An Abundance…

MATTHEW 13:1-23

1That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.


3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8“And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9“He who has ears, let him hear.”


10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,


‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’


16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.


18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

MATTHEW 13:1-2

1That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

He got into a boat and sat down

I remember my early days as a Christian musician showing up to sing to a thousand young people yet the promoter had no public address system. “But Jesus spoke to thousands with no microphone,” I would often hear. “I’m not Jesus,” I would mumble — and then make do.


Jesus was the consummate speaker. His teachings were replete with contemporary images and humor but rarely stuffed with the endless and repetitive dry quotes used by his contemporaries. In fact, he rarely even quoted scripture except to the religious and to Satan.


Our Lord rows out on the lake to use the water as an acoustical aid, he sits to show he is ready to preach with authority. There’s flair of the dramatic to all of this, he wants the people to hear him clearly and know he is ready to make an important statement. Jesus’ style was so uncustomary and powerful that observers would say:

Matthew 7:28-29

28When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.


What exactly made Jesus’ teaching so unique, so authoritative?


When Jesus was twelve he was in the temple “sitting in the midst of the teachers [Luke 2:46].” There were learned men standing around Jesus on that day who had waited their entire life to sit where Jesus was sitting. Men who had devoted their lives to the study of Scripture and the Law. Yet, here sits a twelve year old astounding the masters. When Mary and Joseph returned to find them there would have undoubtedly been teachers there who would offer to sponsor Jesus in a rabbinical school. No doubt they would have cajoled our Lord’s parents to allow him to stay, “Don’t take him back to a life of labor, leave him with us and we’ll educate him — he could become one of us!’”


It is actually Jesus who probably made the choice. He was twelve, he was “of age” now. Let’s look at what he decided to do:

Luke 2:51-52

51And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.


Jesus chose to “continue in subjection” to his parents. He returns to the carpentry work of his earthly father, carries that work on when Joseph dies and increases in wisdom, stature and favor with God and men. In short, Jesus’ education came from working hard with his hands; the daily grind of running a business in an occupied town. His reputation grew with his work, taking care of his customers, his mother and his business until it was time for his public life. His stories were thus filled with references to yokes and oxen, seeds and weeds, hard work and stewardship.


While the students of Jerusalem were ever-delving into interpretations of religious law, Jesus was ever-delving into how God could be experienced in the life of a common working family. So, when he rows out on the lake and sits down, he doesn’t start by quoting this rabbi and that law, he begins with, “Behold, the sower went out to sow…”

MATTHEW 13:3-9


3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8“And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9“He who has ears, let him hear.”

“Behold, the sower went out to sow…”

Every fertile plot of land in Israel would have been treasured and utilized. Small farmers in Jesus’ day, like many today, would literally scratch out a living on hard and shallow topsoil, then pray fervently for the right combination of rain and sunshine as well as protection from pests and crop disease to grow enough for their family to eat.

However, the family’s bellies were only the beginning. The farmer needed enough to pay taxes to Rome, taxes to Jerusalem (if they were going to worship as required by law), have enough to sell in order to buy other commodities and finally, enough to save to plant a crop the next year. Can you imagine how valuable each seed was to the farmer? Each kernel of grain represented each member of the farmer’s family.


Farmers in Christ’s day had to walk into the wind and throw their seed high in the air. If they didn’t go out in the wind, the seed wouldn’t scatter. If they closed their eyes to the blowing dust and wound up wandering about the rows, their seeds would double up in some places and miss other places altogether. If they waited for a windless day, the seed would simply land in clumps.

Farmers today, with their precise technology, would wince at the wasted seeds. As Jesus illustrates, of all seed held from the family table, fully three-fourths were wasted. One quarter to birds, another to rocky soil, another to thorns and finally… the good seed. Still, if the seed were really good, it could grow thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold of the bounty the farmer labored to harvest. Friends, that’s God-Mathematics. You don’t harvest one tomato from one plant. If you care for the plant just right, you harvest a basket of tomatoes. Even though one-in-four is not a good ratio in planting, God still provides.


So, just where do the “other three” land?

The Birds

The birds reaped what they did not plant; they waited and flew in at the right time to live off other people’s sweat. Who do you think Jesus was referring to in this illustration? Who is the Evil One and his minions. We have examined the Hebrew and Greek names for The Evil One in another study. The critical principles are this; Jesus tells us Satan exists, an evil entity intent on undermining God’s creation primarily by destroying us. It is not that Satan wants us for himself; he wants to use us to hurt God.


Satan’s full name is Kata-Diaboulos. It means “cast out to the dung heap to rise from the dung heap.” That name reveals the nature of Satan. He wants nothing more than to coat us with the sins of our past and to say, “You will never change.”


His minions are named Demons, a word which means “Manipulators of destinies.”


Satan coats us with sins; his demons use manipulation us to undermine God’s creative purposes. Who would they be in today’s society? Who undermines God’s most forgotten ones? Who charges usurious fees, interest or taxes that make the poor poorer while the others prosper?

While Jesus frequently speaks in a social sense, he is also speaking in an allegorical religious sense. Who are the birds in our religious lives? Who “swoops down” before our seed takes root?


There are many who use religion as a manipulative tool of people’s emotions. People who use religion to toy with others and keep them addicted to the highs of worship and the lows of guilt. By so doing, they expand their membership and fill their coffers. Yet, their “disciple’s” never get beyond the church doors or the elementals of Christian theology. Their faith never makes it from preaching to praxis. It never goes from “me” to “us” — meaning the greater community of humankind.

Rocky Soil

While the bird allegory focuses on what happens to the seeds, this parable focuses on what the seeds fail to do. Landing in shallow soil, they do not develop roots and are trampled upon or easily washed away. How deep are my roots? My faith development can never be someone else’s responsibility. It is my own. Do I look for deep soil? Am I cultivating my own faith through daily prayer, study and service? Do I plant myself in a community fertile for growth?


How do I tell if I am in a fertile community? How much does my church ask of me? Are they willing to let me be a spectator as long as I pay my tithe or do they hold me accountable to the example of church Jesus cites in Matthew 10:40-42? Does my church welcome the least of these, send out prophets into the community, work for justice, and welcome the least acceptable person with radical hospitality. Does my church put as much emphasis on service as it does on worship? Could the leaders of my church stand up on Sunday and preach the Ultimate Sermon and command of Jesus Christ? “Do you see how I love… Love like that.”

The Weeds

A garden grows with work but weeds grow just fine without assistance. If left uncontrolled weeds will take over the seedlings and steal their nutrients. They will starve out what is healthy and nutritious.


Every community has cynics and gossipers who either chase away the prophets and servants of justice or are challenged to change their behavior by church leaders. This was what Paul had to “weed” in the Corinthian church:

2 Corinthians 12:19-20

19All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance.


Great gardens and great churches constantly watch for the weeds that would undermine its purpose.

MATTHEW 13:10-23


10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,


‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’


16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.


18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

 “He will have an abundance”

“You need to spend money to make money,” most of us recognize this Biz 101 dictum. Jesus also recognizes it as Religion 101. If we don’t use our faith we won’t grow our faith. If my faith is dull and flat it certainly isn’t God who lost the luster. To experience a miraculous faith, I need to put myself in circumstances ripe for change. Homeostasis and miraculous do not go hand in hand. Where in my life do I need growth? Where in my community does change need to occur? For my faith to grow I need to push beyond my comfort zone and into God’s growth zone.

“While seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear...”

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10. The prophet had just been commissioned by God and sent to reprimand his own people. Why?

Isaiah 9:16

For those who guide this people are leading them astray; and those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.


Thousands were following Jesus at this time and the Lord was not going to tickle their ears like other leaders had done before him. The sermons Matthew compiles in these chapters might accurately be described as the sermons that emphasize the “follower’s responsibilities.” Our Lord wasn’t going to leave his followers “astray” or “confused.”


We are responsible for developing the habits of faith no matter where our seed lands. There will be little room for blaming in heaven. We won’t be able to say, “I would have been a better follower if God had sent me better leaders.”


We are responsible for the depth of our seed and the investment of our faith. Jesus didn’t want lazy followers.

“Many prophets and righteous men desired...”

So many of the prophets and others who worked for justice did so for decades without a kind word or hint of support. How they would have longed for one glimpse of Jesus or a whisper of support. We should never forget their sacrifice nor the courage of those today who speak on behalf of the disempowered. We have an obligation to do more than “pray” for them. We need to seek them out and be Christ to them as they are Christ to others. We “receive the prophet’s reward [Matthew 10:40-42], when we support the prophet, the righteous person or provide a cup of cold water to the least, little one.


How am I supporting the prophetic or righteous ones today? How does my church support those who do works of compassion in my community and in my world? That is Christ’s image of the church working together. Do I know the prophetic and the righteous well enough to understand their true needs? Am I a support in their lives, do they know me and call me “friend?”


This reading tells us that I will have “an abundance” from Christ’s viewpoint, when I plant myself deeply in the field of compassion and mercy.

MATTHEW 13:24-43

 24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25“But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26“But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27“The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28“And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29“But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

31He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.”

33He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES;

I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”

36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40“So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43“Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

MATTHEW 13:24

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

Eyewitness to heaven

As we read this parable, we should keep in mind that Jesus is talking about what he has witnessed. He is not guessing about “what the kingdom is like,” he was at its creation. These are eyewitness accounts of heaven.  All the more reason to pay special attention to these “Kingdom is like” stories that Jesus shares with those gathered.

The Good Seed

This statement needs to guide our thoughts and behaviors toward all people.  What God planted was good seed.  From the moment of creation, we have been given every opportunity to bear good fruit. That means every person created has “good seed” in them.  This seed is the very dignity of God planted deep in our being.  Therefore, we treat all people as sacred because “the Sacred” is in them.


Do we look for the sacred in each other?

MATTHEW 13:25

“But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.

Caught unawares

Does anyone think this life is for rest and comfort?  That is the challenge of this reading — for the enemy sneaks in when we are least vigilant.  These workers had not posted guards although it was evident they knew their Master had enemies, “We also know our Master has an enemy.”


The Enemy is the one who wishes to destroy the work of God in our lives. Satan’s work is so subtle. You hear it in whispers like, “You deserve more comfort, consider how hard you have worked.” “Go ahead, be selfish, no one will know.”


“More ease, less work,” that’s the continual promise of the Evil One. Instead, Christ pushes us to be “Habitually Vigilant.”

When David rested

David was the great King of Israel as long as he was at the front of his people.  His demise as king began when he sent his troops out to be vigilant, while he remained in the luxury of his own palace.

2 Samuel 11:1

 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.


As David increased in success he became less vigilant, more focused on his own comforts and needs. He lost contact with the habits that kept him alert and attentive as a young shepherd and warrior. He traded his wooden staff for satin sheets and the “view” from his rooftop.

The Vigilant Steward

As Christians, our first obligation is to love God above all else. This is not for God’s sake as much as it is for our sake, our vigilance. The more we focus on our own wants the less we can hear God’s whisper.


Our second duty is to model Christ as he preached, taught and healed [Matt 10:35]. Remember the only valid sermon anyone can ever preach is, “See how I loved? Love like that.”  Remaining vigilant means we don’t rest on past accomplishments or expect others to pull guard duty for us. We continually contribute to the “radical hospitality” of God’s church (Matthew 10:40-42).


There are four elements to Habitual Vigilance that will keep us from becoming lazy Christians, they are:

1.      Prayer

2.      Study of God’s Word

3.      Challenging fellowship

4.      Service

Am I constantly vigilant? Perpetually focused on serving God’s needs and loving the “least accepted and most rejected?” Do I build the habits of vigilance in my life and surround myself with people who are eager to serve God? That’s “Habitual Vigilance.”

MATTHEW 13:26

“But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

“But when the wheat sprouted…”

There is a subtle truth here that must be acknowledged; the weeds aren’t evident until the grain starts to grow. There is no need for Satan to attack if he is not being threatened.  In his book to his young mentor, Paul instructs Timothy exactly how the weeds will surface.

1 Titus 1:3-7

3“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

The church becomes mired in politics instead of seeking “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”  Pastors become administrators and headcounters instead of visionaries and role models.


Paul tells Timothy to be firm but fair in his response to people who would redirect the Church’s compassion towards endless committee meetings about anything except justice and righteousness:

2 Titus 2:24-25

24The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.


Jude, the brother of James and one of the half-brothers of Jesus, speaks a similar caution to church leaders,

Jude 16-25

16These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.  17But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.  24Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

When the wheat sprouts, when the church begins to grow, that is when leaders must watch for those who only come for potlucks and tingling emotions. When the church’s business and finances have a larger inward focus and a diminishing presence in the community; that’s a sign that the tares have taken root.

MATTHEW 13:27-30

27“The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28“And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29“But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The incredible compassion

At first glance, this story may seem unnerving to Christ’s listeners.  Yet, one must jump into the moment to understand its scope.  Jesus is speaking to large crowds, many hiked days to hear him – others gave up their lives to follow him.  Still, scattered about the crowd, are those who are listening for ways to trap Jesus and denounce him. 

Christ’s message would evoke a different response from each of those people and I, too, am somewhere in that crowd.  Sometimes I am just listening, at other times I seek ways to stop the “threat” of Jesus from changing my comfortable existence or resisting the call to give up everything and follow him.  How do we respond in each situation?

Those just listening

When we are “just listening” we say to those around us; “Hmm, that was an interesting talk, now where do you want to go for breakfast?”


The seed has fallen on rock, there’s no depth to its roots. If the crowd lines up for Jesus I will too.  If the crowd goes against him, I will too. I go with the comfortable flow ruled by the loudest or most popular.

Seeking to condemn

When we seek to condemn Jesus, we only hear what fuels our fire.  We will listen for what will accent our prejudice, not for truth and (certainly) not for just change.  How often do we hear only what we want and skip what threatens or challenges our lifestyle or comfort zone?

Those who gave all

I believe the sincere believer will hear a teaching like this and ask, “Could I be a tare in God’s crop?”


Certainly, it is the right place to start because each of us comes before the Lord as sinners, not saints. Yet, there is such comfort in the Lord’s word for even (especially) the worst among us.  The first thing we learn about God (through the model of his consistent son) is about our Creator’s unstoppable love. 


God won’t risk any of his harvest.  He will wait, even though the weeds continue to multiply, until every grain is ripe.  Then, he will act with completeness and finality for the glory of God and the salvation of the wounded.  These are comforting words of hope to the Christian who is just trying to get up one more time than he/she falls down.


It is also good news of peace.  God is not weak or forgetful; he is working diligently, patiently. Enduring for our sake.

1Peter 1:3-6

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.

The focused vision

The second thing we learn about God in this story is his abiding vision.  The very vision he invites me to understand and share.  God’s eye, focused on eternity, stays his hand of judgment today.  Judgment is held in check for the sake of the harvest.  That should draw two responses from the believer: 1) Thanksgiving, and 2) urgency.  Thanksgiving because God waited for me.  Urgency because there are so many others who have never heard his words of love and invitation.  What else can I do with Jesus’ incredible gift except tell others or support those who are doing gathering work in the harvest?  If I can go, I must.  If I can’t go, then what can I do to send others?  What can I do to say; “I can’t go, but Lord please let me support those who can and please send your least, little ones to me.”


Let us put on the vision of God.  He is patient and merciful, but judgment is an approaching reality.  Let us not tarry!

MATTHEW 13:31-33

31He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.”

33He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

“The kingdom is like...”

In all five of these parables we can see some similar traits:

·       The kingdom is small and easy to overlook.

·       Though the kingdom is small as a seed; it is huge in fruition. The kingdom is worth giving our entire being to pursue.

·       The kingdom is visible to the trained eye; but even the trained eye must diligently seek it.

In a world prone to glitter and grand productions we may very well miss the Kingdom Seed. It is more the hug of a child in your lap than a Broadway production. It is more like the gift of a rose to a forgotten elderly citizen than the crashing cymbals of a loud worship band. It is more like the tear of happiness when we embrace the forgotten than the raging antics of a preacher spouting hellfire and brimstone.

The kingdom is something small and hidden that we call out of the ordinary and God makes extraordinary. That’s what the kingdom is like.

“Like a mustard seed...”

You could get a mustard seed caught in your sandal and not notice it was there. However, the mustard plant was one of the most prolific shrubs in the Middle East. Often, the poor would use the mustard plant as a fence around their huts because it was so commonplace and took little maintenance. However, it brought substantial benefits to the owner:

1.      It was a spice that brought life to the dry meals of the poor.

2.      It was shade for the weary offering a cool respite from the unrelenting sun.

3.      It was protection from prying eyes that would seek to bring harm to the vulnerable of a family. Behind its walls children could play freely.

4.      It was full of life for the birds of the air that saw it as sanctuary. They made nests in the security of its branches and filled each morning and evening with song.

Does this sound like our church?

1.      Are we available to the least of these without “hooks”? Or, do our churches only seek opportunities to get new members on board?

2.      Are we spice to the drudgery of the most oppressed? Studies tell us that single moms work an average of 17.5 hours a day between their jobs and domestic responsibilities and yet they barely make enough money to keep food on the table. How could our churches offer respite to them?

3.      Are we shade for the weary; rest for those who have little comfort in their lives?

4.      Are we advocates and protection to the poor; do they call us good news? Do they receive better health care, fairer treatment in the court system, better employment or support from their families because they knew us?

5.      Do we bring life to their days? Would the leaders of my city or community recognize our church for providing hope, joy and blessing to the area? Are we a player in our community’s dis-ease or are we harboring resources and volunteer labor that could rebind (the original word for religion) the tears of my city? Are we known for making right what is unjust?

6.      Are we a mustard shrub to the vulnerable or a lamp in a basket? Lord, plant us where we will be effective!

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven...”

When bread is cooked where is the leaven? It’s gone. Its work is done and the only way you even knew it existed is by the change in the bread. The bread is fuller, richer and more beautiful because the leaven existed. Isn’t that what happened in the lives of those who allowed Christ to work through them? Is that what happens because our church exists in our communities? Are we sending people out to be leaven where life is bleak?

On Passover, the Israelites would eat unleavened bread to remind them of when they were enslaved. That flat bread wasn’t just supposed to remind them of how privileged they were for God’s love; but also how much responsibility they had to those still enslaved.

When we eat the “flat bread” of communion do we feel the privilege and the responsibility of service? Do we realize that if we did our work right no one would know we existed? Perhaps fingers will not point to us and pronounce, “What we did for them.” Instead, we will be saying what Jesus said to the sick and suffering; “Your faith has healed you.”

It wasn’t; “Your faith has healed you.” It wasn’t; “Your theology has healed you.” It wasn’t; “Your works have healed you.”

Ultimately, we become like leaven when we become like John the Baptist saying; [John 3:30] “He must increase, but I must decrease.” That is the ultimate goal of every Christian; that our lives point to Jesus and not to ourselves.

MATTHEW 13:34-39

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES;

I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

“I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD”

Jesus quotes from Psalm 78:2. The entirety of the Psalm focuses on teaching the word of God to upcoming generations. These are referred to as the “deep and dark sayings” or the “riddles.” Their purpose was to hide their meaning from a cursory glance and challenge the reader/listener to “incline their ear” and search for a deeper understanding.

For hundreds of years the priests and scribes had attempted to codify scripture. It had become a bore and untenable to the common reader. Jesus, through parables, turns it around. He tells parables that would make sense to the common people around him, farmers and the like. They would understand a parable about seeds and weeds, mustard plants and leaven. The religious would now be the ones who were lost in the translation.

Do we make sure our discussions are made for those who are “common” or are we trying to impress those who are already in religious ivory towers and cocoons? Do I speak in a way that the people around me would be able to understand from their own cultural viewpoint or do I try to impress the wealthy and informed of my community? Do I consider it “dummying down” my sharing if I make it more relevant for the simplest around me?

“And as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom”

Good seed bears a healthy crop and that crop is the result of being planted by our Creator. Bad seed grows unhealthy weeds that undermine the good crop and that undermines the work of the Creator, it comes from the Evil One [G4190 Ponēros]. The term applies to a living entity, eternal and ever-present, that is malicious and malignant. It does wicked things by making God’s creation become worthless.

What does Satan offer us? The same temptations offered to Jesus [Luke 4:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11].

1.      Immediate gratification and comfort

2.      Popular approval

3.      The power to manipulate

To the extent that our words or actions make others feel worthless and unwanted or are driven from our desire to foster the temptations on the list above, we are planting seeds of the Evil One. When we plant seeds that sprout hope and love and are centered in selflessness and compassion, we are acting as a child of the kingdom.

MATTHEW 13:40-43

40“So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43“Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

“At the end of the age…”

While some people create entire theologies about “when exactly will we see the end of the age,” we don’t fret ourselves with such busywork. We are not “clock-watchers.” We are not staring at the second hand waiting for the shift bell to ring. Harvest workers don’t work until 5:00 PM, they work until the harvest is completely and safely stored. They work until every seat is filled at the banquet. Christ goes so far as to tell his questioning disciples it is not for them to know when the end of the age will occur.

Acts 1:6-8

6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”


 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Our focus should not be on the “end times” but the current times. It is not about who will be left behind then, it is about who is being left behind now. I need to be “Habitually Vigilant” now. I need to out in the field now.  I need to consistently ask, “Lord am I a tare? Am I a stumbling block? How do I free others and myself for the harvest? How do I become a better servant for the banquet? Help me become more available for you every moment of everyday.”

MATTHEW 13:44-52

44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51“Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

MATTHEW 13:44-46

44“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

 “Like a treasure hidden...”

Christ followers should be treasure hunters. We should be constantly seeking what is most valuable to God. So, what is most valuable to God?

Matthew 12:8-14

8“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him. 11And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12“How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

This man with a withered hand—rejected and used by the Pharisees—was more important to Jesus than the opinion of others, more important to Jesus than religion, more important to Jesus than ritual and more important to Jesus than his own life, reputation or safety. Indeed, this crippled man was one of the reasons Jesus died and our Lord did so purposefully. The Pharisees response to Christ’s healing was; “The Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.”

Christ’s response to the Pharisees conspiracy was to go out and heal even more of the sick and crippled [Matthew 12:15].

The most valued treasure to God is the healed heart. It is the distant and down turned spirit brought home to new joy. It is the orphaned and widowed made family. Is this where I find my joy as well? Is this how our churches are known throughout our communities? This is what the kingdom is like; finding treasure in the most unlikely place. The kingdom is like claiming a hidden treasure lost in a field, befriending a young child scared in detention; standing beside those who support a young, single, mother having a baby alone; embracing an elderly person dying forgotten in a rest home bed.

The Lord tells us that one lost life is worth all of our possessions. One being is worth all of our things. Do the people of my church know what the kingdom is like? Have I been leading them on a treasure hunt?

MATTHEW 13:47-50

47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51“Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

 “Like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind...”

The kingdom is like a dragnet; it is not particular about whom it drags in. We act in a kingdom manner when our invitation is not exclusive.

James 2:1-5

1My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Favoritism and exclusivity have no place in our hearts or communities. Anyone who has held a pastorate position has heard someone demand preferential treatment because of a) how much they tithe or b) how long they’ve been attending the church. There is only one preference in scripture:

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Before God, our quest must always result in doing justice, offering kindness and being humble.

“But the bad they threw away”

Even though God’s net is wide and his arm is mighty; he doesn’t keep all the fish. He separates them into good and bad and throws the bad away. For the sake of our souls, it is critical we continually evaluate, “Who is ‘the good’ and who is ‘the bad’ according to God?”

Jesus actually gives us a particular insight into this query in verse 50: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This is what you continually hear among “the bad,” “Weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

“The bad” are filled with blaming and finger pointing, they seethe with self-righteous anger and weep over lost opportunities; but the blame is always upon someone else. It’s always someone else’s fault, the system’s fault, society’s fault; but there is no personal accountability. Their only joy is in the failure of others or humor of sarcasm and worldly wisdom of cynicism. They are “the bad.”

So, who, then, are “the good”? We could sum up “the good” in an acronym; A.B.N.M.W.: “A Blessing No Matter What.”

The Bad are a curse No Matter What. In high times and low they find something or someone with whom find fault; no matter their circumstance they weep and gnash their teeth. The Good are a blessing regardless of the circumstance; regardless of whom they are with or where they are at; they are treasure hunters and potential seekers. They look upon every person and every situation as a “Hidden Treasure.”

We don’t suddenly become good or bad in a day; it doesn’t occur overnight. Being a blessing or a curse in all circumstances is a way of living that concretizes around our attitudes throughout our entire lives. I could change my attitude at anytime but it gets harder with time.

Which person am I becoming? Consider the words centrifugal and centripetal. Do I try to suck people “down and in” to my problems or am I trying lift people “up and out” into service? Does each day find me more angry and isolated or more humble and sacrificing? Do my friends gather to blame and whine or do we talk about service and seeing the Lord at work? A good fish is sustenance to the fisherman’s family. Would that describe my work to God’s family or am I prickly and full of bones?

“The kingdom is like...”

Jesus tells us the kingdom is like:

1.      The smallest seed that grows to protect the vulnerable and is full of life

2.      It is like leaven, life is fuller and richer because it was present but our presence is nearly invisible

3.      The person who has a good eye to seek and see what is valuable to God among common — or even forgotten — circumstances

4.      It is like a wide net that brings in everyone but God in the end will rid the catch of “the bad” just as our Lord will rid the wheat of the tares

That is what the kingdom is like. However, the ultimate question, of life is this: “Am I like the kingdom?”

MATTHEW 13:51-52

51“Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

“Every scribe who has become a disciple”

It is interesting that in this verse, Jesus refers to a scribe — the very group of people that were out to condemn Jesus. It is one way of Jesus saying, it doesn’t matter where you came from, you can find new hope and joy when you open your life to God’s path. Think of the other followers of Jesus, fishermen, tax collectors, zealots (terrorists), why not a scribe?

We don’t have to empty our brains to follow Jesus; he will grow us from the soil where we’ve been planted. It is not about emptying our brains; it is about opening our hearts.

Jesus turned fishermen into fishers of men and a tax collector into a collector of lives.

MATTHEW 13:53-58

53When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56“And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his ownhousehold.” 58And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

“Is not this the carpenter's son?”

Jesus raises people to God’s watermark; these local people try to keep Jesus at their level. Not wanting Jesus to be better than they, their argument becomes that “Is not this the carpenter’s son?”

Instead of respecting his wisdom and insight and being amazed at his wondrous works, they become offended that he does not remain as one of them. Perhaps we do this because we don’t want to be challenged beyond our comfort level.

Jesus tells us to expect this kind of response if we start doing the amazing works of the Creator. “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

No matter what you do, it is hard to keep your head up because there are so many trying to pull it down. This has been around since before the days of Jesus. Critical to us is the question, “Am I a keeper of hearts? Do I help people rise to their potential or sink to my limitations?”

And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief

The second truth of this statement (besides a prophet’s non-acceptance by his hometown people) is that we cannot see the miraculous if we don’t expect the miraculous. If we have not been seeing the incredible wonders of creation around us, it is not because they have diminished since our childhood. It is because our “wonder-vision” has diminished. It is amazing — and wonderful — to watch how many miracles a kindergarten-age child sees, before we (adults) get our hands on them and explain them all away.

Is it our fear of the possible or denial of the impossible that leads us to become hostile towards the miraculous? What do I need to do to foster the possibility of miracles in my life? Who do I need to spend more time with in order to grow that childlike state? Do those who associate with me walk away with more wonder or more doubts because of our encounters?