Sermon Tone Analysis
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Matthew 13:10-17
We are Starting the 3rd of Matthew’s 5 Teaching Discourses of Jesus: The Parables
A Parable is a Story or Illustration that has a Deeper Meaning Behind it
Chapter 13 has a Total of 7 Parables that We Will Study for the Next Several Weeks
The First Parable Takes Place in the First 9 Verses of Matthew 13
But We’re Going to Skip the First 9 Verses…
And Focus On Verse 10-17
This Passage is Jesus’ Explanation of Why He Teaches in Parables
I Thought it Might Be Best to Let Jesus Explain the Purpose of the Parables
Before Studying the Parables Themselves
Matthew 13:10 (NASB95)
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
Up to this Point, Jesus had Been Very Straightforward in His Teaching
The Teaching He’d Been Doing in His Ministry was Like that of the Sermon on the Mount
He was Very Plain and Unambiguous in His Teaching About the Kingdom
But Now the Disciples are Noticing a Change in His Teaching Style…
Primarily When He’s Teaching Publicly to the Crowds
He’s Teaching in Parables that are Very Riddle-Like in Nature
They are Anything But Plain, Unambiguous, and Straightforward
Many Jewish Rabbis Would Use Parables in Their Teaching…
But They Acted as Illustrations for the Points They Were Making
Jesus is Using Parables Without Making Any Points
And So, His Parables Were More Like Riddles Without Explanation
And His Disciples Wanted to Know Why He Made this Sudden Change in Style
So He’s Going to Tell Them the Reason
And it has Everything to Do with What Chapter 12 was All About
Religious Israel has Rejected Jesus
Matthew 13:11 (NASB95)
Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Jesus Tells His Disciples that “the Mysteries/Secrets of the Kingdom are Meant for You”…
But Not to “Them”
Who’s “Them”?
Mark Says, “Those Outside”
The Crowds of People Who are Following Jesus…
But Who Have No Yet Committed Themselves to Him
Those Who Aren’t Believers
This Word Translated “Mystery” is Only Found in this One Context in the Gospels
But Paul Uses this Word 20 Times in His Writings…
When Referring to the Gospel of the Kingdom
There’s a Lot of Things About Jesus’ Kingdom/Reign…
That Remain a Secret/Mystery Until God Chooses to Reveal Them
God Chooses to Reveal the Mysteries of the Kingdom to Those Who Have Faith in His Son
But to Those Who Don’t Have Faith in Jesus, the Mysteries are Not Revealed
Mark’s Account May Be a Little Clearer:
Mark 4:11 (NASB95)
And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,
The Disciples/Believers Get Clear Revelation From Jesus
But the Outsiders/Unbelievers Get Riddle-Like Parables
In That, Lies the Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
To Divide the Believers From the Unbelievers
To Reveal the Mysteries to Some and Conceal the Mysteries From Others
Now, Only Those Who Accept Jesus Can Learn More About His Kingdom
Matthew 13:12 (NASB95)
“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Those Who Have Will Be Given Much More
And Those Who Don’t Have will Lose Whatever They Do Have
That’s Some Confusing Language Isn’t it?
But Remember, Jesus is Talking About the Revealing and Concealing of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
Those with Faith in Jesus the Messianic King…
Are Those With Some Knowledge and Understanding of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
To Them, More Knowledge and Understanding Will Be Given
These Parables and Their Explanations Will Reveal More Truth to Them
But Those Without Faith in Jesus the Messianic King…
Are Those Who Have No Knowledge or Understanding of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
To Them, Even What They Think They Have (According to Luke’s Account)…
Will Be Taken From Them
The Parables are Meant to Reveal and Conceal Information About the Kingdom of Heaven
Reveal to Those Willing to Hear and Believe
Conceal to Those Who are Unwilling to Hear and Believe
Matthew 13:13 (NASB95)
“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Here’s Why Jesus Began to Teach Outsiders Using Parables
Because They’re Looking with Their Eyes But They Don’t See
Because They’re Hearing With Their Ears But They Aren’t Listening
They Don’t Understand
One Greek Dictionary Defines “Understand” As:
“To Have an Intelligent Grasp of Something that Challenges One’s Thinking or Practice”
Outsiders/Non-Believers Don’t Grasp What Jesus is Challenging Them With
They Don’t Grasp the Truths of Jesus’ Messiahship and His Kingdom
The People Who Have Seen the Signs and Heard the Teachings of Jesus…
And Still Reject Him…
Have Seen and Heard, But They Have Not Understood
Not Because They Were Incapable of Understanding…
But Because of Their Hard-Hearts and Unwillingness to Understand
Jesus Then Quotes From the Prophet Isaiah Who Went Through the Same Thing
Matthew 13:14–15 (NASB95)
“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
Jesus Quotes a Famous Passage From the Prophet Isaiah
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah Sees a Vision of God Sitting in His Holy Temple
And After Cleansing Isaiah, God Asks, “Whom Shall I Send?”
Isaiah Volunteers with, “Here Am I. Send Me!”
The Next Words God Spoke to Isaiah Were the Words Jesus Quotes Here
Isaiah was Sent to Speak to a People Who Were Not Willing to Listen
They Had Rebelliously Rejected God
Their Hearts Had Become Dull/Fat
They No Longer Listened
They Closed Their Eyes
They Were Unwilling to Understand and Return to God so They Could Be Healed
Jesus is Dealing with the Same Sort of People in His Day
They Have Continuously Rejected Him and the Kingdom He is Establishing
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