Jesus Teaches in Parables
The focus of the past 4 sermons from Matthew has been the ministry of Jesus…
Jesus ministry of teaching – Matthew 5-7 which we dealt with in 2 parts. Matthew provides us with an example of how Jesus taught about the law of God, standards personal behavior, thoughts & actions, as well as good works.
Jesus ministry of healing – Matthew 8-9. Matthew grouped together a number of examples of Jesus healing illustrating His compassion, care for the outcast, His authority over body life forces of spirit realm… and over sin and death.
Jesus ministry of proclamation – Matthew 10 Jesus send for the church to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus sermon grants authority, gives some limitations, tells what to say… along with some practical instruction on dealing with rejection and opposition.
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Jesus Teaches in Parables
View this message on YouTube -
Jesus Teaches in Parables
The next section of extended teaching from Jesus is
found in Matthew 13… which for those of you who know your bible is the first major section of parables from Jesus.
found in Matthew 13… which for those of you who know your bible is the first major section of parables from Jesus.
Why did Jesus begin using parables?
You’ve probably heard that Jesus was a great story teller… that He used stories to get the attention of His listeners and to drive home a particular spiritual or doctrinal point. Jesus was indeed a good story teller and His parables do drive home particular spiritual and doctrinal understanding… but not to everyone!
Jesus frequently spoke quite plainly to the people about who He was and what He was up to. Some couldn’t take it in because they expected the messiah to act a certain way… and Jesus didn’t do and say what they expected the messiah to do and say.
the gospel records indicate that what really drew the crowds was the miraculous displays of His power … healing, driving our demons, feeding vast crowds from a few loaves of bread and so forth.
Let’s back up and look at the two chapters of Matthew leading up to chapter 13.
Chapter 11 shows that even John The Baptist… the one who pointed to Jesus and said “behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”… after seeing how Jesus was operating… teaching… healing… and sending forth the disciples to proclaim the KOG… John was confused and he sent some messenger to ask “are you really the messiah? Or should we keep looking?”… Jesus reminds John of the prophecies that are being fulfilled and coaches him to hang in there.
After a brief explanation to the crowd gathered around Him that John is the last of the OT prophets and the Elijah to come… Jesus begins to criticize their fickleness… John comes with a somber message of self denial, spiritual discipline and repentance before God and they say John is possessed by a demon. Jesus comes with a message of mercy, joy and restoration and he’s called a glutton, drunkard and friend of sinners…
He also criticizes the cities He had been preaching and teaching in because they had not responded to the plain teaching and instruction they have gotten from both Himself and from John… The words went in one ear and out the other… they have not changed their lives at all!
Matt 11:25-27 He talks to the crowd about humility as a prerequisite to receiving God’s truth
Matt 11:28-30 He offers them relief from their burdens and oppression
Two Examples of Burdens to Be Relieved
Traditions of Men and false religious beliefs – read this section on the Lord of the Sabbath… and I think you’ll see that here we have an example of Jesus confronting the burdensome traditions of men. Specifically, the traditions regarding Sabbath observance: it’s ok to eat on the Sabbath… it’s ok to lift food to your mouth from a bowl or a plate… but it’s not ok to pluck a head of grain and lift it to your mouth? It’s ok to pull a stranded animal out of a hole on the Sabbath but it’s not ok to heal a suffering person on the Sabbath?
Don’t lecture me on what’s allowed I’m the creator of the Sabbath!
And what is the reaction? After that the Pharisees began to plot how to destroy and kill Him. Verse 14
Spiritual Oppression – next Jesus demonstrates His power and authority to drive away spiritual oppression by casting a demon out of a man.
And what is the reaction? They accuse Him of being in league with the prince of demons
People were hearing plain spoken true teaching about repentance from dead works… they were witnessing with their own eyes the fulfillment of the prophesied Messiah with supernatural power over human life, sickness, and the spirit realm… and they were rejecting it.
Instead… they ask Him to prove Himself with some magic tricks… He refuses and instead offers them a soon to be fulfilled prophecy of His death and resurrection. (God’s miracles have purpose)
Jesus Begins to Speak in Parables
His parables and stories were filled with truth about the coming Kingdom of God but were not easy to understand without help and instruction. And the key to accessing the truth embedded in the parable was humility… a willingness to ask “what does this mean?”… a willingness to listen… and a willingness to act upon what you have heard. Humility in this case means to put aside your own ideas about truth, life, reality… and to listen to God your creator.
The Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13:1-9
Verse 1 “that same day”… so the crowd was listening to what Jesus had to say but what had attracted them was the dramatic healings, casting out of demons and so forth… but what did they take away from these parables?
That Jesus guy said some pretty deep stuff… Not sure I really understand but it sounded profound… Those miracles were pretty cool though, weren’t they?
In contrast, a small group of disciples approached Jesus and asked Him to explain why He was speaking in parables and what did the parables mean. Verses 10-17.
For those whose hearts are already hardened parables obscure and confuse… but for those with a willing heart… willing to humble themselves and be taught parables can provide valuable insight. There are aspects of the truth which are hidden… mysteries… to understand them you need a guide. The disciples had Jesus (God in the flesh) there with them, later the Holy Spirit would take this role… but I submit to you that along with the Holy Spirit you need the church of God.
I do not come to you each Sabbath with messages based on stuff I figured out myself… I come to you with messages based on the things I have been taught by others.
Often people come to understand something basic and fundamental on their own… like the keeping of the Sabbath. But an understanding of God’s plan of salvation, the truth about judgment, the resurrections or what sonship in the KOG really means… these things are taught and passed along by the Church of God together with the Holy Spirit.
The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower – Matt 13:18-23
Ironically, the parable of the sower is about perceiving and accepting truth. Jesus present 4 ways the message of the Kingdom can be responded to. The seed is the message, the soil is the human heart. Some are hard, some are superficial, some idolize wealth and the world, and some are good.
Even an enthusiastic response to the truth is insufficient... what counts is standing the test of time, perseverance in difficulty, avoidance of focusing on wealth or the worries of the world AND most of all… hearing and doing… doing the good things which prove the response is genuine.
To hear the truth… admit you’re wrong and change as a result takes humility. Humbling yourself before God.
The Parable of the Weeds Matt 13:24-30
Jesus parable of the weeds is also about possible responses to the message of the kingdom of God. But we wouldn’t know that unless He explained it to the disciples later.
What parts of it would they have understood? The word weed is actually zizanion, a type of weed also called a darnel… or “false grain”. In its early stages you could not tell it apart from a real wheat plant. Only later when both plants grew up could you tell them apart… wheat would bear fruit or a kernel of grain while the zizanion would have nothing to offer. Even when it did become apparent you could not pull up the zizanion without disrupting the wheat… their roots systems were too intertwined.
Today we understand the spiritual analogy Jesus is making but only because He later explains it.
But first we have:
The Parable of the Mustard Seed Matt 13:31-33
Jesus does not explain this parable… so even today we are left with some doubt as to how it applies. What is clear is that God’s plan and purpose in the world begins with something very small that grows larger. This could refer to faith, understanding, and the work of the Holy Spirit within you… it could refer to church growth… it could refer to the spread of knowledge and truth in the Millennial rule of Christ… we are not sure.
Verse 34-36 once again we see the crowd left in a kind of daze… not really understanding what they were hearing… but in contrast we see the disciples come to Him and ask. The same principle applies today… ask God for understanding and He will answer… ask God for wisdom and He will supply. Humble yourself before God and admit that you don’t have all the answers.
The Explanation of the Parable of the Wheat Matt 13:37-47
God permits the existence of good and evil side by side in this world for His purpose of testing the hearts of men and women as mentioned in the previous parable. But He will judge them and separate them.
The workers in the field (people like you and me) want to start pulling up the weeds right away. You know and accept the truth of God… wouldn’t it be better to punish evil doers… why can’t we act now? But the workers are not equipped to judge… like Jesus said to James and John when they wanted to call down fire from heaven… “you do not know what manner of sprit you are of” (Luke 9:55). Before God will give you power and authority in the KOG He wants to see what you are made of… will you put on the mind of Christ. In the 1,000 year rule of Christ will you deal with dissent and rebellion with firmness… yet patient and not willing to see any perish?
I know I’m not there yet…
The Weeds And the Wheat Grow Side By Side
No one is fit to judge and purify human society from evil without also potentially doing harm to those who are good at the same time. That judgment of separation is in God’s hands. The delay we experience now is His patient and gracious opportunity for repentance (1 Peter 3:9).
The Parable of Hidden Treasure Matt 13:44-45
The remainder of Jesus teaching on this occasion is a private session with the disciples alone the. The crowd is gone. Jesus starts to wrap up with two simple parables which make the same point: that the knowledge of the KOG is so valuable that it’s worth sacrificing everything to gain it.
The first is an example of a person who stumbles across the truth by accident. The second is an example of a person who is actively seeking it. God calls both types.
The Parable of the Net Matt 13:46-51
A simple parable reiterating that God will judge between good and evil… something His beleaguered followers must always keep in mind.
Jesus Conclusion Matt 13:51-52
I find it interesting that Jesus refers to them as future teachers of the law. That distinction will soon be taken away from the Scribes and Pharisees (the spiritual leaders of the day) and given to those who are willing to humbly seek wisdom and understanding from God… to accept it and to act upon it.
As the new teachers of the law the disciples, the apostles, the Church of God will be drawing out the meaning of the OT scriptures (the truth delivered from the very beginning) while showing how they are applied in the new covenant age.
This is a task the Church of God is still working at to this day until His return.
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