Parables of Matthew 13

The Kingdom of God is Upon You:

The “Kingdom of God” is wherever God is King. We know that God is King in an area when His will is being obeyed. So, no matter what we are looking at, we can find the Kingdom by looking for God’s will being carried out. I propose that in figuring out where the Kingdom is, where it is at work, and how we can join in; Jesus is the key.

The thought process is simple, but not easy. If we are to be like those first century disciples, our first duty is to diligently look for the Kingdom of God. It is only when we have found it that we can join in the work, and so bring the Kingdom into our own hearts and lives.

In one of His duels with the Pharisees, the multitudes were becoming convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of the Kingdom—because of His many miracles. The most convincing of the miracles was Jesus casting out demons; for surely, only God could have authority over the spiritual realm. The Pharisees told the people that Jesus was using Satan’s authority, and not God’s. And so they were committing the unforgiveable sin—to blaspheme the Spirit. Jesus’ response in Matthew 13 is classic:

“… if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Christ’s claim was that He indeed was the Messiah, and that He had come to fulfill the Kingdom of God on earth.  If anyone truly desired to know if Jesus was God’s Savior, they could find out; but they had to be looking. Jesus wanted those in search of the Kingdom to have practical ways to discover it, and to join in its working. It is no wonder then, that after this duel with the Pharisees, He began to teach the crowds, and His disciples, parables beginning with “The Kingdom of God is like…”

The parables of Matthew chapter 13 were confusing. Jesus didn’t always give an explanation to them, which made them more confusing. Even His disciples had to ask for help in deciphering meaning. This, by the way, is awesomely right on the money. If we don’t know what the Word is saying, asking for help is the first step. Jesus is the key. Every time they ask for understanding, Jesus gives it to them.

Were the parables effective teaching tools, if indeed they were meant to be confusing? I believe that Jesus was using the medium of His message as a tool to communicate the very essence of the parables—the very essence of the Kingdom. Only people who search will find, and Jesus is the key to understanding and implementation.

It’s laughably true. People treat Christ’s parables in the same way they treat Him. They either struggle to find the truth, or they hide behind their questions.

For those committed to finding the truth, I propose using the following four step method; which is based upon Christ’s first parable (the parable of the sower).

1) Seek understanding.

2) Allow understanding of the truth to grow deeply in your heart.

3) Expect desires, especially those that are not inherently evil, to compete with that truth.

4) Wait expectantly for the implementation of that truth to transform your life, and the lives of the people you are around.

Jesus is the Key:

Jesus is the Key To Understanding. When we are seeking understanding of the parables, asking Jesus to reveal to us the truth is imperative. Jesus is the key to understanding. It is His Spirit that reveals all truth. Take a parable, and begin to pray that the Spirit would make known to you the truth. Furthermore, in virtually any parable, the key player/actor is not you—it is Jesus. You are not the sower, Jesus is. You are not the woman hiding the leaven, Jesus is. You are not the dragnet, Jesus is.

Jesus is the Key To Growth. Once we place Jesus as the primary player/actor in a parable, we can start to see the metaphor make sense. Now, we can begin to ask ourselves questions that make that truth show us where we are in relation to the Kingdom. In other words, we see what is lacking in our lives, and what kind of transformation God desires in our lives, in the Church, and in the world. Jesus is the key to this too; for we can compare our own hearts, actions, words, and relationships to His. Jesus is the standard to which we compare ourselves.

Jesus is the Key To Weeding Out Desires. As we ask for His truth to be revealed, and then compare our lives to His, we see how the Lord desires to bring about our obedience. This obedience is the Kingdom. Therefore, any thought, word, action, relationship, or desire that competes with this obedience must be taken out. This is work that only Jesus can do. Our prayers then are directed at our desires being changed. When our desires change, we find the Kingdom truth growing steadily, and our own hearts are not distracted from what God is doing in us.

Jesus is the Key To Transformation: We actually see the transformation, and it is contagious. When we are bearing Kingdom fruit, we can point to our lives, and other lives, being turned towards the Lord. The Kingdom is not just something that is growing in us, it is inspired into others. We become lights in a dark room, salt in a tasteless dish, and family to the orphan. Simply put, Jesus is not just acting in us, but acting through us. In this way, we start to violate the first step in what we are looking for: we start to see ourselves as the sower, ourselves as the woman hiding the leaven, ourselves as the dragnet.

Prayer is the Answer

I usually stress this every place I can. What I am proposing here is a lot of work. It may seem daunting. I know that it is for me. But, remember the first step, and repeat it all the way through.

Pray.

Prayer is the way we ask for truth. It is the way we see our disobedience. It is the way we can be given a heart of obedience. It is the way we join God in His Kingdom. It is the way we join the work of extending the Kingdom to others. Consider the prayer that Jesus taught us:

Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.