Note first: There is an old proverb which reads: Familiarity breeds contempt. And the verses before us demonstrate just how this can be. It is in fact one of the most pernicious of sins. And one all too common among us today.
In Psalm 50, Asaph speaks prophetically to God’s people, calling them back to a right view of Him. And among the charges listed there, we read vs. 21: “These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.”
Because God had been patient with their sin, the people began to imagine that God thought like they thought, liked what they liked, disliked what they disliked. They superimposed their thoughts, feelings and opinions upon God.
It makes me wonder how many times I’ve done this myself. How have I baptized my thoughts, preferences and opinions by imagining God’s must be identical to mine.
Heavenly Father, forgive me. How often I have superimposed my feelings, my opinions, my viewpoints onto you. I have assumed you feel toward the same people as I do. I have imagined your willingness to see my compromises, and that you abide them and excuse them as I do. That my priorities and agenda – you take up too. That you are as easily offended as I am. As petty. As punitive. As irritable. As short-tempered. As temporally oriented. I have thought you are one like myself. I have been a fool. Let me see your glory.
In this account, their familiarity with Jesus led them to ignore what He was teaching and preaching.
How many a foolish person has left a sound Church and deeply committed leadership because their preaching was not flash-in-the-pan? Didn’t scratch their itch? Didn’t dazzle them? Because the man in the pulpit simply and plainly broke the Bread of Life to them faithfully, but was just an ordinary man? Wickedness.
Note second the reason for their rejection of Christ. It was not based upon His character, for He was sinless, nor upon His teaching, for even they acknowledged His wisdom and mighty works. What then was their objection? He’s not unusual enough. As though truth needs some sort of spectacular demonstration in order to be truth.
In the modern Church, there is a great movement that signs and wonders must be present to verify truth, and bring people to belief. Here, they knew His mighty works and did not believe. He didn’t dazzle them enough for their taste.
Note lastly then: That when the truth is rejected on such paltry and foolish grounds, that unbelief is met with an unresponsive God. Jesus left His home town with little by way of extra blessing.
Woe to us when His plain Word is not enough for us. When we casually set aside the God/Man as He preached and taught, because we thought it too simple, plain and unexciting.
And yet how faithfully He continued to preach and teach.
Jesus’ question to the disciples here after delivering the parables is one that cannot be overlooked. Had they, do we – really get it?
He goes on to explain what it is they need not to miss, and it is central to understanding the shift from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. And it is why there is so much confusion in understanding the relationship between the Old Covenant Scriptures and the New Covenant Scriptures. The tendency among us is to go to one of two extremes. Some see no true connection between the two, as though the Old Covenant Scriptures can virtually be discarded. They see no value at all in the Law. Others, see virtually no distinction at all and conflate the two as though there is no change to be seen or understood. They virtually try to make Believers today into Old Testament Jews.
Jesus is keen here to make sure His men do not commit either error.
Note first then: Failing to understand how God uses types, shadows, similes, parables, etc., locks up the OT from the preaching of Christ. But one who understands, can bring out treasures from both the Old and the New. May we gain this holy skill.
This shows itself to us in two primary ways (among others).
a. Israel was never meant to be an end in itself – but a type and shadow of The Coming Kingdom. When we fail to understand this, we have those who confuse the modern Sate of Israel (a secular state we need to be reminded) with the Kingdom itself. We will find ourselves with so many today who cannot bring themselves to criticize the State when it errs, and baptize all it does. Some go so far (as certain heretics like John Hagee) who say we need not evangelize our Jewish friends because they have their own covenant with God. Making no room for the fact the Old Covenant is gone, and Christ has instituted the New. So they cannot digest Paul’s words in Romans 2:28-29 “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”
It is also why we do not look for a “Christian” State.
With many others, I personally look for a great stirring of the Spirit among ethnic Jews near the return of Christ – but that is not the same as assuming all is well with them in the meantime. In the largest part, they have rejected the New Covenant and need to come to Christ.
b. The Law was never meant to be an end in itself either. We can liken it best to an X-ray machine – a diagnostic tool, but one with no power whatsoever to bring about healing. The Law can show us a broken bone, but it cannot mend it. It can reveal the righteousness of God, but it cannot produce it within us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit and the express blessing of the New Covenant.
If I may extend a simile built on the above – for the Believer, the object is to fix our eyes upon and follow Christ. Our relationship to the Law of Moses has radically changed. For one, it can no longer condemn us. But picture this: When one is learning to drive, they are taught to keep their eyes on the road ahead – not on the guardrails along the side. The guardrails are there should we (for some reason) spin out of control. And to smack into them hurts. But they are not there as guides. Our Guide is to keep the eyes fixed upon Christ. The Law remains just and right and good, but it has to be used lawfully – for what it was designed. And it was NEVER designed to sanctify, any more than it was designed to confer eternal life.
Note second then, that once one has a firm grasp of the principles of the Kingdom as outlined in the parables here, then one can rightly read their OT and see how the 2 mesh so perfectly. Apart from this understanding, the 2 will remain in tension rather than in harmony. And keep that in mind – they are in harmony, but they are not identical. The Old and New Covenants harmonize, but they do not “sing” in unison.
Jesus wanted them to grasp this vision of the Kingdom:
1 / It is built only through the preaching of the Gospel.
2 / There will be the righteous and the unrighteous in the world until Jesus returns. Accept it and learn to live in the reality of it.
3 / The Church will not always look like it does today. It’s fullness is coming.
4 / Men are never more “Christians” than the moment they are conceived by the Spirit. But they have to grow. And growth in Christ’s image is not an overnight, but a lifelong process, finished when He comes.
5 / The world will never understand why we value Christ, the Cross, holiness, The Word and the resurrection above earthly things. Don’t expect to be understood by them.
6 / For the true Believer, the signal mark is: Christ is our greatest gain.
7 / We will never have a perfectly pure Church until Christ returns. Don’t be shocked by fakes and defectors. A day of true sorting will come.
As noted earlier then, let me reiterate: Taken in order we learn these 7 lessons.
A – Confidence and Comfort in the simple plan and program of God in evangelism. God’s Word IS sufficient.
B – There is no need to fret or fear if the World seems to grow and progress in evil along with the Church. The harvest WILL come.
C – Though the Kingdom may seem small and insignificant now – wait. The half has not been told.
D – Though you seem to make little progress in sanctification, you WILL be transformed into His image as the Kingdom grows within you and affects every part.
E – Though others have not seen what you have – you are not a fool to forsake that which you cannot keep to obtain that which you cannot lose.
F – Let no one dissuade you from the singular excellencies of Christ. Truth isn’t all about us- but He is THE Truth, THE Life, and THE Way.
G – Give the Gospel to all men and draw them in. But give them no comfort in the MERE fact they dwell among the saints, simply because they found an attraction here. If they have not been changed, if they are spoiled or dead or unprofitable, they WILL be cast away.
From Matthew 13:47-50 / Jesus’ last kingdom parable here (#7) treats the mystery of the GOSPEL itself, or of CONSUMMATION.
Many are invited, but few are chosen.
Note first as a hint to preachers – as with each of these parables, the great subject of them is the Kingdom of Heaven.
While we might be inclined to preach each of these separately, and indeed, they do lend themselves to individual exposition – frequent allusion must be made to the fact they form a composite. If we do not do this, we lose what is really going on. We do not want to overlook how the 7 parables together paint a picture that will frame encouragement and direction in the days to come when the advance and the glory of the Kingdom’s fullness seems remote or even lost.
Jesus knows full well that His current disciples and we who follow in later generations, will be tempted to read the Church through the lens of the culture, the newspaper and current events. Here, He is providing for us a lens through which to interpret the mission, state and work of the Church irrespective of any outside environment.
These are divine constants. Whether the Church at large seems healthy or weak, attacked or at ease, prosperous and influential or marginalized and ignored – these 7 principles will remain true. Fearful and weary Christians and ministers need not faint. His appointed consummation will come.
Note second, that like the parable of the wheat and the tares, we must face the reality we will not have a perfectly pure Church now. That blessed state remains to be ours “at the end of the age” – not in the midst of it.
Many a Church leader has tried to ignore this truth, turning to political or even military power, witch-hunting and harsh and arbitrary degrees of separation – only to fail over and over again at the expense of the Gospel. Wasting time, energy and lives in their quest to accomplish what Christ Himself told us would not be.
We, do not produce, usher in or create The Kingdom. Christ builds His Church. We co-labor with Him in our assigned times and places. But the consummation is in His hands, not ours. How woefully self-important we can make ourselves and our ministries when we lose sight of this.
Note 3rd, what we know from Jesus’ own teaching in other places. (Matt. 24:14)
The net of the Gospel is cast into the sea of humanity, and all sorts are gathered in indiscriminately. However, we need not fear. The day of sorting will come. There will be a separating of the goats and the sheep. The call of the Gospel is to go out to everyone, everywhere. Providence will certainly dictate some parameters. But that is God’s business, not ours.
Our ambassadorship is not to a few, but to the world. We are His representatives pleading as if the very voice of God were pleading through us “be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Or, as we see in Luke 12:58 – all men are on their way to judgment. And each needs to reconcile with his adversary now, on the way, lest our guilt and lack of repentance find us in “the prison.” There, there is no forgiveness. Every last cent due, will be extracted. We must tell them while there is time. We may cast the net without concern for what fish will be gathered in it – as the responsibility for the sorting is given to others. Let us discharge our great call, and leave the work assigned to others to them. It is enough for us to be about this work. May His Spirit be pleased to gather in more than we ever imagined.
No, this does not negate the need for sound Church discipline nor for requiring sound professions of faith for membership in the local Church. But it does recognize that the Gospel net draws many, good and bad.
They come for different reasons. Curiosity. Community. Seeking position or power. Wanting the thrill of the supernatural. Comfort from life’s harshness. To feel special. To fill some natural void. Because Christians are a nice group to be among. For means to earthly gain. And some, the blessed some, who come because of the reality of their sinfulness and the reconciliation they need to God the Father through faith in shed blood of Jesus Christ. At the end of the age, the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous. The false will be exposed. Justice will still be done.
Christ’s Kingdom, in all of its purity and glory WILL come.
Be faithful servant of God – He knows what He’s about.
From Matthew 13:45-46 / Kingdom parable #6 is the mystery of TRANSCENDENCE or SUPERIORITY.
This principle, is the explanation of Paul counting all things but dung in comparison to Christ. It is seeing the One Pearl that is infinitely higher than all other good things.
There is truth all around us. And all sorts of good things given to us by God’s hand. But we have come to know there is one Gift that is transcendently superior to them all – Christ Jesus the Son.
He is not “a” truth, He is THE Truth.
He is not “a” gift, He is THE Gift of God.
He is the highest of all God’s goodness.
In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.
Every other “pearl” granted to us by the hand of God pales in comparison. They are but types and shadows of Him, samples of what finds its fullness in the King of Kings. And as real as all the other good things God has given to us -are, not one of those things – or all of them considered together – is to be compared to the Jewel of Heaven. The outshining of God’s own glory. Christ the Lord.
No one has said it better than old John Flavel: “It is a special consideration to enhance the love of God in giving Christ, that in giving him he gave the richest jewel in his cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worth, and most inestimable value, Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is: He is the better half of heaven; and so the saints account him, Psal. 73:25. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Ten thousand thousand worlds, saith one,* as many worlds as angels can number, and then as a new world of angels can multiply, would not all be the bulk of a balance, to weigh Christ’s excellency, love, and sweetness. O what a fair One! what an only One! what an excellent, lovely, ravishing One, is Christ! Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness in one; O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it should be less to that fair and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths. Christ is heaven’s wonder, and earth’s wonder.
Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as his Son was, yet not to account him too good to bestow upon us, what manner of love is this!1
From Matthew 13:44 Kingdom parable #5 – the mystery of REVELATION.
Spurgeon says this parable is about Christ, His dying to purchase the whole world that He might have the treasure of those given to Him by the Father found in it.
Others say it appears to be directed more to the Believer. When once our eyes see and comprehend the glories of Christ – that which is hidden to the ordinary view of men, we cannot simply ignore it. From the outside, men cannot comprehend why we would sell all to have some mere field. But we have seen the treasure. We have glimpsed its infinite worth. He who is but a man to most, is the Son of God to us.
The One who is but the Carpenter’s son, whose brothers and sisters are with us (Mark 6:3) – is in fact, God robed in human flesh – God with us. To some He is nothing but a moral teacher, and to others He was a rabble-rouser and a misfit. To us who see, He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Unless the Spirit uncover Him, we do not see.
Now in truth, there is no reason to divide interpretations here, for the principle is exactly the same: Seeing value in what others do not or cannot, and finding that treasure so compelling, that the loss of all else is worth it to possess it.
In terms then of this being Christ finding the Church buried in the dust of this earth – what a magnificent thing to consider all that He would willingly set aside that He might have it? It is beyond comprehension.
Hint to preachers: Boaz in the book of Ruth may be a good parallel to this type of the man pictured here. The nearer kinsman redeemer is a picture of the opposite. The other had first claim, but did not consider Ruth and Naomi treasure – Boaz did.
In a complete other tack, Lenski says the treasure is the Word, the Scripture. That once we discover the treasure in it, we give all to know it and all it contains and reveals to us – especially Christ.
Note too how this applies to those exposed to Gospel truth and yet leave it.
It is very often true that one sees value in the very same thing others pass by and consider of little or no worth. This man saw what others didn’t. They might have examined the same parcel. Walked up and down in it. Turned over the soil. Seen the kind of crops it has yielded, but did not care for the fruit of it. They have a different aim. They desire something else. But not this man – he sees in it what they disregard in it and counts what they pass over, a treasure.
Note the issue of finding the treasure, then covering it up before going off to buy it. There is nothing untoward here. The idea isn’t that his thought is to prevent others from getting the treasure instead of him, as much as it is his desire not to in any way chance losing it. He must have it. It is just out there in an ordinary field, no special place, perhaps not even on someone else’s property. Maybe the field is even for sale. But he has found in it what others clearly didn’t. And he will take every step he can to obtain it.
Jerome says. That he hides it, does not proceed of envy towards others, but as one that treasures up what he would not lose, he hides in his heart that which he prizes above his former possessions.
Lastly, in regard to selling all to obtain the treasure: You cannot have Christ truly, if you are not willing to let go of everything else you might value in order to gain Him? What is so valuable that time with Him is so cheaply sold by us? What of sin is so valuable that it is worth hanging on to rather than to Him? Pride? Social standing? Peer opinion? Drunkenness? Sex? Partying?
George MacDonald prayed:
Lord, in thy spirit’s hurricane, I pray,
Strip my soul naked—dress it then thy way. Change for me all my rags to cloth of gold.
From Matthew 13:33 / Kingdom mystery #4 – the mystery of TRANSFORMATION.
There are places in God’s Word where the economy of words is simply astounding. One of those places is found in this parable.
Note first, the first and main point: The Believer is gradually transformed into the image of Christ, it is not an instantaneous act.
Note second, this transformation is through saturation and permeation. The Spirit inwardly makes His way into the deepest recesses of the heart and mind – bringing his Holy influences to every particle of our being. God does not fear time. He utilizes it to His highest glory and our best good. He that began the good work in us, WILL complete it until the day of Christ. He is patient with us, and we ought to be with one another.
Note third: All three of the preceeding parables assert the life and power is in the seed – which ultimately is the Word of God.
1. It WILL bring forth fruit.
2. Even though challenged by harmful fakes, it will survive until the day of harvest.
3. It will begin small outwardly – but it will end filling the whole earth.
4. And it will being transformation in those who receive it into themselves.
Note fourth: The same is true with this parable as with all in this portion – they are about the Kingdom of Heaven. If we lose that focus, we get into interpretive high weeds. This above all points to the Kingdom of Heaven = The Rulership of Christ, first in the individual, and then at His coming – over all creation. In all three Synoptists “the kingdom” is the most important topic in Jesus’ teaching. In Matthew it is usually the kingdom of heaven (32 times) The New Testament is all about this Kingdom being inaugurated by Jesus while He was here, and how He ascended to His throne, and how the whole creation is in the process of being subdued under His feet.
He is IN that position NOW: Ephesians 1:15–23
And the fullness of it is yet to come: 1 Corinthians 15:22–27
So we do not SEE it all yet – but we will: Hebrews 2:6–9
Hints to preachers: Beware some common pitfalls.
A. Is LEAVEN always a symbol of evil? No. Lev. 7:13-14; Lev. 23:15-17 / Peace offerings and Wave offerings were commanded to be done WITH leavened bread.
B. Is this a parable warning us about the way sin invades – akin to Matt. 12:1 or 1 Cor. 5:6? CONTEXT – CONTEXT – CONTEXT
All of the referents to growth in this entire passage are invariably presented in a positive light. It seems odd if Jesus would change that picture midstream without some sort of indication. Don’t forget Jesus and Satan are both called lions in different places.
C. Is this a parable about how the entire world will be brought to Christ eventually through the invading influence of the Church?
None of the other parables seem to indicate that kind of concept – i.e. transforming all of creation.
The balance of Scripture seems to indicate that we must await the sudden return of Christ in that regard – Esp. passages like Matt. 24.
2. Hiddenness / the Secret working of God in His people.
This appears to be the main point of the parable. Luke 17:20–21 (Within you)
It is the reality of the individual living under the direct rulership of Christ – seeing Him as God, and seeking to live by His Spirit of holiness.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness – is NOT to be part of a movement to make Christ King – but to make it a priority in life to be RULED by Christ AS King.
Matthew 17:5
Do not look to a new Moses form of external government
Do not look for the days of the Prophets where they mediated the Word of God to us
Look to Christ as your sovereign and King.
The Kingdom in the larger sense, is simply the collection of those whom are seeking to be ruled over by Jesus Christ as their Lord and God.
3. Permeation NOT sudden transformation in a moment.
We tend to look for keys or experiences which will make our Christian experience or life take giant leaps forward.
These MAY occur from time to time – but as in the parable of the soils, and the mixed seed in the field, and the mustard seed – all speak of a growth process, and not a sudden jump. This is God’s most usual way of working in our lives.
It works silently and insensibly (Mk. 4:26), yet strongly and irresistibly: it does its work without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but does it without fail. Hide but the leaven in the dough, and all the world cannot hinder it from communicating its taste and relish to it, and yet none sees how it is done, but by degrees the whole is leavened. – Leon Morris
We do not run to a preacher or some meeting to have a sudden experience of being set free from temptations or sins we battle.
We do not grow in grace in an instant.
Tho there are seasons of more rapid growth than others – growth spurts. But they cannot be created or are to be sought as an answer.
We go about the business of daily learning to yield more and more to the Spirit’s leading us away from sin and into righteousness.
Sanctification is not a matter of sudden jolts. It is the process of His Gospel permeating every facet of our being and bringing each part under more and more control of Christ.
This is why we need to soak more and more in God’s word:
Preached
Read
Understood
Taught
Meditated upon
And forming the lens through which we see all of life.
Perhaps [you will] say, Yes, I have waited on those ordinances, which are the way in which he [has] promised to give out strength. But is this all? [You may] come to them, and not wait on God in them. [Is it possible you have] carnally expected strength from them, and so put the ordinance in God’s stead? [Do you share something in common with those] in James 4:13: ‘We will go into such a city, and buy, and sell, and get gain?’ [Could it be your} heart said, I will go and hear such a man, and get comfort, get strength? and [do you wonder that you are weak, barren, and unfruitful?] Are ordinances [themselves] God, that they should make you strong or comfortable? – Gurnall
4. A LITTLE bit eventually yields a GREAT result.
50 lbs. of flour is referred to here, but only a little leaven eventually leavens the whole lump.
It isn’t more of Christ’s Spirit that we need as though it comes in quantity – what we need is the influence of the Spirit in every part.
Actions.
Thoughts.
Attitudes.
Reasoning.
Plans and purposes.
Responses.
Perceptions.
Feelings.
5. This is God’s METHOD in the progress of His Kingdom – one cannot short circuit it, nor circumvent it.
It is important to grasp this, in order to avoid discouragement in the process of dealing with indwelling sin.
God [at times] may communicate the less of his assisting strength, that he may show the more of his supporting strength, in upholding weak grace: we [aren’t amazed] to see a man of strong constitution, that eats his bread heartily, and sleeps soundly, live: but for a crazy body, full of pains and infirmities, to be so patched and shored up by the physician’s art, that he stands to old age, this begets some wonder in the beholders. It may be [you are] a poor trembling soul, thy faith is weak, and thy assaults from Satan strong, thy corruptions stirring and active, and thy mortifying strength little, so that in thy opinion they rather gain ground on thy grace, than give ground to it; ever and anon thou art ready to think thou shalt be cast as a wreck on the devil’s shore: and yet to this day thy grace lives, though full of leaks. Now is it not worth the stepping aside to see this strange sight? – Gurnall
ResponsiveReiding 