Understanding the Kingdom

Today begins a new series on the kingdom of heaven. I am not sure what comes to mind when you think about kingdom and what the Bible says about the kingdom. Maybe you think about the kingdom as other-worldly. After all, Matthew’s gospel almost always refers to it as the kingdom of heaven. Maybe you think about the kingdom as a future fulfilment. It is something which Jesus will bring and establish when he returns as we read about in the book of Revelation. Maybe you think about the kingdom as a place of power. Kingdoms are ruled by kings, and kings have authority and power.

The gospels make clear that the beginning of God’s kingdom has already come in Jesus. While it may reach its complete fulfilment in the future, the beginnings of God’s kingdom are already with us because Jesus has already established it. The gospels also make clear that the kingdom is already sprinkled into our everyday world right now. The kingdom exists right here in the places where we live. The kingdom starts in your own backyard; that’s how close it is to us.

In the coming weeks I want us to use the gospel of Matthew as a lens into this kingdom of heaven which is already at play and taking shape right in the close spaces of our lives right here and now. And since Jesus so often teaches these ideas in the form of parables, let’s begin today with a parable in Matthew which also helps us understand all parables.

Matthew 13:1–23 (NIV)

Matthew 13:1–23 NIV

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.’ 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 Matthew

Matthew writes to a Jewish audience | they know the five books of Torah

Matthew writes his gospel specifically to a Jewish audience. Therefore, Matthew assumes his readers are already very familiar with Old Testament Jewish religious customs. It explains why Matthew is the gospel which most often quotes the Old Testament. It also explains why Matthew is the gospel which most often takes note of the ways in which Jesus fulfils Old Testament prophecy. Matthew wants his Jewish readers to understand that this Jesus is, in fact, the promised Messiah for whom God’s people have been waiting.

But there is something more about Matthew’s gospel which leans towards a Jewish audience familiar with Old Testament customs. The People of Israel during the time of Jesus viewed the basis for the entire collection of religious laws upon the books of Moses. They referred to the first five books of Bible as the Torah—the law of God which was given to the people through Moses. This means that all Jewish people during the time of Jesus would have understood the foundation of God’s revelation to his people came primarily from these five books in the Torah.

gospel of Matthew arranges Jesus’ teachings into five sections which echo Torah

Matthew, then, very carefully pieces together the layout of his gospel to show his Jewish audience this very same arrangement. In the gospel of Matthew, the teachings of Jesus are all bunched together in sections. And it is no surprise that Matthew arranges all these teachings of Jesus into five bundles. There are five sections in Matthew in which we see extended teachings from Jesus. It is Matthew’s way of demonstrating for his Jewish audience that these words spoken by Jesus are now the new law of God. The teachings of Jesus fulfil the teachings of the Torah. For context, the story we see today in Matthew 13 comes in the third section of teachings in Matthew. And this third section of teachings in Matthew is labeled by scholars as the “kingdom teachings.” Matthew 13 is actually a very long chapter and we are going to spend the next several weeks working our way through this chapter.

What is a parable?

we cannot figure out WHAT these stories mean until we know HOW these stories should be read

The Bible contains a variety of writing styles. There are several genres of literature all represented in scripture. There is narrative story. There is historical documentation. There is poetry. There are prayers. There are letters written back and forth. There are prophecies. And then in the gospels we find Jesus teaching in a way that almost exclusively uses a technique that we call parables. Today we are beginning a series for the summer that looks at some of the parables of Jesus. So, it might be helpful right here at the beginning to talk a little bit about parables. We cannot figure out WHAT these stories mean until we know HOW these stories should be read.

Maybe that’s a new idea for you today. We do not read all scripture the same way. Because there are so many examples of different literary genres in the Bible, we also bring different expectations and techniques depending on what part of the Bible we are reading. Parables are always a good place to remind ourselves of this.

What do I mean by different expectations? We read different literary genres with different expectations of what the writing is supposed to mean. Or, in other words, we bring expectations to text based on the kind of text we are reading. Let me give an obvious example of how this works. A newspaper. Newspapers contain a variety of different literary genres. And we carry certain expectations to what we are reading depending on what section of the newspaper we are looking at. I would like to think that when I am flipping through the national and local sections of the newspaper, that the stories are credible and sources are checked and confirmed. But when I read op-ed articles in the opinion section, now my expectation of what I am reading shifts because I know these are articles that are not intended to report unbiased fact, but rather these are authors who are trying to sway public views by expressing opinions. And when I read the business section and flip through the stock market, I don’t read it like some kind of story. The stock page is a chart of data, not sentences and paragraphs. The comics page again shifts my expectations of what I am reading. I am looking for the line or picture that is funny, because the intention of comics is to make us laugh.

Do you get what I mean here? I don’t read the opinion page or the events page or the stock market page or the comics page to same way. I carry a completely different set of pre-loaded expectations into the text of a newspaper depending entirely upon what section of the paper I am looking at. Do we do that same thing with the different kinds of writing we find in the Bible? We should! I should not read a Psalm the same way I read narrative, or the same way I read one of the apostolic letters, or the same way I read prophecy. I have different expectations loaded into what it is I’m reading in the Bible based on what part of the Bible I’m reading.

This is all introduction. Today we are reading a parable. And we cannot understand and interpret this story unless we understand a few things about parables in general. What we see here in Matthew 13 is such a perfect example because I think Matthew understood this too. Matthew dedicates part of his gospel to go out of his way and catch his readers with a reminder that parables are a completely different kind of style.

This parable of the sower that we see in Matthew 13 is an example of what I will call a true parable. Not true in the sense that it actually happened, but true in the sense that it actually could happen. It is a story with characters and a plot. The story of this parable is plausible; it could actually happen. There are also saying of Jesus that are more about similarities or metaphors, but not actually a plausible story. I am vine, you are the branches. I am the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. These sayings are metaphors for comparison—one thing is like another thing.

parables are not allegories

Now a word about what parables are NOT. Parables are not allegories. An allegory is a story in which every character and plot feature has some kind of direct one-to-one reference to some real-life person or event. Parables make general comparisons. Allegories make specific comparisons. Parables are not meant to be that specific. Here is why that is an important distinction for us to make. We should never read a parable and then start to pick apart every single character and every single detail trying to make one-to-one match ups for what all these things mean. No, parables are much simpler. The point of a parable is meant to be simple and generic, not complex and complicated.

parables are not just an earthly story with a heavenly meaning

What kind of simple generic meaning do these parable sayings all have in common? I was once told that parables are an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. I’m not sure how helpful that is. It still kind of leaves us wondering what a heavenly meaning might be? I think it might help us to be a little more accurate in our definition of a parable. It is not just an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. If anything, it is an earthly story with an earthly meaning. Jesus meant for these stories to have an immediate application in people’s lives right here and now.

parables convey a kingdom idea which calls for a response

I’m going to define it this way. Parables convey a Kingdom idea which calls for a response. Parables convey simple ideas of what Jesus means when he talks about the kingdom of God. Parables are stories and comparisons which should give us a clearer picture of the kingdom. They are not direct literal descriptions of the kingdom of God. But Jesus uses parables to lay out ideas about the kingdom that help us recognize the kingdom when we see it.

if you read a parable and walk away without any kind of reaction or any kind of response, then you missed it

And the second part—which is always essential to the parable—is the call for response. Parables are not cute stories that merely teach some kind of knowledge. Jesus always intends for these stories to produce some kind of response from those who hear it. There needs to be a reaction of some kind. Sometimes the response is a call to action in a way that shows us how to embrace and live out this kingdom idea. And sometimes we see the response is a reaction of anger and offence as those who thought they already knew and understood the kingdom are singled out and corrected by Jesus. Either way, the parable hits in a way that brings a response. If you read a parable and walk away without any kind of reaction or any kind of response, then you missed it.

Jesus acknowledges that here in Matthew 13. That some people just seem to miss it. Some people just don’t catch the point. The authors of the gospels are quite intentional in the way they arrange these stories. The parables of Jesus are not randomly sprinkled throughout the gospels. Rather, the apostles place them together in groups that help us pull out the kingdom idea and see the response which Jesus intends. The structure of the gospels themselves help us with this. Matthew organizes and arranges his gospel in a very intentional way with these stories.

Point of reference

every parable has a point at which the reader or hearer is meant to identify themselves into the story

Alright then, let’s bring all this back into the parable of the sower and nail it down. What is the kingdom idea in this parable? And what is the response? The only way to know that is to identify the point of reference in the story. Every parable has a point of reference. What I mean by that is every parable has a point at which the reader or hearer is meant to identify themselves into the story.

the four different types of soil are the points of reference — not the farmer or the seed

In the parable of the sower we have the farmer, we have the seed, and we have the four types of soil. Jesus cuts right to the chase when he explains this parable to his disciples. The farmer and the seed are not the points of reference in this story. It is the four different types of soil that are the points of reference. We—the hearers—are supposed to read this story and catch the reference. In this case Matthew plays it out for us by including the explanation of the parable. But in other parables, the explanation is not included. The hearer is just supposed to catch the reference and understand.

parable is like a joke — has a punchline that is assumed to be caught and understood

In this way, a parable is like a joke. I don’t mean that parables are supposed to be funny. I mean that parables are meant to have an understood reference that everyone catches and does not need to have explained. It’s the punchline. Jokes only work because they have a punchline. There is a reference in the joke that should not have to be explained, it’s just meant to be caught. And for those who catch the punchline, the joke is funny. For those who miss the punchline, the joke is not funny. If I have to go back and explain the whole joke for those who don’t get it, it’s already too late. If you missed the punchline the first time, the effect is already gone.

Parables are like that. Jesus intends that his hearers will catch the reference. He intends that we get the punchline. For those whom the punchline needs explanation, the effect is already gone. The parable is meant to have a reaction, it is meant to produce a result in the hearer. And we are meant to catch that point of reference in the moment without needing the explanation.

Jesus gives us the point of reference to his disciples four types of ground upon which the seed falls — path, rocky places, thorns & weeds, good soil

Either way, in this instance Jesus gives us the point of reference as a teaching tool for his disciples. There are four types of ground upon which the seed falls. The path, the rocky places, the thorns and weeds, and the good soil. Jesus even offers a bit of commentary on how the point of reference connects in each instance. There are those for whom the gospel message is snatched away from them without ever taking root. The temptations and sinful brokenness of this world places them in a position where they don’t even want to let the seed of the gospel in. There are those for whom the seed of the gospel is shallow. They never allow it to take deep root in their lives. Then when times get tough and their faith is challenged in some way, they wither away. There are those for whom the seed of the gospel gets choked out by other competing distractions that take over in our busy lives. And then there are those for whom the seed takes root and grows and produces fruit.

So, what kind of ground am I? I think if we’re honest about that question we would quickly realize that it is not a zero-sum game. It is not that I can reduce my entire life of faith into just one of these four ground-categories. There is crossover. There are seasons of life in which I may gravitate my point of reference more toward one and then toward another. I don’t think the point is for each one of us to chart out where we are on this garden-ground scale and then click together an action plan for how we can all be perfectly tilled and fertilized fields all the time. It’s a lofty goal, and there’s nothing wrong about that. I just think it misses the point of the story.

Kingdom Idea

Let’s not lose sight of what a parable is and why Jesus tells these stories. This parable—like all parables—conveys kingdom ideas. In this stretch of stories in Matthew 13 we see a few kingdom ideas working together to form the message of this parable. If this parable was meant to be about how you can become fertile soil and avoid the rocks and weeds and thorns, then it seems to me that Jesus would have told it that way with something about the farmer clearing the rocks and pulling the weeds and plowing the field. But that’s not what happens. That’s placing too much into the story that was never there. That misses the point.

the story has a very simple message — a farmer scatters seed, the seed grows, but it doesn’t grow the same everywhere

The parable of the sower is actually something quite simple when we see it at face value. The story has a very simple message. A farmer scatters seed. The seed grows. But it doesn’t grow the same everywhere.

the kingdom of heaven is growing

The first kingdom idea Jesus shares in the parable of the sower is that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom that is growing. Jesus says the kingdom is something that is meant to multiply once it is planted. The kingdom is something that is ever growing. It feels like my kids are ever growing. Didn’t we just get you that new pair of shoes, and now they don’t fit anymore? Growing means changes. What used to fit at one time no longer fits as growth occurs. Growing means changing in other ways too. As my kids got older and matured, they started taking on more responsibilities. When they were infants, Laura and I cared for every single one of their needs. Now they are more-and-more able to care for themselves. And beyond that, they are able to care for one another and some of our family needs by helping with chores. Now they are able to pitch in and contribute.

the kingdom of heaven is recognize by what is produced

Jesus says the seed that grows produces a crop. The kingdom of heaven is something that we recognize by what is produced. It is recognized by its fruit. Wherever we see the seed of the gospel bearing fruit, we know the kingdom of heaven is growing there. We know what that fruit is because the Bible talks about this spiritual fruit in other passages. Perhaps the best known is what the apostle Paul says in Galatians.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Where the kingdom of heaven is growing, we will know it because we will see this fruit as a result.

the kingdom of heaven is hidden

But there is something else in this story. Jesus says the seed does not grow everywhere. There are some places where the farmer scatters seed and it does not produce a crop. It is not that the seed has been withheld. The farmer seems extremely generous in throwing out the seed. It is simply that there are some places in which the seed will not grow to produce the fruit. And about these places, Jesus says that his parables and his teachings remain hidden. That is the other kingdom idea we see in this story, that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom that is hidden. Not everyone sees it the way we see it. God sows the seed of his kingdom generously for all people. He scatters the seed of the gospel everywhere. It is not as though the kingdom has been withheld by God from anyone. Rather, Jesus says that there are instances in which that vision of the kingdom of heaven declared by Jesus remains hidden, and the seed does not grow.

That may be tough for us to understand. I wish it were true that the kingdom of heaven would grow and flourish everywhere all the time throughout the entire creation. But I think it is also pretty obvious in this world that it doesn’t always work that way. And this is exactly what Jesus is also saying in this parable.

Don’t let that be a discouragement. Sure, there are some places and some instances in which the seed of the gospel seems to fall without producing the expected crop. But even so, there are also many other places that exist where the seed of the gospel grows and bears fruit. We may not see the kingdom of heaven flourishing everywhere all the time, but it is out there. It is growing. Don’t lose heart.

I said earlier that parables also call for a response. What is the response we should give to this story? A couple of thoughts.

finding the kingdom response

be the soil — don’t try to be the farmer and don’t try to be the seed

One: be the soil. Don’t try to be the farmer and don’t try to be the seed. In this story you and I are placed into the role of being soil—we are the ground; we are dirt. It is not our job to sow and plant the kingdom; God does that. It is not our job to make the kingdom grow; God does that. Our job here seems rather basic. We are the ground in which the kingdom produces fruit. My job here is only one thing: to be the kind of ground in which the kingdom flourishes by producing the fruit of the Sprit.

go where the growth is — find places around us where we see spiritual fruit multiplying and flourishing

Two: go where the growth is. Wherever you see the kingdom of heaven flourishing, hop on board and be a part of that. Keep seeking to place yourselves in those opportunities. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom that grows. God generously plants the seeds of his kingdom all about you in your lives. And God wants it to be growing in and through you. In the places around us where we see spiritual fruit multiplying and flourishing, join in to be a part of that.