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The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like… Matthew 13:24-52 Key Verse: 13:44 “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.” In last week’s passage we studied the first of seven parables that describe the Kingdom of Heaven and how it works in a person. We learned that in order for the Kingdom of Heaven to produce fruit in our lives our hearts must provide a suitable environment for the seed of the word of God to grow in us. In this passage Jesus tells six more parables that all begin with the words “The kingdom of heaven is like....”. Their subject matter is quite varied. However, they have a common theme. They help us to see the kingdom of heaven. They give insight into its hidden reality. When we study them prayerfully, we find a progression. They reach a climax as those who discover the treasure of the kingdom realize its worth and claim it for themselves. These parables are not as direct as Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount. However, they offer us an understanding of how the kingdom of God operates both in this world and at the time of the judgment. As we study them, may God help us to discover the greatest treasure, Jesus Christ. First, the parable of the weeds and its explanation (24-30; 36-43). Look at verses 24-26. “Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.’” According to some scholars, the weeds refer to a toxic plant called darnell. As it grows, darnell looks identical to wheat. Only when it sprouts and the inner head appears can it be distinguished from wheat. Look at verses 27-30. “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?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 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.’” When darnell grows among wheat, the roots of the darnell become entangled with the wheat, so even though the servants volunteered to pull up all the weeds, the owner stopped them. It was to protect the wheat. He would deal with the weeds at harvest time. Jesus told two more short parables about the kingdom of God, but we will come back to the shortly. After telling four parables, Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” The disciples’ simple act reveals their growing wisdom. They knew they had to understand the parable. They did not want to merely guess as to its meaning. So they asked Jesus to explain it. Like them, when we don’t understand, we must ask Jesus in prayer. Jesus gave a very clear explanation. Look at verses 37-39. “He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels.’” Here, the good seed does not refer to the word of God, as it did in the parable of the sower. The good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. Sons of the kingdom are those who accept the word of Jesus, grow in the image of Christ, and bear fruit in this world. They love their enemies and do good to those who hate them (Mt 5:45). Jesus worked hard to raise sons of the kingdom and plant them in the world. This is how Jesus advances his kingdom and reveals the Kingdom of Heaven in this fallen world. However, Jesus’ enemy the devil is also planting seeds in the world. They are the weeds, the sons of the devil. They are not sons of the devil because they were born that way, but because they listened to the devil’s lies instead of the truth of God’s word. In John 8:44, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You belong to your father the devil...he is a liar and the father of lies.”. They denied the divinity of Christ and did not accept his teaching. They listened to the devil’s lies and did whatever they wanted to do. One becomes a child of the devil by accepting the devil’s lie into his heart. For a time, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one coexist on the earth. However, God’s righteous judgment will come. Look at verses 40-43. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 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. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” We learn several things through this parable. In the first place, we need spiritual insight based on the Bible. In this world there is both good and evil, the work of Christ and the work of the devil. We must be discerning in our judgments and decisions. But the trend of the world strongly urges relativism. Relativistic people accept everything without making a value judgment, saying, “whatever.” Relativistic people lose the meaning of life, the motivation to work hard, and discernment between right and wrong. They easily degenerate into hedonist. We must hold to the absolutes of God in the Bible, so that we may see good and evil clearly. In the second place, we need the patience of God. When we see the evil of the world as it is, we may want God to destroy it right away. Sometimes we wonder why God allows the wicked to exist on the earth. However, as we learn in the parable, to remove the wicked may result in damaging a son of the kingdom. So God waits. For example, the famous atheist Madeline Murry O’Hair caused so much trouble in America. She initiated the court case that led to the removal of Bible reading and prayer from public schools. Sometimes we wonder why God did not destroy her. But her son, William, became a devout Christian. He has worked to eradicate the evil done by his mother. No one imagined that he could be a son of the kingdom. God spares the wicked for the sake of the sons of the kingdom. We must thank God for his patience with the world and us (Ro 2:4; 2 Pe 3:9). We must learn the patience of God. We must learn to love those who do evil and pray for them. In the third place, we need the promise of God. When we study this parable carefully, there is a transition from the world to the kingdom. Jesus began by saying, “The field is the world....” Later, he says, “...they will weed out of his kingdom....” The kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of heaven. Revelation 11:15b says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” When that happens, the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. We need this promise of glory in our hearts. Then we can overcome the world. We will face opposition and misunderstanding. In this world, honest and compassionate Bible teachers are called narrow-minded bigots by relativists. Those who live a pure life are regarded as weird by corrupted people. But the day will come when the angels of God will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Second, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast (31-33). Look at verses 31-33. “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.’” Jesus clearly tells us that the kingdom of heaven is growing in this world. Its beginning may seem small and its growth may not look spectacular. But it has an indestructible life. It grows without ceasing until it covers the world. The kingdom of heaven is growing. But we must know how to recognize its growth. Thirty-five years ago, I brought home a tiny tree from school. It was so small we named it Tiny. I really wanted it to be healthy and to grow, so I looked at it every day, to see if it was growing. Well, I could not see much happening. Yet in the course of time, this tree has grown tremendously. Now it reaches way up into the sky and many birds perch in its branches. In fact, now it is the largest tree in that neighborhood. The kingdom of heaven is growing. The kingdom of heaven grows without fail until it fills the world. When we believe Jesus’ parable, we can see it. Through this parable, we also learn to value the small beginnings of the kingdom. For example, Jesus himself was born as a baby in a manger. He looked too small and weak in the background of the Roman Empire. But the life of Jesus grew to encompass the whole earth. Likewise, a one-to-one Bible study may seem small in the complex and fast-moving culture of our times. But when the life of God is working through his word, that one-to-one Bible study can grow into a spiritual blessing to the whole world. Let’s value one-to-one Bible study highly. Look at verse 33. “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’” This parable explains the power of influence of the kingdom. The sons of the kingdom may not be many in number, but their influence changes the whole world. When Dr. Samuel Lee and Mother Barry began to teach a giving spirit to poor Koreans who were suffering after the war, it looked like a small thing. But it became part of a national movement that turned Korea into a great missionary-sending country. Now the spirit of self-supporting lay missionaries has spread around the world. Third, the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl (44-46). Look at verse 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.” Jesus is the greatest treasure. Jesus solves all of our life problems. Jesus gives us everlasting wealth. It is because Jesus gives the righteousness of God. In order to do so, Jesus shed his holy blood on the cross and died for us. Isaiah 53:5 says, “...he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Jesus saves us from all the consequences of sin and makes us holy children of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul says, “...Christ Jesus...has become for us wisdom from God–that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” In Jesus we have access to all the riches of heaven, for we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Jesus gives us eternal life, which is most valuable to anyone. When we have Jesus, we have everything. No matter what we may lose to gain Christ, it is worth it. In Philippians 3:8-9, Paul said, “...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Php 3:8-9) Missionary Joseph Ahn used to be a diplomat of the Korean government. He could travel the world, meet powerful leaders, and enjoy all kinds of delicious food and so on. He was the envy of many. But this kind of life did not make him happy. One day he resigned from his diplomat position and went to Chicago to be a Bible teacher for young people. He worked various jobs, including being a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. There, he was surrounded by undisciplined children who gave him a hard time constantly. But he was most happy. It was because he gained Christ. He learned the humbleness of Christ. He learned the shepherd heart of Christ. He learned the wisdom of Christ. So he never looks grumpy, but always joyful and peaceful. He is sure that he made the best bargain. Now many college students hang around him to find peace and joy. Missionary Joseph’s joyful life of faith was like yeast that worked its way through his family and influenced his children. His son, Dr. Joseph Ahn Jr., is an excellent doctor. He earns enough money and could live in luxury. But he sacrifices willingly and joyfully for the kingdom of heaven, supporting his father to serve God full time. Missionary Joseph’s daughter is an excellent student. After finishing medical school with top scores, she could have gone anywhere to continue her career. In fact, she was accepted into a most prestigious program at Harvard University. Any other young doctor would have taken that opportunity without a second thought. But Maria decided to give it up in order to stay in Chicago. She accepted a lesser position at another university. Her primary concern was not her career, but her husband’s spiritual growth. Now Shepherd Ben is growing daily. Those who truly possess the kingdom of heaven are willing to sacrifice anything, knowing that they have gained the best treasure, Jesus Christ. Fourth, the parable of the net and rejection in his hometown (47-58). In verses 47-50, Jesus told the parable of the net. The point of this parable is the coming judgment of God. Jesus repeats a truth taught in the parable of the weeds. There will come a day when the angels of heaven will separate the wicked from the righteous. The righteous will inherit eternal life in the kingdom. The wicked will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. At that time those who valued most the things of the world will be sorry. On the other hand, those who valued the kingdom of heaven rejoice forever. Jesus repeated this truth with a broken heart. Though men do not like the final judgment, it will happen. Look at verse 51. “‘Have you understood all these things?’ Jesus asked. ‘Yes,’ they replied.” The disciples thought that they had understood everything. It was because they had a treasure in their hearts. They felt they were truly rich men in the sight of God. Jesus finished by talking about the teachers of the law. For the most part, these men rejected Jesus, but there were a few that accepted Jesus’ words and became disciples of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said that these men were the most bless because now they had storerooms full of the old treasures of the law and the patriarchs and full of the brand new treasures of heaven. This is why it is important to study the whole Bible. The Old Testament points to the greatest treasure of all which is Jesus Christ. Through the parables of this passage we have learned much about the kingdom of heaven. Most of all, we have learned that Jesus is the greatest treasure. When we have Jesus, we have everything. |
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