Word of Jesus Part 10
Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came
and devoured them up:
This to me means being a half-hearted hearer who doesn't really grasp what is
heard.
We may hear a good message but get distracted going about our business
forgetting what we heard.
Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and
forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
This was those that heard the word but did not build on it. They didn't become
rooted and grounded in that word so that fruit would come from it.
Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no
root, they withered away.
Mat 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
These are they who loved the word at first but had too many other interests and
cares. The worldly interests came first until the word was choked. What they
heard was then forgotten.
Mat 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
These are they which love the word, continue in the word and it causes others to
hear also. These are they that can say at the end of their lives, "I've fought a
good fight, I've kept the faith" and they are ready to meet the Lord.
Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
God pleads with us to hear and understand. It is not His will that any of us
should perish.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them
in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he
hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not;
and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By
hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and
shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.
They could have heard but they refused. The more we continue to resist the
truth, the more our hearts will deceive us and we will not hear. The more we
open up to the truth, the more truth we will have. Every time one resists the
Spirit of God's wooing them to salvation the heart becomes harder and harder.
At the first coming of Jesus the Jewish people were at a point that they were
not ready to receive the Messiah. Instead they were looking for one to give them
political and military power to escape the rule of the Romans. That is why they
rejected the message of repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ.
Mat 13:16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have
desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear
those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Those that understand these things are blessed and will inherit eternal life.
Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when
tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is
offended.
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the
word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the
word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the
word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some
an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
We see this in today's world. We see those who have hardened hearts and do not
receive the word at all; then we see those that hear and do not pay attention,
hear and don't allow themselves to be rooted and grounded and those that are so
busy in the things of this life that they do not have time to grow spiritually.
We also see a narrow few who bring forth fruit unto righteousness.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven
is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat,
and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then
appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst
not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto
him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also
the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in
bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
We see this today. The world mixes with the church. In the church those that
believe strongly with those that are lukewarm. We see troublemakers, false
teachers and those after money mixing with those who contend with the faith once
delivered to the saints.
Mat 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them,
saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man
took, and sowed in his field:
Mat 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is
the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come
and lodge in the branches thereof.
Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto
leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole
was leavened.
The bigger the church the more likely that we have many from different
backgrounds and many who are not serving the Lord in true faithful Christian
living.
The true kingdom of heaven is still growing from a very small beginning with
only a few but also lodged in its branches are those that do not live as they
should and bring harm to the reputation of the church rather than doing it good.
Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto
leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole
was leavened.
This teaches the same thought as the above. The more a church grows and it
should grow but the bad and the good will be within it.
Mat 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and
without a parable spake he not unto them:
Mat 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I
will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.
Teaching by parables was foretold in:
Psa 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
Only those sincere who seek the Lord with all there hearts will understand. The
careless, uncaring, scoffers, and unbelievers will not understand.
Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his
disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the
field.
Mat 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the
Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the
world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall
it be in the end of this world.
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out
of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Tares and wheat grow together even now. We must continue faithful in the word
and let God be the judge. We must not attempt to destroy the tares ourselves
lest we destroy the wheat along with it.
The faithful will shine forth as the sun.
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth,
and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking
goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all
that he had, and bought it.
This should be our attitude when we discover salvation through faith in Jesus
Christ. Forsake everything else and give God our all.
Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into
the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and
gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth,
and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
We can be part of the righteous. It is our choice. We can be part of the wicked
by refusing to hear and understand.
Mat 13:51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say
unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed
unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
Mat 13:53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he
departed thence.
Listen to these words. There is treasure in the word of God. In both Old and New
Testament there is deep, wonderful treasure that only those that seek will
understand. If we are ignorant, it is our own fault. In these scriptures lie the
key to life itself.
Mat 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their
synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man
this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and
his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man
all these things?
Mat 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is
not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Mat 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
They could have had all that God offers yet their unbelief hindered them. It is
still the same today. Unbelief is the greatest hindrance to the deep things of
God. We can understand. Many are seeking God for material things. There are so
many wonderful things that God has for us that is not even worthy to compare to
paltry material things.
Such wisdom and understanding is ours if we count the word of God as treasure
and seek it diligently.
