Matthew 13
COMMENTARY:
: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (3975 “gross” [pachuno] means to make fat, to be unable to understand, become calloused at heart, to harden, to make dull, insensitive or to thicken.)
DEVOTION: The LORD taught the people in parables because they were not really listening to what HE had to say. Many were following HIM for the physical food they could receive or for the entertainment of seeing HIM heal those who were sick. Others were there just to criticize what was happening.
Jesus knew all about why people were there. HE also knew that the only ones who would truly understand what HE was teaching would ask more questions.
The disciples asked for the interpretations of the parables and HE gave them what they meant. They found out that most of the people didn’t have a heart for what HE was teaching. Their hearts were darkened by their sin. If they were willing to hear they would have seen what was going on in the spiritual realm.
Those whose hearts were right toward the LORD had something the others didn’t have: understanding. It is understanding that makes the difference between those who are there for entertainment and those who are there to have their lives changed.
The Holy Spirit works on the hearts of those who want to understand and gives them understanding. Once someone understands the basics of what it means to be a Christian they can be converted. If they don’t understand they are like the other three soils that either don’t care or care more about the things of the world than God or once people make fun of them they give up. That is not what a genuine believer is like.
We are to produce fruit. We are to produce people who are listening to our witness and making a decision for Christ. We are to be planting seeds. One plants and another waters but it is always God who gives the increase.
We won’t know how fruitful we have been until we stand before the LORD at the Judgment Seat of Christ when rewards are passed out to those who influenced lives for Christ.
CHALLENGE: We need to present the message so that people genuinely understand what it means to be a believer. We are going to run into hard hearts but the LORD can soften them.
: 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; : 42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (2575 “furnace” [kaninos] means burning earthen ware, backing bread, or kiln.)
DEVOTION: Jesus taught more about hell than about heaven. HE warned people throughout HIS ministry of the fact that there is going to be a final judgment. There are wheat and weeds in our world.
One of the main concerns is that in the world there are people who are righteous and those who are wicked. The two don’t see eye to eye. The wicked are blinded. The wicked are a group of individuals who are walking around as dead men as far as the Word of God is concerned. They don’t have any understanding of spiritual things even if they were brought up in the church.
In all of our churches today we have those who are believers and those who are not. Some know they are not and don’t care. Some know they are not but want to fake it. Some are there just to find fault with those who are genuine believers.
Why would God allow both groups to be in the church? Many times HE allows it so that we can learn to witness to those around us. HE knows it is going to happen. HE doesn’t like false believers in the church.
Today we have so many churches that have weakened their teachings regarding the standard of the Word of God they confuse people into thinking that they are believers when they are not.
There are three positions we can take in a church: one is license, two is legalism and third is liberty. License is when anything goes and the Bible doesn’t give us any rules to live by. Legalism is a whole lot of rules but the heart is not right with God. Liberty is where we are free in Christ to worship HIM in spirit and in truth. We want to serve HIM with our whole heart. The third group makes up the group that will be going to heaven for eternity.
CHALLENGE: We are not to practice license or legalism but liberty in our life in Christ. HIS burden is light!!!
: 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? (4678 “wisdom” [sophia] means broad or full of intelligence, used of a knowledge of very diverse matters, or supreme intelligence that belongs to God.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is about Jesus teaching in parable. HE would teach the crowds in parables and then explain them to HIS disciples.
Two of the longer parables deal with salvation and end times. The one dealing with salvation is called the parable of the four soils. Each soil received the seed but only one produced FRUIT. Those who are genuinely saved produce FRUIT. The other soils looked like they were followers of the LORD but they did not endure.
The other one dealt with a good man planting seed in a field and then in the night an enemy came and sowed weeds in the field. The workers wanted to take up the weeds. The good man said no. He said that at the harvest there would be time to get rid of the weeds. At the end times the angels are going to gather the weeds of this world and cast them into a furnace of fire for eternity. The good seed will be gathered into the kingdom of God.
After teaching the multitude, Jesus returned to HIS own country. HE started teaching there in the synagogue. The religious leaders were astonished at HIS teaching. They knew who HE was. They knew HIS family. They knew that HE never went to the right college and seminary of learning. They were offended.
There is a worship of wisdom today. There are people who think that they are wise but the Bible says that they are fools. Here we find that the people of Jesus’ hometown were astonished at all that Jesus taught and did. They were individuals who watched him grow up in HIS families carpenter’s shop. They were individuals who knew HIS mother. They were individuals who knew the sons of Mary and Joseph. They were individuals who knew the daughters of Mary and Joseph. They thought of Jesus as just one more child of Mary and Joseph. They didn’t understand that the Holy Spirit planted the seed in Mary to produce Jesus. They thought of HIM as just another human being who grew up in their town.
Now they hear HIM preach. Now they watch HIM perform miracles. How can someone who grew up in their town say and do all these things? We sometimes think these same thoughts about Jesus. Yet we know that HE is the Savior of the world because HE died on the cross for our sins. Do we understand it completely? NO! Can we believe it? YES!
Jesus was unique, in that, HE was God and man. Praise HIS name. These parables are for us to understand that God has a plan for the end of the world and HE is going to work HIS plan.
Also we need to remember that the people who know us best also have a problem with us teaching them the Word of God. The difference is that we are all sinners and therefore we think that one sinner is not better than another sinner, so who are they to teach us anything. IF someone is called of God, he will still teach the truth of the Word of God. He will always point people to Christ. He will always admit that he is a sinner. He is only one who has been given a gift of teaching.
Watch how we judge those around us who are trying to teach the Word of God. Check out their teaching in the Word of God.
Check out their teaching through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
CHALLENGE: Remember we are never to be followers of men but the LORD has chosen men to lead us while we are here on this earth. We are to be followers of God through the men HE has chosen to lead us.
: 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. (4624 “offended” [skandolizo] means stumbling block, to be or become filled with disgust or revulsion for someone, take offense, or cause to sin.)
DEVOTION: It is easier to win someone to Christ that you have never met than someone who has known you all of your life. The reason for this is that they know all your faults. They know everything you have done wrong. They look at you through the eyes of someone who usually thinks they are better than you.
Here we find Jesus returning to HIS old neighborhood synagogue and HE starts teaching them the Scriptures. They are offended because even though HE was perfect or sinless while HE was growing up, they knew HE worked in Joseph’s shop doing carpentry work until HE was thirty.
So here HE is a couple of years later teaching them. HE never went to the right school to learn how to be a rabbi. Yet HE taught as someone who knew what HE was talking about. It scared them.
They started making excuses why they shouldn’t listen to HIS message. They didn’t want to be confronted by someone they have known all HIS life.
Jesus knew that their unbelief would be great and worked more miracles there but most still would not become followers of HIM. HIS brothers never became believers until after HIS death.
This is going to be true in your life too. It is hard to witness to family and friends because they know all your faults and you have them. We all have sins that we have committed during our lifetime and for someone who is as sinful or more sinful to come and witness causes people to not listen.
Most will never get beyond the fact that they know you are a sinner who is still sinning but you want them to believe in Jesus real bad. Only the Holy Spirit can use your witness to cause a break in their heart for them to become believers. Don’t stop trying.
CHALLENGE: Pray even more when you are witnessing to family and friends. God knows your heart. HE will help you.
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