Stay In Your Lane
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Matthew 13.24-43
Matthew 13.24-43
Remember that the parable of the sower revealed that the kingdom is now making its way into hearts that are hard, with pressures, failure and yet produce crops.
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,
Note that a better way of stating this verse is, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to the situation of a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Jesus is arguing that the kingdom of God has both come and the Parousia is still delayed.”
The kingdom has become like ..... this parable deals with the delay of the kingdom’s arrival.
25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
The servants are not being called neglectful.... the enemy is being called devious and malicious.
He sowed weeds..... how much more neglectful can you get?
26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
The weeds and the good grain had their roots wrapped around each other. Eventually grain comes out on the head of the wheat.... there is no doubt what is what. The servants tell the master about the weeds.
27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
The servants are not center stage in this parable.... neither is the master or the enemy.
centerstage, the star of the show… is information.... what do we do about this? They ask the master that question.
28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
The enemy is blamed.
29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
Forbidden to separate the weeds from the wheat.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
Everything must grow together until the harvest. Then, only the wheat will be gathered. Before that happens, the weeds must be gathereed and burned.
Harvest is a common metaphor for the final judgment… see Matthew 9.37-38
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Because of this, the “good seed” is not word or message- it is people.
This parable explains how the kingdom can be present in the world while not yet wiping out all opposition. That waits until the harvest. This parable is about eschatological expectation.
It really encourages us to think of what Jesus did in befriending “tax collectors and sinners”.
It really requires you to think about what it means to be in the world but not of the world.
The interpretation of the parable of the weeds.
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
His disciples NEED explanations.
They are always seeking and asking for explanations. Remember Matthew 13.10-13
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.
a full explanation is given to them.
37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Son of man- One of the most significant details in Jesus’ parables is the way key images that in the OT apply exclusively to God, or occasionally to God’s Messiah, now stand for Jesus himself. These images include sower, director of the harvest, rock, shepherd, bridegroom, father, giver of forgiveness, vineyard owner, lord, and king
38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
The field is the world-
good seed is sons of the kingdom
weeds are sons of the evil one
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
enemy-devil
harvest- end of the age
reapers- angels
Star Wars Slide
The identification of the actors is over.... the description of the action begins.
40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
what we have known as the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God, is also the kingdom of the Son of Man- Jesus’ kingdom. (Not the church… Jesus reign post resurrection extends beyond the universe.
41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
What is clear is that Jesus ascribes to himself the role of eschatological Judge that Yahweh assigns himself in the OT
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
This is an allusion to Daniel 12.3
3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
These three parables reveal that Satan is primarily an imitator: He plants false Christians, he encourages a false growth, and he introduces false doctrine.
Tares- False Christians
Tares- False Christians
Satan cannot uproot the plants (true Christians), so he plants counterfeit Christians in their midst
Seed is not the word as in the parable of the sower.... seed is people.
Field is not hearts of people- it is the world. Christ is sowing believers in places whedre they might bear fruit.... see John 12.23-26
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Counterfeits-False Christians
Counterfeits-False Christians
Be advised… whereever Christ sows a true Christian, satan will sow a counterfeit.
The counterfeit proves the genuine.
Counterfeit Christians
See 2 Corinthians 11.26
26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
Counterfeit gospel see Galatians 1.6-9
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Counterfeit righteousness see Romans 10.1-3
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Counterfeit church see Revelation 2.9
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
and at the end of time there will be a counterfeit Christ see 2 Thess 2.1-12
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
We must also stay awake to make sure that Satan’s ministers do not get into the true fellowship and do damage (2 Peter 2; 1 John 4:1–6). It is when God’s people go to sleep that Satan works. Our task is not to pull up the false, but to plant the true… the genuine.
What happens to the weeds (counterfeits?) God will gather them together in his time and burn them. Our task is not to pull up.... it is to plant.
Tunnel Vision Keeps You On Mission
Tunnel Vision Keeps You On Mission
What Horse Blinders Are For?
What Horse Blinders Are For?
There isn’t just one purpose for horse blinders, and there are a few types of blinders that you can get too. Each horse has a different personality and purpose, and that means that each time you see one with blinders on, it’s usually for one of three reasons:
To keep the horse focused.To prevent the horse from spooking.To protect the horse’s eyes.
(I am not implying that you do this with everything- but regarding others, in particular the world- it is good advice.)
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was distracted with Mary. Mary actually had it right.
Martha was worried about dishes. Mary was concerned with Jesus.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
STAY IN YOUR LANE