Treasures Old and New
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:38
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· 10 viewsDiscipleship to Jesus opens the riches of heaven, while proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
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Call to Worship
Call to Worship
17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
Adoration
Adoration
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Confession
Confession
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Message
Message
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Discipleship to Jesus opens the riches of heaven, while proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
Discipleship to Jesus opens the riches of heaven, while proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”
“these things” refer to the parables Jesus just gave.
The disciples respond with, “Yes, we have understood what you’ve said”…
Yet we know that they did not understand fully.
We know they were deeply confused…
About the nature of the kingdom.
The timing of the kingdom.
The coming of the kingdom.
James and John are called “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17) for good reason.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
They wish to mimic God’s judgment he brought during Elijah’s day (2 Kings 1:9-12) by bringing judgment immediately upon the Samaritan people.
The “sons of thunder” must learn that Jesus did not come at first to bring judgment but to bear judgment for sin.
But let me ask you a question…
What comes first: discipleship or understanding?
Following Jesus or comprehending?
Discipleship leads to understanding.
Discipleship leads to understanding.
Of course, their yes did not actually mean
Although the disciples said, “Yes!”, we know they understood the parables in part.
Discipleship leads to understanding.
Application to all believers.
We ought to be ready to respond, “Yes!” to whatever the Lord commands.
But too often I fear that we sound more like,
“After I understand You, then I’ll respond!”
“Once I understand the purpose, then I’ll walk in obedience!”
Following Jesus comes before comprehending.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke e. The Parable of the Teacher of the Law (13:52)
Discipleship to Jesus, recognition of the revelation he is and brings, and submission to the reign he inaugurates and promises are necessary prerequisites to understanding and bringing out from oneself the rich treasures of the kingdom
Jesus promises to give understanding to all those who follow after Him in faith.
Application to unbelievers
Your problem is not comprehension.
Your problem is discipleship.
You’re leaning your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Discipleship leads to understanding!
Application to parents
We have an obligation to open the treasures of Scripture to our children.
Maybe you say, “I don’t know how to read the Bible in a way to bring out these treasure!”
Then learn to!
If you knew you could become a millionaire by learning to crochet, everyone one of us would be at the store buying crocheting needles.
But when it comes to the apprehension of Scripture, we’re too skimpy.
Application for teachers and disciple-makers.
Everyone of us are called to open the treasures of heaven to each other all the time.
Discipleship leads to understanding
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
A “master of a house” stewarded the property of another.
Household managers were common to entertain guests, dispense the estate of the owner, and generally look after all entrusted to him.
Understanding brings out the riches of heaven.
Understanding brings out the riches of heaven.
The Bible contains the riches of heaven.
Because the Bible reveals to us the treasure of heaven.
We must see that Jesus is the treasure.
Those who study the Word of God in extreme detail will be like a man that possesses great wealth.
Application for the wealth and riches of the Word of God.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
Jesus is the treasure of Heaven.
And the Word of God is the means that we access this inexhaustible wealth.
Now this doesn’t get zapped to us in a cosmic download.
It comes to us through divine revelation.
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
The word here translated for “scribe” was traditionally one who was an expert on the law of God.
In modern terms, when we think an expert of law, we think attorney.
That’s a lot closer to how the Jews of Jesus’ day thought of scribes.
They studied the law in extreme detail.
It wasn’t bad that they studied the law of God.
The scribes that were in Jesus’ day were not pursuing the Scriptures to know God.
They were pursuing the Scriptures as a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
Yet we often think of Scribes…
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Some of the worst people you know in your life read the Bible.
They read the Bible and leave unchanged.
They read the Bible and they are not formed by the Word.
They read the Bible and forget immediately what they look like.
A modern sentiment in some Christian circles sounds extremely pious.
They will quote the Apostle Paul saying…
For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
They go on to say things like,
“The Bible is important, but we really need to be tuned into the Spirit.”
“The Bible matters a lot, but we need to be guided by the Spirit.”
These statements sounds spiritual.
They even sound generally godly.
Yet they are foolish.
The problem with the Jews in Jesus’ day was…
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.
16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
“Discipleship precedes understanding; only those trained for the kingdom — only those who have taken upon themselves the yoke of Christ — are able to bring forth new treasures along with the old.” —R.C. Sproul
The scribes themselves were NOT the problem.
Jesus wants scribes!
Jesus wants experts in God’s Word!
But experts in God’s Word that have had the veil of unbelief removed!
Experts in God’s Word that have been made alive to Christ!
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
The phrase, “has been trained for” is the same word that is used for making “disciples” (Matthew 28:19) elsewhere.
“every scribe who is made a disciple of the kingdom” (Olmstead).
Scribes discipled for the kingdom of God will study Scripture.
Scribes discipled and brought into the fellowship of the Father, in the Son, and through the Holy Spirit.
What do the “scribes” discipled for the kingdom do?
They bring out treasure! Treasure to be feasted on and shared by all.
The first kind of treasure that Jesus gives is the Old treasure…
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Old treasure is incomplete without Christ.
Old treasure is incomplete without Christ.
This old treasure is the Old Testament.
It is the treasure of God’s Word revealed under the Old Covenant.
“The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted; the introduction of light brings into it nothing which was not in it before; but it brings out into clearer view much of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before.” —B. B. Warfield
A Jew in the 1st century would be tempted to…
Elevating the old without the new.
Elevating the old without the new.
In the book of Galatians, Judaizer’s were trying to pressure Gentiles to be circumcised.
It wasn’t just because circumcision was a good thing to do, but as a way of being acceptable before God.
This is what elevating the Old in place of the New looks like.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Church history has always attested to this.
Irenaeus writing from 130-202 AD, less than 100 years after the Apostle Paul.
But when the time has arrived, and the prediction has come to pass, then the prophecies have a clear and certain exposition.
John says that Jesus literally explains to us what the Father is like.
18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Without Him, a person is like a man stumbling around in a dark room.
They feel structures, substances, and yet without any knowledge for comprehension.
And for this reason, indeed, when at this present time the law is read to the Jews, it is like a fable; for they do not possess the explanation of all things pertaining to the advent of the Son of God, which took place in human nature; but when it is read by the Christians, it is a treasure, hid indeed in a field, but brought to light by the cross of Christ, and explained, both enriching the understanding of men…
Neglecting the old in pursuit of the new.
Neglecting the old in pursuit of the new.
A modern pastor when speaking about the necessity of the New Testament and the certainty of the Resurrection (which are all good things!) said…
“We need to unhitch the Christian faith from the Old Testament.”
To neglect the Old Testament and merely pursue the New is destructive.
There was a heresy from the early church known as Marcionism.
Marcion taught that we should unhook the Old from the New Testament.
“The God of the Old Testament was fundamentally different from the God for the New Testament.”
“The God of the OT was about wrath, judgement, and fury; whereas the God of the NT was love, mercy, and kind.”
The second kind of treasure that Jesus gives is the New treasure…
“Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
New treasure is unintelligible without the Old.
New treasure is unintelligible without the Old.
Without the OT a person cannot understand why Jesus Christ is significant at all.
They’ll think Christ is His last name, because they do not understand the demands, expectations, or promises that Jesus Christ has come to fulfill.
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
The Old Scriptures are a night-bound wilderness, till Christ rises and illuminates them, glorying alike hill and dale, and, as this author supposes, every shrub and flower, also, making the smallest leaf with its dewdrops glitter like the rainbow.
There also could be the error of a person who thinks that all we need are the teachings of Jesus.
This is easily seen with people that speak so often of the “Red letters”
Proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
Proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
Jesus had a hometown.
He grew up in a small town, Nazareth.
The thing about hometowns, especially small ones, was everyone knows everyone.
When we visited Nazareth while we were in Israel our tour guide took a poll of where everyone grew up.
There were only two of us from hometowns that had a population less than 500 people.
At the time of Christ, Nazareth was home to less than 500 people.
Everyone knew everyone.
Proximity is everything in small towns.
Close to everyone.
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished,
Jesus was teaching in the Synagogue He undoubtedly grew up going to.
He was teaching in the place that everyone knew Him.
Familiarity blinds us to the treasure of Christ.
Familiarity blinds us to the treasure of Christ.
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son?
This not merely their observation of Jesus’ family trade.
Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
Jesus did not come from extra-ordinary stock. Everyone knew he family.
Everyone knew his brothers, sisters, and mothers.
57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Unbelief hinders us from further explanation.
Unbelief hinders us from further explanation.
Discipleship to Jesus opens the riches of heaven, while proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
Discipleship to Jesus opens the riches of heaven, while proximity in unbelief breeds contempt.
