Matthew 13

Matthew 13:1

In chapter 12, we saw mounting opposition to Jesus. Here in chapter 13, the last in this section that presents the King resisted, Jesus heads for the seashore. In the late 1800s, Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” who at the age of twenty had a congregation of thousands, told young seminarians they would have to weigh at least two hundred fifty pounds to be effective expositors. A big man himself, he believed ample girth allowed voice projection essential in the days before electric amplification. Jesus employed a simpler technique. He spoke from a boat so His voice could bounce off the water and be amplified in the process. Creator of this principle, Jesus used it powerfully.

Matthew 13:3

The use of parables was the way people communicated when they wanted to arouse curiosity and excite interest. They wouldn’t use guitars or humor, but rather they would use parableslittle stories with big messages. The word “parable” comes from parabole in Greek. The Greek word para means “alongside,” while ballo means “to cast, or to throw.” Thus, the word “parable” means “casting alongside.” Parabolic teaching places a story alongside a truth or a principle. As you study parables, realize this: The lost and the lazy will not understand them, but for those who are interested in truth, they are wonderfully illuminating. This parable has two applications. Primarily, it speaks of how we hear the Word. Secondarily, it gives understanding about how we share the Word. In verse Mat_13:9, Jesus says, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” Tune in! Think through. Listen up! A former television news producer conducted a most intriguing survey. Following one broadcast, he sent a crew to survey people who watched the show in its entirety, which at that time consisted of nineteen stories in the thirty-minute broadcast. Fifty-one percent of those who watched the entire half-hour broadcast could not remember a single story. His conclusion was that people don’t listen, and a decision was made at that time to simplify news programming. So, too, understanding the limited attention span of humanity, Jesus taught in simple, unforgettable, powerful parablesone of His most well known being the Parable of the Sower. Sowing the Seed A Topical Study of Mat_13:3-9 Jesus was a master communicator and a marvelous teacher. Although He was not the inventor of parabolic teaching, Jesus brought the form to unparalleled heights and to great depths of insight, the parable of the Sower being one of His most well known. When we talk about sowers, we’re talking about farmerspeople who sowed seed. Walking through a field, scattering seed as he went, the seed the farmer in this particular parable sowed fell on four types of soil. Some seed fell on the hard soil by the wayside or in the pathways. It did not penetrate the ground, and the birds came and picked it off. Other seed fell on shallow, stony groundground with topsoil an inch or so deep, covering solid rock underneath. Such seed would spring up quickly, but lacking any real root system, it would wither away when the sun came out. Still other seed fell on ground infested with thorns that would choke the seed. Finally, some seed fell on good soil, and it brought forth fruit. This parable has two primary applications. First, it speaks to us as hearers of the Word. Jesus said, “Take heed how ye hear,” and “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” In other words, “Listen up when the seed is being sown.” What is the seed? Jesus tells us the seed is the Scriptures, the Word of God, specifically the gospel. Peter picks up the same metaphor in his writings when he says we are born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, which is the Word of God. According to this parable, people receive the Word in one of four ways. Some people have such hard hearts that the Word doesn’t penetrate at all. Birds pluck it away before it can make any impact, and their hearts remain unchanged. Others hear the Word and say, “Yeah, that sounds good!” And they get saved. They come forward, they raise their hands, and they get baptized, but there’s no root; and when persecution and tribulation come, they dry up and check out. In others, the cares of this world choke out the Word. They don’t have time for Bible study anymore. They have to wax their cars, paint their houses, or dig their pools. They can’t fit Scripture into their schedules. Finally, some hear the Word and receive it because the soil is ready. Their hearts are right. They take it in, and it produces fruitthirty-fold, sixty-fold, or a hundred-fold. The parable is a powerful one, as it speaks to each of us concerning the condition of our hearts upon hearing the Word. But I want us to look at the second applicationnot just as hearers of the Wordbut also as those who are distributing the seed. We have been called to share the gospel. We have been entrusted with this glorious, fabulous message. And this parable gives insight to some important principles about sharing the Word. First, I understand from what Jesus is saying that not everyone is going to respond. In fact, if we look at this story, we see only one of four receive the Word and go on to fruitfulness. That’s enlightening for me because it explains why some people seem so excited to receive the Word, but don’t go on with the Lord. Jesus said this would be so. We shouldn’t be surprised by it. Jesus said one of four would bear fruitonly one of four. But there is one of four. Think about this: Of all the people you have shared the gospel withfamily, friends, schoolmates, neighborshave one of four gone on to bear fruit? Or is it one of forty? One of four hundred? One of four thousand? Maybe you’ve never seen one neighbor, friend, family member, or colleague become fruitful in the Lord. What can be done? I believe the answer lies within the parable itself. If indeed Jesus received the inspiration for this parable from Jeremiah 4, where God instructed Jeremiah to “Break up the fallow ground and sow seed not amongst the thorns,” the question then becomes: How do we break up hard ground? Let me suggest to you something that is often overlooked with regard to hardened hearts and fallow ground. The problem is not with the seed, for the Word of God is powerful and real. The problem is with the soil. The soil has not been properly prepared. We have sown seed without preparing the soil. Suppose on a 747 heading from San Francisco to Honolulu, the captain suddenly called the stewardess into his cabin and said, “We have a hole in the gas tank and only about thirty minutes of fuel left. We’re two hours from Honolulu, but too far to turn back. This plane is going down. Distribute parachutes immediately to all passengers. And suppose the stewardess comes out of the cabin, wipes the worried look from her face, and cheerfully says, “Ladies and gentlemen, who would like to wear a parachute? Try one on, and you will see how smooth a flight can be, how wonderful the trip can become.” People listen to her, scratch their heads, and wonder. A few raise their hands and volunteer. But after a while, the parachutes become cumbersome. And the people find they can’t sit in their seats as comfortably as they previously did. They can’t put their tray tables down to hold their Cokes and peanuts. Worst of all, they see the people around them snickering and making fun of them. So, tired of the snickering and tired of squirming, they remove their parachutes. No sooner do they throw them down, however, than the plane sputters and crashes into the ocean, where all lives are lost. Oftentimes I hear presentations like this: “Come to Jesus. Christians have more fun.” Really? Tell that to Paul, who was beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked and constantly in pain, suffering, and difficulty. But if Christianity is “more fun,” what did Jesus mean when He said, “In the world you will have much tribulation”? What did He mean when He said we would enter into the kingdom only through trials and difficulties? And what did the writer to the Hebrews mean when he said believers in his day were sawn in half, that they traveled in animal skins to keep warm, and that they lived in caves in poverty? Others say, “Come to Jesus, and you won’t be miserable,” only to hear people respond, “I like my life. I enjoy watching the A’s and the Giants. I enjoy my ski boat. I like my kids. I’m doing well, thank you.” We try so hard to convince people they’re miserable without Jesus, or that they will be happy with Jesus. But sooner or later the sun comes out. People begin to make fun of them for becoming Christians. They begin to have difficulties and problems. They say, “I’ve been sold a bill of goods,” as they throw off their parachutes. Then the inevitable happens. The plane crashes. Death comes. And they are dumped into hell eternally because they came to the gospel on a wrong set of presuppositions. Their commitment was shallow because the presentation was shallow. Consider stewardess number two. She returns from the captain’s cabin, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, listen carefully. There is a leak in the fuselage. We are losing fuel rapidly. We have thirty minutes before we will make an emergency landing. Who wants a parachute?” Suddenly, hands go up everywhere. Everyone straps a parachute on. And you know what? They’re still uncomfortable, and they still can’t get their tray tables down. But they don’t care one whit. They know an event is coming for which they must be prepared. Maybe some are skeptical. Perhaps some are cynical. They say, “Oh, this is just some kind of drill, some kind of test. I don’t want a parachute.” And they laugh. But they laugh nervously, wondering, “What if she’s right?” as they ask for a second and third and fourth drink. Thirty minutes later, when the plane begins to sputter and the doors open, those who have the parachutes jump to safety. The others are lost. Gang, we need to make a realistic presentation of the gospel. He that has the Son has life. He that has not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. We need to say, “Friend, what will you do with the Person of Jesus Christ? Your eternal state hinges upon your decision. If you receive Him and respond to Him, you’ll be saved. If you reject or ignore Him, you’ll crash.” “That type of presentation makes me uncomfortable,” some might object. But that’s what it takes to break up fallow ground. How did Jesus break up the hard ground of the hearts to which He ministered, of those who thought they were basically okay? He said, “You have heard it said of old that you’re not to kill, but I say unto you that if you have been angry with your brother, you are a murderer. You have heard it said of old that you’re not to commit adultery, but I say to you, if you’ve looked with lust, you’re guilty. You have heard it said of old that you’re not to swear, but I say unto you let your ‘yea’ be ‘yea’ and your ’nay’ be ’nay.’ Anything more than yes or no is blasphemy. Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (see Matthew 5). And suddenly, people who thought they were basically okay are indicted by the law. The law was spoken of and expanded on by Jesus in order to bring people into an awareness of their sin. Gang, those of you who have family or friends who seem to be hardened to the gospel, have you really sat down with them and said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain… Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honour thy father and thy mother… Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet…”? Do we know the law? Do we even know the Ten Commandments? Do we know why they were given? Galatians 3 says the law was given as a schoolmaster to drive people to Jesus Christ (Gal_3:24). The law is a schoolmaster who cracks the whip, a schoolmaster who raps the knuckles, a schoolmaster who makes people wake up and realize they’re sinners. The law is like a mirror (Jas_1:23). When I look into a mirror and see dirt on my face, I don’t take the mirror off the wall and start scrubbing my face with the mirror. The mirror is simply to show me what’s real. So, too, the Ten Commandments and the law give people a proper understanding of their dirtiness and sinfulness, their depravity and iniquity. Therefore, we who sow seed must have the integrity and the honesty to say to people, “You’re a sinner. You’re headed for destruction. According to the Law of God, you’re not okay. We’re all lost. That’s why Jesus came.” People will not appreciate how wonderful Jesus is until they realize how lost they are. They"ll say, “Big deal. So Jesus died on the Cross. So you say God loves me. So what?” But when they realize that God’s standard of holiness and righteousness is so transcendent and so valuable that the price of sin is death, they say, “I get it. Salvation is not just a matter of having a better day, or joining a new club that meets on Sundays and Wednesdays. This is heavy.” I believe we will see a much higher percentage of people responding to Jesus and continuing in Him if we sow the seed where the ground has been broken by the plow of the law. May God help us to plow deep and to sow well that people might truly be converted and become fruitful in the glorious kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:10

In other words, the one who receives and responds will gain even more insight, but the one who doesn’t respond, even the little understanding he has will be taken away.

Matthew 13:13

Here Jesus quotes a difficult passage from Isaiah 6, in which Isaiah is commanded by the Lord to speak to a people who won’t hear him or receive from him. It was a prophecy fulfilled completely in Jesus, as He spoke to a people whose hearts were hardened, whose hearing was dull, and whose eyes were closed. Now, here’s the question. Why would God send Isaiah to preach to people who wouldn’t listen or respond to him? Because God is a perfect gentleman, and He will not force His will on anyone. He will honor the decision of those who don’t want to be saved. Jesus spoke in parables because if He spoke plainly, His presentation would have been so powerful that everyone would automatically be convertedmany against their will. Maybe you’ve seen films of Adolf Hitler speaking to the German masses, firing them up during World War II. That is nothing compared to what Jesus could have done. He could have mobilized the entire country. He could have swept everyone up in what He was saying. But He bowed to humanity’s freedom of choice. “If I speak in parables, those who don’t want to see, won’t see. Those who don’t want to hear won’t hear.” A number of years ago a coal mine collapsed, and seven miners were trapped inside for three and a half days. Rescue workers dug feverishly, and when they finally broke through the caved-in mineshaft, the miners were whooping and hollering, obviously grateful they had been rescueduntil one of the seven said, “Hey, why doesn’t someone light a lantern?” The other six looked at their friend, and they realized he was blind. The light was on. The lanterns were lit. The rescue team had brought light into the darkened shaft, but he could not see because he had been blinded by the cave-in. Until the light came through, no one knew who was blind and who could see. The light had to shine on all seven before anyone could differentiate between those who could see and those who were blind. So, too, Jesus taught believer and non-believer alike in order to determine who was truly blind. The light was shining for those who wanted to see. But those who chose to be wicked wouldn’t see the light, and it would only prove their blindness.

Matthew 13:16

First Peter chapter 1 echoes this same truth. That is, prophets of old penned prophecies concerning the coming of Christ without understanding what they were writing or how it would work out practically. Thus, Jesus says, “You’re blessed because you’re seeing things come to pass that confused the prophets. You’re blessed because you have the opportunity to hear, to see, and to understand.”

Matthew 13:18

Jesus now explains the parable of the Sower to His disciples. The seed is the Scripture, which as it is sown, falls on four kinds of soil. The first is the hard soil of paths that meandered through fields. It was soil packed down and which the seed could not penetrate at all. So the birds of the air swooped down and ate the seed for breakfast. So, too, sometimes people hear the Word, and their hearts are so hard, it makes no sense. It makes no impact. The second soil represents those who say, “Yeah. All right! Wonderful!” as they receive the Word with joy. Maybe they received the Lord in a service, and they’re caught up in the emotion of it. But when tribulation or persecution comeswhen they are put down for their belief, or when they begin to understand what it means to take up the crossthey’re offended, and they wither away. The third type of soil is infested with weeds that choke the seed as it springs up. Jesus said the weeds represent the world and the deceitfulness of riches. Many people become excited about the things of the kingdom. They are into Bible study, enjoy prayer, and engaged in worship. But then they get involved in the things of this world. No longer do they have time for Bible study, worship, or prayer. Lastly, Jesus said some seed falls on good ground and produces bunches of fruitsome thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some a hundredfold. I find this intriguing because the ratio of seed to harvest is generally eight to one. But here, Jesus is saying when the seed is sown in cultivated soil, it’s incredible what happens. Not eight to one, but thirty to one, sixty to one, or one hundred to one. We’re talking fruit! What is fruit? Scripture specifies six types. Rom_1:13 identifies soul-winning as a fruit. Rom_6:22 says holiness is a fruit. Rom_15:28 calls financial giving a fruit. Gal_5:22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit as love, which results in joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Col_1:10 labels good works a fruit. Heb_13:15 names praise as a fruit.

Matthew 13:24

Continuing His analogy of sowing, Jesus moved on to a subject very familiar to His listeners. When a farmer planted a field of wheat, anyone who had something against him would, under cover of night, sow tares in with the wheat. Tares have the same color, shape, and fragrance as wheat, but no heads of grain form. In other words, the tares soak up the nutrients, and they take up space, but they produce nothing in return and are unidentifiable until harvest time.

Matthew 13:31

Follow the flow. Jesus is giving us insight about the kingdom. In verses Mat_13:19-23, He talked about the sower sowing seed and how some of the seed falls upon good soil and produces fruit. In verses Mat_13:24-30, He said in this field there will be some tares growing alongside the true wheat. Developing still further His seed / kingdom analogy, Jesus now likens the kingdom of heaven to the smallest seed sowna mustard seed. Some commentators say this parable shows how the kingdom starts small and just grows beautifully. But waitthere is no example either in history or in botany where a mustard seed has grown into a tree large enough to support birds. In reality, Jesus is talking about abnormal, unnatural growth. He’s talking about something that begins small, like a mustard seed, but which grows abnormally to a size where birds can call it home. Bear in mind, students, that throughout the Bible, birds speak of evil. This is why I believe Jesus is talking about the kingdom becoming bureaucratic, losing its simplicity, and becoming too big organizationally as ministries have a propensity to do.

Matthew 13:33

Leaven is mentioned ninety-eight times throughout Scripture. In every single case, it is linked with evil. So again, I disagree with those teachers who say these two parables describe the beautiful and mysterious growth of the kingdom. Leaven, symbolizing a puffing up, speaks of evil. In contrast, meal or bread in Scripture speaks of the Word; and I see a very tight connection between this parable and the last. Jesus is saying, “Watch out for outward organization that becomes good only for birds. Watch out for internal deception when leaven is hidden in the meal.” People knock on your door, saying, “May we hold a Bible study in your house? We have some wonderful things we want to share with you.” And they come in and open their Bibles, but in addition, they show you the Pearl of Great Price, The Book of Mormon, or the Watchtower Magazine. What are they doing? They’re inserting leaven into the meal of the Word. Stick with the Scriptures. Don’t let people add to the Word as they try to appeal to your spirituality. After all, when Satan came to Eve in the Garden, he didn’t say, “Hey Eve, let’s party!” No, he said, “Eve, you’re so spiritual. You just want to be like God, and the day you eat this fruit, your eyes will be opened, and you will be more like Him.”

Matthew 13:34

After Jesus sent the multitude away, the disciples came to Him asking for further instruction and greater illumination. So too, after receiving a teachingperhaps at a Bible study, over the radio, in a book, or in your own devotionshave you discovered the dynamic of stopping and asking Jesus for further revelation and specific application? I’m convinced we lose much because once we hear a study, we split out the door and go our way without really taking the time to seek the Lord and say, “Father, what is in this for me today?”

Matthew 13:37

Throughout chapter 13, Jesus has been teaching about the kingdom of God. In so doing, He is explaining we really don’t know who’s in the kingdom and who’s not. In the kingdom, there are those who appear as though they’re believers. They go to church regularly. They carry a Bible. They may even tithe. But they’ve never had a relationship with Jesus. They’re counterfeit and bogus. They’re tares. Satan has planted them within the kingdom to cause confusion and consternation. The Bible speaks of false brethren in 2 Corinthians 11, a false gospel in Galatians 1, a false Christ in 2 Thessalonians 2, and a false church in Revelation 2. When the church was born, Satan tried to destroy it through three hundred years of persecution. Ten Roman emperors ordered the systematic persecution of the church as Christians were dipped in hot wax and lit as candles, placed in boiling oil, skinned alive, and crucified upside down. But do you know what happened? The stronger the persecution, the more the church grew. It reminds me of Exodus. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.Exo_1:8-12 So, too, concerning the church. The more Satan afflicted and burdened the church, the more she grew. That’s always the way it is. Some years ago, when they were going through tremendous difficulty and very real persecution, a group of Russian Christians sent a letter to America, saying, “We are praying for you in America that you will have the opportunity to endure persecution and grow like us.” We pray, “Oh, Lord, don’t allow persecution in Russia,” but they pray, “Oh, Lord, persecute the church in America,” because the Russian church has discovered that persecution brings about maturation and the propagation of the gospel. According to various reports, as of September 2002, there are anywhere between sixty and eighty million believers in China. Incredible! In persecution, the church grows. Satan goofed in those first three hundred years. The church experienced persecution and began to spread throughout the whole world. So what did he do? He changed his tactics. In A.D. 313, with the edict of Constantine, Christianity was adopted as the national religion of Rome. Satan, in essence, joined the church. And the church has been suffering ever since. You see, the danger is not persecution. The real danger is infiltration. When Christianity becomes respectable and easy, tares pop up all over the place. Is it our responsibility to rid the church of tares? No. This parable teaches separation will take place by the angels at the end of the world. If we try to figure out who’s a believer and who’s not, we’re going to err and pull out the wrong people. It’s our job to love, and it’s God’s job to judge. We are to love people, for “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (see Joh_13:35).

Whether he’s your brother or whether he’s your enemy, whether he’s wheat or a tare, it makes no difference. You are to love him and let God judge him. I really like this. I don’t have to analyze, scrutinize, and criticize. I can just say, “Lord, thank You for this parable. And now I’m going to practice it.

I get to love people and leave the judging to You. You see things perfectly. I don’t.”

Matthew 13:44

In this parable, a man finds some treasure and immediately buys the field in order to gain the treasure therein. You may have heard this parable taught like this: The treasure in the field is Jesus. We are the man. Like the man who found the treasure, when you discover Jesus, you should forsake everything to follow Him. But I believe this is an improper interpretation. I believe Jesus is the Man, and we are the treasure. Think about it. When you were saved, how many of you sold everything to follow Jesus? None of us did that. We were simply born again. How? Not by our will, not by our efforts, not even by our desire, but by God. God saved us; God elected us; God predestined us. We didn’t sell anything to receive Him. He, on the other hand, gave His life to purchase us. Why was the fieldthe worldpurchased? Did the Lord want another planet? No, He wanted the treasure that was buried in the world. He wanted you. A pearl begins as nothing more than an irritating grain of sand stuck in the shell of an oyster. But the oyster surrounds the grain with a crystalline covering, which over years hardens and becomes precious and valuable. Those who study such things say the most beautiful pearls take seven years to form. During that seven-year period, the irritating piece of sand is hidden awayclothed and covered with beauty. That’s us, gangirritating pieces of sand. Yet, the Lord clothes us in His righteousness. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.2Co_5:21 You are the pearl of great price. You have been clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And His righteousness is a thing of matchless beauty and unspeakable value in the eyes of God. You are Treasured! A Topical Study of Mat_13:44-46 One morning years ago, when the first heavy dew of the season had fallen in Jacksonville, Oregon, my then three-year-old daughter, Mary Elizabeth, looked out the window and saw the wet grass. With excitement in her voice, she said, “Mommy, Mommy! God made the whole world wet!” Then her little forehead furrowed. Looking rather puzzled, she said, “But He forgot to dry it.” I think, like Mary, we sometimes look around with a smile on our face and say, “Wow! Look what God made!” I was reading about the screech owl, which unlike our spotted owl, resides in cities and towns on the East Coast. They’re very prolific, but little bugs and maggots can infect and devastate their entire population. To counteract the maggots and bugs, the screech owl ingeniously gathers little snakes called blind snakes and takes them to his nest. The blind snake just so happens to love maggots, larvae, and little bugs, so he lives inside the nest along with the screech owl. They dwell together symbioticallymutually beneficial to each other. Who taught the screech owl to go after that particular snake and drop it in the tree trunk in which he is building his nest? I know owls are wise, but they’re not that smart! Such understanding was programmed into the owl by an ingenious Master Maker, a Creator. Consider also the Alaskan blackfish. The Alaskan blackfish, which lives in ponds and streams that freeze over every winter, has the amazing ability to freeze right along with the pond or stream for up to forty-five minutes. Then he thaws out and continues with his life. These fish have been given the ability to go with the flow in a remarkable way! Finally, consider the spider. The spider spins a web made of a sticky substance that traps insects and bugs for his dinner. Why isn’t the spider caught in his own web? Ingeniously built into his little spider feet are tiny oil glands that secrete a minuscule amount of oil, allowing him to move over his own web without being caught. I watch the spider, I see the owl, and I hear about the blackfish, and I marvel and say, “Oh, Lord, You are a master Creator!” But sometimes I look around, and like Mary Elizabeth, my brow begins to furrow as I say, “God, You made this worldbut did You forget to dry it?” “Why did Hurricane Hugo slam through the Caribbean, causing death and misery for countless thousands? Why are there volcanoes that erupt and wipe out entire villages in the Polynesian Islands? Why are thousands of babies born addicted to crack cocaine each year alone? If You are a God who is so ingenious and powerful, why do these things happen?” People look around and see tragedy, war, rape, disease, difficulty, and say, “If there is a God who made this world, then how come He doesn’t dry it? Why doesn’t He take better care of it? Why are these things allowed to happen?” To find the answer, you need to go back to the beginningback to the Book of Genesis. Here we read of a man who literally had the Spirit of God breathed into him, a man who was never polluted by sin, a man born without a sin nature. He was, in a sense, a champion for you and me. His name was Adam. God gave Adam the authority, the opportunity, and the responsibility to oversee, tend, and rule this planet. But Satan came to Adam to tempt him, and Adam submitted to Satan when he ate of the forbidden fruit. The Bible says to whom you submit, of him you become the servant. When Adam submitted to Satan, he became the servant of Satan and handed to him the title deed, the authority, and the dominion of this planet. Thus, the ownership of the world changed handsfrom God to man to Satan. Why are there rape and hatred? Why is there starvation in Ethiopia? Why is there AIDS? It’s the enemy who has caused the problems, pollution, and plagues that descend upon us. When Jesus stilled the storm in Luke’s Gospel, He said, “Be still,” or literally, “Be muzzled,” which is the same phrase He used whenever He encountered demonic activity. Therefore, I suggest to you the implication is clearly that many of these storms that bring about devastation and destruction are not “Acts of God,” as insurance companies refer to them, but acts of Satan. God gets a bad rap and gets blamed for what the Enemy does. Will the title deed to earth remain in the devil’s grasp forever? Revelation 5 gives us the answer… And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.Rev_5:1 Now, what is this book, or literally scroll? Jeremiah 32 identifies it as a title deed to a piece of property. The scroll sealed with seven seals is the title deed to planet earth. Why is it written on the outside as well as the inside? In Old Testament times, if you lost your property due to hardship or bankruptcy, the deed would be scrolled and sealed with seven seals. On the outside would be written all of your financial obligations. You would have to meet them within seven years in order to regain your property. If those qualifications were met, the person who took possession of your property was required by law to return it to you. Such a transaction took place in the temple, where the qualifications on the outside of the scroll were read before the people. In heaven, the ultimate temple, there is a scroll sealed seven times. It is the title deed to the earth, which was given to Adam, who in turn, passed it on to Satan. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?Rev_5:2 In other words, “Who can meet the requirements? Who is worthy to take back the title deed of earth from Satan?” Notice it doesn’t say, “Who is willing?” Many men have been willing to try to take control of the worldAlexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Hitler. They were all willing to take control, believing they could bring the world into a new level of glory or grandeur. The angel is not asking, “Who is willing?” The angel asks, “Who is worthy?” And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open the book, neither to look thereon.Rev_5:3-4 John wept at the thought of the world indefinitely in the hand and control and dominion of the Enemy so much so that the Greek word translated “wept” means “sobbing in agony.” You mean poverty will continue, hunger will abound, disease will persist, and hate will be perpetuated? There will be wars, anxiety, tension, trauma, death, disease, and destructionforever? John wept because no one was found worthy to wrest the scroll from the hand of the Enemy. As you read the papers, the editorials, and the news magazines today, no doubt your heart breaks as well. This can’t go on. Hurt, pain, sorrow, and evil can’t go on forever. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.Rev_5:5-7 Jesus comes forward, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, saying, “I will redeem the scroll,” and the rest of Chapter 5 is a glorious outpouring of praise, adoration, and thanksgiving that someone was able to take the title deed of the planet. Worthy is the Lamb. He alone is worthy. How did He do it? Look back at Matthew 13, where Jesus gives a one-verse parable that explains the redemptive process. 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_13:44 In Jesus’ day, if a man had wealth, he would bury it in a field to keep it safe from thieves. The man in this parable stumbled across one such treasure chest and realized, “Wow! Someone has left his treasure here.” With joy, he bought the field in order to get the treasure. He gave everything he had because he knew within the field lay a treasure of great value. What is the field? In a previous parable, Jesus identified the field as the world. Who is the Man? Jesus Christ. Think with me for a moment. The first Adam sold us out. Jesus Christ, the last Adam, bought us back. The first Adam ate of a forbidden tree and handed humanity to the enemy. The last Adam hung on a tree to redeem humanity from the enemy. Through the first Adam, the ground was cursed. For our sake, the last Adam became a curse. Sin, through the first Adam, produced thorns. God, through the last Adam, buried those thorns in His own brow. Why? So He could, with His own pure blood, appear before the Father in the temple of heaven and declare, “I am worthy to take the scroll.” You see, the price for the redemption of the world was not a million dollars, not ten billion dollars, not a zillion dollars. It was death. Why did Jesus want the world? He certainly doesn’t need this planet, which in many places has been polluted beyond repair. He didn’t want another planet just to camp out on. There are a million planets He has created and a billion more He could speak into existence. What did He want? He bought the planet for the treasure. What was the treasure? You. Jesus came, gave everything He had, and was slaughtered like a lamb in order that He might pay the price for the title deed to this earth. Because He wanted this planet? No. Because He wanted you. You are His treasure. You are the treasure He purchased with His own blood. When the Enemy whispers in your ear that you’re not worth anything, please understand this: Jesus, walking through this world, saw you and was so excited about you and so in love with you that He sold everything to buy this whole world in order to take youthe treasureout of it. Maybe you’re saying, “That might be true theologically, but I couldn’t be much of a treasure to Him. I’m always messing up, missing the mark, and blowing it. I’m just an irritation to Him.” Look at the next verse. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.Mat_13:45-46 Who is the One who sold all He had to purchase the pearl? Jesus. Who is the pearl? You are. A pearl begins as nothing more than an irritating speck of sand in the shell of an oyster. The oyster coats this troublesome speck with layer upon layer of a crystalline substance called nacre, which hardens and becomes the actual pearl. Interestingly, the more irritating the grain of sand, the more beautiful the pearl. You are the pearl of great price. When you asked the Lord to come into your life, you became robed with His righteousness and surrounded by His goodness. Although you might feel as though you’re terribly irritating, you are actually a trophy of His glory. You are a gem of His grace. And all of the cosmos looks at you and says, “Wow! Glory be to the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Lamb, who took that little speck of sand and made it a pearl of great price!” God loves you, gang. Paul said He demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom_5:8). When did Jesus die for us? Not when we were going to church; not when we were reading the Word; not when we were praying. He looked at us when we were nothing more than an irritation and said, “I love you, and I’ll give all I have to redeem you, My treasure.” There’s one thing that will ruin a pearl. It’s perspiration. So, too, one thing will ruin your beauty in the Lord. Perspiring, sweating, or trying to prove you are worthy of His blessing. Trying to prove “it’s my spirituality, my energy, my togetherness that makes me so wonderful.” No, the pearl is destroyed, eaten away, decayed by sweat. What you need is not to sweat it out, but just let it out. Release praise, thanksgiving, appreciation, and adoration, saying, “Thank You, Lord, for seeing me as a pearl. I’m not going to try to earn it, nor add to it. I don’t even understand it. But I am forever grateful.” Be a pearl for His glory. In Jesus’ Name.

Matthew 13:47

The third illustration Jesus gave His disciples concerning the kingdom is that of a fisherman hauling in a great catch. In the net, there are some edible fish and some terrible fish. Now listen carefully, students. In these three mini-parables that deal with the kingdomthat is, the parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, and the net full of fishJesus outlines three major aspects of the kingdom. The first concerns the treasure. In the Book of Exodus and throughout the Psalms, the nation of Israel is referred to as a peculiar, special treasure. Entrusted with the riches of God’s heart and mindthe WordIsrael was placed in the world to be a light for the world. But what happened? Israel did not evangelize. She did not shine forth, but rather turned inward. The Jews hid themselves and their traditions, saying, “Gentiles? Don’t talk to them. Don’t look at them. Don’t reach out to them. If you happen to even brush against one, take off your clothes and burn them. Gentiles are good for nothing but to keep hell hot.” Instead of enriching the world, the treasure became hidden in the world as Israel missed her calling. There are those who say Israel has no place in the kingdom. But in this parable, I believe Jesus teaches the treasure will indeed resurface and prove very valuable. Although Israel failed historically, she will succeed eventually. Revelation 7 says after the church is raptured, suddenly Israel will become a mighty instrument of evangelism in the world. She will enrich the world in the time of Tribulation. God is not through with Israel, gang. There are those who suggest Israel has no place in God’s prophetic plan. Not true. Read your Bible: Romans 9-11 makes it very clear that although Israel has been set-aside for a whilehiddenshe shall resurface as God’s instrument. Secondly, the church is a major aspect of the kingdom. Here, the church is likened unto a pearl. I find this intriguing. Where is a pearl formed? In the sea. What is the sea symbolic of scripturally and prophetically? In Daniel and Revelation, the sea is always symbolic of the Gentile nations. Where was the church formed? Although there are some believing Jews in the church, there aren’t many. The church was formed from the Gentile nations. A pearl is the only gem that does not need to be cut to bring out its beauty. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and amethyststhey all must be cut. But a pearl? If you even scratch it, you ruin it. So, too, in the church there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free. The church is oneone Lord, one baptism, and one faith. The church finds her beauty in her unitythe unity of all kinds of people brought together in Christ. Divisions only mar her, and quite frankly, that is the biggest problem with denominations. There can be a tendency in denominationalism to start dividing the body of Christ instead of enjoying our commonality in Christ. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.Joh_17:21 Finally, end-time believers comprise the third aspect of the kingdom. Revelation 7 specifically talks about this group. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.Rev_7:13-15 They are those who rejected the message of salvation in the church age, but after the church is raptured, they will refuse the mark of the beast and turn to the Lord. They are not the bride of Christsitting with Him, ruling and reigning with Him. No, these Tribulation believers will be allowed to enter into the kingdom, but in a different category than Israel or the Church. Maybe you know people who say, “Well, I’m not going to get saved now. I’m going to wait and see how things come down. If all of you Christians really do disappear, and if a guy really does come trying to brand my headI won’t take his mark, and I’ll get saved.” Tell them this: “If you get saved at that time, it will probably cost you your life. If you choose to go that route, you will make it into the kingdom, but in a different position than if you receive Jesus today. Come to Him now.” So there is one kingdom made up of the treasureIsrael, the pearl, the church, and the fishend-time believers. Three distinct groups, yet one kingdom.

Matthew 13:51

Jesus is saying, “If you understand these things, you’re like a scribe who owns a house in which he has new innovations alongside old antiques.” If you understand the kingdom, you can read the Old Testament and get blessed. You can look at history and marvel at the Lord’s continuity throughout the ages. You can draw from the old. And you can draw from the new if you understand what the Lord is doing creatively and powerfully in these last days. The scribes, you see, were not originally as off the wall as we think of them today. Originally, in the days when Ezra brought a group of exiled Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city after the captivity, the purpose of the scribes was to teach truth. Initially, the scribes were great seekers and teachers of truth. And Jesus is here saying, “You should be like scribesdrawing from the Old Testament and from the New Covenant.” If we get stuck in the old and are not open to what the Lord is doing presently, we’ll miss what the Lord is doing creatively in this day. But if we’re only into the new and fail to draw from our history and heritage, we’ll become spiritual lightweights and airheads. Jesus said the one who receives from both old and new will be a rich man.

Matthew 13:53

They thought they knew Him. A false sense of familiarity kept them from receiving what He wanted to do in their midst. “Oh, we know Him. We know His father.” No, they didn’t. “We know His brothers.” No, they were His half brothers. Jesus’ neighbors failed to recognize Him because they thought they knew all about Him. The same holds true for us when, mistakenly thinking we know all about them, we fail to recognize His presence in our midst through our brothers and sisters in the Lord. In writing of this same incident, Mark said, “He could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief.” Jesus would have been able to heal them and to work radically among them, but because of unbelief, He was limited in what He could do for them. Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.Psa_78:41 I encourage you to be open to the brother who talks with you after the service, to the sister who comes into your shop tomorrow. Jesus may be using them in a very real sense. Don’t make the mistake of saying, “I know him. The Lord could never use that guy!” or “I know more than she does. How could the Lord possibly use her to speak to me?” Wonderful things happen when you begin to say, “Lord, I’m looking for You. I believe You’re going to work in my homeland in unexpected ways, at unexpected times, through unexpected peopleall for Your glory.” Unbelief: Its Cause and Cure A Topical Study of Mat_13:54-58 After presenting a powerful teaching to His disciples concerning the kingdom, Jesus left Galilee and traveled twenty miles westhome to Nazareth. In Nazareth, unbelief filled the hearts of His countrymen. Matthew ends this chapter saying of Jesus, “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” In recording the same incident, Mark takes it a step further when he writes, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.” It is not simply that Jesus would do no mighty works in Nazareth. Mark tells us He could do no mighty works there. He was limited by their unbelief, even as the Old Testament declares that the people of Israel limited the Holy One of Israel through their unbelief (Psa_78:41). Unbelief is hazardous to your health. In this passage, we see it affecting people in three ways. Unbelief blinds your eyes, and you become skeptical. Unbelief poisons your heart, and you become cynical. Unbelief robs your joy, and you become sterile. First, look with me at the way unbelief blinds eyes. 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_13:54 Miracles were happeningthe dead were raised, the lame were walking, the blind were seeing, the deaf were hearing. It was obvious God was working. But unbelief blinds eyes to the obvious. People are still blinded today, even though it is obvious God is real. Just look up. On a clear night, you can see the Milky Way galaxy, consisting of four hundred billion stars. Traveling at tremendous speed, the Milky Way swirls within itself as it is hurled across the universeall four hundred billion stars. Astronomers tell us there are at least one hundred billion more galaxies each containing at least one hundred billion stars. If you compute that out, it comes to ten billion billion stars spinning around and moving through the universe. Ten billion billionthat’s more Big Macs than McDonalds serves in a year! And when you add the planets that circle many of these stars, the figures get even more astronomical. “My, it must be crowded up there,” you say. Well, state your coordinates and choose a point. Even though there are ten billion billion stars with billions of planets around them, what are the chances of your point landing on a star, a planet, a comet, or an asteroid? The chances are one in ten to the thirty-eighth power, or one in a billion trillion trillionnot very good odds. Space is huge, gangenormous beyond our comprehension. And yet people have the audacity, the stupidity, and the idiocy to say, “Well, it just sort of all happened.” Ref? Truly, “the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (see Psa_14:1). I recently talked with an atheist who said, “Jon, I hear all of your statistics on space, and I hear all of your illustrations on creation, but it still doesn’t prove God exists. I would believe in God if He would prove His existence.” “Well, we have a problem here,” I said, “because if God proved His existence, you couldn’t be a believer. You might be a follower, but you couldn’t be a believer, for if God proved Himself, there would be no faith required.” God is interested in developing your faith because faith is what is going to move on with you in the ages to come. He has given you evidence and indications, but He has not given you proof because if He gave you proof, you could never be a believer. Second, notice not only the blindness of their eyes, which resulted in skepticism, but the poison in their hearts, which resulted in cynicism. Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him…Mat_13:55-57 When a person will not believe, his heart will inevitably become poisoned toward the family of God. “Isn’t His dad a carpenterjust an ordinary carpenter? He’s not a scholar or a rabbi, a mystic or a miracle worker. We know His dad; he’s the carpenter. And Mary? We’ve heard about her problem. She was pregnant before she got married.” You see, the unbeliever will always attack the family of God. His heart will become poisoned as he points out the problems of fallen Christian pastors or this Christian neighbor. He will point out problems in the family, even though, like those in Nazareth, his facts may be wrong. Since no onenot even the most avowed atheist or skeptical cynichas ever been able to find one single fault with Christ, he or she will attack His family. “Can you believe what a joke that minister on TV is?” “Look at those hypocrites sitting in church.” “Some Christian she is.” And their hearts become cynical, hardened, and bitter. Third, unbelief robs you of your joy. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.Mat_13:58 When Jesus went to His hometown, He would have healed many if only they would have believed. Great joy would have filled that little hamlet of Nazareth. But God will not work outside the arena of faith. God has chosen to limit Himself in certain ways. And because they didn’t believe, He couldn’t work. As a result, miracles were missing. Healings weren’t happening. Joy wasn’t exploding. Unbelief is hazardous to your health. It blinds your eyes; it poisons your heart; it steals your joy. What is the antidote for unbelief? What would the Great Physician prescribe to you and to me who, although we are believers in Jesus, are also guilty of limiting Him? First, the antidote for the unbelief, which results in blinded eyes, is simply to offer prayer to God. Paul did this when, in Ephesians 1, he prayed for the believers at Ephesusthat their eyes might be enlightened. You see, faith is not blind. Faith sees what unbelief never will. I am reminded of the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. As the Syrians waged war against the Jews, the king of Syria set an ambush for the Israelites. Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Don’t go through that pass. You’ll walk into a Syrian ambush.” The king of Syria then set a second ambush, and again the Lord spoke to Elisha the prophet. Finally, the king of Syria said, “Every time we set up an ambush, Israel suddenly changes directions to avoid it. Someone is spying, and I want his head.” One of his advisers said, “King, there’s no spy in our midst. There’s a prophet in their land. His name is Elisha. He knows everything you sayeven what you say in your bedchamber.” “Where is this man Elisha?” barked the king. “In Dothan,” answered his advisers. That same night, the Syrians surrounded the city of Dothan with soldiers, chariots, and armaments. The next morning, when Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, woke up, he ran to his master, shouting, “Master! We’re surrounded! We’re through! We’re history!” And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.2Ki_6:17 Elisha wasn’t worried because faith sees what unbelief never will. Second, the antidote for the unbelief that results in a bitter heart is to see people in God. Paul said, “I know no man after the flesh” (2Co_5:16). In other words, “I see people in Christwashed in His blood, robed in His righteousness. That’s the way I choose to see people.” When you see people in God, suddenly you’re not so cynical. You can just embrace, love, and enjoy them. Third, to thwart the unbelief that robs you of joy, speak the promises of God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.Heb_11:6 There are many ways to please Godbut not one apart from faith. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.Rom_10:8-9 Faith is worked into our lives by God’s Word. It is released from our lives by our spoken word. It’s not enough to have a quiet, internal faith. Faith is released via the mouth. Jesus said, “When you see an obstacle in front of you, a mountain looming before you, a problem facing you, say to the mountain, ‘Be removed’ and it shall be removed” (see Mat_17:20). Speak the praises of God. Scripture is packed with promisesover three thousand in numbera promise for every situation. Perhaps you have a difficulty in your life, a problem in your family, a hardship financially or vocationally, tough times in school or in friendship. Jesus desires to work in those situations. He really does. But we limit Him by unbelief. God wants us to speak His promises because it’s too easy for us to say, “Well, I’ve got some ideas and thoughts, some hopes and dreams, but I’m not going to go on record verbally lest I seem foolish.” Once you have the promise of God in your heart, you need to release it via your mouth. Speak out that which has been worked in. Either you will venture out in faith, or you will vegetate. Your Christian life will either grow in faith as you see wonderful things happen in your family, in your ministry, in your life personally, or you will shrink into a “church-ianity.” God forbid. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.Heb_11:3 Hebrews says the worlds were framed by the Word of God. Whenever someone builds a house, he doesn’t put up one wall and then move in. No, he constructs all the walls in order that there might be protection, symmetry, and balance. So, too with God. When He framed the world, it was framed in totality. Therefore, we need to be students of His Word so we don’t just put up one wall in our house of faith and say, “Well now, this is the way it has to be. I’m claiming the promise.” No, solid faith, real faith, balanced faith comes by hearing the Wordnot simply an isolated verse here or there. As I study the Word, my focus changes. It’s no longer me clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, saying, “I’m gonna trust or bust.” No, my focus shifts from my faith to the Faithful OneJesus Christ. I don’t know what struggle you might have, what difficulty you might face, but I know where the answer lies. It lies in the Faithful OneJesus Christ. Begin to venture out radically and watch what the Lord does joyfully. He wants to come into your Nazareth and do a mighty work.