In Jesus Holy Name July 23, 2023
Text: Matthew 13:24,31 Pentecost VIII – Redeemer
“The Parables of Contrast: Matthew 13”
Last Sunday I began with Matthew 13:1-2. Matthew tells us that Jesus was sitting by the sea. A large crowd gathered around him to hear him speak or see him perform a miracle. “The Sea of Galilee was one of His favorite places to preach to large crowds by using a boat as His podium. The water was a sounding board and the sloping hills and curving coves were people sat was a natural amphitheater.” (Jesus A Theography p. 177) So Jesus climbed into a boat that was anchored at the shore. He sat down and spoke many things to them in parables.
This parable of the Seed and Sower is the first in a list of seven stories Jesus told in Matthew 13. “A farmer went out to sow his seed.”
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but the enemy came and sowed weeds.” Matthew 13:24
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field.” Matthew 13:31
The “kingdom of heaven” is like the woman who mixes yeast with her flour.” Both parables explain that the gospel will grow and succeed.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like a net that is let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.” Matthew 13:47 All kinds of people are coming into the Christian community.
Most scholars believe that the Gospel of Matthew was written after the fall of Jerusalem between 70 and 85 A.D. Matthew is writing to an audience of Jewish and Gentile Christians who are troubled by the destruction of Jerusalem and the resulting chaos. They are wondering why evil exists along with good. They see the evil in our world and the pain people inflict on one another, even in the church. Why doesn’t God do something? We know God is loving and holy. So why does He hold back His hand of justice? Why does He permit so much wrongdoing and suffering?
Matthew uses these parables of Jesus to explain why the “word” of Jesus, the “seed” of the gospel, the message of His resurrection is not accepted by all. These parables provide answers to Christian hearts, minds and communities in the 70 & 80’s after the fall of Jerusalem.
Each parable begins with “the kingdom of heaven”. In Jesus’ day the Jews knew the prophecies in Daniel and Ezekiel and they were expecting a conquering hero. Each time Jesus used the phrase, “the kingdom of heaven” His words stirred memories of bright banners, glittering armies, the gold and ivory of Solomon’s day, the nation of Israel restored. Zealots stood at the edge of Jesus’ audience, armed and well organized guerrillas spoiling for a fight to kick out the Romans, but to the disappointment of Judas and others like him, Jesus did not give the signal for a revolt . (Philip Yancy “The Jesus I Never Knew” p. 241) In his disappointment Judas hangs himself.
To the crowds dismay, (see John 6:14) it became clear that Jesus was talking about a different kind of kingdom. The Jews wanted what people have always wanted from a visible kingdom: a chicken in every pot, full employment, a strong army to deter invaders. Jesus announced a kingdom that meant “serving others”, taking up a cross of obedience, and loving your enemies. By the time Jesus was nailed to the cross everyone had lost hope and fallen away.
The parables of Jesus are everyday images of farming, fishing, women baking bread, merchants buying pearls. Consider the mustard seed, so tiny it can fall to the ground and lie unnoticed by human beings and birds alike. Given time, though the seed may sprout into a bush that overtakes every other plant in the garden. God’s kingdom works like that. It begins so small that people scorn it and give it no chance for success. His kingdom began with 12 men, a few women, not more than 120 people. (Ibid p. 246)
What then did Jesus mean when He used words like: “The kingdom of heaven”, “the kingdom of God”? People who looked at Jesus as their political savior were constantly confused by His choice of companions. He became known as a friend of tax collectors and uneducated fishermen. He elevated the role and position of women in society, including spending time in the forbidden Samaritan village. The real Messiah would not do such things. That is what the Pharisees and people thought.
One day in early spring the kingdoms of political power and religious power confronted Jesus and His kingdom face to face. Herod and Pilate had legions of soldiers to enforce Roman rule. Jesus wore a crown of thorns from one and a “gifted” purple robe from another.
What they did not know. What they did not understand, was that the God of the
Universe and all creation was completing the plan of forgiveness for humanity’s inhumanity to humanity , repeating the forgiveness given to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Through the sacrifice of blood of the perfect “Lamb”, God restored friendship between the Creator, the Judge of the Universe and Adam and Eve. He promised them a Savior would come and restore peace and harmony with all human beings and His creation. As you know, Jesus was the “Lamb”.
The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God has no geographical borders, no capital city, no parliament building, no royal trappings that you can see. It lives and grows inside each human being who is attached by faith to Jesus. When Jesus walked the earth, He possessed the Holy Spirit of God.
Three days after Jesus' cold corpse had been placed into a borrowed tomb, He rose from the dead. Some of the women along with Peter and John went to “garden” but saw only the empty grave. On that same evening while they were all gathered in the upper room Jesus appeared. They saw Him and talked with Him.
The Gospel of John tells us that when Jesus appeared in a resurrected glorified body to His disciples and gave them His “Holy Spirit” of power.
His Holy Spirit now dwelt in each disciple. The same power Jesus possessed was now displayed at Pentecost. The same Holy Spirit Jesus possessed was on display when Peter and John healed the lame man on the steps of the temple. Paul understood this reality when he wrote: “….God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts…..” (Galatians 4:6)
This is something we are still trying to understand. How can the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity that be in every believer when we know we are not holy. It is the mystery. Paul understood this mystery…”the good I want to do I can not and the evil I do not want to do, I do.” Who will save me from this reality? Only Jesus living in me.
We can see “the kingdom of heaven” on display through the hands of Mother Teresa and her ministry. We see “the kingdom of heaven” on display in the ministry of Charles Colson in American prisons. We see “the kingdom of heaven” on display as the Mercy Ship travels to foreign shores using the servant hands of Christian nurses and doctors.
“The kingdom of heaven” is on display when Christians offer tender hands to those suffering from life ending diseases in the hospital or convulsant homes. We see His kingdom at work with Christian carpenters and business owners who pursue integrity and service in their careers.
The “kingdom of heaven” is His rule in and through our lives in our sphere of influence. The values of “the kingdom of heaven” are passed to our children and grandchildren who will stand in obedience to Jesus in a world far different than ours.
The “kingdom of God” is His rule that is both “now” and “not yet” as Christians live alongside a secular culture in rebellion to God. So the “good” seed grows along side the “weeds” sown by the enemy. God’s kingdom advances slowly like a secret invasion force as hearts are changed. When hearts are changed, lives and families experience peace and harmony.
C.S Lewis wrote: “Why did God land in this enemy occupied world in disguise and start a sort of secret society to undermine the devil?” He is going to return . He will invade as the “rider on the white horse with the judging sword of God’s word and the armies of heaven. (Rev. 19) He is delaying to give people who are spiritually lost a chance to join Hi side freely….and so we pray… ‘may your kingdom come’. When the “author walks on the stage the play is over.”
When we see the evil in our world and the pain people inflict on one another, we sometimes wonder, Why doesn’t God do something? We know God is loving and holy. So why does He hold back His hand of justice? Why does He permit so much wrongdoing and suffering? We long for our righteous Lord to step in and deal with evil sooner rather than later. Now, not then. But He doesn’t do it—at least not usually.
In the parable of the “farmer who sowed” and the following parable of the “weeds” Jesus addressed the tension between good and evil in our world. The battle between good and evil has not ceased. In the parable of the “mustard seed” Jesus reminds us that His “church” will still grow even in times of persecution.
Philip Yancy wrote: “When Jesus lived on earth He made the blind to see and the lame to walk; He will return to rule over a kingdom that has no disease or disability.” On earth He died on a cross so that His perfect life and thus holy precious blood would be accepted God. Therefore all who place their faith in Jesus will be “justified” before their Creator. With His dying breath He pardoned a thief, who would never display in his life the “signs” of the kingdom, for he too died that same day, only to be ushered into “paradise.”
After Jesus rose from death and the grave He ascended to the “throne of God” in heaven and at His return all who have placed their faith in Him will rise with a glorified resurrected body. (Philippians 3:20-21) He will then destroy the “evil one”. On earth He was born in a manger; He will return as “King of kings” and “every knew will bow.”
The “kingdom of God” will grow like the mustard seed on earth as the “church” and individual Christians create an alternative society that welcomes and eats with all races, a society that cares for the weak and homeless, standing for righteousness in a world in love with selfishness but offers no hope beyond the day.
