The Kingdom Parables #6
- Of these 13 kingdom parables:
1 - Was about cooking. Kingdom was like leaven that began small but had great and visible influence.
1 - Was about fishing - kingdom was like a net that captured many fish, which were later separated.
2 - Were about feasts.
· Kingdom was like a wedding feast where you needed to be properly attired to remain.
· Kingdom was like a wedding ceremony where you needed to be ready so you could get into the party.
4 - Were about money.
· Kingdom was like a pearl or treasure that you would give up everything to possess.
· Kingdom was like a person who enables his employees to invest his money and rewards the ones who do so faithfully and profitably.
· Kingdom was like a king who was prepared to forgive a great debt to one of his servants if that servant would show the same mercy to others.
v Tonight we begin the final series of parables on the kingdom - the five parables that use agriculture as a base for their stories.
I. The Parable of the Sower and the Seed. - Mt.13:1-23; Mk.4: 1
- They often refer to this parable as the parable of the soils because it is not really about the sower or the seed - it's really about the different kinds of soil that the sower puts his seed into.
- This parable has 3 sections in it.
A. The parable itself.
B. An explanation of why Jesus used this style of teaching - IE Parables
C. An explanation of the parable of the Sower and the Seed.
v This is not a personality or story driven parable, rather it is based on a common observation that any person could make then as well as now.
II. The Parable - Mt.13: 1-9
- In chapter 12: 46-50 we read about the family of Jesus trying to get Him to go home with them.
- The next chapter continues the story with what happened next.
Vs. 1 - The Lord apparently went home with them but on the same day returned outside and went to the water's edge.
Vs. 2 - Because He was crowded He used a boat like a stage so He could be separated from the crowd and be seated while teaching them as was the custom of the times.
Vs.3a - At this point He begins to tell them a parable as far as we know this parable was the first one spoken by the Lord in His ministry.
Vs.3b - 8 - The story is simple enough.
· A sower / farmer goes out to sow wheat or barley (usually sown by hand in Palestine in those days).
· The patch of land is not necessarily large, has no fences and has a road running alongside or dividing it somehow.
· Some of the seeds fall on this pathway and are eagerly eaten up by the birds. Not done on purpose, simply seed that lands there while spreading on the patch.
· Much of Palestine is rocky and so much of the tilled soil has spots where the rock is barely covered by the earth.
- The Lord of the rock provides a good temperature for the soil to germinate seed but doesn't contain enough moisture to keep it alive in the hot sun.
- This is why plants take and grow quickly but don't last.
· Much of the soil has thorns (weeds), which are cut but soon grow back with the crop and choke its growth.
· On the good soil (that which has depth, moisture, properly weeded) the seed sown produces a harvest.
· Like any harvest each grain sown produces a variety of yield - but produces a harvest.
Vs. 9 - Jesus tells His hearers that this simple story has a special meaning and if they try to understand they may grasp it.
Vs.10 - In Mark 4: 10 Mark says that His followers along with Apostles came to Him for an explanation of the parable along with the reason why He taught in this way.
- If anyone tried to understand the parable they would realize that they couldn't without help.
- The people who came to Him were those who were listening and hearing and searching for the answers and Jesus will not disappoint them.
v But first He will explain the reason why He will teach in parables (because it's the first time He teaches this way) - and this will help these hearers understand not lonely this parable but all of the others Jesus will teach.
II. The Reasons For Parables - vs.11-17
- Jesus acknowledges that He is speaking in parables and He is speaking in this way for a number of reasons:
1. The knowledge of the kingdom is a blessing - vs.11 - 13 (Don't Read)
-God is the one who reveals the mysteries of His thoughts, His intensions.
- Through the parables He can hide the meaning and knowledge of the kingdom from those who He does not wish to have it.
Vs. 11 - The Apostles and disciples have been granted the privilege to understand, to penetrate the mysteries of the parable (Jesus will explain in a moment).
- The scribes, Pharisees and those who follow them along with unbelievers will not be permitted to understand.
- The reason for this of course is that they will not come to Jesus who is the only one who can explain the parables and who is the central figure or key to all the parables.
Vs.12 - Those who have begun to seek Jesus, follow and listen to Him and obey Him will receive more knowledge and insight (eventually the resurrection, Holy Spirit etc.)
- Those who have simply listened to the parable, rejected Christ will drift away from Him eventually even forgetting the parable and ultimately become His enemy.
Vs.13 - For this reason (because some are believing and some are disbelieving) Jesus is beginning to separate the two by using parables. - A sifting device.
- Their disbelief (hearing without understanding; seeing without perceiving) will be made evident by Jesus; use of parables.
v The knowledge of the kingdom is a blessing reserved for the believers, disbelievers are filtered out by use of parables.
2. Their use was prophesied - vs.14-15
- The prophet Isaiah said that the people would ultimately not believe because they had cultivated a disbelieving attitude.
- This didn't happen all of the sudden. Generations of half-hearted worship, disobedience, rejection and manipulation of God's word had produced a nation who were dull and unprepared spiritually for their Messiah.
v What He was doing and the reason for it was not a surprise or last minute thing - it was known and spoken of beforehand by the prophets.
3. The fullness of time had come - vs.16-17
- They were blessed because they were living at a time when all of these things were about to be fulfilled.
- The patriarchs, the judges, kings, prophets - even the angels (1Peter 1: 12) only saw the shadows, the promises, the visions of the coming Messiah.
- But they were blessed because they were living at a time when these things were actually being fulfilled and they could hear and see and touch and be taught by the Messiah Himself.
v So some did not see or hear because they were born too soon; others did not see or hear because their hearts were dull and unbelieving; still others were born at the right time and believed in the right person were privileged to gain knowledge and insight into the kingdom long promised and finally come.
III. The Meaning Of The Parable - vs.18 - 23
- As I said at the beginning, this parable is not about seed or the sower but rather about soil.
- Jesus describes 4 kinds of soil that receive seed and how the seed fares in each type of soil.
- We learn that the soil is a person's heart (his attitude, feelings, beliefs, will); the seed is God's word of the kingdom; the sower is Jesus.
- The parable explains that a person's spiritual life or death or development is based on how that person receives God's word in his heart.
1. Hard Soil - verse 19
· The side of the field, the pathway, hard packed in dirt.
· The birds come and take the seed away even as its being sown.
· We see this happening with people who are full of disbelief, cynicism, skepticism or the hard heart of a sinful life.
- The birds are all the reasons and excuses Satan sends to prevent these people from believing.
- IE. The word is not inspired It's all exaggeration to frighten men. Even some preachers don't believe in it. Christians are hypocrites anyways. This may interfere with my sin (whatever it is).
v The net result is that the word produces nothing except a faint recollection that it landed on the conscious mind for a moment before being snatched away.
2. Rocky Soil - verses 20 - 21
· This is the thin layer of warm soil with hard rock underneath.
· This is the person who receives (understands) and quickly shows much promise in the word.
- Enthusiastic at first, ready to join in, knows the plan, encourages others to follow him into Christ.
· Plants need the sun and heat to grow. Christians need the heat of trials and struggle to grow as well.
· This person's hard heart is never dealt with or seen at first.
- Could be basic selfishness (pride, fear, laziness, greed, lust etc.)
- When the word begins to force him to deal with these issues he is immediately gone.
- This is the person who wants a blessing, wants grace but is unwilling to die to self or allow the Holy Spirit to deal with him as a Christian.
v When his faith costs him something he is unwilling to pay and is quickly gone - he is quick to convert and quick to be gone.
3. Thorny Soil - verse 22.
- Here the plant dies but the death is a slow death, unlike the seed in rocky ground.
-Takes awhile for the weeds / thorns to completely choke a good plant.
· Jesus describes the thorns in this man's heart / soil as being two in particular.
A - Worry of the world.
-Each generation has its things to worry about, normal life.
- This person allows these worries to overcome his life in the kingdom.
- Invest more of an emotional energy in concern over worldly things than concern and involvement in the kingdom.
B - Deceitfulness of rulers.
- The world and its wealth and its attractions seduce one away from the kingdom (Demas)
· Many Christians start well but become at first distracted and finally pulled completely away from Christ because:
- Too busy - Too many problems
- Stressed - Too much money
- Too involved - Too many toys
- Too may bad habits / unbelieving friends.
v For those people the word has no impact, no challenge, no authority, no comfort or inspiration for them any more.
4. Good Soil - verse 23
· The good soil / heart is described as being one that hears and understands.
- Hears with the ears and the heart.
- Understands the primary and secondary meaning of the parables.
- Ready to believe and obey the words
· This heart will produce a harvest where each seed will produce differently.
- We are stronger in certain parts of our Spiritual life and service than other parts.
- We bear different fruit in different areas of our lives depending on sin, knowledge, talent etc.
· The important thing is that unlike the other soil, there is a harvest and it is plentiful.
Summary / Invitation
· So from this parable we gleam several more pieces of information for our kingdom puzzle.
1. The kingdom is planted in a person's heart.
· This is where the growth and perception of it is.
2. The kingdom is planted by means of the word.
· The kingdom exists in a person's heart through the agency of the word. This is how you have it in your heart.
3. The kingdom can be destroyed.
- By total disbelief and rejection.
- By a refusal to persevere with Jesus.
- By too great a concern over worldly matters or worldly riches.
4. The kingdom grows at different rates in different people.
· Some mature quickly bear much fruit; others take long to grow; others are slow in professing - all of which alters their ability to give and serve and consequently affects their maturity; but in the end there is a harvest to offer.
5. The kingdom can be missed, remain unseen for many.
· When you try and try; explain and teach over again, don't feel bad if some just don't get it or don't want to get it.
· Don't blame yourself - Jesus said that 3 of the four soils would not have a harvest.
· People rejected Jesus, the one who spoke the parables and died for their sins - don't be disappointed if certain ones do not hear or understand or respond to you - there are still hard, rocky and thorny soils that exist in abundance today.
v The question is which kind of heart do you have? Tonight you can ask the Lord to change your heart and give you one that longs to obey and do what is right.
- If you need to bring you heart to Jesus for healing come now.