If the link fails, try pasting the url below into your browser.
https://secretpath108.blogspot.com/2021/01/table-of-content.html
Another day, Jesus was again sitting in a boat so that he could speak to the crowds that had gathered. Frequently, he used verbal illustrations (or, parables) in order to get his ideas across. As it happens, his metaphorical way of speaking tended to screen out those who weren't ready to understand.
One parable:
"A sower goes out to sow," Jesus said, speaking about the old-style farmworker who, as he walks, takes seeds from a bag and throws them in an arc across the field. "Some seeds fall outside the area tended by farmers. So birds land and gobble them up.
"Some fall on rocky ground, where the soil is shallow. So those seeds spring up right away into plants unable to survive the sun's scorching heat – because they are almost rootless, and so they shrivel up and die.
"Still other seeds fall among thorn vines, and so the brush and vines choke the plant.
"But, there were some which fall on good earth, and they bear fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Jesus shouted, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
His disciples were perplexed and later asked him what he was talking about.
"You are allowed to know the real truth about the kingdom," Jesus said. "But the others are not allowed. I speak in metaphorical language to the others, for one thing, because they cannot accept these things.[IA1] If they could, then they would be forgiven." But if Jesus had made plain what he was saying, the unsuited might go crazy like wild dogs or vicious pigs.[IA2]
(Years later, the missionary Paul put it like this: The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to block the light of the wonderful good news of Christ – who is God's image! – from shining on them [2 Corinthians 4:4].)
Jesus added, "You fellows are very fortunate. Many prophets earnestly desired to to see what you are seeing and hear what you are hearing, but they did not."
Continuing, he explained, "The first case, where a seed doesn't land on farmed ground, represents the person who hears the Word but doesn't understand it. The Evil One comes along and snatches it before it can grow in the person's heart.
"The second case, where a seed lands on thin soil, represents the person who hears the Word happily so that it endures for a little while but when the storm of trouble and harassment blows, he can't stay firm because he really has no root to anchor him.
"The third case, where a seed lands among thorn vines, represents the person focused on desire for worldly things and the delusional goal of wealth, so that these vines choke the Word, and no fruit grows.
"Now the case of the seed falling on good ground represents the person who hears the Word and understands it. The proof of that is the crop yield: could be a hundredfold, or sixty or thirty."
Jesus here plainly upholds that if a person becomes born again, his actions will show it! Faith without works is meaningless!
But no one can earn his way into God's favor, whether by Bible study or charitable works. That requires the gift given to us in the person of Jesus.
Though not everyone can receive Jesus' teachings, nevertheless he and his followers are to put the message out there so those who are willing can receive it.
As Jesus put it, "Do you put a lamp under a basket? Of course not, you set it up so that it sheds light for the whole house."
In fact, "There is nothing covered that won't be revealed nor hidden that won't be made known."
So, he said, "Think about how you listen."
Are you listening with half an ear or are you making a real effort to understand? How well you understand will make a difference in how helpful you are to others. "How much you give others will determine how much you receive – though you will actually get more than you give."
This thought relates back to the idea of the hundredfold, sixtyfold and so on.
"But he who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken from him," said Jesus. That is, if you have not entered the world of Jesus – the Kingdom of God – your future is very limited.
Another parable:
"The kingdom is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But, while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds in the field. So when the wheat sprang up with its good grain, the weeds also cropped up.
"The farmer's workers came to him and asked, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed? Where are these weeds from?'
"The farmer replied, 'This was done by an enemy.'
"The workers asked, 'Do you want us to pull out all the weeds?'
"But the farmer said, 'No, in case you pull up some wheat too. Let both grow together and at harvest time I will instruct the reapers to first pull up all the weeds and tie them up in bundles for burning. I'll tell them to put the wheat in the barn.'"
Later, his baffled disciples asked him about that story.
Jesus responded, "The farmer who sowed good seed is the son of man. The field is this world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the offspring of the Crooked One. The enemy that planted those seeds is the Devil.
"The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels.
"As for the weeds being gathered up and burned in a fire, that's how it will be when the world ends.
"The son of man will send out his angels and they will pull out of his kingdom anything offensive and all who behave in vile ways.
"The angels will throw them into a red-hot furnace. There will be terrible screaming and teeth will gnash.
"Then, the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom."
Jesus also used this simile to drive home his point:
"The kingdom is like a dragnet, which catches all manner of fish. Once the net is full, the catch is dumped on the beach where the workers sort the good fish into containers, while throwing away the bad fish. That's how it will be when the world ends. The angels will come forward and sever the wicked from among the righteous. The wicked will be thrown into the blazing furnace. There will be terrible screaming and teeth will gnash."
"The kingdom is like this," said Jesus. "A man casts some seeds on the soil one day. Days and nights pass and the seeds spring up and grow – he has no idea how. The earth bears fruit on its own: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. Once the grain is ripe, he immediately brings out his sickle, because harvest time has arrived."
We may think of this teaching in two ways, at least. In the first case, the seed is the message of salvation through trust in Jesus. It may take a while for the hearer to absorb. God's word grows in him or her until the decision point. That's when God's "sickle" comes forth, to reap a soul for Jesus. In the second case, the seeds are those who are destined to be saved. When the full complement has been reached and everyone who has been so destined is now saved, then the harvest is done and the full kingdom of God has arrived; in the process the Old World has been brought to an end.
In another comparison, Jesus explained, "The kingdom is like a mustard seed. Take it in your hand, and it's the smallest of seeds, but sow it in the ground and it turns into the biggest of plants, putting out large branches where birds can lodge."
That is, God's Word may seem small and unassuming, but it gets enormous results.
Further, Jesus said, "The kingdom is like leaven [yeast] which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all mixed in."
That is, God's Word is operating even when no one notices. The result is a spectacular, though not all will be able to consume it.
Another comparison: "The kingdom is like this: A man discovers a treasure hidden in a field. He joyfully sells everything he has so that he may buy that field. Similarly, the kingdom is like this: a pearl dealer is on the lookout for the very best pearls. One day he came across an extremely valuable one. So he went and sold everything he owned, and bought it."
There is nothing more precious that your own personal salvation.
The righteous are those who have been made right with God by trusting Jesus to save them from themselves and from Satan and his works.[IA3]
"Have you understood these things?" Jesus asked at one point.
The disciples said they had. But Jesus prodded them to further comprehension through Bible study. "Every Bible student who becomes a disciple is like a householder who brings out of his goods things new and old."
At the time, Jesus was referring to the scribes, who were specialists in Scriptural laws. Having decided to follow Jesus, they could take their knowledge of Scripture and put it to the service of the new revelation. But what Jesus said is still true. Those who study the Bible can understand old things in a new light and serve their fellow Christians and others with their insights.
So even humble Galilean fishermen could become scribes of a sort. That is, they would soon be able to hear Scriptures and interpret them with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The author of Matthew was particularly diligent in relating Jewish Scriptures to the story of Jesus.
NEXT PAGE:
What are you afraid of?
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-are-you-afraid-of.html
One parable:
"A sower goes out to sow," Jesus said, speaking about the old-style farmworker who, as he walks, takes seeds from a bag and throws them in an arc across the field. "Some seeds fall outside the area tended by farmers. So birds land and gobble them up.
"Some fall on rocky ground, where the soil is shallow. So those seeds spring up right away into plants unable to survive the sun's scorching heat – because they are almost rootless, and so they shrivel up and die.
"Still other seeds fall among thorn vines, and so the brush and vines choke the plant.
"But, there were some which fall on good earth, and they bear fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Jesus shouted, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
His disciples were perplexed and later asked him what he was talking about.
"You are allowed to know the real truth about the kingdom," Jesus said. "But the others are not allowed. I speak in metaphorical language to the others, for one thing, because they cannot accept these things.[IA1] If they could, then they would be forgiven." But if Jesus had made plain what he was saying, the unsuited might go crazy like wild dogs or vicious pigs.[IA2]
(Years later, the missionary Paul put it like this: The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to block the light of the wonderful good news of Christ – who is God's image! – from shining on them [2 Corinthians 4:4].)
Jesus added, "You fellows are very fortunate. Many prophets earnestly desired to to see what you are seeing and hear what you are hearing, but they did not."
Continuing, he explained, "The first case, where a seed doesn't land on farmed ground, represents the person who hears the Word but doesn't understand it. The Evil One comes along and snatches it before it can grow in the person's heart.
"The second case, where a seed lands on thin soil, represents the person who hears the Word happily so that it endures for a little while but when the storm of trouble and harassment blows, he can't stay firm because he really has no root to anchor him.
"The third case, where a seed lands among thorn vines, represents the person focused on desire for worldly things and the delusional goal of wealth, so that these vines choke the Word, and no fruit grows.
"Now the case of the seed falling on good ground represents the person who hears the Word and understands it. The proof of that is the crop yield: could be a hundredfold, or sixty or thirty."
Jesus here plainly upholds that if a person becomes born again, his actions will show it! Faith without works is meaningless!
But no one can earn his way into God's favor, whether by Bible study or charitable works. That requires the gift given to us in the person of Jesus.
Though not everyone can receive Jesus' teachings, nevertheless he and his followers are to put the message out there so those who are willing can receive it.
As Jesus put it, "Do you put a lamp under a basket? Of course not, you set it up so that it sheds light for the whole house."
In fact, "There is nothing covered that won't be revealed nor hidden that won't be made known."
So, he said, "Think about how you listen."
Are you listening with half an ear or are you making a real effort to understand? How well you understand will make a difference in how helpful you are to others. "How much you give others will determine how much you receive – though you will actually get more than you give."
This thought relates back to the idea of the hundredfold, sixtyfold and so on.
"But he who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken from him," said Jesus. That is, if you have not entered the world of Jesus – the Kingdom of God – your future is very limited.
Another parable:
"The kingdom is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But, while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds in the field. So when the wheat sprang up with its good grain, the weeds also cropped up.
"The farmer's workers came to him and asked, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed? Where are these weeds from?'
"The farmer replied, 'This was done by an enemy.'
"The workers asked, 'Do you want us to pull out all the weeds?'
"But the farmer said, 'No, in case you pull up some wheat too. Let both grow together and at harvest time I will instruct the reapers to first pull up all the weeds and tie them up in bundles for burning. I'll tell them to put the wheat in the barn.'"
Later, his baffled disciples asked him about that story.
Jesus responded, "The farmer who sowed good seed is the son of man. The field is this world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the offspring of the Crooked One. The enemy that planted those seeds is the Devil.
"The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels.
"As for the weeds being gathered up and burned in a fire, that's how it will be when the world ends.
"The son of man will send out his angels and they will pull out of his kingdom anything offensive and all who behave in vile ways.
"The angels will throw them into a red-hot furnace. There will be terrible screaming and teeth will gnash.
"Then, the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom."
Jesus also used this simile to drive home his point:
"The kingdom is like a dragnet, which catches all manner of fish. Once the net is full, the catch is dumped on the beach where the workers sort the good fish into containers, while throwing away the bad fish. That's how it will be when the world ends. The angels will come forward and sever the wicked from among the righteous. The wicked will be thrown into the blazing furnace. There will be terrible screaming and teeth will gnash."
"The kingdom is like this," said Jesus. "A man casts some seeds on the soil one day. Days and nights pass and the seeds spring up and grow – he has no idea how. The earth bears fruit on its own: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. Once the grain is ripe, he immediately brings out his sickle, because harvest time has arrived."
We may think of this teaching in two ways, at least. In the first case, the seed is the message of salvation through trust in Jesus. It may take a while for the hearer to absorb. God's word grows in him or her until the decision point. That's when God's "sickle" comes forth, to reap a soul for Jesus. In the second case, the seeds are those who are destined to be saved. When the full complement has been reached and everyone who has been so destined is now saved, then the harvest is done and the full kingdom of God has arrived; in the process the Old World has been brought to an end.
In another comparison, Jesus explained, "The kingdom is like a mustard seed. Take it in your hand, and it's the smallest of seeds, but sow it in the ground and it turns into the biggest of plants, putting out large branches where birds can lodge."
That is, God's Word may seem small and unassuming, but it gets enormous results.
Further, Jesus said, "The kingdom is like leaven [yeast] which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all mixed in."
That is, God's Word is operating even when no one notices. The result is a spectacular, though not all will be able to consume it.
Another comparison: "The kingdom is like this: A man discovers a treasure hidden in a field. He joyfully sells everything he has so that he may buy that field. Similarly, the kingdom is like this: a pearl dealer is on the lookout for the very best pearls. One day he came across an extremely valuable one. So he went and sold everything he owned, and bought it."
There is nothing more precious that your own personal salvation.
The righteous are those who have been made right with God by trusting Jesus to save them from themselves and from Satan and his works.[IA3]
"Have you understood these things?" Jesus asked at one point.
The disciples said they had. But Jesus prodded them to further comprehension through Bible study. "Every Bible student who becomes a disciple is like a householder who brings out of his goods things new and old."
At the time, Jesus was referring to the scribes, who were specialists in Scriptural laws. Having decided to follow Jesus, they could take their knowledge of Scripture and put it to the service of the new revelation. But what Jesus said is still true. Those who study the Bible can understand old things in a new light and serve their fellow Christians and others with their insights.
So even humble Galilean fishermen could become scribes of a sort. That is, they would soon be able to hear Scriptures and interpret them with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The author of Matthew was particularly diligent in relating Jewish Scriptures to the story of Jesus.
NEXT PAGE:
What are you afraid of?
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-are-you-afraid-of.html
No comments:
Post a Comment