Matthew 13:53-58, A Prophet Without Honor

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. ⁵⁴ Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵ “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at him.

   But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

 ⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Our lack of faith cannot prevent the inevitable victory given to the Body of Christ. This was taught in the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. Our lack of faith, however, can certainly impede progress.

When Jesus went home, we are told, “He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith”. Can you imagine a church without miracles? Well, some of us might lead one.

I can tell you exactly where this lack of faith comes from. It comes from looking at things through our human eyes rather than through God’s eyes. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? When God has found an available servant he couldn’t care less who that servant’s mom or dad is.

No so true for us. We are more likely to say “wait a minute. Isn’t that my old roommate from Saint Paul Bible College? No way! He couldn’t do that!”  And…my refusal to accept God’s power in my old roommate would result in my inability to accept the miraculous.

I look around at the SPBC classes of 1972, 1973, 19974.  I recognize a few giants who have done wondrous and mighty things for the Kingdom. I also probably didn’t know them very well back at then. I promise you this: For every prophet I recognize, God has raised up scores more…from those same classes. It’s probably time I quit looking through my own eyes. “Man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart”.

Time to have our eyes checked…

When we begin to regard all believers as potential miracle workers…even the church janitor…there is no limit to the majestic power and influence our churches can have in our communities.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 13:47-52, The Parable of the Net

    ⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

   ⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

   “Yes,” they replied.

 ⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

“Have you understood this?” Jesus asked.

Really? When we stand before our congregations and preach…when we teach Sunday School…when we lead youth group…are we aware that some of those folks will someday be lost for eternity?

Yeah, don’t tell me your church is “special”.

We are constantly called to evangelize. It’s not a controversial idea, but it’s one that is not always followed. Mali used to occasionally ask me…after I just preached another “stupendous” sermon…”do you think anybody could have gotten saved through that sermon?”

Ouch!

Mali had discerned that my preaching was directed, almost exclusively, to the Body of Christ. And, that’s not the whole congregation. I changed my focus.

I find it ironic…actually amusing…that Satan could plant these “sleeper cells” in our churches with the intent to destroy us…without having first read Romans 1:16. “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation…” Those sleepers cannot sit there Sunday after Sunday and not be converted if we are properly doing our jobs.

So, Jesus reminds us to “bring out of our storerooms new treasures as well as old.”  When we stand before Christ with our congregations someday…God wants to see some new faces.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 13:44-46, The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

    ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

   ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

“They sold everything they had…”

These two gentlemen took a good look at the treasure and decided its value outweighed everything they had. For them it was not speculation…it was an investment. In their minds…when they sold everything they owned to purchase the treasure…their net worth skyrocketed.

Good for them, but they didn’t have all the stuff I have. And, in this economy, I’d only get a fraction of the value.

Actually…that doesn’t matter. The price to enter the Kingdom is “all we have” no matter how much we have.

It’s obvious that when we become believers, and join the Body of Christ (not the “church”) we aren’t immediately divested of all we possess. The implication is “possession” is not the same as “ownership”. We have a lot of things in our possession that God allows us to keep when we become believers. It’s just that when he buys us…he buys it all. He takes title to all our possessions. Every last one of them.

 “Lock, stock and barrel…”

I wonder…as I contemplate God’s Corvette (sitting in my garage)…if I “own” it or just “possess” it. The answer is revealed in what I do with it. If God were to say “Lee, I want you to take “my” Corvette and sell it and give the money to the Great Commission Fund”, do I have a choice?

I don’t, If I fail to obey, I’m claiming ownership. If that’s the case, I’ve reneged on the price of entry into the Kingdom. I’m positive eternal life is worth at least a 1995 Corvette. It’s possible I could sign it over and God would let me keep it…as He has up to this point…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The rich young ruler went away sad “because his barns were full”. The price of eternal life…in his mind…was too high. I wonder, when he stood face to face with eternity, if he changed his mind.

If my experience is any measure, I know that when we gave our lives to Christ none of us held anything back. We “sold everything we had”. We did it gladly and thought we were getting off easy. Somehow, over the years, we have unconsciously (or consciously) reclaimed a few things. Our ego? Our family? Our reputation? I don’t believe God’s word teaches we are in danger of repossession when we do this…this is what grace is for. It does remind us, however, that we’re guilty of quibbling.

And that’s just plain embarrassing. We need to quit it.

We are fond of saying when Jesus bought us it cost him everything he had. True, but it also cost us everything we have.

Live boldly out there today…   

Matthew 13:36-43, The Parable of the Weeds Explained

 ³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

 ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

   ⁴⁰ “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Back to the weeds in the field…

I think the whole “mustard and leaven” thing would seem more plausible if somebody would just get rid of the weeds. You remember the “weeds”…the strap-hangers at Church who are not truly part of the Body of Christ. It’s hard enough to thrive without obstacles in our way, right?

There is a method to God’s plan. Right here we have the cosmic truth: Jesus and Satan are engaged in “The Mother of all Battles” over the eternal destiny of man and the church is the battleground upon which this contest is waged.

Jesus and Sun Tsu must have discussed this because ingenious. One of the principles of warfare is to choose the terrain. Jesus decided to wage battle on his “home court”. Advantage, Kingdom!

Somebody once said “keep your friends close…and your enemies closer”. Maybe this is what Jesus had in mind when preparing for this cosmic struggle. What better way to influence a lost and dying soul than have him (or her) sitting next to us in church?

Just remember…the weeds are not our friends. They have been planted there to destroy us. To some degree they have been successful. Why do you suppose the church looks so much like the world? Many churches have lost their home field advantage.

Prolonging the battle…

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 13:31-35, The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

 ³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

 ³³ He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[b] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 ³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. ³⁵ So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

   “I will open my mouth in parables,
   I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”^[c]

Let’s maintain our specific context. Jesus…referring to himself…said “the Kingdom of God has come to you”. The kingdom…that is like mustard seed and leaven…is the Body of Christ.

The same church what Jesus said “the gates of hell will not prevail against it”.

Ever hear the term “as much faith as a grain of mustard seed?”

Of course we have…but it’s not what Jesus said (as least not here). So, of course, what bothers me about the phrase is it implies that some effort on my part (faith) can influence the welfare of God’s Kingdom (the Body of Christ). While that may be true…it’s not true based on this text…and that’s important.

His allusion to the mustard seed is that it is similar to the Body of Christ…in that once it is planted, it will explode in size. And…the yeast completes the metaphor (these two similes make a metaphor, I think). A little, when put into a ball of dough, will leaven the entire loaf.

The whole truth is the Body of Christ will grow and influence everything…period. It has nothing to do with “our faith”, but with the nature of the Kingdom. At its zenith it will cover and control all of creation.

It will do so with, or without, our faith to assist it. I find this comforting at a time when if seems the church is being assaulted on all sides…and rapidly losing cultural influence around the globe. Assuming we are eagerly waiting the ultimate realization of God’s Kingdom…this is good news.

It’s a done deal. The only way to lose is to not be a member of the Body of Christ.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 13:24-30, The Parable of the Weeds

  ²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

   ²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

   ²⁸ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

   “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

   ²⁹ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

It’s what makes the church so messy. Notice I didn’t say the “Body of Christ”.

Of course, God designed it so the two would be one and the same. The “Church” was the “Body of Christ”. But, then, the devil came along and planted some “sleeper cells”…folks who resided in the temporal church but were not really members of the Body of Christ. Satan put them there to distract and disrupt.

They certainly have been good at it…

Satan’s purpose, of course, was to minimize our influence in the world…look so foolish (or mean) that nobody would be interested in our message. Before long, trouble was evident. Throughout history we have witnessed great disputes in the church…many resulting in embarrassing schisms. But…what were we supposed to do? Develop some sort of authenticity test? It’s been tried many times without success. We even burned people at the stake. Its great in theory, but impossible in practice.

Plus…Jesus tells us in this parable to leave them alone. If we attempt to pull out some of the “sleepers” we may pull out some believers by accident. But, you know, it doesn’t keep some folks from trying.

It’s not worth it…

I realize the church can be a source of frustration. I’ve been part of it for 60 years. In the face of trouble we need to respond with grace and mercy. I know we want truth and justice…but we’re often indiscriminate in how we dispense it. Innocent people are hurt and the Gospel suffers.

I remember my ancient army days. When we had difficulty identifying the enemy we’d say “Nuke ‘em til they glow and let God sort them out.”

Well, God will certainly sort it all out. This parable tells us so. It’s just that He left out the “Nuke “em til they glow” part.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 132:1-23, The Parable of the Sower

 ¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

 ¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

 ¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

   “Though seeing, they do not see;
   though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

   ¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

   “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
   you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
   they hardly hear with their ears,
   and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
   hear with their ears,
   understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]

   ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

   ¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Parables are more than illustrations or examples. Parables are literary devices:  similes and metaphors. They are a substantive expression of a fundamental truth…not just an example of a truth. In this, they are meant to do far more than shed light on something. They are meant to tell the truth.

Which is why Jesus used them all the time…

Human beings, for all our wonderful qualities, are not naturally disposed to comprehend metaphysical (spiritual) truths. We need help. So, Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us when we become part of God’s family. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to spiritual truth and the real substance of life becomes clear.  “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. (John 14:26)

Jesus tells us nobody else will understand without parables.

So…why do we marvel when our neighbor simply doesn’t “get it”? Our neighbor may never “get it” unless we are prepared to present the claim of Christ through parables. Try some of the ones Jesus used. Of course, it may be helpful to spend some time preparing.

It seems Jesus presented parables thematically…which is helpful.

Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven: hearing, seeking and growing

The Sower (Matthew 13: 3-23, Mark 4: 1-20, Luke 8: 5-15)

The Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13: 44)

Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13: 45-46)

The Mustard Seed (Matthew 13: 31-32, Mark 4: 30-32)

The Leaven (Matthew 13: 33)

Seed Growing Secretly (Mark 4: 26-29)

Parables of loss and redemption

The Lost Sheep (Matthew 18: 12-14, Luke 14: 3-7)

Lost Money (Luke 15: 8-10)
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32)

Parables about love and forgiveness

Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18: 23-35)

The Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37)

The Two Debtors (Luke 7: 41-47)

Parables about prayer

          The Friend at Night (Luke 11: 5-8)

          The Importunate Widow (Luke 18: 1-8)

          Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18: 9-14)
Eschatological parables

          The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13)

          The faithful Servant (Matthew 24:43-51, Mark 13: 34-37, Luke 12: 35-40)

Marriage of the King's Son (Matthew 22: 1-14)

The Rich Fool (Luke 12: 16-21)

The Wicked Husbandman (Matthew 21: 33-44, Mark 12: 1-12, Luke 20: 9-18)

The Tares (Matthew 13: 24-30)

Drawing in the Net (Matthew 13: 47-50)

The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13: 6-9)

Leafing Fig Tree Matthew 24: 32-35, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33)
Other parables

The Wise and the Foolish Builders (Matthew 7: 24-27, Luke 6:46-49))

The Lamp under a bushel (Matthew 5:14, 15, Mark 4:21-25, Luke 8:16-18)

The Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13)

The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31)

Ten Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30, Luke 19: 11-27)

Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16)

Once we take the training wheels off, the Lord may just give us some parables of our own to use with our neighbors. We will be amazed with the results.

Live boldly out there today…