Parables of The Kingdom
Passage: Matthew 13:1-23 - Parable of the Sower
Recap: Sermon 9-18-11 – Parables of the Kingdom – Seed Scattered Everywhere
New Series: The Parables of the Kingdom in Matthew’s Gospel
Jesus proclaimed that the “Kingdom of heaven is near.” God was doing something new and through the sending of His One and Only Son, God was bringing to earth His eternal kingdom. Jesus taught about the coming of the kingdom through short stories with a point called parables. The next few months we will be looking closely at these parables of the Kingdom in Matthew.
Parable of the Sower
The first parable recorded in Matthew is known as the Parable of the Sower. Large crowds come to Jesus and he describes the kingdom of heaven as a farmer indiscriminately scattering seed so that it falls in various places:
· The Path – where it doesn’t penetrate the soil but is instead eaten by birds
· Among the Rocks – where it shoots up quickly but has no root and soon withers and dies
· Among the Thorns – where it grows but is choked by the weeds so it produces no crop
· On Good Soil – Where it grows and produces a good crop, 30-60-100-fold of what was sown.
Neither the crowds nor the disciples understand the spiritual meaning of the parable. When asked by his disciples why he speaks in stories, Jesus explains that the people for the most part are not yet able to perceive the truth. Their hearts are hardened, but by speaking in parables Jesus can get past their defenses and the stories will stick with them. Though Jesus does not state it, I believe this would be so that after the full establishment of the Kingdom after the death and resurrection, the crowds might remember the stories and yet believe.
Either way it was important for the disciples to understand so Jesus explains the parable to them. The disciples were not just curious spectators but had joined Jesus in the work of the Kingdom. They had enlisted as fellow seed scatterers, and so Jesus told them this parable so they might know what to expect as they sought to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. They would see the following four responses to their message:
First – Some will outright reject the message.
· For some people the message of the gospel will not penetrate their heart or mind at all. It goes in one ear and out the other. Jesus says that the evil one (the devil) will work to prevent people from taking time to listen and really consider the truth of God’s Kingdom.
· As disciples of Christ we need to be prepared for a society that might be indifferent or even hostile to the message of the gospel.
Second – Some will respond with initial enthusiasm but not last
· There will be those who respond to the message or get involved in church because of a personal or emotional benefit they receive rather than out of faith in Christ. Such “believers” will leave just as quick when they face trials or difficulties because their faith is not grounded in truth.
· God may give a time of grace to new believer but eventually our faith must be tested and proven true by trials. We should not expect faith in Christ to mean a trouble-free life.
Third –Others will respond and growth will begin but that growth will be stunted
· The thorns and weeds represent the “worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” These will grow alongside true faith and will prevent a Christian from reaching full maturity in the faith. They will be pulled in opposite directions, trying to please two masters. Part of them will want to serve the Lord faithfully, but the other part will cling to the comforts and successes of this world. Such a Christian will not have much of an impact for the kingdom and will not produce the crop God seeks.
Fourth – A few seeds will fall on good soil and grow to be seed producers
· There will be a few who do “get it” that will make up for the many who do not. Those who let the seed of the gospel penetrate their heart and let it grow to full maturity will be those who experience an abundant life. They will make an impact far beyond that of their own life for they will produce 30-60-100 fold seeds that go forth to impact others.
· Do you have the desire to be that kind of person who makes an impact for God in this world? Or do you just want to skate into heaven. I Corinthians 3 speak of those who make it into heaven but have nothing to show for their time on earth because their work was not built upon Christ. I Cor. 3:15 “If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping the flames.”
We too are called to be sons and daughters of the kingdom, and to join Christ in scattering the seed of the gospel to all places. Notice how the farmer almost haphazardly scatters the seed. In the same way God wants his people to be free and bold in sharing the gospel. We are not just to preach where it is safe and where we think people will respond favorably, instead we are to love people that may not love us back. We are to teach the Word even among those we fear will reject it. Because God wants the news of His Son to go to all places and even more because we may be surprised and the seed may find some good soil in unlikely places.
Further Thoughts: The Message of Disney
Our family had been planning for a Disney vacation for almost 2 years. We left on the Friday before Labor Day. We waited to tell the kids until the departure day, when we picked them up from school and told them where we were headed. It was a great week. We stayed at a Disney Resort (The Caribbean Beach Hotel) and went to all 4 of the parks over the 7 days we were there: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Animal Kingdom, and Disney Hollywood Studios. Because we went in early September the crowds weren’t that bad, and the lines were fairly short. Our longest wait was 20 minutes and that was to get our picture taken with Tinkerbell and some other fairy named Lydia. Even for the popular rides the wait in line was a few minutes or less. The hotel was nice, we got a free upgrade to a “Pirate” room which the kids loved. We had a quiet pool near our room and the hotel complex had a big pool with waterslides, and Ben loved the Pirate Ship wading pool. One advantage of going in the off-season is we got a free Disney meal plan, and we used it to our full advantage. The girls got to eat at both Belle’s Castle (The Akerhaus Restaurant in Norway at Epcot) and Cinderella’s Castle (the one in Magic Kingdom). For Ben’s meal we went to the Crystal Palace which feature Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and such. The adult buffet there was awesome. Of course wherever we went the kids ate the same thing, chicken nuggets or hot dogs, and such.
I grew up going to Disney and knew much of what to expect, although there were some new things. One difference this time for me is I listened attentively to the message of Disney. I realized through the week that Disney does really have a message that they promulgate through their rides and shows. One component of that message is Wishes. You know the song, “When you wish upon a star…” That if we pursue our wishes they can come true. There is another component related to that message which is Progress. Humanity is making things better and better, especially through the use of technology. The most clear expression of that message is the Spaceship Earth ride at Epcot (the one that looks like a golf ball). As you go through the ride it highlights the history of communication, and you see the progression from cave paintings, to hieroglyphics, to making of paper, to the printing press, then newspapers, radio, TV, computers, the internet and beyond. As you go down the ride you answer some questions about preferences then your screen shows you a little movie about what your future will be like, the catch-line is “The future is what you make it.” It is a story of human progress, and where there are problems they can be overcome if we just come together and use technology to solve them.
It is a compelling story, and an attractive story. It is a story that probably influenced me quite a bit as a kid. But one thing I did not pick up as a kid is that it is a story that is missing something. God or a Creator is completely absent in the telling of this story. It is not that Disney is hostile to God, but it is just easier to leave him out, God is probably too controversial. Humanity can do this on our own, God is not needed. We just need to unite together and we can accomplish whatever dreams we have. I wonder a little if this gospel of Disney was part of the reason I ended up not believing in God in my early teens. I was not anti-God but just felt no need for him, and was a little surprised to discover how many of my school friends did believe in God. I had absorbed that message of progress and put my youthful trust more in progress and science than in a Creator or Savior. I am thankful I eventually heard a different story of One who so loved the world that he sent His One and Only Son to be our Savior.
Now don’t worry I’m not turning all anti-Disney or anything. I still will let my kids watch Disney movies, and we will probably go back to Disney World again. It was a wonderful week. In many ways Disney represents the best that this world has to offer. It was friendly, and efficient. The shows were excellent. The food was good. The Fast Pass system was helpful (though less so because our week was not busy). The message of progress is a positive one that I don’t completely discount. And I do want my kids to believe that they should pursue their dreams. Yet, I think it is important to see what is missing within the message of Disney. Disney does not really have an answer for immorality and evil, or for disappointment and death. To deal with the world as we have it, not just the one in cartoons with talking animals, we need to leave room in the story for God, for sin and for righteousness, and for heaven and hell. So I will still take my kids to Disney stuff, but I will be sure to point out what is missing as well.
P.S. They did have one ride/show that maybe had a smidge of God-perspective in it. At Hollywood Studios they had a Prince Caspian Narnia attraction. You were brought into a replica of the stone table cave from the Prince Caspian movie, and in that setting the basic story of the movie was shown on surrounding screens. It was cool. However, you had to know going in that Aslan is a Christ-figure and Narnia is a Christian parable to understand the Christian perspective behind it. It was not made explicit.
Further in the Scriptures:
Read Matthew 13 – the parables + Mark 1:14-22 on how Jesus was seen as a teacher
· I Corinthians 3:5-15 on being saved through the flames
Take and Seal It
An e-mail follow-up to Sunday morning’s message
By Pastor Mitch Reed - Immanuel UCC, Zanesville – Ohio
e-mail: cowcountry94@yahoo.com