Friday December 11^th-Matthew 13

Do you have ears that hear and eyes that see? 

Parables are stories that illustrate spiritual truths.

Some of the purposes of parables are to:

:teach things to children-Psalm 78:2-4

:to make an important point-Judges 9:7-20

:to give a prophetic message-Isa. 5:1-7

: to teach us about the kingdom-Matt.4:2 +10

:to obscure teaching of unbelievers-Matt.13:11-15

The disciples asked the question, Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?

Good question!

Jesus replies:  To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand. :11-13

As we follow Jesus and adhere to His Words, He reveals to us spiritual wisdom because we are receptive to God’s word. 

But there are those who devalue God’s word and cannot see what the Lord is saying to them. 

Is. 6:9- You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand and you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend.  For this nation’s heart has grown hard, and with their ears they hardly hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and turn and I would heal them. [Amp. Bible]

Why do they not hear and understand?  Because their hearts have grown hard, they are a rebellious people!

Tares among Wheat
vs. 24-30 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 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?’ 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?’ But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 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.”’”

Vs. 37-43-And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 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; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 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, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

As we live in this world, we live amongst the tares, weeds, those who have ears to hear but do not hear, etc.  Weeds really have no purpose other than to choke out the growth around them.  Just like this farmer told his slaves to leave the weeds, we live amongst them today.  They can be deceiving at times and look like they are wheat and not tares….

II Cor. 11:14-15-No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

In the end they will be gathered up and burned, but we will be with Jesus! 

Lord, give us ears to hear and eyes to see.  Protect us from the evil one of this world who wants to kill, steal and destroy us.  I pray that our hearts would be open to hearing and receiving Your Word.

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

 II Cor. 13:14

Lyn