Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Introduction
Ø A somewhat brief study of Matthew 13
First off, Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read this study of Matthew chapter 13 ~ I love having people to study the Bible with! The Bible is so exciting and it just makes it more fun! J There’s something so neat about being able to mention key and interesting truths we notice and being able to bounce around thoughts and analyze them together! I’m praying that God will use this study of Jesus’ words to minister to your heart in a new and fresh way, as He has been already ministering to my heart, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this! Jesus’ words are inspiring; some are tough, but He communicated truths we need to hear, because He loves us and He wants us to be ready to see Him, so that He can one day say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:21)
Secondly, I believe that Matthew 13 is one of the most foundational chapters in the Bible on what it means to saved: a disciple of Jesus Christ, and as you read it, I’m sure you will see why I believe that. In this chapter, Jesus starts clearly laying down the understanding of the two categories of people in this world: those who follow Christ and are saved and inherit eternal life with God forever and are a part of His activities throughout all eternity; and those who refuse to follow Christ, and if they continue to choose that option, they will be separated from God forever in a place called the ‘Lake of Fire’, tormented by pain and their consciences for eternity – paying for their own sins. Jesus also shows us how those who treasure these truths can actually start identifying some of the clues around them, and will be able to use the clues they see along with the teachings of Jesus to inspire and encourage the people in their sphere of influence.
Matthew 13 is also very interesting because this chapter starts with the first major parable [word picture] that Jesus tells the people about the Kingdom of Heaven - His Kingdom. In Mark 4, Jesus tells His disciples that to understand all of the rest of His parables, we must understand what Jesus was saying in this one. So, let’s take a look at that to see what Jesus is saying.
Most of these notes came from the best study of God’s Word I could do, then I studied John MacArthur’s notes and Matthew Henry’s notes and included here and there notes from other studious Bible teachers. And all of the verses in this study were copied from 2 sources: the Libronix Digital Library System – for more info, I encourage you to check out their website: www.libronix.com; and www.blueletterBible.org.
(You will notice that I pulled notes out of Pastor John MacArthur’s study Bible and I also borrowed some notes from a few other respected Bible teachers. Also, the majority of text I use is New King James Version (NKJV) – it is well respected and is an accurate translation. J) And, you will notice that I explain things in a little more extensive detail, that is to help the younger students of God’s Word to understand, also I have found that the more I study out the details, the more God’s Word comes alive for me! I hope that makes sense… At least a couple of people that have been reading these studies have been asking how they can get a study Bible like this, etc. I highly encourage you to get Pastor John MacArthur’s Study Bible, called ‘The MacArthur Study Bible’ (NKJV) and you can find it at most Christian bookstores or you can order it online: www.gty.org. It costs a little bit, but investing in a good study Bible like this will be a huge blessing to you for the rest of your life! I can tell you some of that from experience!)
I broke this study down into 7 chapters for easier reading. I found it to be a fascinating study and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights!
a servant of Jesus Christ,
Steven
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Part 1
Ø Matthew 13
Verses 1-9:
Parable of the Soils
(Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15)
“1On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”
Ø [Notes: Words to note: ‘multitudes’ – The people flocked to hear Jesus, and many, many followed Jesus hoping to hear whatever He would say, but, sadly, most of them were like a majority of church members today, they would hear it, appreciate it, and forget it as though it didn’t apply to them. ‘parables’ = word pictures, analogies that use natural everyday things to explain principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. Starting in Chapter 13, Jesus had come to the point that He only spoke to the crowds with parables, because they refused to hear and obey what they heard – the majority of them just enjoyed hearing interesting stories. So, in His grace, Jesus used these parables to peak their curiosity for future conversations/teachings. The parables Jesus told hid the truths from the those who didn’t embrace God’s Word, and at the same time explained mysteries about God to those who believed in and followed Him. Also, when Jesus was alone, He explained all of these parables to His disciples, because they desired to understand and put them into practice. We have the wonderful privilege of hearing some of these explanations!
Ø The parable – In Mark 4:13, Jesus says this to His disciples about this parable – “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” So, Jesus is clearly stating that if we are to understand all of the rest of His parables (word pictures) that explain key details about how God’s Kingdom ‘the Kingdom of Heaven’ works, we must understand this parable so we can have a solid foundation.
Ø Words to note: ‘wayside’ – a path or road hardened by constant foot traffic, seeds obviously don’t grow very well, if at all! ‘stony ground’ – beds of solid rock, apparently usually limestone, too deep for the plow to reach them to break them up, but they are too shallow for a plant to develop an efficient root system. ‘thorns’ – a hardy, thorny plant that uses the resources that the new plant needs. Notice that the roots had been left in the ground, and because they weren’t dealt with, they grew up and choked the new plant.
Ø Notice, there are 3 soils that didn’t produce fruit, but then there are 3 soils that did produce fruit, 3 different amounts. I also read about the ratio of quantity of seed planted – to – the quantity of seed harvested – the ratio of the amount planted to the amount of the crop harvested is typically 1:8, and a 1:10 ratio is a very good crop – in other words, if you plant 100 seeds and you get 800 or 1,000 plants – that’s a good harvest. Jesus presented 3 amounts that would all be considered incredibly abundant harvests: 100, 60, and 30 times what they planted. Cool – that’s exciting!
Ø "He who has ears, let him hear" – Jesus on a frequent basis, called out to the multitude to desire to understand what He was saying and explaining, like wisdom who calls out in the street – listen, as so eloquently portrayed in the book of Proverbs. Calling us to seek Him, to ask Him for wisdom, and which He has promised to gladly and graciously grant – “5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” ~ James 1:5-8. One other little highlight that Pastor Chuck Missler points out is that Jesus also used this little phrase in each of His letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3. Interesting little study there…
Verses 10-17:
“10And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ 11He 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. 12For 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. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14And 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.' 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’”
Ø [Notes: Words to note: It’s interesting to note that the disciples came and were in effect asking Jesus to explain the parable to the people, and they couldn’t understand why He didn’t plainly teach the multitudes in the same way He taught them. Jesus then encourages His disciples and challenges them concerning a very important principle in God’s Kingdom, and then explains the parable to them.
Ø Jesus first points out that His disciples are blessed to hear Him explain the truths of the His Kingdom, which implies – be grateful for it and treasure it.
Ø ‘whoever has, to him more will be given...’ – This is a very key principle in the Kingdom of Heaven [the principles of how the Lordship/Leadership of Jesus works] and it is also the principle Jesus explains in this passages. Notice the wording – the one who already has will be given more. We, as sinful humans, with the in-born will and drive to do what we want to do, didn’t come into this world with anything useful, so that’s not what Jesus is referring to. So, what is He saying? The person who hears Jesus teaching and receives it and puts it into practice, will be considered faithful enough to receive more – ‘whoever has [and is faithful with what he has], to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance...’ – God promises to entrust more to those who are faithful to study and follow His Word! That’s a neat promise! But, notice this principle works visa versa also: ‘but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’ Notice, the consequence of something being taken away from him shows that he does have something. The context shows that this type of person heard the truth, but didn’t value it enough to obey or put it into practice. Notice, that Jesus is pretty hard on those who hear the truth and refuse to act on it. He warns them (and us) that whatever truth they did have and didn’t treasure will be taken away from them. This theme is woven through this chapter and explained in various ways.
Ø Jesus then focuses on a prophecy God spoke through His prophet Isaiah foretelling that many would hear the words of God and would not seek out to understand, nor try to put them into practice. As we look around today, we see God’s prophecy through Isaiah is still accurate of many people in churches in America today – they come, they sit, hear the Word of God, then leave and gather with their friends and talk about the unimportant things and entertainment and such things that will be burned up in the blink of an eye [2nd Peter 3:10, 11] and will not matter in all of eternity. How tragic! It just emphasizes how much we must take His Word seriously – “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” - Colossians 3:2. Jesus gave a clear warning that any one of us can lose our life by setting our focus on the temporary things of Earth – “36For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 4:36-37) Both of these verses clearly point out that we are deciding how much our soul and our eternity is valuable to us and many are exchanging their soul for something that will not last, but will cost them eternally.
Ø “17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” – Again, Jesus is saying, hear these words! Put them into practice! For many have wanted to understand them and they couldn’t. Even the prophets who God used to prophecy about these days – they desired to understand these things you now see and hear but were not able because it wasn’t time. Wow – what a privilege we have! Now, we have the Word of God. We can access it. Many people all across America have multiple copies of the Word of God, but so few do more with what they find in His Word than read words, close their Bibles, and go on their own way. Jesus reminds us to hear His Words, value them, and put them into practice in our lives – seek His Wisdom out in prayer, asking Him to show us how to put His Words into practice in our lives. It is too easy for each of us to fall into the category of the ‘hearers and non-doers’.
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Part 2
Verses 18-19:
“18 Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.”
Ø Notes: Words to note: Jesus explains the parable and here He highlights key points in the natural story and uses them to explain principles of God’s Kingdom. Notice there are 3 bad soils and 3 good soils.
Ø Notice Jesus’ words – “When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom...” Here again, Jesus is talking about those who hear the Word of God and decide what to do with it.
Ø The first category: 1> Those who hear the Word of God (in this passage, specifically the gospel of Jesus Christ) and don’t understand it (they don’t embrace it or search it out) - these are those who hear God’s Word, those who hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and don’t understand it – those who don’t put enough effort into learning what it means. Also it should be noted that they didn’t treasure the little bit of explanation they did receive, so it was taken away. Those who reject God’s truth are allowing Satan to take it away from them. Those who hear the Gospel of Jesus and consider it unimportant or not important enough for them to follow Him, remain unsaved.
> What should our strategy with reaching this type of soil/heart be?: Pray for them that God would break their hearts over their sins like He broke ours. Challenge them, warn them as clearly as we can to take the truth of God’s Word and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ very seriously. Warning them not to reject Jesus and His offer of salvation - in that He paid our fine for us if we accept His gracious offer – [if they reject that offer] means separation from God forever in the eternal torment of the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth of the eternal Lake of Fire.
Verses 20-21:
“20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet 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.”
Ø The second category: 2> Those who hear the Word of God, receive it with joy, but when hard times come, they become uninterested and leave the faith. These are those who hear the truth and at first rejoice – they seem to truly appreciate hearing God’s Word taught. Apparently they hear some of God’s promises and appreciate them or as is the common tradition across America they hear a false gospel like ‘God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life’ or ‘Say this simple prayer, and you will be saved’ – Both of these presentations are tragically common across this country, but neither of them match the words of Jesus who said: “32Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in Heaven. 34Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” – His call to compare earthly things and Heavenly things. And He continues: “35For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; 36and“a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” Note: This doesn’t necessarily mean our family will become our enemies, but that we need to be aware that we may have to follow Christ even if we get rough treatment from relatives who don’t want to follow Christ. And He continues with this challenge: “37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Pastor Ray Comfort explains that in better detail – in effect, Jesus is saying that our love and loyalty to people should pale in comparison with our love and loyalty to our gracious and loving Creator! Then Jesus concludes with some familiar and thought-provoking words: “38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:32-39). Jesus also gave us the very clear warning that there will be many who think they have accepted Christ and even done many mighty works in His Name, but will hear “depart from Me...” – “21 ‘Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" What chilling words those will be to those who hear them! Jesus then gives a very beautiful, descriptive word picture of those who hear and obey and those who don’t! “24Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.’” (Matthew 7:21-27)
>> Notice: this seed, though it looked like this heart received and cherished the truth of God’s Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, still didn’t produce good fruit, and when persecution came, these fell away: they left the faith they once professed – which showed they were false converts – they weren’t genuine in the first place (1st John 2:19).
> What should our strategy with reaching this type of soil/heart be?: Pray for them too, that God would break their hearts over their sins, like He broke our hearts over our sins. Remind them Jesus told us to count the cost of what it means to be His disciple (Luke 14:26-33; 2nd Corinthians 13:5-6). Remind them that Jesus told us the the way to eternal life is narrow and few find it and embrace it (Matthew 7:13-14). Warn them that Jesus said there will be many who thought they would get into Heaven, but will hear ‘Depart from Me…’ (Matthew 7:21-27).
Verse 22:
“22Now 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.”
Ø The third category: 3> Those who hear the word of God, appreciate it for a while, but allow other things and selfish cares to grow in their heart, and those cares eventually prevail in their heart and these too fall away, preferring the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to the blessings of eternal life. Sad to say, but that seems to describe many Americans pretty well – being pulled on by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and at the same time hearing Jesus’ call to be willing to leave all and follow Him. Jesus is interesting to them, but when they look at what Jesus has to offer them and then they look at the pretty wrapper that the world offers, they choose to do what they want and they allow these “thorns” to make them unfruitful. Jesus also points out: no good fruit = not saved. “17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)
Pastor John MacArthur makes a key note in his Study Bible’s notes on this parable. ’13:7 thorns. Weeds, the roots of which were still in the ground after plowing had been done.’ All of us have the potential to become good, productive Christians, or unfruitful false converts. Every gardener knows that with most weeds, you want to rip the whole plant out, including the roots. If you leave the roots, you can pretty much predict that your going to have that pesky weed back, and if it isn’t dealt with and rooted out, it has the potential to overrun the garden. Same with us - those who are in Christ, have to battle against our selfish wants. As the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:16-17: “16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Those who have committed their life to Christ still have the old nature – the old sinful desires. Our old nature, just like weeds and thorns, can overrun our life and make us unfruitful. Or, as so many have done before us, we can learn to die daily to ourselves and our sinful, selfish desires, so that we may bear fruit and be counted faithful! This is why God emphasizes this point again and again. “20I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Then again in Romans: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:8). And even Jesus’ own words in Matthew 7 - “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” And the familiar, treasured verse in Romans 12 - “1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) -- All of these talk about daily decisions that, when put together, equal a lifestyle and habit or healthy pattern. But it starts with our decisions. What are we going to do with those daily decisions to follow our flesh or follow Christ? The collection of these daily decisions show what soil we are.
> What should our strategy with reaching this type of soil/heart be?: Again, we need to pray to our Heavenly Father that He would soften their heart as He did with us, and asking Him to show them what is distracting them from the invaluable treasure of following Christ and gaining eternal life - again, handling them graciously because we were once lost and blinded by sin. Also, we need to patiently, graciously teach them, warn them, and remind them that God calls us to come out from the world, to be separate to Him, holy, set apart, continually striving to learn what it means to have Him as our one desire and our first love, with Him as our Leader and we being His followers. We also need to remind them and explain to them what Jesus said. Jesus told many parables warning about those who think they are saved, but because they refuse to learn what it means to follow Him, and instead they choose to follow their own selfish desires, that He will one day tell many to depart from Him, because He never knew them. Jesus also warned that hypocrites will suffer in torment forever (Matthew 24:51). A verse that has helped me so much and I treasure it a lot is Proverbs 1:7 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A healthy respect of God, knowing that He is a thorough Judge and that we will have to give an account to Him one day, like an accountant, has done a lot of good for me. I have seen God use this perspective to teach me a lot. Taking God’s Word seriously and learning to be honest with Him and ourselves is not only good for us, but is also the most blessed way to live life – keeping a clear conscience helps a lot of things in our lives work better and gets us more ready to see Him one day, with fewer regrets and fewer things to be embarrassed for when we see Him.
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~
Matthew 7:24
Part 3
Verse 23:
“23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’”
Ø The fourth, fifth, and sixth categories: 4, 5, 6 >
~THE GOOD NEWS!~ Those who hear the Word of God, receive it with joy and put it into practice. They not only hear the Word of God, but they also obey it – these are those who are saved, those who are not ashamed to be followers of Christ, not afraid to be rejected by the world for the sake of Christ, those who look forward to a future Kingdom where Jesus will rule in righteousness! A place where the curse of sin and death will be removed – and the true followers / learners / disciples of Christ will dwell with Him and be a part of the neat things He does – Yeah, exciting!!! These are those who struggle, stumble in hard times, but their commitment to following Christ and putting Him first drives them to their knees and keeps them growing through the trials and tribulations they face. These are those who have an intense hunger for God and His Word, a hunger – a passion that they stoke and keep burning. A hunger to know and understand God and His Word drives them on. This is the heart Jesus describes in Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
Words to note: “who indeed bears fruit” – those who follow Christ, will bear good fruit, they will produce seeds that can reproduce. What does this mean. Jesus explains this in Matthew 28:19-20 - “19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Notice: make disciples, teach them to observe His commands.
Ø Words to note: “some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” – Pastor John MacArthur makes an interesting point on these numbers. The planting to production ratio (i.e. what you plant: what will grow to be useful seed) is roughly 1:8, and a planting : growth ratio of 1:10 is considered a really good harvest. But notice, Jesus doesn’t use either of those numbers. Notice the numbers He uses – 100, 60, and 30… to put it in similar terms: 1:100, 100:60, 100:30. In other words, some of those who plant, say, 100 seeds, can expect a harvest of not just 100%, which would be pretty good - but “a hundredfold” -100X; others can expect a harvest not just 60%, but “sixty[fold]” – 60X; and others can expect a harvest not just 30%, but “thirty[fold]” - 30X! To put it another way: 100; 10,000; 100: 6,000; 100: 3,000. So what do those promises of large harvest have to do with the spiritual life of those who follow Christ? Jesus is obviously making a clear point that those who follow Him and learn what He cares about, and learn to love what He loves, to leave behind the things He says to let go of [in other words: hating the things He hates because God hates sin which destroys us], and learn to love others like He loves us – those people, His disciples, His followers – He says that He will use them to reach many for His Kingdom and His glory. Those who present themselves to be vessels fit for the Master’s use – He uses mightily! That’s really cool! God says this in 2nd Timothy 2:19-21 - “19Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” God is calling us to come out from the things of this world, to come out of this culture – to join Him, to learn of Him, to let Him purify us, so He can use us most effectively, which is the most abundant life we can ever live! He calls us to be in the culture, but different, to let His Word correct our thinking and transform our minds daily. “1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) Notice, He calls us to make sure that we aren’t conforming to this world, but to make sure that we are getting in God’s Word and allowing His Word to transform us – i.e., not just hearing the Word of God or not just studying the Word of God, but putting it into practice – being hearers and doers. That may require us to stop doing some things we do (God has had to wake me up on a variety of things.) or stop hanging around certain people who will get us in trouble. It may even require us to stop filling our head with things that harm and confuse us – we need to comply, we need to obey Him. But we MUST remember this – when we are putting Him first and are allowing Him to lead and guide us through His Word, that not only pleases Him, but He also promises to bless us, though not necessarily with earthly things. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” What a neat promise!
> What should our strategy with reaching these types of soils/hearts be?: Pray for them, as often as they come to mind, that God would keep teaching them to be hearing and obeying, to keep teaching them everyday what it means to be a follower of Christ. Also praying that God would give them wisdom as they go through trials and tribulations, and persecution – that they will be able to keep their focus on Christ and just keep doing what they know is right. Also, continually asking for His wisdom on how we can please Him better and how to effectively communicate His Word and truth to those around us. Also, looking for opportunities or even making opportunities to talk with them, coach them, pray with them, encourage them, challenge them to keep learning, to keep growing in their relationship with Christ – to keep learning how to seek Him first.
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Part 4
Verses 24-30:
Parable of the Wheat and Tares
“24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27So 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?” 28He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” 29But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let 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.’ ” ’ ”
… And then Jesus explained the parable to His disciples.
Verses 36-43:
Parable of the Tares Explained
“36Then 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.’ 37He answered and said to them: ‘He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The 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, 42and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’ ”
Ø Notes: Jesus again taught the multitudes with another parable and Jesus explained this parable only when He was alone with His disciples. Again Jesus uses an example from the natural to teach about the spiritual Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ explanation of the parable to His disciples pretty well explains what we need to be able see.
Words to note: “The field is the world” – Jesus is giving an overview of where the earth is now and explaining that there are two different kinds of seeds/people living side by side, and how in the end, He will have His servants (His angels) sort out those are saved from those who aren’t.
Words to note: “and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.” – Now to fully understand what is being said here, we must understand the word lawlessness. This is how Merriam-Webster defines lawlessness: ‘1: not regulated by or based on law; 2: not restrained or controlled by law’. So, basically when we refuse to follow the Standard of rules – we are deciding what our set of rules are for ourselves – sort of, making it up as we go along. Yet, God is the one who created rules because He loves us and because He knows sin will destroy us. The problem that results from us deciding what the rules are is that when each of us starts making up our own standard of right and wrong, we (as a population) end up like the Israelites that God says this of them in Judges 17:6 - “6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.“ and then again in Judges 21:25 - “25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This the same thing that was happening in Noah’s day, before God decided that He had had enough, and rescued 8 people and destroyed everyone else with a flood that also changed Earth in far more ways than we know. God was tired of all of the wickedness of men and He also decided in Noah’s day that from then on, man’s lifespan would be 120 years. Though in the account of Scripture, God has allowed a very few to live beyond that, we see that God has kept that as the standard of the maximum lifespan since then, and in Genesis 6:3, He explains: “3And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” When I see words like that I shudder! I don’t ever want to get to the point that God says, ’I’m tired of fighting with him – he’s so stubborn!’ It breaks my heart, puts me back in my place - puts a good kind of fear in me. >>We must remember God’s Words in Proverbs 1:7 – ”7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.“ And again in quite a few places that phrase is used. Proverbs 16:6 - ”6In mercy and truth, atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.” Also, a passage that really explains God’s thoughts on the idea of the fear of Him is Proverbs 1:28-33 - “28Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30They would have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke. 31Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. 32For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” So, the “fear of the Lord” - That is a good kind of fear: remembering that one day, we will stand before the Supreme Creator and Judge of the Universe and give an account of every detail: every thought, word, deed, intention, motive – it’s a very healthy fear for all of us. It’s also interesting to notice that God clearly points out it’s our choice – i.e. we are deciding if we will embrace it or not. That same exact phrase (“the fear of the Lord”) is used in Acts and right around that verse are little notes that God was blessing them abundantly for it. That’s exciting! Here is a key highlight in Acts 9:31 - “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” Please note: there is a major difference between this fear and our human fears that cause us to worry. The fear of the Lord drives us to become more pure, more pleasing to God – and that does please Him! Worrying drives us to doubt God and His ability to help us, and even more – it causes us to doubt His Word. Worry is a slap in His face, as if we are saying, ‘Yeah I know you’re God and all, but I don’t think you know how to handle this one’… How that must break His heart, and yet it is something we all struggle with often. We do need to notice that there is a huge difference to Him. God recommends the “fear of the Lord” (2nd Chronicles 19:7, 9; Job 28:28; Psalm 19:9; 34:11; 111:10; Prov. 1:7, 29; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 10:17; 14:26, 27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; Isaiah 11:2, 3; 33:6; and Acts 9:31, and more...). But over and again commands us to not worry (Matt. 6:25, 31, 34; 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11; and 12:22.)
It’s quite interesting to note that the angels are able to identify who is saved and who is not, and in a couple of different places, God challenges us also to learn to identify the fruit. So, we would be wise to note how God’s servants know who to sort out, and which ones are saved and which one aren’t. The key to understanding this is in the brief phrase “those who practice lawlessness.” Those who are saved, will continue to walk with Him – walking in and learning obedience. God makes this clear in 1st John. 1st John 1:7-10 - “7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” Then here is the key piece we need to catch and understand: “3Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” And then again in 1st John 2:29 - “29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” Then again in 1st John 3:4, 7, 10, “4Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness… 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous… 10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God.” That is how we check to see where we are: if we are pleasing God or not: are we practicing righteousness? Are we learning what it means to follow Christ? Are we striving to obey His commandments? Because Jesus, Himself said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) That is what it means to be saved – a follower of Christ: those who practice righteousness. Do His children still make mistakes? Yes! Will God allow His children to stay there? No, because in some way He will continue to teach His children through hard times and step-by-step growth.
Words to note: “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” – Hell is as real as Heaven. Just like God is good and loving, He’s holy and just at the same time. If we believe Jesus, then we understand that Hell is a very real place and that people are right now being tormented there – not specifically because they didn’t believe in Jesus, but because they didn’t obey the gospel of Jesus Christ – they chose to pay for their own sins. We need to not only remember, but also warn everyone we can how Jesus was describing real people who went to a real place called Hell in Luke 16:19-31. According to Jesus, Hell is a very real place and there are people already there paying for their sins because they continued their rebellion and didn’t accept God’s offer to pay their fine for them, including the unnamed rich man. Pastor John MacArthur and other Bible teachers point out that Jesus didn’t use names in His parables, so that story where He uses literal names, [like Lazarus and Abraham] is obviously different from a parable – it’s talking about a real event with real people, and a real place. Jesus also describes Hell and it’s eternal torment at the end of a number of His parables.
Words to note: “…but gather the wheat into my barn.” ~ By the way – some really good news! He builds really nice barns! : ) The only reason this earth is in such bad shape is because of the effects and consequences of sin. So, those of us who “confess with [our] mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in [our] hearts that God raise Him from the dead, [we] will be saved.” (Romans 10:9). And if we are saved and Jesus is our Leader and Savior, then we, like Abraham was, are waiting “for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Part 5
verses 31-35:
Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Mark 4:30–32; Luke 13:18, 19)
“31Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32which 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.’ ”
Parable of the Leaven
(Luke 13:20, 21)
“33Another 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.’ 34All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.’ ”
Ø Sandwiched between Jesus telling the ‘Parable of the Wheat and Tares’ to the multitudes and His explaining of it to His group of disciples, are two brief parables - ‘Parable of the Mustard Seed’ and the ‘Parable of the Leaven’. These are two unique parables and curious parables, because on the surface, they are a little hard to understand.
Ø The ‘Parable of the Mustard Seed’ – This is a unique parable, because its details have fascinating insights and warnings for us. The basic idea of this parable is that even if we have a small amount of faith in the call to follow Jesus Christ (that leads to repentance) and to accept that He paid our fine/penalty for us(that we earned for breaking His law – Romans 6:23), then that faith in us will grow to be a tree similar to that described in Psalm 1:3 – “3He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” – a reliable, faithful follower of Christ. From what I’ve studied and heard, that is a pretty fair explanation/application in the context of individual followers of Christ. (Pastor John MacArthur explains this theme in many of Jesus’ parables.) This parable also gives an interesting picture when thought of as describing the body of Christ as a whole. Pastor Chuck Missler points out that the particular mustard plant mentioned here – the wild mustard seed in Israel, generally grow to be a plant about 2-3’ in height. That sounds fine, until we notice that Jesus mentions that the the plant becomes big enough for the birds of the air to nest in its branches. Curious, when was the last time you saw a bird build a nest in the branches of a bush about 2’ or 3’ off the ground? A few times, maybe, but birds rarely build nests in bushes that are only 2-3’ high. When nests are built that low, they are very easy prey for snakes, cats, and other rodents to get to – and we all know how scrambled eggs are very popular! : ) So, what Jesus is referring to is a something out the norm. This thing grows beyond its usual limits to become so large that the birds build their nests in its branches. The odd little note here is, in context, is that the birds of the air represent false teachers (Jesus set this principle in the parable of the soils – remember the seed that fell on the path and the birds of the air devoured them?) So, that presents an interesting little highlight in this parable. When we look at this parable from that view, we see whether we are talking about our own personal relationship with Jesus or the body of Christ in general – we all have to watch out for and avoid false teaching, even rooting it out – getting it out of our lives, so that we can become fruitful, faithful followers of Christ. So, when we hear someone who is actively contradicting God’s Word or skipping parts of the Bible they don’t (apparently) like, this needs to catch our attention like a red warning flag.
Ø Now, back to the parable: that’s a pretty interesting and elaborate description of the body of Christ isn’t it? It started with simple, pure faith and has grown big enough that people who do not follow Christ can mingle among the body of Christ and blend in pretty easily. Oh how sad it is that we have drifted from the early church pattern – who understood Jesus was calling for repentance and commitment, not a standard prayer and then we can do whatever we want. How interesting it is also to notice that Jesus, in describing His Kingdom in the hearts of men, also warned us of what we now can look around and see so clearly – false teachers parading themselves as messengers of light. “13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder! For Satan, himself, transforms himself into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2nd Corinthians 2:13-15). That last phrase is interesting: “whose end will be according to their works” – they won’t get away with their deceiving and hurting people – God Himself will examine and expose them – here and in the judgment to come. We are certainly living in the last days that Jesus warned about in His Word: “3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2nd Timothy 4:3-5) How that is needed so much in our day – for men and women to be actively learning how to be more effective ambassadors for Christ! (2nd Corinthians 5:20) May God continue to teach us more everyday, and may we learn to not only grow through the things He teaches us, but even ask Him to teach us more! Because He is beautiful and the things He teaches are so valuable we can’t put a price on them!
“33Another 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.’ 34All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.’ ”
Ø The ‘Parable of the Leaven’ - This parable could be confusing, but keeping it in context helps clear it up. Leaven is yeast, and unleavened bread (matzos) is bread without yeast, so it is is flat, sort of like crackers. God uses ‘leaven’ in the Bible most often to symbolize sin. One example of this is in 1st Corinthians where God was speaking through the Apostle Paul challenging the Corinthian church to deal with the blatant immoral sin among the church body there. “6Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.” (1st Cor. 5:7) In this passage, God used the word picture of leaven to describe that just a little yeast will permeate a large batch of bread dough, so sin and lawlessness [rebellion against God’s commands] when not properly and effectively dealt with and disciplined, that sin will encourage more people practice sin and lawlessness – and just like yeast, or a common cold, it will spread. So, just a little rebellion against God’s commands leads to more rebellion and hypocrisy (deceitfulness in saying one thing and in reality doing something else – a mask to hide the sin). That is why God dealt with rebellion like that so decisively in the church, because only a pure, God-pleasing body of followers of Christ can effective share the gospel. We all know hypocrites give the body of Christ a bad name, and rightfully so – case-in-point : among the body of believers in this country, there are a huge number of hypocrites, and it creates quite a hardship when trying to share the good news of the gospel of Christ with unbelievers, because they point to these hypocrites and rightfully talk about how they add confusion to what it means to follow Christ.
> Now, back in this little parable, Jesus uses the same concept of leaven/yeast to describe how those who choose to follow Him, it will show in their lives just like yeast – following Christ will affect and change all areas of their life. It has the idea of how that just like yeast will spread to every part of a batch of dough, so for those who follow Christ, His influence in their lives will affect every area and detail of their lives. So, Jesus is clearly saying that we can tell who is really following Christ because He transforms all areas of their life: the person’s thoughts, words, actions, intentions, motives – no area of the life a believer is unaffected by Christ’s transformation. (It’s sad how that’s not taught in many churches today…) This compelling and challenging reminder is the same idea expressed in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” When we come to Christ, we exchange calling the shots in our life and following our own selfish, sinful desires, for following Him and letting Him teach us to love the things He loves, how to love people the way He loves people and how to leave behind the things He says will destroy us (hating the things He hates). Now, does that mean that we instantly become perfect? No, obviously not! But, those who follow Christ will allow Him to start controlling each area of their lives and teaching them what it means to obey and follow Him in each area. That preaches a lot to me too… So, we just keep learning what it means to daily take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him, and we’re all right – that is what God wants from us: that we seek Him. We need to keep in mind that Jesus said this in Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Notice the word “seek” – that is the idea of working toward the goal of where Christ has complete control over every area of our lives. My understanding of this verse is that this is the perspective God wants us to have in our lives and as we are getting closer to where we are striving to put Him first in every detail - working on making sure that we are only trying to say and do things that please Him –> that is what He wants from us. One of my lifetime favorite verses in the Bible is Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season, we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. [give up].”
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
~ These are 2 of my favorite parables! ~
Part 6
Parable of the Hidden Treasure
“44Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
“45Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Ø After Jesus explains the ‘Parable of the Wheat and Tares’, Jesus then tells two of my favorite parables - two short word pictures, both communicating the same message.
Ø The first one – Jesus is comparing His Kingdom (the one He rules) to treasure hidden in a field… That may sound strange, but to understand it, we have to under the custom He’s referring to. Back in that day, the average citizen of Israel didn’t have secure banks to store their gold, silver, money, etc, in and they didn’t have tough mostly-secure places like safes and vaults, like our society does today. So, what they would do is this: They would take their most valuable earthly treasures, and they would take these and bury them in a specific spot on their land that only they knew about. Now of course, if that family died or was taken captive by a foreign army, etc. and they hadn’t told anyone where that stuff was, then it was pretty much just gone – it was lost family savings.
Ø So, Jesus describes His Kingdom as similar to a guy was apparently plowing or planting something or possibly burying something, etc., and then all of a sudden, he came across this very valuable stash of coins or precious metals, etc – likely the most valuable earthly treasures he has every seen. This man, of course he does what we expect, he hides it (re-buries it) and then goes and sells what little possessions he has to acquire this stash of earthly valuables. By Jesus comparing His Kingdom to this man who gave up everything he had to obtain this earthly treasure, Jesus is communicating the worth of the gospel and how those who understand the value of having Jesus as their Savior and Leader GLADLY leave behind everything to follow Him because they know that He is worth more than any temporary thing and pleasure on this Earth! Jim Elliot said it this way: ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.’ That is exactly the point Jesus is expressing. The question then is for us: Do we value Jesus and our relationship with Him as: A) more valuable, B) similar value to, (or) C) less value than a thing or pleasure or person here on Earth? Our answer will show in our actions. Jesus said that our treasure shows where our heart already is: “19Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
“45Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Ø The second parable – this time Jesus uses the example of a merchant of fine pearls. Merchants weren’t known for setting up shop in the same town everyday, they were known to travel around, quite often in caravans (caravans of slow camels of course! Wow, that sounds like so much fun – doesn’t it? :) ) Now, Jesus didn’t just pick any type of merchant, but He was very specific. He specifically chose a merchant of not just pearls, but a merchant of beautiful pearls - fine pearls. This merchant obviously knew what he was doing. Back in Jesus’ day, pearls were rare [there were very few of them available] compared to our day, and they were extremely expensive, so this guy was probably one of the riches salesmen back then. This man very likely saw and possibly owned some of the finest earthly things in life back then. But then, there’s the switch: this merchant one day comes across the most valuable pearl he has ever seen (and he’s likely seen a lot of them: good, bad, and counterfeits), and he considers this one pearl to be of such value that he sells everything he has and buys this one pearl. We need to remember this man likely has a lot of nice things, but when he finds this one extremely valuable pearl, he is willing to sell everything he has to buy it. Jesus did not tell us how big the pearl was or why this merchant bought it (unimportant details), but Jesus did tell us that he considered it to be of greater value than all the things he possessed.
Ø Again, Jesus is driving home the same idea: How valuable is He to us? Is He the most AMAZING treasure we have ever found? Is He so valuable that we are even willing to throw away everything else (if He asks us to) to have the amazing opportunity to come follow Him? Do we really recognize how we will only be able to enjoy the temporary earthly treasures we currently possess for less than 120 years, but that if we accept the gracious offer of salvation (accepting Jesus as our Savior and Leader) and value that more than anyone or anything else, that we are obtaining something of greater value than we can ever imagine? It begs us to ask ourselves, how much value do we put on securing a place in Heaven? Since we there aren’t any ‘U-haul’ moving trailers behind hearses, we do need to think about this! Jesus Himself warned a number of times, of many who will one day say: “Master [Leader]” and will hear Jesus say: “Depart from Me… I never knew you.” What a terrifying thought… Knowing the right words, will not save us or anyone else. Instead we must put those right words into action and be asking Jesus to teach us how to follow Him, how to obey Him better. So, the question is: are we willing to give up all to follow Him?
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Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: “… whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” ~ Matthew 7:24
Part 7
Parable of the Dragnet
“47Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Ø Words to note: dragnet: Back in Jesus’ day, the people who fished, like Peter and Andrew, James and John (2 pairs of brothers, by the way), used large nets with small holes and they were made in a way that they fish would get stuck in the openings in the net (similar to the commercial method of fishing). So, they would drop these huge nets and leave them there for a little while, and then pull them up and pull the fish free from the net. It was pretty hard work, and fishermen were pretty tough and rugged.
Ø In context, it appears that Jesus is telling this parable to His smaller group of disciples, and He uses this word picture to describe His Kingdom and how one day, God will gather all men and judge them and there will only be two categories: those who accepted salvation – the good fish, and those that rejected salvation – the bad fish. The good fish will be kept and and the bad fish will be thrown away.
Ø Words to note: Notice Jesus uses the word good and bad. Both of those words describe actions (or better put - their lifestyles). Obviously, no one is good, but God (Jesus replied to the rich young ruler: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Jesus, who is 100% God, is obviously good and was emphasizing to this young ruler not use that word so casually… interesting thought… So, Jesus is obviously not using the word in that sense. So what does that word imply? This explanation helps me… All of us have broken God’s Law and willfully did things we know are wrong – His law: His commandments. But when we understand that we have broken His Law and deserve punishment, and instead accept Jesus as our Savior and new Leader, then we are no longer relying on our goodness, but on His perfection. So, those who accept Jesus as their Savior and Leader are now seen as righteous, because they are covered by the righteousness of Jesus. And one day, God will send His angels and they will sort out those who are saved from those who are not – those whose sins have been forgiven and cleansed from those who didn’t accept the offer of forgiveness. We should take notice: Jesus notes that those who are not saved will be cast into the “furnace of fire”. Notice also that Jesus said that there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” there. Both Hell and the eternal Lake of Fire are not talked about much these days, but Jesus wasn’t afraid to talk about them, because He knew they are very real places – places of constant torment – it’s like being physically burned all over the body for all of eternity: “where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched…” (Mark 9:44, 46, 48) also we will remember our lives and memories ~ Luke 16:19-31 – This isn’t an allegory, a story or a parable – it is a real story (including 2 men's real names) about a real place > a very real and very painful place! We need to study and understand Jesus’ teachings on Hell and the reality of eternal judgment and Jesus’ warnings about them, and we need to ask Him to build in us to a heart-attitude of compassion for all who have not made Jesus Christ their leader and accepted that He paid their fine! Those of us who follow Christ also need to be talking to everyone we know about Jesus and His offer of salvation and tell them about Jesus’ standards of righteousness, how He is just and holy and therefore He must punish sin --> Hell. We need to allow Jesus’ words to drive us to action - that is what following Christ means.
Parable of the Householder
“51Jesus said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes Lord.’ 52Then He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’ 53Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.”
Ø Jesus then asks His disciples if they have understood all that He explained. They replied that they had. Now, since Jesus’ parables are so deep, Jesus knew they had only understood some of the details of what He was communicating to them, so He then gives His disciples a challenge: keep studying these things in the Old and New Testament. And He compares this kind of studying to a scribe – someone who knows the Word of God from serious study.
Ø Words to note: Jesus uses the word scribe. That is an interesting word! See, back then, the scribes were known to be very studied in God’s Word and its themes and principles. It is also a word that describes sincere trust, because Jesus was only explaining these deep truths to His disciples (those who followed Him – traveled with Him – those who were loyal to Him) and not to the crowds. Jesus is offering to entrust His truths to us that we may teach others to walk as He walked. The question then is: Will we obey Him, recognizing the responsibility and privilege of such a task? Remember, He explained these things to those who followed Him… it’s the same today… His qualification isn’t absolute perfection, but just that we would follow in His footsteps – “… teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…”
Rejection at Nazareth
(Mark 6:1–6)
“54When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ 58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.’”
Ø It is amazing to me that not very long after Jesus was talking about the cost of salvation/discipleship, that He Himself would then demonstrate what it look like to be willing to sell the temporary earthly things to gain the invaluable treasure of spending eternity in Heaven. But, that is what He chose to do… After He had preached to the multitudes and then privately explained those things to His own disciples, He then went to His hometown - the place where He grew up, learned how to be a carpenter, and carried on the family business for some time (possibly by himself for a little while without his stepdad – after Joseph’s death ~ some Bible scholars point out that, in some places, he is not referred to as the carpenter’s son, but as the carpenter, also Joseph isn’t talked about again in the years of Jesus’ ministry or even in the small group that huddled at the crucifixion… Even, in the incidence where His mother and brothers came to get Him and try to stop Him from His ministry, Joseph isn’t mentioned… it’s a curious question and an interesting thought to consider.). So, Jesus chose to go back home where He knew He would meet skeptics and misplaced insults.
Ø Yet, knowing that He wouldn’t be accepted, He still, out of love, went and taught the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven in the synagogue, and apparently also healed some people, which demonstrated not only His love, but also the amazing power He had. (He was the Creator of Heaven and Earth in human flesh, after all!)
Ø And yet, what surprises me the most is that even though He was explaining these amazing mysteries about Himself and teaching them, and doing these amazing miracles, the people in His own hometown refused to believe. We see clearly that they astonished based on their own admission: “… this wisdom and these mighty works…” They knew they were seeing something special and instead of embracing it and treasuring it in their heart, as His mother Mary did, they instead said something more or less like, ‘Wow, that was interesting…' and continued to do what they wanted to do… How sad. Their hardness of heart must have grieved Jesus so much. In fact, in Mark’s account of this same story in Mark 6:1-6, God had Mark record this: “And He marveled because of their unbelief…” Jesus was amazed at their unbelief. There is a common English phrase that goes: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ [doesn’t always work that way, but typically does], and I think that describes Jesus’ situation too. Apparently, these fellow Galileans had seen Jesus do these amazing things and had heard Jesus explain these amazing mysteries for quite a while, but they never let it sink in… They heard it, were amazed, and then stayed the same they were – rejecting Jesus call to repent. And in the case of these people, they didn’t even reject Him because of any past failures of Jesus – He didn’t have any past failures > because He was perfect. They just rejected His message as nothing new and continued to go on with their life… How calloused, how cold-hearted, and how scary! Because in their calloused-ness, they were rejecting the only message that could save them!
Ø I wonder how often we hear God’s amazing truths and calls for repentance and count them unimportant or trivial. Jesus was the One who described that we need to be willing to sell everything to embrace His truth… May God grant us forgiveness for the times that we become complacent, for the times that we don’t care, for the times we are stubborn, and let us choose today to follow Christ, leaving behind whatever necessary, so that we can embrace the true riches and the true Treasure instead of the temporary, fragile, earthly goods… Pastor Charles Stanley explains it this way: ‘Obey God no matter the cost, and let Him take care of the consequences.’ May we take that teaching and Godly wisdom to heart! May we make that our renewed prayer and passion, and when we do, Jesus promises that we will find out what He meant by “… But I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”!
