Matthew 13, Mark 5
Matthew 13
Matthew 13:1-23
This is Matthew’s version of the Parable of the Sower. Like Mark, Matthew has Jesus sitting in a
boat. Jesus used a known truth to
communicate an unknown truth. Over the
years I have forgotten what it is like to be unable to discern the Spiritual Truth
behind these stories. But I know at one
point I was just as blind and deaf as some in the crowd the day Jesus spoke in
Parables. I’d like to talk to someone
today who reads these and says, “I don’t get it”. What is it like to hear this story and think
“so, what’s the point”?
Matthew 13:24-30
This Parable begins a series where the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to
something we see happening on earth. In
this Parable the Kingdom of Heaven is patient and filled with grace. As indicated here, the Landowner stays the
hand of the workers lest the wheat be harmed as well. “Wait until the harvest (the Day of Judgment),
and then separate the wheat from the tares”, He says. That’s grace.
That’s patience. That’s also
faith. God has so much faith in real
Christians that He believes they will grow to full maturity in spite of
counterfeit Christians. It also
indicates that real Christians will be easily identified at the harvest. What’s interesting is that the weed Jesus
described looks a lot like wheat. When
they are young, both plants look very similar.
Only after they age can anyone easily tell the difference. Tares do not turn golden with age. In actual practice, the people who would
harvest the wheat would sort through the grains, tossing the Tares (or Darnel)
into a burning pot. Darnel (or Tares)
kernels are grey while Wheat kernels are golden brown. In the same way, God has said He will wait
until Judgment Day to separate the Wheat from the Tares. On that day when everything external is
stripped away, that which has been hidden will be revealed.
Matthew 13:31-32
The Mustard plant can reach 12 to 15 feet in height in one season. This Parable probably talks about
Christianity in general; that what began so small will grow to be enormous in
due time.
Matthew 13:33
In other places in the Bible yeast is compared to something evil. But here it is used to illustrate the affect
God’s Kingdom would have in the world.
Once yeast begins its work in the dough, nothing can stop the
process. So too will it be with the
Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God).
Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus does us a great favor by explaining the Parable of the Wheat and
Tares. I appreciate that the disciples
asked what you and I wanted to ask.
Jesus’ response is pretty straight forward. The explanation seems clear, unless, of
course, you are familiar with end time prophecy. Here it sounds as if the wicked are to be
taken away instead of the Church raptured away.
“They will
gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit
lawlessness” (Matthew 13:41).
To understand this we need to keep in mind that Jesus is talking about
the Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God – both terms mean the same
thing). And although Jesus came to usher
in the Kingdom of Heaven, that Kingdom will not end one day in the future. His is a Kingdom without end (see Daniel
2:44). As all of humanity stands before
the Throne on Judgment Day, all of humanity will be in God’s Kingdom (remember,
this will be after the harvest). And
standing there will be many people who called out to Him “Lord, Lord” (remember
Matthew 7:21), but were nothing more than counterfeit Christians. I sometime wonder if these people think they
are Christian because they look and act like the Christians they know.
Matthew 13:44-46
These two parables may be linked together. I think it’s important that we keep in mind
what Jesus has been saying so far. He’s
talked about Himself and the Word. So the
Man and the Merchant in these two parables probably represent Jesus. Jesus is the One who found the thing of value
and sold all that He had in order to purchase them (the Hidden Treasure and the
Costly Pearl). The Hidden Treasure may
represent Israel (compare Psalm 135:4) and the Pearl may represent the Church. Perhaps one could say that the Church grew
out of the wounds of Christ. He sold all
that He had in order to purchase the Church (Compare Philippians 2:6-8).
Matthew 13:47-50
It’s interesting that in this parable the fish are all taken together,
then separated. Some use this parable as
a teaching against the rapture. But
remember that we are talking about Judgment Day, and it is possible that the
Church will not be present. The Church
(authentic Christians) escape Judgment (see John 5:24). The main point in this parable is that no one
unrighteous will be permitted to remain in the Kingdom of Heaven. They will be cast aside into the fire. Only then will they be filled with regret and
remorse.
Matthew 13:51-52
I think the disciples lied here.
Or perhaps they merely understood the surface truths. What they did not know was that the Messiah’s
Kingdom would be rejected, would be filled with counterfeits, that it would
begin quite small at first, and that in order for the Messiah to rule it would
cost Him everything. Notably different
is that to the Jews the Messiah would drive out all the unrighteous when He
came. But Jesus says that the
unrighteous will be permitted for a season, and then will come the Judgment.
Matthew 13:53-58
In a second visit back home, the people still could not accept Jesus as
the Messiah. Notice that they still saw
Him as merely a man (Matthew 13:54).
They wondered where this Man
could get His powers. But Jesus was not
and is not merely a Man; He is God
incarnate; God in the flesh. Four of
Jesus’ half-brothers are mentioned here, not to be confused with those by the
same name who were His disciples.
Mark 5
Mark 5:1-20
This is Mark’s version of the demon possessed man from the Gerasene
region. Mark says the demons did not
want sent to a distant place, not the abyss, as Luke records it (Luke
8:31). Mark also repeats how troubled
the townspeople were about the loss of the herd (I wonder who counted), not the
healing of the possessed man; a clear indication of their priorities.
Mark 5:21-43
This repeats the story told in Luke 8:40-56 and Matthew 9:18-26.
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