Matthew Parables of the Kingdom

 

Matthew

Parables of the Kingdom

Parables are meant to help people understand

Parables give us pictures, images, for our minds and hearts to think about

The Kingdom of Heaven is full and ever expanding

For those who meditate on God’s Word

Jesus spoke in parables to help us dream

We see the message of prosperity in the parables

We see the message of acceptance and rejection

As we end the parables, we see Jesus’ hometown could not receive the parables

Because they saw Jesus as common as themselves

  Listening, Meditating and Dreaming will never be achieved

Without honoring Jesus and His Word

But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matthew 13:57-58

Faith that produces miracles, Listens, Meditates and Dreams and Honors

The parables, the message of the Kingdom

Matthew

 

Parables of the Kingdom

 

Jesus in Matthew 13 describes the Kingdom in Parables.

 

The disciples asked Jesus…

 

"Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

Matthew 13:10

 

I love the way Jesus’ answer

is written in the Message Bible…

 

"You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. 12 Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. 13 That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. 14 I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Matthew 13:11-14

 

Parables are meant to help people understand.

 

Parables give us pictures, images,

for our minds and hearts to think about.

 

 Some of us just want the “facts”.

 

We are in a hurry and just want to get to the point.

 

Some of us want a verse we can quote,

words we can speak that will solve all problems

and get everything done.

 

These all have their place.

But the Kingdom of God is not like a law.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is not just the facts…

 

 The things you need to know…

 

The laws you need to obey

or the words you need to say.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is full and ever expanding

for those who meditate on God’s Word.

 

Jesus spoke in parables to help us dream.

 

Prosperity comes as we meditate

and receive God’s Word in our minds and hearts.

 

Meditating and dreaming on God’s Word brings prosperity.

 

 Psalms 1:2-3…

 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

 

Joshua 1:8-9…

 

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;

meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

 

Then you will be prosperous and successful.

 

Meditating and dreaming, day and night,

 has always been the way God’s people

gained understanding and prospered.

 

Psalms 48:15 says…

 

 We meditate on your unfailing love

 

Psalms 77:12…

 

 Will meditate on all your works

and consider all your mighty deeds.

 

Psalms 119:15…

 

 I meditate on your precepts

and consider your ways.

 

Psalms 119:27…

 

 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;

then I will meditate on your wonders.

 

Psalms 119:48…

 

I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,

and I meditate on your decrees.

 

Psalms 119:148…

 

 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,

that I may meditate on your promises.

 

Psalms 143:5…

 

 Remember the days of long ago;

I meditate on all your works

and consider what your hands have done.

Jesus is not forcing anyone to follow Him.

 

He is not commanding you to do

what you don’t want to do.

 

Following Jesus and getting up close is a choice.

 

Jesus says…

 

"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 he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

13 This is why I speak to them in parables

Matthew 13:11-13

 

Secrets are…

 

 Not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.

 

The secrets of the Kingdom are given in abundance

 to those who have ears to hear.

 

The first parable is about ground

that receives the Word of God.

 

Look at the way The Message

speaks about the good ground…

 

Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

Matthew 13:8-9 THE MESSAGE

 

All the parables Jesus spoke

are about receiving the Kingdom.

 

There are some who will not receive it.

 

Some who will receive it for a short time

but don’t stick with it.

 

And those who prosper from living out

 the Kingdom Message.

 

The Parables are for everyone.

 

The treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven

are for everyone.

 

But unless we listen…

 

Unless we meditate and dream on God’s Word…

 

It will all be a secret to us.

 

Not because God is holding back on you or I…

 

But because we have too many

other things to think about.

 

Think about the parable of the farmer…

 

 Jesus scattered His seed on all types of ground.

 

He shared with everyone.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

 A man who sowed good seed

but an enemy planted weeds in his field.

 

The Kingdom is like…

 

 A mustard seed.

 

 It may seem like the smallest message to the world,

 but it has great potential for growth.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

Yeast.

 

 Mixed in with dough

 it expands beyond its borders.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

 A treasure in a field.

 
It is worth selling all you have to obtain that field,

because what you have will never be

worth the value of Kingdom treasures.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

 A merchant looking for fine pearls.

 

 When you fine a great one,

 you spare no expense to get it.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

A net, all that matters are the good fish.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like…

 

 The owner of a house who brings out of

his storeroom new and old treasures.

 

We see the message of prosperity in the parables.

 

We see the message of acceptance and rejection.

As we end the parables,

we see Jesus’ hometown could not receive

the parables because they saw Jesus

as common as themselves.

 

  Listening, Meditating and Dreaming

will never be achieved without…

 

Honoring Jesus and His Word.

 

But Jesus said to them,

 "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Matthew 13:57-58

 

Faith that produces miracles…

 

 Listens, Meditates and Dreams and Honors

the parables, the message of the Kingdom.

 

 

Scripture Reading

Matthew 13:1-9 MSG

 

13 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. 2 In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. 3 Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.

 

"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. 4 As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. 5 Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, 6 so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. 7 Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. 8 Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

9 "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

 

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