Matthew 13:44–58

Matthew 13:24-43

• Review…
  • FIRST – The Presentation of the King – Matthew 1-7
  • SECOND – The Ministry of the King – Matthew 8-18
  • Parables…
    • PARABLE [παραβολή] – a simple STORY with a deeper SPIRITUAL meaning…
    • But PARABLES were NOT meant to reveal truth – they were meant to CONCEAL it…
    • ONLY the disciples understood the PARABLES – because they asked what they meant…
    • They were a TEST – to see if the hearts of the people were HARD!
  • Seed and Sower…
    • The FIRST parable was about a SOWER who went out to spread SEED on FOUR kinds of SOIL…
    • HARD soil – those who do NOT understand why they need Jesus – satan steals the WORD…
    • STONY soil – those who do NOT understand TRIALS – end up walking away [no roots]
    • THORNY soil – those who do LIVE for riches and this life – end up with NO fruit…
    • GOOD soil – those who do UNDERSTAND – that life is just about knowing Jesus!
• 1^st – False Christians… vs. 24-30 / 36-43
  • 1^st – Understanding Parables… vs. 36
    • Looking for answers…
      • Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.
      • And His disciples came to Him saying: Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field!
      • The disciples DEMANDED [imperative] Jesus explain the PARABLE to them…
      • Because the ONLY way to know what they mean – is to ASK the one who gave them…
      • Which was their PURPOSE – to TEST and see who would ask QUESTIONS!
      • The mark of a true DISCIPLE of Jesus – is NOT the one who understands everything…
      • It is the one who ASKS because he does NOT understand!
    • Hidden truth…
      • Because PARABLES are meant to HIDE the TRUTH – they are HARD to understand!
      • This is why PARABLES are some of the most DIFFICULT passages in the Bible to interpret…
      • Unless Jesus gives us the EXPLANATION [the wheat and tares]
      • Then we have NO idea for certain what the PARABLE means!
  • 2^nd – Two Seeds…
    • Kingdom of Heaven … vs. 24-25
      • Another parable He put forth to them saying:
      • The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
      • The phrase the Kingdom of heaven is LIKE [ὁμοιόω] – is used 11x in Matthew…
      • We call them the KINGDOM Parables – used by Jesus to describe the CHURCH…
      • These PARABLES are CONNECTED by the word ANOTHER….
      • ANOTHER [ἄλλος] – meaning of the same kind as the one before [Seed and Sower]!
    • The Twist… 25-29
      • But while men slept – his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
      • But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop – then the tares also appeared!
      • The servants of the owner came and said to him:
      • Sir – did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?
      • He said to them: An enemy has done this.
      • The servants said to him: Do you want us then to go and gather them up?
      • But he said: No – lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them!
      • In the STORY – the ENEMY [of men] went and sowed TARES in the field of the MASTER…
      • TARES [ζιζάνιον] – also known as DARNEL – look just like WHEAT until they bear fruit…
      • He did so while the MEN [ἄνθρωπος] were SLEEPING [let their guard down]
      • The SERVANTS [δοῦλος] asked the MASTER [κύριος] if they should rip out the TARES…
      • But the MASTER kept saying [imperfect] – NO – because they might harm the WHEAT!
    • The Explanation… vs. 37-39
      • [Jesus] answered and said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
      • The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom.
      • But the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil.
      • The harvest is the end of the age – and the reapers are the angels!
      • If you have every looked at a MAP – they have lots of images…
      • In order to understand what the images mean – you look at the KEY…
      • It describes what all of the images means – so you can understand the MAP!
      • When the DISCIPLES asked – Jesus gave them the KEY to unlock the STORY…
      • SOWER of the GOOD [καλός] seed – is the Son of Man – Jesus spreads the WORD [seed]
      • FIELD – represents the whole WORLD – it is the SOIL [hearts] the SEED falls on…
      • WHEAT – Good [καλός] seed – is the children of the KINGDOM [those who are saved]
      • TARES – are the children of the [ὁ] ENEMY [πονηρός]
      • ENEMY – is the DEVIL [διάβολος] – the one who accuses us – Revelation 12:10
      • HARVEST – is the END of the age – the White Throne Judgement – Revelation 20:11
      • REAPERS – are the ANGELS [ἄγγελος] God uses to gather men for the JUDGEMENT!
      • There are only TWO options – we are the SONS of God or SONS of the devil – Matthew 12:30
      • While there are some who live in such a way it is OBVIOUS which side they are on…
      • Others do their best to LOOK like a Christian – but they are the sons of the DEVIL…
      • They attend CHURCH – they own a BIBLE – they know the right WORDS…
      • Yet although they may fool OTHERS – the LORD knows who they are!
      • II Timothy 2:19 – “The Lord knows those who are His.”
  • 3^rd – The Harvest…
    • Together… vs. 30
      • Let both grow together until the harvest – and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers:
      • First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them.
      • But gather the wheat into my barn!
      • The MASTER commanded [imperative] the WHEAT and TARES to grow together…
      • Only at the time of the HARVEST would they be [future] separated into TWO groups…
      • FIRST – He would have the REAPERS gather the TARES to be burned…
      • SECOND – HE the REAPERS would gather the WHEAT into His barn…
      • The question is WHY does God wait – why let the WHEAT and TARES grow together!
      • II Peter 3:9 – “[The Lord is] longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
      • LONGSUFFERING [μακροθυμέω] – compound word – LONG [μακρο] ANGER [θυμέω]
      • God is PATIENT – He is SLOW to get ANGRY and JUDGE…
      • His PURPOSE in WAITING is so that men might NOT perish [eternal destruction]
      • By not ripping out the TARES – God is giving TIME to REPENT and be saved…
      • And MAYBE – just maybe – some of those TARES might turn into WHEAT!
    • Defining a Tare… vs. 41
      • The Son of Man will send out His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom…
      • All things that offend – and those who practice lawlessness!
      • In the HARVEST – God will send out His ANGELS to remove the TARES…
      • There are TWO test that REVEAL if someone is a TARE:
      • FIRST – those who OFFEND [σκάνδαλον] – encourage others to SIN…
      • People either draw others to Jesus – or away from Jesus…
      • Someone who has the SPIRIT of God in them will always point to the Lord – John 16:14
      • SECOND – those who practice [present] INIQUITY [ἀνομία] – rejecting the LAW of God…
      • Because those who LOVE the Lord – also LOVE His Word – John 14:15
      • And although believers make mistakes – they cannot live in SIN – I John 3:9
      • If we are wondering if EITHER of this things are in our heart – we should EXAMINE ourselves!
      • II Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves – that Jesus Christ is in you.”
    • Separation… vs. 40/42
      • Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire – so it will be at the end of this age.
      • And will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth!
      • Although the WHEAT and the TARES grow together in LIFE…
      • They have a very DIFFERENT fate when the time of the JUDGEMENT [harvest] comes…
      • They SONS of the devil [tares] are gathered together by the ANGELS – Revelation 14:19
      • And they cast into the LAKE of fire – prepared for satan and his angels – Matthew 25:41
      • Where there is WAILING – men MOURNING their eternal separation…
      • GNASHING of teeth – 7x in NT – to snarl or growl in anger!
      • The imagery of hell given by Matthew is particularly graphic…
      • People who pretended they were SAVED [tares]
      • Will be thrown out [passive] into complete DARKNESS [absence of God] – Matthew 8:12
      • There they will vacillate for all ETERNITY between TWO emotions…
      • PITY [weeping] over their miserable state – that they will NEVER be able to escape…
      • And RAGING anger [gnashing] against the one they BLAME for sending them there!
    • Redemption… vs. 43
      • Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
      • He who has ears to hear – let him hear!
      • AFTER the White Throne Judgement – the TARES cast into the Lake of Fire…
      • THEN – the Sons of the Kingdom [wheat] will SHINE in the Kingdom of their FATHER…
      • Referring to the believers who enter into the New Jerusalem – Daniel 12:3
      • Where they will spend ETERNITY in the presence of our God…
      • To which Jesus concludes this SECOND parable with the command [imperative]
      • Anyone who has EARS – make sure to LISTEN to His WORD!
      • Our lives are not about living – they are about a CHOICE…
      • Where will we spend out ETERNITY – what happens to us AFTER the HARVEST…
      • Do we PLAY at Christianity – looking good on Sunday – saying the right words
      • Do we SMILE at sin – thinking it is OK because we get away with it…
      • Do we THINK that we are alright with God because he has NOT uprooted us…
      • Let us instead CHOOSE to be the sons of the Father – GOOD soil planted by GOOD seed…
      • Bringing forth GOOD fruit – showing we are the children of the King!
• 2^nd – False Church… vs. 31-32
  • 1^st – Mustard Seed…
    • Another… vs. 31
      • Another parable He put forth to them saying: 
      • Another KINGDOM Parable – used by Jesus to describe the CHURCH…
      • This PARABLE is CONNECTED by the word ANOTHER….
      • ANOTHER [ἄλλος] – meaning of the same kind as the one before [Wheat and Tares]
      • Put FORTH [παρατίθημι] – to set in front of the CROWD…
      • Jesus is continuing to TEST them – see if anyone will ASK what the PARABLES mean!
    • Big Tree…
      • The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed – which a man took and sowed in his field.
      • Which indeed is the least of all the seeds.
      • But when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree.
      • So that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches!
      • MUSTARD seed [σίναπι] – was the smallest [μικρός] of all SEEDS…
      • But when it grows it BECOMES [subjunctive] unusually LARGE – looks like a TREE…
      • And the BIRDS [πετεινόν] are able to come and build a NEST in the branches!
    • Common View…
      • We are NOT given a KEY from Jesus to INTERPRET this parable…
      • Therefore this is the FRIST possible meaning of the PARABLE…
      • The MAN – is Jesus who comes to his FIELD which is the WORLD…
      • The MUSTARD seed – is the WORD of God that He plants…
      • The TREE – is the CHURCH [kingdom of God] – that grows VERY large…
      • The BIRDS – are those who come to find shelter and a home in the CHURCH!
      • This view is held by many BIG denominations [Catholic]
      • With an emphasis on how the CHURCH would become HUGE – in a GOOD way…
      • Their view is based in the idea that God intends to build His KINGDOM here on earth!
  • 2^nd – Warning…
    • Interpretation…
      • There are some problems with the FRIST view…
      • When interpreting the Bible there is a rule known as EXPOSITIONAL constancy [fancy word]
      • It essentially means the Bible will always interpret things the SAME way…
      • The SEED will always refer the WORD of God – parable of SOWER and TARES…
      • The FIELD [dirt] will always refer to MANKIND – the heart of men…
      • The KINGDOM of God – will always refer to the CHURCH of God…
      • And BIRDS – will always refer to SATAN – Matthew 13:4
    • Second View…
      • In light of the previous PARABLE – Wheat and tares…
      • We know that there are many FALSE believers who come into the CHURCH…
      • This causes the CHURCH to become UNNATURALLY large…
      • And opens the door – so that SATAN [birds] can come and make his home in the CHURCH!
      • For the first THREE centuries – the church was SMALL but healthy…
      • Although there was great PERSECUTION – there was NO compromise…
      • Then Rome – under Constantine – decided to make Christianity the main religion…
      • The church EXPLODED in size – but it also lost much of its INTEGRITY…
      • This is when FALSE doctrines flooded into the CHURCH [Mary worship – idols]
      • As people BLENDED their pagan religions with Christianity…
      • The Resurrection became easter [goddess Ishtar] – winter solstice became the birth of Jesus!
      • Though the numbers GREW – those who truly believed in Jesus DECLINED…
      • Satan found that the best way to beat the church – was to join it!
• 3^rd – False Faith… 33-35
  • 1^st – Leaven… vs. 33
    • Another Parable…
      • Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven.
      • Which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened!
      • Another KINGDOM Parable – used by Jesus to describe the CHURCH…
      • This PARABLE is CONNECTED again by the word ANOTHER….
      • ANOTHER [ἄλλος] – meaning of the same kind as the one before [Mustard Seed]
    • First View
      • This FOURTH parable will be about LEAVEN…
      • LEAVEN [ζύμη] – is what we commonly call YEAST [causes bread to RISE]
      • FIRST time we have a WOMAN in a parable [no expositional constancy]
      • WOMAN represents the humble beginning of the church…
      • She puts LEAVEN – which represents the WORD of God…
      • Into over FORTY liters of dough [a LOT] – which represents the WORLD…
      • Until it had SPREAD [passive] – and the whole world was receives the Gospel!
      • This view again is held by many LARGE denominations [Catholic]
      • It emphasizes that God intends to build a BIG church here on earth!
    • Second view…
      • Again there are some problems with the FRIST view because of EXPOSITIONAL constancy…
      • Although we do NOT have the woman interpreted for us…
      • LEAVEN is a commonly used picture in the Bible – always to describe SIN…
      • When the Jew were FREED from Egypt – they had to eat UNLEAVENED bread [no sin]
      • I Corinthians 5:7 – “Get rid of the [leaven] by removing wicked… from among you.” [NLT]
      • LEAVEN [yeast] – is a micro-organism [plant] begins to DECAY when it touches flour…
      • The gas given off by the process causes bread to PUFF up and rise…
      • A little leaven is ALL that is needed to saturate a whole batch of bread dough…
      • SIN has the ability to spread DECAY – and cause men to be PUFFED up with pride…
      • And it only takes a LITTLE for it to SPREAD and infect the WHOLE church – Galatians 5:9
    • Cut out the sin…
      • The Holy Spirit killed Ananias and Sapphira – for LYING – Acts 5:5
      • Which might seem EXTREME – but God understood the danger of sin SPREADING…
      • It only takes a little CANCER before the life of someone is in peril!
      • A little SIN in those we hang out with – can quickly grow to be a HUGE problem…
      • The longer the SIN goes untreated – the more dangerous it becomes…
      • The only solution – cut out the CANCER – remove the problem!
  • 2^nd – Only Parables… vs. 34-35
    • Multitudes…
      • All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables!
      • And without a parable He did not speak to them.
      • That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables.
      • I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world!
      • Jesus would ONLY speak to the CROWDS in PARABLES…
      • Fulfilling the words of the PROPHET [Asaph] – Psalm 78:2
      • He was giving the people WISDOM [מָשָׁל] from the BEGINNING [foundation of the world]
      • But they could NOT understand it – because they refused to ASK [hard heart]!
    • One message…
      • But the MESSAGE when we put it together is POWERFUL…
      • The WORD goes out into the WORLD – but only bears fruit on GOOD soil [seed and sower]
      • But while the church is SLEEPING [comfortable – confident – caught off guard]
      • The ENEMY also sows his seed – to try and cause problems [wheat and tares]
      • Those TARES cause the CHURCH to become unnaturally large [mustard seed]
      • And opens the door so that SATAN can come into the CHURCH…
      • This allows for SIN [leaven] to begin to infect the CHURCH and spread…
      • So that if it is NOT dealt with – it will spread and CORRUPT the body [cancer]
      • FOUR parables – that taken together become a WARNING…
      • We need to be GOOD soil – on GUARD – and following GODLY exampels!