Week 19 - The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven - Part 1

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1 Monday Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:26-28; Matt. 3:2-3; Luke 1:41; Rom. 8:6; Heb. 2:5-8 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand' (Matt. 4:17) THE EMPHASIS IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW AND THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE Last semester, the topic of the last series of the Daily Food was Why Did God Create Man? Based on Genesis 1:26 and 28, we have seen that God created man according to His own image and likeness that he may grow in life and exercise dominion over the earth, thus releasing it from Satan s subjection (Heb. 2:5). This way, God would be man s content, completely filling him with His life to govern the coming world (vv. 6-8). We have studied the book of Matthew in the past and as many of us recall, we did so emphasizing the church. These days, however, we have stressed the importance of the kingdom of the heavens, which is the main subject of this gospel. In the beginning of Matthew, the Lord Jesus says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (4:17). The first one preaching this was John the Baptist, the forerunner of the King of the kingdom of the heavens (3:2). God had revealed to him that men needed to repent of their sins, for His kingdom was near. Even in his mother s womb, as she met with Mary, John was able to feel that he was before the coming King (Luke 1:41). John the Baptist had been sent before the Lord Jesus with a commission to entreat the people to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight His paths, so that the King of the kingdom of the heavens might come into their hearts (Matt. 3:3). He came to bring in both baptism and repentance. Repentance means to have a change of mind, which is the soul s leading part. In order for this change of mind to take place, one must deny his soullife. It is as if John the Baptist said: Do not remain in your vain thoughts and concepts, being governed by your old traditions; your minds must be renewed. We have seen that the main hindrance in the advance of God s word and will is the soul-life. Hence, John the Baptist came in preaching the change of mind. Chapter 8 of Romans confirms that the mind is the leading part of the soul. Whenever the mind leans toward something, the entire soul follows its direction. If your mind leans toward the flesh, then your entire being will be inclined to the flesh, sin, and spiritual death. However, if your mind is set on the spirit, you will obtain life and peace. What does it mean to deny the soul-life? It means having a change of mind, thereby denying the self and returning to God s presence. Setting the mind on the spirit. Your What was the emphasis of John the Baptist s preaching? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 1

2 Tuesday Scripture Reading: Matt. 3:3-4, 15; 9:14; 11:7; Mark 2:18; Luke 3:21-23; 7:30; John 3:22-23; 13:17 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me [Christ] (Matt. 11:6) THE DANGERS OF BOTH THE OLD AND NEW RELIGION Prior to speaking about the seed of the kingdom of the heavens, it is necessary to revisit some points we shared last week on the work of the Lord Jesus. In the beginning, many disciples followed the Lord, yet there were two major hindrances to His work: the Pharisees and the followers of John the Baptist. The Pharisees prevented people from entering into the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 23:13). They clung to the Old Testament and represented the old religion. Coming from a family of priests, John the Baptist should have been part of the old religion (Luke 1:5, 13). However, he abandoned the old traditions, and instead of serving in the temple, he preached in the wilderness, clothed in camel s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:3-4; 11:7). John had been commission by God to be Jesus forerunner and hence he preached, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (3:2), expecting that many would turn and no longer live by their old soul-life. At the age of 30, Jesus went down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John (Luke 3:21-23). John, however, tried to prevent the Lord by saying, I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him (Matt. 3:14-15). This righteousness refers to what God had predetermined (cf. Luke 7:30). According to God s will, Jesus had to be baptized first, burying His human nature, and then, baptize the people with the Holy Spirit and fire. When Jesus emerged from the water after being baptized, the heavens opened up to Him and the Spirit of God descended upon Him, representing the anointing being poured on Jesus (Matt. 3:16). Having witnessed this, John the Baptist should have asked to be baptized by Jesus and also fulfill God s righteousness. However, he did not do so perhaps because he was not willing to lose his own disciples (9:14; Mark 2:18). Once Jesus had come, not only should John have been baptized by Him and become His disciple, but he should have also led his disciples to follow the Lord. Nevertheless, he did not do so, but continued baptizing people in Aenon near Salim, while Jesus baptized in the land of Judea (John 3:22-23). Later on, John s disciples joined the practices of the Pharisees, fasting according to them (Mark 2:18). John and his followers had already rejected the practices of the Old Testament and should have not returned to them. This was part of the old religion. Ultimately, however, John s disciples joined the Pharisees and formed another religion. This new religion opposed the Lord Jesus and His way: Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? (Matt. 9:14). This represents the persecution by both the old and new religion against those who decide to walk on the kingdom s path. We must be careful to not be influenced by either the old or the new religion. Religion is the attempt of man to please God independent from Him. This is the same as living by our natural being and neglecting the divine life by creating a number of rules and regulations, which ultimately become traditions. If we are faithful to follow the Lord s instructions today, which keep us in the freshness of the Christian life, we may suffer persecution, as it happened during the time of the Lord Jesus. These persecutions may even come from people who helped you understand biblical truths in the past. It is important to stress that the Lord s Word is wonderful and we must richly enjoy it. Nonetheless, practicing His Word is what truly keeps us new and saturated in spiritual freshness (John 13:17). If we do not practice the words we hear, we become prone to forming yet a new religion and live according to our own traditions. We must remain steadfast in the way of the divine life, and as a result, we will increasingly see and enjoy the Lord s blessing. The last period in the life of John the Baptist is a warning to us, for he kept his disciples even in prison: And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 2

3 Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? (Matt. 11:2-3). It is as if John had doubted whether Jesus was the King of the kingdom of the heavens and said: If You are indeed the King, why will You not release me from prison? Undoubtedly, Jesus had the power to release John, as recorded in the book of Acts, when Peter was put in prison, and the Lord released him (12:7-11). Concerning John the Baptist, however, Jesus answered, Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me (Matt. 11:4-6). In other words, this is as if Jesus had said, This is enough proof of who I am and that this is the work of the Son of God. John, however, did not show any signs of repentance and was later beheaded, as commanded by Herod (14:6-11). This episode shows us that despite being delivered from the old religion, there is still a possibility of living under the influence of a new one. This is why we have spoken about abandoning both the old and new religion. Those who serve in the Lord s work must always be mindful of this matter. We should not oppose the Lord s work because of our own religion. When we deny our soul-life, that is, our self, we become able to eliminate both the old and new religion in us. Advancing in the way of the Lord by practicing His Word. Your What can we learn from the experience of John the Baptist? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 3

4 Wednesday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:10-17 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear (Matt. 13:13, 16) THE LORD JESUS SPEAKS IN PARABLES Matthew chapter 13 presents seven parables: the parable of the sower, the tares, the mustard grain, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and parable of the dragnet. These parables are prophetically fulfilled in church history, in the seven churches (Rev. 2-3), which we will expound on next week. And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him (Matt. 13:10-12). The Lord speaks all His words to us, who are His disciples, yet to others, He explains why He only uses parables: Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand (v. 13). They hear the parables as mere doctrines, for they do not have the reality of practicing them. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them (vv ). By living in themselves, their hearts have become filled with pride and have hardened, rendering them incapable of touching the words spoken by the Lord. In the past, we learned the precious spiritual principle of going where the Spirit is carrying out His work. Instead of seeking help where the work of the Spirit had been flowing, those who did not follow this principle ended up starting a new religion little by little. The Lord used the parables to present the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens. He knew that instead of receiving these parables as lessons for spiritual growth, some would only take them as doctrines and mere objects of theological investigation. Whenever this happens, practicing the Lord s words becomes very difficult due to the pride that fills and hardens the hearts of these ones. Knowing this, let us keep our heart humble and always ready to learn from others, so that our eyes may see and our ears may hear. Hallelujah! This way, we will be blessed! Following the Spirit s move. Your Why did the Lord use parables to speak about the kingdom of the heavens? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 4

5 Thursday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:3-8, While it is said: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion' (Heb. 3:15) THE SEED THAT FELL BY THE WAYSIDE The first parable presented by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 13 is the one on the sower. This parable indicates that the kingdom of the heavens is a matter of life, for it deals with the condition of the ground (our heart), which is essential to allow the life in the seed (the word of the kingdom) to grow. The sower had gone out to sow; while sowing, his seed fell on four places with different conditions of ground. The first condition refers to seed that fell by the wayside and was unable to germinate; this soil became hard from constant trampling (Matt. 13:3-4, 19). The second condition is conveyed through seed that fell on stony places, where there was too little earth (vv. 5-6, 20-21). The third condition has to do with seed that fell on ground that appeared to be good and even grew, yet the thorns choked it. The thorns typify the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (vv. 7, 22). Lastly, the condition of the fourth type of ground was good indeed, yielding a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty (v. 8). The seed represents the word of the kingdom (v. 19), which is the word of life, indicating that the kingdom of the heavens is not a matter of doctrines or regulations, but rather a matter of allowing God s life to grow in our hearts. When dealing with this parable, we would ask ourselves: Why are we not this good ground yet? and even: How can we become this good ground? In this series of the Daily Food, we have seen that in order to answer these questions, reaching the condition of good ground, we must have a change of mind, we must repent. The first portion of the seeds fell on hard ground, by the wayside. This is due to the constant transit of people on a certain path; when this happens, the ground becomes rock-like from all the trampling. As these seeds fell on the hardened ground, they had no chance to germinate, being snatched by the birds of the air before ever penetrating the soil. Sometimes, the Lord Jesus sows in our hearts, yet because they have been hardened and occupied by other things, we take no heed. Hence, God s word cannot penetrate our heart, and the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown there (v. 19). We cannot remain in a barren condition. We should put an end to the traffic that hardens our heart that it may be soft. Only when we seek the Lord s presence and present our condition to Him do we obtain repentance so that the divine seed may have the way to enter into us. This way, we will have a heart that is sensitive and ready to absorb God s word and bear much fruit. Hallelujah! Receiving the Word with a proper heart. Your What must be done so the seed sown by the wayside may bear fruit? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 5

6 Friday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:5-6, For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God (Heb. 6:7) THE SEED THAT FELL ON THE STONY GROUND We praise the Lord for revealing, in His Word, the need to deal with the hardness of our heart, that it may depart from the packed down condition of the ground by the wayside, and become soft to receive the seed of life and bear much fruit. Once this matter has been resolved, the work must continue, for the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 goes on, saying: Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away (vv. 5-6). The seed needs the earth, the ground, for it retains water. When it rains, the ground absorbs the water and becomes moist, affording the seed with the proper environment for germination; upon falling on such damp ground, the seed is able to sprout. We see, therefore, that the ground is an essential element for the seed s fruit-bearing. Although the second condition conveys the presence of earth, there are stones as well: But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles (vv ). When a seed falls into the soil after being cast, it quickly grows. Then, this new plant proceeds by deepening its roots in search of water. In stony places where soil is scarce, however, it cannot extend its roots because it is hindered by the many stones in the way. This makes it impossible for the roots to extend and find the humidity necessary for growth. The same may happen to us if we do not seek the supply in the Word, for as we are met by difficulties and persecutions, represented in this parable by the sun, we will lose heart and not bear any fruit. We must not allow this condition to continue. Instead, we must seek the Lord s Word and be enlightened by It, that is, we must deny our soul-life, our natural being. The soul-life must be plucked out, as one remove stones from the ground. This does not mean that the earth, or that our soul, should be removed, but everything that hinders the word of the kingdom from spreading its roots into our heart, such as pride, self-sufficiency, jealousy, ambition, etc. must be removed. This is the reason why we always emphasize the importance of denying the soul-life. By practicing this, only the good ground will remain, which is a heart prepared to receive the seeds of life. Removing the stones. Your What is the meaning of removing the stones in your own experience? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 6

7 Saturday Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:7, 22 Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things (Matt. 6:31-32) THE SEED THAT FELL AMONG THE THORNS We saw, yesterday, that the ground by the wayside needs to be softened and the stony places freed of stones. The result of such labor is soil in abundance to receive the seeds of life. The third condition of the ground in the parable of the sower reveals a soil that is ready (Matt. 13:7, 22). But despite springing up, it needed sunlight to develop further. Wheat, for instance, has numerous kinds of seed; the type of climate and soil determine which kind should be sown. Moreover, seeds are selected according to their need of sunlight. The amount of light it receives is proportional to the growth it will render. In like manner, we also need the light proceeding from God s Word to grow and mature. This parable in Matthew 13 shows us that despite germinating and growing, the seed sown among thorns was later choked by them. Verse 22 goes on to explain: Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. In other words, when it is time to bear fruit, being useful to the Lord and to His kingdom, the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke what has been invested in us: God s words deposited in us. These cares are also the result of a selfish living. We must get rid of these things and become the good ground, which multiplies one hundred, sixty, or thirtyfold. Among our supplemental hymns, there is one called The sower went out to sow (S-38); it talks about removing the thorns. We know that the thorns represent the cares that come from the soul-life. These cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches operate in the realm of the soul, which is independent from God. Merely removing the thorns is insufficient, for they may grow back and choke the plant. Removing the thorns may be compared to being rid of such cares while going through sufferings caused by outward circumstances. If a brother is in a car accident, for instance, he may pray in the hospital bed: Oh Jesus, have mercy on me! From this day forward I will spend more time on You and Your interests. Once recovered, however, he may forget Jesus and go back to his own things. Is this not how it goes? This kind of suffering is insufficient to deal with the source of the thorns: our soul-life. Tomorrow, we will see that burning the thorns is the best way to deal with that which chokes us. Being enlightened by the Word to remove the thorns in order to bear fruit. Your In your own experience, what has choked the seed of life? REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 7

8 Powered by TCPDF ( Week 19 - The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven - Part 1 Sunday Scripture Reading: Matt. 3:11; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 4:11-12; Rev. 21:18 That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:7) WHEN OUR HEART BECOMES GOOD GROUND Some of Paul s epistles tell us of circumstances where he denied himself amidst sufferings produced by outward situations, overcoming numerous obstacles in the way of the furtherance of the Lord s work during his time. Although this is good, it is not sufficient, for the soul-life tends to manifest itself even when there is no physical or apparent trouble. While studying Peter s epistles, we have been helped further. In his first epistle, Peter helped us see that the best way to deal with the soul-life, that is, the impurities of our soul, we need to burn them with the purifying fire of the Spirit just as gold is purified (1 Pet. 1:6-7, 22; Matt. 3:11). 24 carat gold possesses a purity of 99.9%; it still is not 100% pure. Peter showed us how to obtain gold that is more precious than that which perishes. This gold is completely pure and can be found in the New Jerusalem; it is like clear glass (Rev. 21:18). If it were perishable and solid, one would not be able to see through it. Yet this gold is pure and transparent. While going through this constant burning, the genuineness of our faith is confirmed, becoming more precious than perishable gold. We have learned that whenever our soul-life is manifested be it pride, self-sufficiency, ambition, or jealousy we must put it through the fire of the Spirit and repent that it may be burned and eliminated. If it happens again, we must submit it once more to the fire of the Spirit. If we practice this, we will have this good ground that has been tilled and freed from stones and thorns to bear fruit without any hindrances. Therefore, as we sing hymn S-38, mentioned yesterday, our feeling must be not only to remove the thorns that take up room in our heart and put them aside, but also to burn them and prevent any possibility of regrowth. God wants us to reign in the coming world, yet for this to happen, we must deny our soul-life that we may grow in life and be perfected (Eph. 4:11-12); gifts will become ministries, and ministries will become operations (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Once perfected, we will be ready to govern the coming world. The main concern in the parable of the sower is the burning of the soul-life to remove all impurities from our heart, so that the divine life can continue to grow and bear abundant fruit in us. Hallelujah! Burning the soul-life in the fire of the Spirit. Your What are the prerequisites to reigning in the coming world? Additional Reading Enrich your reading of the Daily Food by simultaneously reading the books suggested below: The Mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens chaps. 2-3 Dong Yu Lan. Like God in Life and Nature chap. 3 Dong Yu Lan. REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS HAS DRAWN NEAR - God with Us 8