Purpose of Parables

Background

If we have not had the pleasure of meeting my name is John Colunga and I have the privilige of serving as lead pastor here at New Day Pasadena

I also have the privilige of bringing this weeks sermon

So if you have your Bibles, please turn to Matthew 13:10

If you forgot your Bible please use the one in front of you and if you dont have a Bible at all, please take home the one in front of you as a free gift to you

Matthew Series

Magnifies Jesus as King of Kings

In Matthew 5 discourses - in depth teachings of Jesus

Outside of the discourses are more narratives by Matthew

first discourse (Sermon on the Mount) chapters 5-7

second discourse (Commissioning of the Disciples) Chapter 10

third discourse (Parables of Christ and his reign) Chapter 13

And in this discouse Jesus is teaching and magnifying his own authority and rule

Third Discourse

And what we encounter in chapter 13 is another hard teaching from Jesus

And it is a hard teaching because we as human beings - we do not have control or authority over one another

We cannot force eachother to believe in the same thing - to understand the same thing - we cant even agree on a great many a things

We are independent from one another with our own mind, with our own experience, with our own soul

And sometimes, things that we know and believe to be true, that we have experience, that have become logical for us

Are not grasped, or understood, or believed by others - and many times this can be frustrating

Have you every had a conversation with someone and the other person disagreed with you even though you have tangible - physical proof?

I myself am a stubborn person (I know its hard to believe) but when I am wrong, I am wrong - and many times it does take showing me and proving to me that I am wrong to get me to admit it

But I think that is why my own family likes poking at me when I am wrong

I was playing trivia with my cousins and my cousin and I were going back and forth over a song and I wasnt confident in my answer so I didnt push hard to change the answer to my answer

And when the answers were revealed - we got the question correct because my cousin was correct and my own wife looks at me and says - you were wrong

But then are are times were we encounter people and we prove to them they are wrong and yet they will not admit or change

This can be about anything - you are trying to prove your point - google backs you up, pictures back you up, science backs you up, you have proof for your argument - AND YET THE OTHER PERSON STILL WONT LISTEN

You look around like - is this a joke- are we on tv? Here is the proof!

But there is nothing you can do to change their mind - they believe what they want to believe - they understand what they want to understand - and you cant change their mind

And what we find today is Jesus - teaching to a great crowd

There were a lot of people at the beach and so Jesus sits in a boat on the beach and he starts to teach in a parable

And the specific parable he starts with is the parable of the sower

And so this way of teaching is different from that of the first and second discourse where Jesus was more direct

And as Jesus gives this parable - The disciples are probably looking around like man this is different

I dont know if this was in the notes or agenda -

So lets just ask him why the improv - what the big idea of teaching this way

And of course, Jesus gives his answer

If you are able to stand, I ask that you please do so for the reading of God’s word. I’ll read it as you follow along,

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

This is the Word of the Lord - You may now be seated

Reason for Parables

Immediately we find that the reason for speaking in parables is for Jesus to give the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven

For as much as we do not know about the secrets of the kigdom of heaven,

Jesus gives what we should know

Jesus tells his disciples, his followers, the entire crowd there that he is revealing the secrets

These secrets are being revealed through these parables - and even though the whole crowd is hearing the secrets,

there are only some who truly understand

What is the point of knowing a secret if you dont understand the secret?

If you are told something in secret, and you understand the secret, usually it is news or a message that you want to share.

When you are given a revelation that is only known to some, there is a sense of thankfulness that you know but also a temptation to share that secret

But if you do not understand the secret, if it makes no sense to you - then the importance of the secret means nothing to you

Why would you share that secret with others - you wont care too because you yourself do not understand

And as Jesus is telling the disciples that the purpose of the parable is to give the secrets of the Kingdom of God

But it is also to hide the secrets of the Kingdom of God

Those in the crowd who understand what Jesus is saying - including the disciples

They can shake those who do not understand and say cant you see!?!?

Can’t you see that Jesus is the Messiah! Cant you see that this is God!?!

And as much as they try to shake and explain to the others the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven they will not fully know, or understand, or believe what is being said

And Jesus says, this is done on purpose - This is done to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah

13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

You see, we will often view the parables of Jesus as nice stories and illustrations with a meaning

And I would agree, yes, they are

They are used to give the truths of God and his Kingdom

They teach us how to live out the truths of God and his Kingdom

But yet, when asked why parables Jesus essentially says

He gives his parables as truths that will be revealed and lived out by some and witheld from others

And there is nothing we can do about who understands and who doesn’t

God is in complete authority over this

And I love how Jesus ends this with the ones who who do understand and he says

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

Now picture this

It is in this verse that if you slow down and think about it

Jesus is looking at his disciples with all love and compassion for them and he says blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

There are many who came before them who believed and longed to see the authority of heaven, the Messiah (Jesus)

The secret that is being revealed

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, the prophets, they all longed to see this secret, to hear this secret, and they died believing it but not seeing or hearing

In context, the disciples are blessed that they get hear and see and understand Jesus face to face

And then you can sense Jesus turning his head back at the crowd and start to explain the parable he had given

Sower Explained

Think they understand

Jesus explains that there are seeds who fall on 4 types of ground

And the seed in this parable is the word of God and the types of ground is the different types of heart postures

So the seed falls on

Path (Concrete), Rocky ground, thorny ground, good ground

Hard Path

Hard Hearted - cannot recieve the word of God

Just doesnt click - doesnt understand - intellectual (head knowledge but no heart knowledge)

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

We cant make them understand nor can we make them know with their heart

Rocky Ground

Shallow Heart - Shallow heart has no root

They hear about Jesus and are open and come to church initially but rather than putting in roots for a deep relationship with Christ,

They have a superficial understanding and so they only have superficial use of God

These people never fully understood what it means to have a relationship with Christ

They just wanted all of the benefits of Christ

And as soon as times get hard or things do not go their way - they ask where is God, what is the use of him if I am going to suffer like this

And they peace out

Thorny Ground

Divided Heart - still lives for the world

People who accept Jesus as Savior but dont submit to him as Lord

They like the idea of a savior and they follow him to an extent

Really, their desires are still for the world

Application

I do not understand how people do not see the God of creation

I do not understand how people do not see that God is the giver of knowledge

I do not understand how people can know and hear the heartbeat of a baby in the mothers womb and not call it a life

I do not understand how people can be hardened towards God

I do not understand how people only view God as a genie or want just a superficial relationship

I do not understand how people cant submit to a God

And I do not understand how or why God would be mindful of me - that somehow, I would be able to see, and hear, and understand

I am thankful that as the Holy Spirit moves, and convicts, and changes hearts, that my eyes would be open and my ears would be able to hear

And this something the Holy Spirit has done for all who have trusted and accepted Jesus

And what Jesus teaches here is that it is not for us to understand why others cannot understand

Why others fell on different ground

We aren’t even to be concerend with why or how we fell on good ground

But this is what Jesus says

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

And we have to understand that the field of the ground is the world

And mixed in the world are the seed with different grounds

And in this world, all mixed in, the seed in good soil must produce fruit

The text says indeed bears fruit

And some produce hundredfold, sixt, and thirty

but again we arent to focus on what some are producing and what others arent producing

But are you producing your fruit?

Galatians 5:22–23“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

And this is so important for 2 reasons - 1 because we are not immune to rocks and thorns popping up in our soil

Even knowing and understanding Christ, we can still fall into temptation to be superficial and be of the world

We are not in full perfection yet, and even still, because we are firm in the good soil, we will never be choked out by the rocks or thorns

So 2 - if you are suppressing the Spirit, if you are not producing your fruit - its hard to seek and win the lost

But when you are spending time with Jesus, when you are leaning into the Holy Spirit - youll produce fruit

Youll come accross those in other soils and your faith will not be shaken nor your mission be deterred

And the Spirit will lead to other who he is working in and he will use you to share Jesus

And by the name and the truth of Jesus, others will come to know him

Jesus is the answer, Jesus is the key, Jesus is the authority

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