🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – We return to You with joy and thanksgiving for spending time with You always provides a refreshment that we neither expected nor knew that we needed. And lately, our souls just feel tired. Reveal to us Your goodness as we draw near to study these next two chapters. We ask this in the name of our glorious savior, Jesus. Amen.
Where have we been so far? (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 12.)
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Points to Ponder: One of the most well-known parables of Jesus – do you have ears to hear? Interesting… the disciples didn’t. (Jesus explains the parable in V18.) Remember the disciples hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit – Christians after Pentecost received the Spirit when the believe in Jesus, repent of their sins, and begin to place their trust in Him… they will stumble, but He will see them through to the victorious end. (Philippians 1:6)
This parable helps to explain the difficulties of becoming a Christian and walking in the Christian way. Note the chapter begins with ‘that same day’… Jesus just announced in the last chapter who is part of His family (Matthew 12:50) and who is not (Matthew 12:30-31).
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[Isaiah 6:9,10]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Points to Ponder: The prophets of the Old Testament foresaw Jesus’ speaking in parables. This is part of God doing a new thing. (Isaiah 43:19) In the Old Testament, God spoke directly to some and gave His word to prophets to tell His people Israel. They would not listen – their selfish, sinful desires led them astray to where they forget all that God did for them and began to worship the false gods of the neighboring nations. Their hearts became hard and God let them experience the consequences of their disobedience. Not all, of course. There is always a remnant of faithful and Jesus acknowledges that they longed to see and hear what the disciples were witnessing at that moment.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Points to Ponder: In this first Kingdom of Heaven parable, Jesus explains four different outcomes for hearing the Gospel message. I remember different times in my own life where the first three had occurred and I thank God for the opportunity of the fourth! I also remember that I had a very clear conviction that I needed to tend the soil so good, strong roots could grow! I did NOT want that joy snatched from me again.
As Christians we are called to scatter the seeds and only God makes them take root. When people reject our message, it is Jesus that they are rejecting, not us. But take the warning of the last chapter seriously – if you are scattering seeds of truth – of His kingdom you are ‘gathering’ with Him and not against Him. We will give an account for every empty word we’ve spoken.
And for those who are not Christians… yet. Or, think they’re disqualified because they’ve rejected Him, take heart and look again at the prophecy above… Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. God makes a promise and He does not lie. Understand your sin and repent…. He will heal. He promised. And then the wild ride of Christian life begins!
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Points to Ponder: The second Kingdom of Heaven parable talks about now – the time between Pentecost when The Church is born and when Christ returns for His bride. Satan is still sowing evil – lies and deceit are influencing men on earth and by outward appearances, it is hard to distinguish between those who are gathering with Jesus and those who are scattering against Him. i.e., The offspring of the woman (Jesus) vs. the offspring of the snake (Satan).
Christians are NOT called to sort them out. We do NOT have the ability to see another’s heart, we do NOT know their story, we do NOT know the rest of their story – only God does. All will get sorted correctly at the end of time. But we remain on guard and stay close to His Word… reading, rereading, meditating, and praying for His wisdom and guidance.
This is a difficult passage to sit with. Jesus forewarns us that while we count ourselves as His ‘wheat’ we are in the same field as other wheat and weeds. At harvest time, the weeds are burned. That should give you strength to let go of any need for revenge or justice. God sees and He’ll take care of it. Put some space between you and the weeds.
At the same time, you may remember that before becoming a Christian, you were a weed… and we never stop thanking Him for His forgiveness and for opening our hearts, our minds, and our spiritual eyes to see the truth of His message.
Only God can transform a weed into wheat. We can however, walk in the newness of His life, demonstrating to a watching world the truth of what believing in Jesus can look like. (Heads up, Wheaties! Don’t try to mimic any other Christian! Remember there are weeds out there. Study Jesus – to follow Him is to study Him.)
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” [Psalm 78:2]
Points to Ponder: Never underestimate the power of God and what your little contribution can accomplish when invested with God. (The 57-Cent Church) He knows what little you have, He gave it to you. Your time… your talent… your treasures… how are you using it for His kingdom. This is a test of your faith – have you cheerfully offered to Him a mustard seed or a grain of yeast?
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Points to Ponder: And so we are warned.
I hear ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ and I want no part of it. I can’t imagine anyone would! So why wouldn’t everyone be a Christian? The power of Satan’s lies is astounding!
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Points to Ponder: These two parables describe the joy and delight of being a Christian. Today’s vocabulary would be similar to being a fangirl for Jesus. 😍 Everything else loses its priority.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Points to Ponder: Two points here – again we see that at the fullness of time, all will be gathered and sorted… some will be cast off where there is that weeping and gnashing of teeth.😣
We also see a future for some of the Old Testament teachers. Not all will reject Jesus, some will become disciples in The Kingdom and they will have the ability to weave both the law and prophets with the Gospel… think Paul!
A Prophet Without Honor
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Points to Ponder: These people thought they knew Jesus because they knew His human family. It is sad that even in the Jewish synagogues the overarching message of Scripture was lost over Israel’s history – even His own people didn’t recognize their Messiah.
Jesus did not ‘perform miracles’ for His own benefit. The miracles we see in the Gospel are gifts to those who are developing or demonstrating faith in Jesus. The miracles helped provide the authority for those struggling to build their faith – remember, these were mostly outcast Jews that were neglected by the religious leadership. Here it is the people in His own hometown synagogue that reject Him and have no faith – no faith, no miracles.
John the Baptist Beheaded
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Points to Ponder: Matthew records the history of the beheading of John the Baptist. We see how Herod wanted to impress people and makes a rash promise to his niece. Even if he doesn’t want to grant her request, it would look bad to his guests to break the promise. Again, Christian, we are warned about weeds and wheat growing together… get used to reprioritizing who you want to impress.
In fact, get rid of all thoughts of impressing anyone! You’re a sinner saved by God’s grace and all the good in you is from the seed He planted in you and causes to grow. You don’t need to impress God – you can’t! A broken spirit of pride and a contrite heart is what God desires. (Psalm 51:17)
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Points to Ponder: I just want to sit here for a minute and watch how Jesus grieves. At the loss of His cousin John, in such an awful way – Jesus seeks to get away by Himself for a minute. He doesn’t get that minute – instead He gets a large crowd of lost people. His grief over the death of John is now replaced with the compassion of those still living in this broken, sinful world who are looking for help and He heals them.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Points to Ponder: And here we tie so much together. Bring that mustard seed… grain of yeast… to Jesus and watch what He can do. If you want to get lost in the suffering of this world and grieve over all that is wrong – reread this section. There is NO comparison. Yes, Satan is evil and the effects we see are awful… BUT GOD! 💖
And Jesus doesn’t do this Himself; He directs His apostles, who were earlier empowered to do miracles to do the impossible. They needed to see these lost people with the same compassion that Jesus had on them.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Points to Ponder: Matthew makes it a point to show that Jesus really stepped up the demonstrative powers in front of His disciples after the death of John the Baptist. It reminds us that Jesus knows His time for His earthly ministry is coming to an end and that He too will die a miserable death. His disciples see and are a part of the feeding of the five thousand… they see and are a part of walking on water… our minds have to ask, since we know the rest of the story… how did Judas fall away?
Summary: In these chapters we see the priority of Jesus revealed in the teaching about God’s Kingdom to the lost people. His parables reveal God’s wisdom to those who will believe but are hidden from those whose hearts are hardened against God. And when tragedy strikes and Jesus wants a little solitude, He doesn’t get it. Instead, He steps it up a notch – as if to say… dare to doubt me now?
For those of us who wrestled with the truth of Scripture before digging into the treasures that are here, I can only guess that those who still struggle get to chapters like these and doubt their truth. That is a huge mistake. If you think you can doubt some of Scripture, then your mind is already wired to tell you to doubt other parts of it – like God’s promises! BAD MOVE. Don’t study God’s Word because it’s interesting – study it because it’s life. And apparently, the alternative is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Remember Isaiah 55:8-9 when you struggle… and get used to praying that God will help you to understand the hard parts.
C. S. LEWIS – CHRISTIANITY, IF FALSE, IS OF NO IMPORTANCE, AND IF TRUE, OF INFINITE IMPORTANCE. THE ONLY THING IT CANNOT BE IS MODERATELY IMPORTANT.
🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – Thank You for Your Word, for Your Spirit that teaches us Your Word. And thank You for our Lord and Savior Jesus. As His disciples, help us to understand what You are calling us to do with the wisdom You’ve given us. And for those who are praying for the faith to know the truth of Your Word, answer them Father as You have promised. (Psalm 9:10, John 6:37) It is in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.
- Chapter 1 – The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been God’s plan to restore humanity. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
- Chapter 2 – The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus. NOT ALL HAVE EYES TO SEE.
- Chapter 3 – John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus. IF WE ‘SEE’, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
- Chapter 4 – Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission – gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about God’s Kingdom. JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY.
- Chapter 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 1. Rethink everything! What it means to be blessed… what is our purpose… this was always the message of the Old Testament. You think you know right from wrong? Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but leering is wrong. Divorce may be legal but it was never part of God’s design – keep your promises – all of them… integrity matters to the people around you. Eye-for-eye? No! Learn to love your enemies.
- Chapter 6 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 2. Draw near to God, your father, in relationship. No showy religion when serving God or others. Pray to God, earnestly. Fast for a purpose. Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven. Don’t worry about the things of this world… He sees your giving… he sees your working… he hears your praying… he sees and knows what you need? Trust Him – Seek Him first; everything else falls into place.
- Chapter 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 3. Living it out as a disciple of Christ. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME… ALONE. 😉 Christian life is designed to be lived out in a community – connected to God through Jesus in order to connect to other believers. As this new life progresses, this life is designed to be generational. You start as a baby… you need to learn from your Christian siblings and your Christian parents. Don’t judge others, you’re still a child! Pray always… continually… He’s waiting to spend time with you! And be bold… try something new. Do something for someone else, that you would like. This is the way He told us to live – not everyone will be faithful, but you are in charge of your decisions. Building your life on the teachings of Jesus is akin to a house on a solid foundation.
- Chapter 8 – JESUS WALKS THE TALK. He teaches and He puts it into action – healing a leper, healing the servant of a Roman officer – nothing is outside of His domain. He heals those with fevers and those possessed by demons. People want a piece of the action, but He reminds them that He has no home here. If you want a piece of His Kingdom, you have to give up this one. (And if you still doubt the value of such a choice – Jesus spoke to calm a storm.)
- Chapter 9 – WHAT DOES HIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE? First and foremost – our sins are forgiven, completely. Religious formality has no authority over sin, Jesus does. We watch Jesus call the outcasts that religion often overlooks and bids them, ‘Follow Me.’ Jesus teaches us to rethink the motivation behind religious practices. Instead of becoming unclean by associating with the unclean, Jesus is Lord over all the corruption in life – He brings new life and restores the broken and unclean around Him. Everyone is hungry for the life that Jesus offers, except for the religious leaders.
- Chapter 10 – THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO WORK THE HARVEST. For a time, they are empowered to heal diseases, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits. All must hear the Gospel message of the Kingdom and choose for themselves. We are to go boldly and unashamed.
- Chapter 11 – THERE’S TWO OPTIONS… BEING A CHILD OF GOD OR BEING CHILDISH IN YOUR REFUSAL. He is Lord; we are not. Insisting on your own way is not only childish, but incredibly dangerous. Being a child of God opens up your heart and mind to learn from God.
- Chapter 12 – GOD’S CHOSEN SERVANT – behavior that is not always modeled by religious leaders. 💔 We are all tempted by the real enemy – The Tempter. We are either under the influence of Satan, doubting God or we are God’s children, turning our backs on Satan’s influence in this world and aligning ourselves with the will of God as revealed in Scripture.
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