to be interpreted. Consequently, I m sure we are not going to get on to the next section this morning. First then, here is a general overview of parables. Let s start with a definition. PARABLE (Gr. parabole, likeness). Derived from the Greek verb paraballo, composed of the preposition para meaning beside and the verb ballo, to cast. A parable is thus a comparison of two objects for the purpose of teaching, usually in the form of a story. Although the word properly belongs to the NT and is used frequently there, it does occur several times in the OT. There it is the translation of the Hebrew mashal, used in the OT in several senses. It is seen more as a prophetic figurative discourse (Num 23:7, 18 KJV). Ezekiel uses the word much as one would today with the idea of similitude or parable (Ezek 17:2; 24:3). A writer in Psalms treats the word as a poem (Ps 78:2). Finally it is associated with the riddle or dark saying (49:4; Ezek 17:2; 20:49). Five times the NT uses the Greek word paroimia for parable. This may be synonymous with parabole or it may refer to a didactic, symbolic, or figurative utterance (John 10:6 KJV). Because of varied definitions of a parable, scholars have counted 79, 71, 59, 39, 37, and 33 parables in the NT. In comparing the parable with the similar figures of speech, one must bear in mind that often the parable contains elements of these other figures. For instance, there are often elements in the parable that must be treated as allegorical interpretation. While Christ did not invent the parable, it is significant that he is the only one who used it in the NT. At one time in his ministry it was his only method of speaking to the masses (Matt 13:34). It is interesting to note when Christ began to use this methodology. So abrupt was the change in his form of teaching that his disciples asked him why he did this (13:10). It was an effective method of revealing truth to the spiritual and ready mind and at the same time of concealing it from others (13:11). Christ came as Israel s King, and only after they had rejected him did he employ this form of imparting spiritual truth (13:11). 1 I want to reiterate the previous statement. The shift in teaching method, from the straight forward teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, to parables occurs in the midst of the rising hostilities from the Jewish leadership. Now, as we ll see in the passage itself, Jesus is concerned with being understood by those who are drawn to Him and are growing spiritually. As for those who are hostile to Him, He is no longer speaking to them. This is clear from verses in the previous chapter in response to the Pharisees request for a sign. John MacArthur expands on the definition of parable by noting: The idea is that of placing, or laying, something alongside of something else for the purpose of comparison. A spiritual or moral truth would often be expressed by laying it alongside, so to speak, a physical example that could be more easily understood. A common, observable object or practice was used to illustrate a subjective truth or principle. That which was well known was laid alongside that which was not know or understood in order to explain it. The known elucidated the unknown. The parable was a common form of Jewish teaching, and the term is found some 45 times in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. In His earlier teaching, Jesus used many graphic analogies to illustrate divine truth. He had spoken of believers as salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13-16), of their following the example of the birds and lilies in not being anxious about the necessities of life (6:26-30), and of building their lives on the solid 1 Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, The Zondervan Corporation, ) 416 (

3 rock of God s Word rather than the insecure sand of man s philosophy (7:24-27). Although those and other such figures were embryonic parables, their meaning was clear in the context of Jesus teaching. Teaching through parables and other figurative means is effective because it helps make abstract truth more concrete, more interesting, easier to remember, and easier to apply to life. When a truth is externalized in the figures of a parable, the internalizing of moral and spiritual meaning is much easier. 2 Generally a parable will have one primary point. Some try to find meaning in every element but the purpose can get lost in this approach. It reminds me of when I teach on the Tabernacle as a portrait of Christ. Some studies want to find meaning in every last thread. But, this leads to getting bogged down. Second, to understand a parable we have to do so contextually and culturally. These cannot be understood in a vacuum. The illustrations would have been easier to understand by their audience because the illustrations related to the familiar. Toussaint notes: The context of any parabolic instruction is of primary importance for at least two reasons. First, it indicates the reasons for that type of instruction, and second, it is the basis for the interpretation of the parables. 3 Third, Augsburger makes a point which is often overlooked these days, as he states: We should also bear in mind that a parable is a story to be heard; it is not a manuscript to be studied, and hearing it we discern the punch line of the story more readily. We should avoid adding meanings to details which are provided to accentuate the point the storyteller is making. Jesus stories were the way in which He called people to the concrete situation rather than to abstract concepts. Jesus was interested in people in real life, in showing such people how to seek first the kingdom of God. 4 Parables, their Purpose: As we already noted, Jesus began teaching using parables when the Jewish leadership rejected Him and consequently national Israel was temporarily set aside, Ironside, expanding on this point, states: This resulted in the introduction of a new order of things which God had foreseen from eternity, but which had not been declared hitherto. In its fullness this involved the revelation of the mystery of the Church as one Body called out from Jews and Gentiles which the time had not come to unfold. But as preliminary to that Jesus spoke of other mysteries which had been kept secret from the foundation of the world, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. From this point on, in Matthew s Gospel, the term, the kingdom of the heavens refers specifically, not to the final establishment of the kingdom of God over all the earth, but to the mystical form in which that kingdom was to be manifested after the King Himself had returned to heaven, and until His second advent in power and glory to root out of His kingdom all offences and destroy all who work iniquity 5 Parables, an Analysis: I want to close this section with an overview of Chapter 13. There are a number of ways to classify or group the parables, but I find James Montgomery Boice analysis the most convincing: 2 MacArthur, John, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Matthew 1-7, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1985, p Toussaint, Stanley D., Behold the King, Multnomah Press, Portland, OR, 1981, p Augsburger, Myron S. The Preacher s Commentary, Matthew, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN., 1982, p Ironside, H. A., Notes on Matthew, Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ, 1948, p ) 417 (

4 To my mind the first parable stands alone, since it deals with the origin of the kingdom. The next three belong together, since they explain Satan s desire to thwart the kingdom s growth. Parables five and six go together to show the attitude of those who vigorously seek the kingdom in spite of Satan s wiles, and the last parable, the dragnet, shows the kingdom s consummation. Taken together the stories show the nature, origin, hindrances to, and victory of Christ s work of spreading his gospel through his messengers between the days of his first coming and his coming again. 6 Parables, a Telling: Because I don t want to start an analysis of the text this morning, because I won t be able to get far enough, let me read these parables. By the way, I m using a translation which I m not that fond of, but it helps carry forward the sense of story. (For those of you reading this manuscript, choosing your favorite translation, read the following passages out loud and listen to the flow. Hear them as stories. Don t analyze them but consider the point of each one. Then join us next time as we study them.) Now keep in mind, these are stories. Stories in every culture have always been a good way of conveying truth. We all have stories that either tell about who we are, or who we wish we were. What is your story? Here are Jesus. (These are taken from The Messenger. 7 ) What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening? Here s another story: God s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. The farmhands came to the farmer and said, Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn t it? Where did these thistles come from? He answered, Some enemy did this. The farmhands asked, Should we weed out the thistles? He said, No, if you weed the thistles, you ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn. Another story. God s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it. Another story. God s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for 6 Boice, James Montgomery, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol.1 & 2, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2001, p Peterson, Eugene H., The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, NavPress Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, CO ) 418 (

5 dozens of loaves of barley bread and waits while the dough rises. God s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic what a find! and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. Or, God s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it. Or, God s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won t do any good. Finally, keep in mind Jesus stories were intended to convey pictures that were sent within the culture. Today the stories of scripture are translated with the intent of conveying His stories in a langue the recipients can understand. Let me repeat one of the stories I just read in another translation intended for the specific culture of its recipients. Wen God in da sky stay King, dass jalike wen dey throw one net inside da ocean, an get any kine fish. Wend a net come full, da fisha guys bring um on top da beach. Dey put da good kine fishes inside one bucket, an throw out da rubbish kine fishes. Dass how goin be wend a world goin pau. Da angel guys from da skyh goin go all ova da place, and take away da bad guys from da guys dat stay do wat God s Rules say. Dey goin throw da bad guys inside wea onny get fire. Dea dey goin cry real hard an grind dea teet cuz dey so huhu an futless. 8 This week think about your story, and how to tell it. Because as believers, our story should be God s story, and we should Love to Tell the Story. I love to tell the story Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and his glory, Of Jesus and his love: I love to tell the story Because I know tis true; It satisfies my longing As nothing else can do. I love to tell the story; Tis pleasant to repeat What seems each time I tell it, More wonderfully sweet: I love to tell the story, For some have never heard The message of salvation From God s own holy Word. I love to tell the story; For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting To hear it, like the rest: And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, Twill be the old, old story 8 Da Jesus Book, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Orlando, Fl, 2000, p. 42. ) 419 (

6 That I have loved so long. Chorus: I love to tell the story, Twill be my theme in glory To tell the old, old story Of Jesus and his love. 9 9 Hankey, Katherine, I Love to Tell the Story, public domain. ) 420 (

7 Matthew Matthew 13:1-23 Parables ~ An Introduction VIII Rising Opposition to the Kingdom 11:1-13:52 H. Third Discourse: Parables on the Nature of the Kingdom 13: The Parable of the Sower Verses 1-23 a. The Parable Verses 1-9 b. Why Parables? Verses c. The Parable s Meaning Verses Introduction: (2 Samuel 12:1-13) Parables, an overview: (see Numbers 23:7, 18 KJV; Ezek 17:2; 24:3; Ps 78:2, 49:4; Ezek 17:2; 20:49; Matt 13:34, 10, 11, 5:13-16, 6:26-30, 7:24-27)

8 Parables, their Purpose: Parables, an Analysis: Parables, a Telling: (Matthew 13) Personal Application: Meditate on God s blessings. How can you put them into a story? Story can be about what God has provided or will provide in all tenses of salvation, past tense - Justification, present tense - Sanctification, future tense - Glorification. Think about your story, and if you feel comfortable be prepared to share it next Sunday. Prayer for the Week: Lord, help me to see Your story in my story. In Jesus name, amen.