Matthew Series, Week 27 - “Be Activated”

  In high school, my baseball coach and I didn’t get along to good. I had been pitching since I was eight, and as far as my mechanics were concerned, I was a model player. But this particular coach had the idea that only he had the correct way of pitching. That’s where I disagreed and told him that I wasn’t going to change eight years of mechanics for him. Now that sounds arrogant, but you have to understand, I didn’t just come up with my mechanics, I had been trained at that point, once a week for eight years. These mechanics were not only engrained in me, but they proved themselves in my performance. 

Both years on that team, I had the most strikeouts, least walks, lowest ERA. But what was funny about it, I had less wins than the other starting pitcher. The reason for this is because I was given the hardest teams. One particular team we faced was another Christian school that was a division higher than us. It was called Brookside Christian and was also from Stockton. Once a year we would play a game against them as a sort of rivalry. Our school had never won. Since we had a league game also that week, the coach didn’t want to use his pitcher in a game that he figured we’d lose. So I had the pleasure.

It was one of my better outings. In fact it was such a good outing that we lost by one point due to an outfield error. The fact that I was able to hold this team, which usually had a field day with us, gave me a new respect among my teammates, but not my coach. For the rest of my time on that team, I was only given the hardest teams to pitch against. And since we did very little hitting practice, our team would loose more than not. And yet for my personal records, I continued to outperform the other pitchers on our team. Every time I was called upon to pitch, I did my best and my stats reflected it.

That’s why, in my senior year, when we had our awards party, everyone was taken aback when I wasn’t awarded with pitcher of the year. The reason I was given later, was that, even though I was number one in all other areas, I didn’t have as many wins. What was funny was, I wasn’t surprised, I was a little hurt, but I understood that though I wasn’t officially recognized for my achievements that year, I had done everything that was required of me. 

And it’s this idea of fulfilling what we are called to do that brings us back into the Gospel of Matthew, where we’ll be picking it back up in chapter 14, starting in verse 13. And as we open up to Matthew 14:13, let’s recap where we are so far.

We’ve finished three sections of Matthew. The first section can be understood as answering the question, “Who is Jesus?” To which the answer is, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the God of the universe come down to his creation. Sections two and three can be summarized in the question, “Who are Jesus’ disciples?” The answer is, those who put their trust in Jesus as their Savior; this is revealed in them being good soil for the message of the Kingdom to take root and flourish. 

Then last week, we looked at the conclusion of section three, which serves as both bookending in John the Baptist’s life, and a transition to section four. This transition moves from who the disciple is, a person who is good soil and in which the Kingdom message flourishes, to what that disciple should be doing.

But unlike the previous two sections, this teaching takes several chapters to unpacked, and Matthew does this by connecting moments in Jesus’ life to his greater teaching. This section asks and answers the question of all of us who call ourselves a disciple of Jesus, "what are we to be doing for the kingdom.”

So let’s read, starting in verse 13 of Matthew chapter 14.

“13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

“15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’

“16 Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’

“17 ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered.

“18 ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

“22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

“25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.

“27 But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’

“28 ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’

“29 ‘Come,’ he said.

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’

“31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’

“32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

“34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”

Here we have three situations that run into each other. Taken individually they all teach specific things, but taken as a whole, they point us to understanding an overarching idea that will continue for several chapters. Let’s break down each of these moments and see if we can see the overarching idea.

The first situation sees Jesus trying to take time away from the ministry after he hears of John the Baptist’s death. Through the Holy Spirit, Matthew has already helped us understand that Jesus is fully God come down, and he is fully human born of a human woman. This duel nature is why we call Jesus fully God, fully man. Both the divine nature and the human nature are found in Jesus. And so, when Jesus’ cousin John is killed, it affects him, as did Lazarus’ death which is recorded in John’s Gospel.
But Jesus’ reprieve wouldn’t last. The people followed him; a crowd somewhere between five to fifteen plus thousand. It’s here we get several glimpses into the overarching theme of this section. 

First, in verse 14, we’re told that Jesus had compassion on the crowd. So often I’ve heard people make flippant comments about how God doesn’t seem to care for their situation. That he allows us to go through such hard times, when he could easily just fix it for us. Last week we saw how God allowed John to go through being beheaded, and now we see the response of God in Jesus, going away to, in some way, process it. Yet when Jesus sees the people in their need, God has compassion on them and starts doing work in their lives. Taking both situations together, we can see that tough things need to happen for God’s work to be carried out, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire to help his children. What’s best for us as individuals and what’s best for the greater work of God throughout the centuries has to be worked out. And only God understands how to work those things out. 

So the question isn’t, is God compassionate, the question is, what would God have me do in my situation. This brings us to the next glimpse is Jesus’ interaction with the disciples. The disciples ask Jesus to send the crowd away, but Jesus’ response speaks volumes in verse 16, “You give them something to eat.” If we’re paying attention throughout Matthew, we would understand that Jesus has already commissioned his disciples to be workers in the proclamation of the Kingdom. Back in chapter 10, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give (v.7-8).” The disciples are to be actively working for the Kingdom, and now Jesus is giving them a specific task, feed the people. Yet, their view of the limited resources they had kept them from fulfilling Jesus’ command to feed the crowd. So Jesus does it. Jesus feeds the people; all are satisfied and their is an abundance of food left over. 

Then we get and interesting transition. Once the baskets come back and the abundance is known, Matthew tells us in verse 22 that, “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.” Jesus seems to have intended all along to dismiss the crowd when it was time, but the moment needed to be utilized to give the disciples both an opportunity to participate, and a teaching to correct their inability. Once that moment had come and gone, Jesus gets the disciples into the boat, sending them and the crowd off. 

Now we’re not given a specific time, but it could be anywhere from six to twelve hours of time that passes. The disciples are in the boat getting rocked by wind and waves on the sea, and Jesus is finishing up his reprieve that started out the first situation. 

It’s here that we’re told that around dawn, as the disciples are battling these waves, they see what they first believe to be a ghost walking on the water. But it’s not a ghost it’s Jesus and he calls for them to take courage. It’s here that we get the famous moment of Peter calling out in verse 28, “Lord, if it’s you…tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replies with one word, “Come.”

This is the moment. We just saw the faith of the disciples falter when Jesus called them to feed the people, but now there is a moment for faith to be exercised in a way that would seem to be greater than the previous situation. Peter gets out of the boat in the midst of the wind and waves and proceeds to move towards Jesus, walking, like his master on the waves. Yet we’re told, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” Jesus saves Peter and brings him back into the boat, but again we see a failing of faith. Two situations in which the disciples show that they are lacking. 

What’s great in both these circumstances is that Jesus doesn’t reject the disciples because of their lack of faith. He calls them out on it, like what he said to Peter in verse 31, “You of little faith…why did you doubt?” But Jesus never rejects the disciples. They are growing in their faith and Jesus continually moves them forward. 

They didn’t feed the 5,000, but one did attempt to walk on the water. That’s progress. 

But it’s in our last situation where we see others who are coming to Jesus in faith for healing. Here they believe that Jesus has such power that by just touching his robe they could be healed. This isn’t the first time such this idea has been believed. In fact, back in chapter 9 we talked about the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Could it be that this story got around, to which people now understood just how powerful Jesus is? 

In any case, we see that the overarching theme here, and that will continue to see, is that Jesus’ disciples are called to exercise the faith they say they have. If you are the good soil, if you have understood the worth of the kingdom, then you are to exercise the faith that you say you have in Jesus. That means you got to put his words into practice. 

Too often in our Christian lives we can fall into a mindset of, “let go and let God,” or “Jesus take the wheel.” Now there are times when we have to give up things and allow God to work in them. Those are things that we cannot control; things that are God’s realm to work out. 

But as disciples, Jesus constantly gives us opportunities to take the wheel. Here we saw Jesus challenge the disciples to feed the people. It was Jesus who gave the disciples the opportunity to engage in Kingdom work. Sometimes, God gives us the wheel and says you try. We do it under his power and authority, but it’s him saying, join me in this. This has been a consistent teaching since the end of chapter 7. Put into practice Jesus’ words. In chapter 10, Jesus sent the disciples out to be a part of Kingdom work. 

And though they faltered here, it led to Peter taking the initiative and calling out to Jesus that he too would walk on the waves with his Master. Sure Peter faltered there too, but he stepped out. Sometimes we need to just step out. 

Jesus has called us to be active in his Kingdom work, let’s not let it pass by. 

This week I want to challenge you to think of something that God has been speaking to you about. That thing that you have told God, “I can’t do that.” This week call out to God, saying, “If you call me I’’ll go.” Jesus called the disciples to feed the five thousand and they didn’t, but when Jesus called Peter to the waves he went. 

Don’t worry about faltering, or failing, Jesus is still there. And if we follow where he calls, he will pull us from the waves. Sometimes that means we get to continue on the waves back to the boat for another time to do Kingdom work, sometimes that means we get pulled into the Kingdom, but either way, our Master is there.

Let us be people who are not just saying that we believe, but that we respond to the calling of God in our lives. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 26 - Good Soil In Harsh Environments

  When I was in my teens my Dad wanted to climb Mount Witney which is the tallest mountain in the continuous US. We trained for about a year, going up various mountains of differing heights, camping at each of them. When we were able to finally climb Witney it was right after September 11, 2001. We decided to take three days to climb it, so that we could get acclimated to the diminishing atmosphere. It was on the third day that we got up early and headed up to the summit where we would watch the sunrise. But something bad happened. Three hundred feet from the summit I loss all sense of direction and became extremely cold. If it wasn’t for my Dad I would have walked off the side of the mountain. I had altitude sickness from a lack of oxygen, and from that day on whenever I get cold, I start to shake. 

I would like to try again someday, because it just takes a day to actually hike up and back down the mountain; a feat my Dad did later on without me. But it’s not pressing on me to do it. I have realized over the years that though it ended up being a horrible experience, the time I spent with my Dad made it worth it.

And it’s this idea of realizing that the payoff for what we go through isn’t always the final destination, but rather what was experienced along the way that brings us back into our Matthew series where we’ll be picking it back up in chapter 14 of Matthew. And as we open our Bibles to Matthew 14, verse 1, let’s recap just where we are so far since we started back a few weeks ago.

When we came back to our summer series in Matthew, we began to look at the parable sermon of Jesus. In that sermon, Jesus gave seven parables to help us understand the Kingdom of God. The first one represented what people do with the Gospel message when they hear it. The second and last parables represent how both those who have accepted Jesus and those who have not will grow next to each other until the day of judgment where they will be separated; one to eternal life and the other to eternal destruction. The third and fourth parables represent how much faith one needs to follow Jesus; it’s just a little, so we need not worry if we struggle in our faith as long as we continue to be faithful to what God calls us to. Finally, the last set of two parables teach us that we must desire the Kingdom of God above all things; its worth is more important than anything this world has to offer. And so we walked away from that week with a focus on, knowing the worth of the kingdom and going after it.

Then last week we talked about one interaction that Jesus had, that shows us the real world application of the parables. Jesus went to his hometown, but because they thought they knew him, they rejected his message of the Kingdom. This is like the pathway in Jesus’ first parable about the four soils. They are the weeds or the bad fish. And so, we walked away from last week with a focus on seeking God for us to be the good soil.

This brings us to a possible result of being the good soil. So let’s read from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 14, starting in verse 1.

“1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

“3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

“6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.”

Here Matthew brings fun circle this section of his Gospel. The third section of Matthew’s Gospel began in chapter 11 with John the Baptist in prison and his disciples asking Jesus if he was indeed the Messiah to which the John had devoted his life. This kicked off the whole section which focused on what it meant to follow Jesus. 

Jesus called John the greatest person who ever lived, yet those who sought after the Kingdom and who were the least in it, would be called greater. Through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, Matthew helped us connect Jesus’ teaching to this idea of what it means to be in God’s Kingdom. What it means to be his disciple. That we are to be good soil, who has our lives cultivated with the Word of God, and we produce great faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Then we end with two moments that show what it means to reject Jesus, and what it means to follow him. To reject Jesus means he doesn’t do miracles in our lives, and we are sent away from him in eternity. But to follow him, well that might mean we lose our head.

At this point in Jesus’ life, as he ends his teaching about what it means to be his disciple, John had already been beheaded. Herod the tetrarch, which means he was one of four rulers in the region, was the one who had imprisioned John the Baptist. So when he gets word of Jesus doing on these miraculous things, he believes it to be John come back from the dead to get his revenge. 

Why? Because John had spoken out against the immoral lifestyle of Herod. Here was a ruler over the Jewish people, a person who at least claimed to follow the Jewish religion, yet he was in the public square blatantly engaging in sin

Here’s where it gets a little complicated. Herodias had married her Uncle Philip, this was against Jewish law to marry so close a family member. Philip’s half-brother Herod Antipas then convinced Herodias to leave Philip and marry him. Antipas would have also been Herodias’ uncle as well. Which was then three strikes against Jewish law, not only for the incest of marrying an uncle, but for divorce, and then remarrying while the previous husband was still alive.

All this played out in the public square, and was reminiscent of the ancient kings of Israel and their sin. John fulfills his role as an Old Testament prophet when he calls out Antipas for his sin. But this gets him sent to prison and eventually gets his head removed from his body.

Yet, this is a real possibility for anyone who choses to place their trust into Jesus. Earlier in Matthew chapter 10 Jesus speaks these words, “38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Jesus used the image of the cross, not a pillow, to speak of the hardship that awaited those who trusted in Jesus as their Savior. Jesus spoke of losing life over being his disciple. Christians are not called to a life of ease, but to a life that God directs, and sometimes that direction goes through harsh circumstances. 

There’s a false Christianity that says things like, “You get spiritually rich, and you’ll get finically rich (Quote attributed to Kenneth Copeland)!” Or, “God wants us to prosper finically, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny he has laid out for us (Quote attributed to Joel Osteen).” Or “Prosperity is the wheel of the Gospel (Quote attributed to Kojo Bentil).”

Yet the Scriptures and the history of God’s people teach a very different view. Jesus speaks of of being hated by the world, in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”

Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 6:4-10, “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

All the twelve Apostles in the Church age suffered, with 11 of them being executed. There are books, such as John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Or DC Talks’ Jesus Freaks, or organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, who have documented the cross that Jesus’ disciples have had to carry since the founding of the Church. 

To be good soil, doesn’t mean that we are cultivated in a greenhouse, where all the temperatures are regulated, where we get the mist of the perfect amount of water. No, we are to be good soil out in the fields, where the harsh weather beats against the ground of our lives. Where weeds grow, and the sun scorches. We are not called to a life of ease, but to a life where we can see God at work. Not to a life that seeks prosperity here on this dying planet, but who seeks the riches of the Kingdom in eternity. Who realize that to prosper means to know God ever deeper, and lose the desire for this world.

Everything that we have here now, is to be used for the glory of God. Whether we have or do not, we must seek Jesus saying “it’s yours.” If we are given something by God, we say, “it’s yours Lord.” If God takes something away from us, “Lord it was yours anyway.” If we are called to rise up and speak biblical truth into a culture that would hate to hear it, we must follow the calling. Our lives are Jesus’ when we accept him as our Savior. 

Paul states in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

If we are to be good soil we must come to a place where we realize everything we are is Jesus’. Everything we have is our God’s. And if he calls me, I must follow, in prosperity, in poverty, and in life, and in death. That’s what it means to be Jesus’ disciple, that’s what it means to be the good soil. To experience the persecution around us, those rocks in the soil, and yet, continue to trust in Jesus. To hear the siren call of the desires of the world and rejecting them to embrace our Savior. That’s good soil, and that’s who is called a disciple of Jesus. 

My challenge for you this week is to go before God and be honest. If God were to ask you to lose something today, what are you not prepared to lose? House? Car? Job? Financial  security? Child? Health? All these things need to be turned over to Jesus. They are his, let him work in them as he sees fit. Seek God to reveal to you those things that you are not prepared to lose, and ask God to cultivate you into that good soil that trusts him with all that he has given you. 

I know this sounds hard. I know that it sounds like God is asking too much. But this is what Jesus has been speaking about through these last 14 chapters. It’s what he will continue to talk about for the next 14 chapters. It’s what we need to understand, that the worth of the Kingdom eclipses all things in this world. Let us trust Jesus, who is worthy of our trust, because he didn’t just ask us to lose everything to him, but showed us that he was willing to do the same for us on the cross. Let us be a people who follow our Savior to our own crosses, that he might be glorified in our lives. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 25 - Practicing What Jesus Preached

  Let’s jump straight back into the Gospel of Matthew where we will be picking up in chapter 13, verse 53. And as we open our Bibles to Matthew 13:53, let’s review where we are so far. Through Jesus’ life and ministry and by the Holy Spirit’s direction, Matthew is building an understanding of Jesus and his message.

The first section of Matthew deals with Jesus being a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus is the prophesied prophet like Moses. He is the prophesied coming King in the line of David. Yet most importantly, Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies that spoke of God himself coming to earth to pay the penalty for sin (Isaiah 7, 9, 53). The first seven chapters of Matthew are written to help us understand these things, and that we must trust in Jesus and build our lives upon his teachings.

In the second section, the focus turns to the disciples and how they are now to implement those teachings. Jesus’ disciples are not people who merely take in information about what God wants, but are people who put that information into practice. This is why James 1:22 tells us that we must be, “…doers of the word, and not hearers only… (NKJV).”

This brings us into the third section, in which we find ourselves approaching to the end. As the disciples return from implementing Jesus’ teachings, they are taught deeper truths. This third section focuses on what is a disciple. To sum it up, a disciple is someone who has placed their trust into what Jesus teaches. Those teachings encapsulate that we are stuck in a state of sin and are in need of saving because we cannot fix it on our own. Jesus therefore pays the price to break the power of sin in our lives. When we place our trust in him, we accept this reality and follow him, relying on the Holy Spirit and putting into practice Jesus’ teachings. 

It is here that we saw last week in Jesus’ parable sermon that there are many different responses to Jesus’ Gospel message. At the core of this, we are called to understand the worth of what Jesus is offering. It’s wealth that far exceeds what the world offers, and we must take seriously what Jesus offers because we might be a person who is not growing their faith deep, or are allowing worldly things to choke that faith. If we are, we will find out at the end that we were, weeds among good plants, bad fish among good fish. This is what Holy Spirit is pleading with us, and what we will see one result today.

Let’s turn our attention back to Matthew chapter 13, starting at verse 53.

“53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. 55 ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

This moment in Jesus’ life perfectly represents the parables that he had just spoken. Matthew gives us a situation that is heartbreaking when you think about it. Jesus returns to his hometown. He grew up among the people. He played with friends in the community. He worked by his adopted father Joseph’s side in that town. And most likely every person that walked by him, he greeted on a first name basis. Those of us from small towns know the tight knittedness of these types of communities.

But it’s not a very welcoming experience. Jesus enters the town and proceeds to do what he does. He teaches in the synagogue, a typical thing for a traveling teacher. While in the synagogue he must have performed some miracles, most likely healinging, since Jesus does those often. The response at first seems promising. The people say, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?”

People all over Israel, up to this point in Matthew, have responded in a similar way, but we quickly see that this response isn’t one of wonder, but one of contempt. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

The familiarity of Jesus in the town, blinded the people to his true identity. The people could not see past the boy that grew up among them. They knew Jesus’ parents. They knew Jesus’ brothers and sisters. But what they failed to know, was Jesus. Here the parables of chapter 13 come into focus. The Gospel was given, that seed that was scattered just fell on pavement. The thought that these people knew Jesus, kept them from knowing him. The enemy plucked it away. They failed to see past who they thought Jesus was, and in so doing, they missed the worth of the kingdom. 

The people had it in their mind that Jesus was nothing more than what they thought. And this happens throughout history and into our day. We think we know Jesus, but we don’t. We think we have an understanding of him, but we don’t. This is what the Scriptures are getting at, what Jesus meant by his parables. If we think we do, we better be seeking him. We better be allowing the seed of the Gospel to take root, so that the rocky times of life do not lead to us withering away. We better be making sure that the thorns of the world’s desires are not choking us. 

How honest can I be with you? I had one person tell me that I shouldn’t be so open with the church because it wasn’t becoming of a pastor. But I would rather be honest than not. This past year has been difficult in many ways. Our church is as healthy as it has ever been. We are seeing God work in many ways. We are moving steadily on the course he has set for us; a course that has been pioneered for almost 40 years. Because this church is doing so well, the enemy, who seeks to destroy (John 10:10), hasn’t been able to. And so, outside of the church we are starting to see attacks. 

We just took a group up to the Navajo nation. The day of the trip I got a text from some local number with a picture of a girl in her bra seeking sexual relations. I showed Marika, blocked the number, and deleted the text. On our way home, we were shown a Facebook post that accused us of gossip. Something that is we can verifiably show is false. Here’s where I’m going to get real honest with you, because of these attacks, I had several thoughts cross my mind. First, on the Facebook accusation I felt like fighting back. Even making a fake account to lambast the person who was making the accusation. The other thought that crossed my mind was that maybe we should step down, because it’s just going to get worse, and it’s difficult to be a Pastor where ever little thing can be criticized if you’re not 100% perfect in all circumstances. And even if you are, you’re still accused of wrong. When we first moved down here I was accused of basically being a pedophile, you know why? Because I would drive around with a young blonde, and that young blonde would come to my house daily. You know who that young blonde was? My wife, but that didn’t matter to people. 

But because we seek Jesus, because we have sought to rely on the Holy Spirit, and to implement the Word of God in our lives, I turned to Jesus and asked for the strength. Because I know it’s the enemy. I know that these attacks are because God is doing and will do great things through this church.

I will not be the soil where the Gospel seed finds rocks. I will not be the soil where the Gospel seed finds thorns. By the strength of the Holy Spirit, I will not allow the weeds that are planted with me to determine what I am. I will be one who understands the worth of the kingdom and seeks it. I might have to give up my reputation in the eyes of others to do it. But I will be the good fish that will be sorted to my Savior into eternity.

And this is what the Holy Spirit is calling all of us here today, to live a life seeking after God’s kingdom. To allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to remove any rock or thorn that might contaminate the soil of our lives. That the Gospel would not just be something we say we believe, but what we actually put into practice in our daily lives.

If we do not take seriously the Gospel and the worth of the Kingdom, then we will be like the people of Jesus’ hometown, thinking we know him, but not really. This echoes Jesus’ words at the end of the first section. In Matthew 7 Jesus stated, “21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

There’s a moment at the end of Jesus’ hometown visit that should throw water on us to wake us up. We’re told by Matthew in verse 58, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

There is a link between the work of God in our lives and our faith. A lack of faith does not mean that miracles can’t happen, but it can decrease the opportunities for them to happen. This is why Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed is important. It doesn’t take a lot of faith to see the work of God, but it does take some. But when we think we know Jesus but are not seeking him daily, we really don’t. When we think we know Jesus, but are not obeying him, we won’t see his work. And if we realize that this is where we are, that’s a good thing, because now we can seek the Holy Spirit to wake us up. We can now start to do what Jesus says, and not just say we believe. 

Because the reality is this, belief with out action is meaningless. This is why in the second chapter of James’ letter he makes the case for faith being connected with action. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them (v.14)?…You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder (v.19)…As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead (v.26).”

We must stop thinking that our head knowledge is all that Jesus wants. NO! He wants us all. This is why Mark 12:29-31 is such an important verse for believers. When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus connected two. “‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 31 The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Jesus wants all of us, not just what we think of him. He wants our emotions, our physical strength, our desires, our giftings. He wants the whole package, and he wants us to understand him through his own revealed word. And what he says is that his disciples, those of good soil, those who are good plants, those who know the worth of the Kingdom, those who are good fish, are those that put into practice Jesus’ words and don’t just say, yes I believe.

Next week we’ll see where the type of disciple Jesus calls us to be, can possibly lead. But for now my challenge for you this week, is to wrestle with this: Are you stating that you know Jesus, but are not actually doing what he says. Are you continuing in lies, gossip, sexual immorality, abuse, addiction? Take it before God this week and ask him to root it out. Those things are shackles around you keeping you from knowing Jesus fully. Jesus broke those shackles, so that you can live the life he created you to live. A life fully connected with your Creator. 

If you take seriously these weekly challenges to seek God, just by taking the time to do so can show that you are good soil, because good soil is cultivated by the farmer. Let us therefore ask God to cultivate us so that the Gospel will have a better soil to take root in. That we may experience Jesus as he intends us to, and so others may be pointed to him.

Let us be people who seek to not merely say we know our God, but people who do what our God says to do. Amen.

Matthew Series, Week 24 - The Worth of the Kingdom

  The value of something is a hard lesson to learn. And the more you have the less things are of value. When you can go down to the store, or go online and get almost anything you want, and have the means to pay for it, the value of commodities isn’t that important. But when access to to certain needed commodities is scarce, the value goes up. For about the last 30 years our society here in the US hasn’t really wanted for anything. We haven’t been in a state where we couldn’t get needs met. We have food banks, for when you need food. We have clothes closets for when you need close. We have government subsidized housing when you need help with a place to live. It might not be the best option, but it’s there where in most countries it isn’t.

But now we’re going into a period of inflation, where the dollar gets less valuable, and price increase. Things like food shortages are being predicted, and access to what used to be whatever we wanted, will start to diminish. And the value of certain things will start to go up. One of the things preppers, those who look to prepare for social upheaval, say have on hand is alcohol. Why? Because it can be used for a variety of situations, one of which is as barter. We can see this type of reorganization of value if we look at the aftermath of the Great Depression from the 30s. People that lived through that held on to things that their kids and grandkids could comprehend why. Things like used tinfoil. Why hold on to that? Because it was scarce and was valuable in the depression. Or things like burlap potato bags. Why? Because they could be used to make clothes.

When luxury is taken away and necessity remains, things that didn’t seem valuable to us before, become like gold in our hands. And so, we should learn the value of things before we need to. That way we can use our money wisely, and if things get bad, we are better prepared than others who cannot understand the value of the things around them.

And it’s this idea of understanding the value of something that brings us back into our summer series on the book of Matthew, where we’ll be picking it back up in Matthew chapter 13, verse 1. So if you have your Bibles, you can open up to Matthew 13:1, and as you do, let’s catch ourselves up to where we are so far in the book.

It’s been about six months since we were in the book of Matthew from last October, and if you’re anything like me, you forgot where we were. In fact I thought we had finished chapter 12, and were starting into chapter 13, but when I returned to my notes I was so confused, until I realized that we had looked at chapter 12 from the a bookend approach, moving our way to the center of the chapter. I almost re-taught the last twelve verses of chapter 12 this week. Thank God, he saved me from speaking on what he had already done.

So, let’s recap where we are. Matthew has been divided up in a number of ways and one of these is by the five dominate sermons that are found in it. By looking at Matthew through the five sermons, we see a parallel with the book of Deuteronomy and its division by sermons. This will be a common theme throughout Matthew, where he continually points us back to the Old Testament so that we can understand that Jesus fulfills what was prophesied in it. So, in Matthew’s first section, we saw how Jesus was revealed as being a prophet like Moses, a King like David, and God himself. This lead into the first sermon in which Jesus speaks, not just as one speaking on behalf of God, but God himself. Whereas in the Old Testament when someone spoke for God, they would say things like, “Thus says the Lord,” Jesus speaks as God himself, when he says things like, “You have heard it said, but I say.” So the first section of Matthew is to not only help us see that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies, but also to help us realize that he himself is God come down.

This section ends with Jesus’ words about building our lives on his word. This then leads into the second section where those who choose to follow Jesus are now to be his disciples. People who are not just learning from him, but trained to do what he does and who are sent out to accomplish the work of the Gospel. In the second section, we see the twelve apostles trained and commissioned on a short term trip to begin to put Jesus’ words into practice. This sermon is sometimes referred to as the little commission.

This then led us into the disciples returning to Jesus and being trained deeper. But this time, the training focused on the state of the world. Jesus taught that one must have a repentant heart, take on Jesus’ life, and realize that demonic forces are always at war with the people of God. This leads Jesus into his third sermon on what the kingdom of God is like.

Now we’re going to read the entire sermon together, because when Jesus spoke it, it was meant to be heard with a repetition, as you’ll see in a moment. Too often when we read the Scriptures, we read them by heading, chopping them up, when in reality, they’re supposed to be understood together. So, we’ll first read all the parables and then see what they all mean together. Let’s read staring in chapter 13, verse 1 of the Gospel of Matthew.

13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 

For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

“31 He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’

33 He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.'

“34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

“36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.’

“37 He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Each of these parables are meant to build on the others, in order that we would have a better understanding of what the Kingdom of God is like.

Now there are a few things that we will revisit next week to flush out what is being said, but for now, we’re going to look at the bigger picture here. This is what we usually do in our summer series, where we are trying to see the overarching themes of the books of the Bible.

And here, in Jesus’ third sermon, we see the overarching theme of the Kingdom. The first of the parables deals with the Gospel being spread. Jesus gives us several types of people that receive the Gospel message. Those that reject it, those that like it at first but don’t go deeper, those who allow the world to choke the message from them, and those who fully accept and follow Jesus. The implication here is to be the last, fully embracing Jesus’ message. How does one do that? It’s the repentant heart, the taking on of Jesus’ life, and standing against the demonic forces of this world. It’s what is covered in chapter 12, carrying out the will of God in our lives.

Then the second parable speaks of good plants and weeds. So even when the seed falls into good soil, satan, those demonic forces from earlier, will put weeds into the mix. So though we might be here gathered as the Church to worship God, there are those that are here planted by satan to be weeds. Now I say that, and follow it up with this, I’m not calling anyone out, because that would’t be right in this context, nor is it appropriate at this time. This is because Jesus is allowing these weeds to be in the fold with the good seed, and he will separate the weeds from the good plants at the end. This parable has a parallel in the final parable about the fish.

The good plant and weeds parable is then followed by two that connect with each other. The mustard seed is a small seed that blooms into a large plant, just how when yeast is put into flour it helps the bread rise to a greater size. Here the idea is that even a small understanding of the Gospel message planted into good soil can produce a faith that is extraordinarily big.

Then Jesus gives two parables about the greatness of the Kingdom. Jesus uses the idea of a hidden treasure in a field, or a pearl of great value. In both cases a person sells everything to gain a greater treasure. This is to teach that the kingdom is worth more than anything we could hope to have in this world. It’s greater than all the money, prestige, and toys that we could ever attain.

Finally the fish in the net speak in a similar vein as the good plants and the weeds parable, in which the good and bad fish are separated, just like those who follow Jesus and those who do not will be separated.

Putting these parables together we see a flow of thought from Jesus and the question is implicitly asked, “Who are you?” 

Are you the good soil who produces a good plant among the weeds. If you are, then you will be willing to let everything go so that you may experience God’s kingdom and on the day when the harvest arrives. When Jesus makes his final judgment, you will enter into God’s eternal kingdom where you will experience the full joy and pleasure that you were created to have.

Or are you the bad soil? Are you a person who outright rejects Jesus, or did you once say you followed him, but didn’t pursue your relationship with Jesus and now are falling away from him; or did you start following, but chasing that dollar, wanting that better place to live, wanting the world’s pleasure has choked out the God who you once said you’d follow? If that’s you, Jesus is saying that you might be a weed or a bad fish, and on the day he judges you’ll be separated. And he uses this imagery of weeping and gnashing of teeth to drive home a point. That imagery is of deep despair; that you will meet Jesus and in that moment experience pure love, joy, and peace, and then have it ripped away, never to experience it again. It’s a place of sorrow that can only be imagined by those who have watched bombs decimate their homes and families; who have watched the horrors of wars and famines beyond our comprehension as we sit in our relatively peaceful lives.

The point of these parables is to ask the question who are you? Are you to good soil, the type of person who has understood the value of the kingdom and is losing everything to gain it? Or are you the bad soil, that is trying to gain everything in this life, only to be destined to lose it all in the end?

In chapter 12 Jesus has already given the answer as to how to receive the Gospel. It’s to be repentant, realizing we’re sinners and accepting Jesus’ free gift of his life for ours. That he paid the price on the cross, so that we may experience his resurrected life. 

But if you choose to follow Jesus, accepting him as your Savior, then the world needs to be left behind. God is calling you out of the world’s desires. The desire for wealth, the desire for prestige, the desire for personal gain. And when we follow that calling away from the world, satan and his demons work overtime to bring us back. They’ll surround us with weeds to take our focus off of Jesus. They’ll surround us with the fleeting satisfaction from drugs, alcohol, wealth, sex, and other things of this world. But in the end those things lead to weeping and gnashing of teeth; sorrow that is beyond our comprehension.

Jesus ends his sermon by speaking to his disciples these words in verse 51, “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Jesus asks his followers, and us, if we understand the two sides of what he is talking about. Do we understand the decision that must be made? We’re either following him, seeking after his kingdom where we gain everything that matters in the end, or we’re seeking a kingdom of our own that leads to everything that we gained in this life being stripped away from us. 

Jesus ends with this idea that if we seek his kingdom, we’re like a home owner that has treasures of all kinds. That is the kingdom we will receive. God’s kingdom of the ancient past where he walked with his creation, and his eternal kingdom with new and wonderful things on the horizon to experience.

Today, let’s make a decision to seek after Jesus’ kingdom, letting everything else slip away from us, and only embracing what he has. Let us no longer seek to build kingdoms or seek the pleasures of this world that would sway us away from God, but embrace getting rid of what holds us back from experiencing God.

My challenge for you this week is to read through the parables of chapter 13 on your own, asking God to till your soil to make you able to receive his word, and help you to give up everything for the sake of his kingdom. Let us be people who realize the worth of Jesus’ kingdom, that it far surpasses anything this world has to offer, that we may be known as his disciples,. and stand in his glory when he returns. Amen.