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Matthew
13:1-23
Parables-
The Kingdom Revealed and Veiled, Pt. 1
Charles
R. Biggs
January
2003
Introduction-
Parables for the Postmodern
We live
in a time known to many as postmodern. Modernism was a time that believed that
there was objective truth and that people could come to a
knowledge of truth and of their lives through gaining understanding
and rightly ordering their lives according to an objective pattern or
standard. Modernism was a time
characterized by science and in order to know and understand something, you
first must have proof of it.
In
contrast, Postmodernism is a time
characterized by individualism
which means there is no overarching metanarrative
to guide us, no overarching objective truth to which we individually conform. Individuals now make up our own stories
and find others with the same stories and form groups or societies in which
they may live and face reality. In
Postmodernism, truth is what you make
it. Each of us is
autonomous. We no longer read novels
and literature to gain an understanding of what the author meant, we are
the “deconstructive discoverers” who invent the meaning
ourselves, because we are the authors who determine meaning. We see this in the idea expressed thus:
“To me, I think (or better) feel it means…”
In
Postmodernism there is a primacy of feelings over thinking. So, we as Christians have to find a
Biblical, yet fresh way to communicate to people who see themselves not in
an orderly universe, with real and absolute truth to which they must
conform themselves. Rather, we must
seek others in stories. We must
learn once again to tell stories to our generation of Postmodern people. We
can learn this great storytelling ability from our Lord himself! We must learn to focus the gospel to this
generation in characters, plots, acts, and stories. Parables are just what we need!
But Postmodern People cannot ‘deconstruct’ these
stories, but the stories deconstruct
them, by his grace!
v Context- Jesus is rejected by Pharisees, Teachers of the Law,
and Scribes in Chapter 12. He ends
the chapter by showing the ultimate revelation of Kingdom People to be more
than flesh and blood- - more than ethnically the same- - they must be sons
of the Kingdom, or people of the Messiah who do the will of the Father!
v In chapter 12, Jesus had proved
himself if you will by signs, wonders and miracles and told the people that
if you see me drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of
God has come upon you. The King and
the Kingdom in him were being revealed but they denied it, placing the
power of the miracles in the strength of Beelzebub.
I. Parables
Defined- parabole
(Grk)- “a placing
beside”. It is a comparison or
illustration drawn from nature or human life. The main point of each parable is to
reveal the King and the Kingdom to those to whom it has been given, while
veiling it to those who do not believe.
It comes from the Hebrew word Mashal which means a saying
intended to stimulate thought.
II. Kingdom Revealed- To whom
is the Kingdom revealed? To those who have eyes to see and ears to
hear! Those to whom God shows his
favor and his peace. Jesus’
parables of the Kingdom, as well as the revelation of himself as the King
(Messiah) were to reveal the Kingdom to those whom God had prepared, while
at the same time veiling the Kingdom to those who refused to repent and
believe.
Illustration: For instance the Pharisees in Mt. 12 seek
a sign, but Jesus said none will be given because they had already seen
miracles and didn’t believe, they would one day see the Son of Man
resurrected and wouldn’t believe.
It was only through the proclamation of the Word that they would
believe. The Ninevites
repented at the preaching of Jonah; the Queen of the South listened (and
implicitly obeyed) Solomon’s wisdom.
In Chapter 16, Peter confesses Christ: “You are
Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus says: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but your Father who is in heaven.” When the Pharisees and Scribes see the
same work of the Messiah, they say it is the work of Beelzebub, the
Devil. Implicitly, you could say
that Jesus said to them: “Flesh and blood has not veiled this
from you, but your Father the Devil” (cf. John 8:31ff).
To Peter the Son
is revealed; to the Pharisees and Scribes (by the same actions and words of
Jesus), the Son is veiled.
III. Kingdom Veiled- Why is the Kingdom veiled to
some and not revealed to all? The
Kingdom has always been revealed in flesh and blood. That is, God reveals himself through
prophets such as Isaiah, and ultimately in Jesus in the New Covenant. The Kingdom of God is clearly manifested
to the 5 senses so that not only does man have no excuse because of general
revelation, God reveals himself clearly in Jesus, the King of the Kingdom.
In the revealing
and veiling there is an election element. God elects those to whom he will reveal
his word as in Matthew 11:25-29 (ESV).
Matthew 11:20-30 20 Then Jesus began to denounce the
cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did
not repent. 21 "Woe
to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were
performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long
ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But
I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for
you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the
skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were
performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this
day. 24 But I tell you
that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for
you." 25 At that
time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and
revealed them to little children. 26
Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 "All things have been
committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and
no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him. 28 "Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls. 30 For my
yoke is easy and my burden is light."
While
God does not create “fresh disregard and rebellion” in the
hearts of those to whom the proclamation is veiled, he chooses not to
change their hearts to prepare them for the message. This emphasizes God’s great
sovereignty in his mercy and grace!
The proclamation of the Word reveals what is already in the hearts
of men! The revelation and the
veiling have to do with Jesus’s word of
grace as well as judgment.
o
As verse 1 teaches, Jesus had gotten in a boat so that the large
crowds or multitudes could better hear him as he taught them. But ample amplification was not what they
needed- - rather, a change of heart. Irony!
o
Some do not see or hear Jesus because of a heart problem. It is because their hearts are dead and
cannot allow their eyes to perceive and hear because their hearts have
become calloused. IOW,
Isaiah’s time God would reveal himself clearly through grace and
repentance preached through Isaiah’s proclamation, but also he would
clearly reveal himself through destruction and judgment when he would give
his people over to another more powerful nation because of sin.
o
Jesus had come and performed miracles and shown himself clearly to
those around him, yet the Pharisees and the Scribes could not see because
their eyes had been closed, their ears could not hear. They had a problem of repentance, of the
heart. Their hearts needed to be
healed so that they might see the Kingdom and turn and God would heal
them. Jesus’ message was the same
as Isaiah. Paul says in 2
Corinthians 4:3-4 that “if the gospel is veiled, it is veiled to
those who are perishing, because the god of this age has blinded the minds
of unbelievers so that they do not believe.”
o
Romans 16:25-27- Revealed in the prophets (i.e. Old
Testament), yet veiled, or kept
hidden for ages. The
interpretive key is Jesus Christ,
the King of the Kingdom.
Romans 16:25-27 (ESV) 25 Now to him who is able to
establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according
to the revelation of the mystery hidden
for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through
the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that
all nations might believe and obey him--
27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus
Christ! Amen.
IV. The
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God in Christ- Parable of the Sower and the Soils- In many ways it is the
starting-point and the basis for the understanding of the other parables in
Matthew 13.
A.
Jesus is the Great Sower who is sending
his people out to sow in the soils of men’s hearts.
i.
Notice that there is a covenantal
seeding or planting involved – not a mere decision to receive the
Kingdom, but a Kingdom that is proclaimed and planted by seeds – a
slow, organic growth that is nurtured by water and sunlight.
B.
This is part of the binding of
the strong man that Jesus speaks of in chapter 12:25-29 (ESV).
Matthew 12:25-29 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and
said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined,
and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan,
he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons
by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be
your judges. 28 But if I
drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 "Or again, how can
anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he
first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
It was through a proclamation of the Word of the
Kingdom that would set the captives free from the stronghold of the strong
man.
C.
Four Kinds of Hearts who received the revealed Kingdom in Jesus
(13:1-9; 18-23).
a.
The path [No chance for growth]- birds came and ate it up. Jesus explains: The
Evil One snatches away what was sown in the heart.
i.
Illustration- The Devil working against the
coming of the Kingdom. Apathy and disinterestedness is a tool of Satan in
building his Kingdom.
b.
The rocky places [Temporal
Growth]- not much soil, sprang up quickly, but
when the sun came out it scorched the plants and they withered because they
had no root. Jesus explains: Word received with joy, but
since there is no root, he lasts
only a short time. When trouble or
persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
A “cross-less”
Christianity!
i.
Illustration- Evangelical-over-realized-eschatological-“Praise
the LORD”-Christianity. Those who are not told that the Christian
life is about pain, persecution, and picking up one’s
cross. This is a rootless Christianity that will
cause some to fall away when persecution or pain comes into their lives.
ii.
Example of suffering in some people’s lives,
and how unexpected it can be, thus causing some to fall away!
c.
The thorns [Choked Growth]- grew up and choked the plants. Jesus explains:
Hears the Word, but worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth choke
it, making it unfruitful.
i.
Illustration- American Christianity- Rich people compared to the
rest of the world. In many ways,
“Blessed (still) are the poor…for they shall be filled.
We must be careful that we are not unfruitful in the
Christian life because of the ‘creaturely comforts’ that God
gives to us. We might focus so much
on the blessings of God and forget altogether that there is a growth that
needs to occur by the grace of God and his Spirit.
ii.
Calvin Quote on Thorns in our lives (from his commentary on the
Synoptic Gospesl)-
Each of us ought
to endeavor to tear the thorns out of his heart, if we do not choose that,
the Word of God could be choked; for there is not one of us whose heart is
not filled with a vast quantity, and, as I may say, a thick forest, of
thorns. And indeed, we perceive how
few there are that reach true maturity [in Christ]; for there is scarcely
one individual out of ten who labors, I do not say to root out, but even to
cut down the thorns…[and] the very number of
thorns, which is so prodigious that it ought to shake off our sloth, is the
reason why most people give themselves no trouble about them.
[Meaning, the thorns should cause us to realize our
sloth and laziness, but they are choking us so that we cannot see our sloth
and laziness].
d.
The good soil [Abundant Growth]- produced a multiplying crop- a hundred, sixty, or
thirty times what was sown. The man who hears
AND UNDERSTANDS.
i.
Illustration- No matter how much seed is actually lost, the Kingdom
comes regardless and grows according to God’s will.
D.
The Sower of the Word Reveals the Kingdom
NOW to His People, yet the Kingdom remains veiled for those who refuse to
believe.
a.
People today refuse to believe how they see Jesus in our lives.
b.
We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus exists and is with us-
- we know whom we have believed in- - even though we don’t see him- -
yet we believe!
c.
People today have a heart problem that prevents them from seeing the
Living Christ. Only God in his mercy
can awaken their dead hearts to the reality of the King and His Kingdom.
d.
Meanwhile, men perish because they don’t see, nor hear the
message we try to present to them in word and deed.
e.
Jesus is the interpreter of the parables. He is the one who teaches us by His
Spirit. Rejoice People of God
because you are blessed because your eyes see and your ears hear! Read
Matt. 13:16-17.
CRB
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