SERMON: THE GREAT SEPARATION -- THE PARABLES OF JESUS SERIES

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 13:24-30

 

Matthew 13:24 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.’”

 

            -- I once heard about this young man who was appointed to his first church not long after he had received his call to ministry -- he was new to preaching and worked very hard on his first sermon -- he spent a lot of time on it and that first Sunday, he delivered that message with great passion from the pulpit -- everyone thanked him for his words as they left the church that morning, and told him how much they were looking forward to hearing him again the next Sunday

            -- well, for whatever reason, this pastor’s little church had several of the saints pass away his first week there and he was called upon to conduct their funerals -- because of that, he didn’t have time to prepare another sermon, so when Sunday rolled around, this pastor did the only thing he could do -- he just preached his one sermon to the congregation again -- the people walked out, shook his hand, and once again told him what a wonderful job he had done

            -- the next week, the same thing happened -- several more people passed away and he had several in the hospital and he just couldn’t find time to study and prepare a new message -- so, he got back up the next Sunday and preached the same sermon again

            -- well, this time, the church leaders got upset -- they went to the District Superintendent and said, “We don’t know what this young man is doing or where you got him, but all he’s got is one sermon -- he’s preached the same sermon to us for three weeks in a row.”

            -- the DS said, “Well, that’s concerning.  What was his sermon about?” -- the church leaders looked at each other, and even though they had heard the same message three times in a row, none of them could remember the main points

            -- the DS chuckled and said, “Tell you what.  Let’s let him try it one more time, and if you hear him and get the point of his message this time, we’ll have him preach a new message the next week”

 

            -- this morning, we’re finishing up our sermon series on the Parables of Jesus from Matthew 13 -- and I assume that, as we have read these parables together in context and seen how they were given by Jesus and who they were given to and what He is saying here, you have noticed that all of these parables have the same message -- Jesus is making the same point over and over again to His disciples -- that on the earth today, there is the true church -- the true kingdom of heaven -- but it has been infiltrated by unbelievers and those who seek to harm the message of God

            -- Jesus began to teach in parables in this chapter by giving the parable of the sower, and pointing out to His disciples that how the people in the crowd listening to His messages heard and received them differently -- even though the same seed was scattered to everyone, some didn’t get it because the evil one snatched the word away from them

            -- others received it, but their soil was shallow, and they quickly faded away -- still others received the word, but they were surrounded by thorns, which grew up and choked them and kept them from producing a crop

            -- but finally, there were some who heard the word and received the message and who produced a good crop -- a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown

            -- the whole point being that the kingdom of heaven was being planted in a world filled by a variety of people -- some who were part of the kingdom -- some who were seeking God and who would become part of the kingdom -- and others who were being led away by the evil one

 

            -- in the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast, Jesus made the same point again that there were some in the kingdom of heaven -- some in the church -- who were not believers but who were spreading false teachings and stirring up discord -- they looked like believers and talked like believers, but they were not true followers of Christ -- He warned His disciples to be on their guard against them, because they would work their way through the church like yeast works its way through dough -- and they would make the church into something that God never intended, allowing Satan and his dirty birds to get a foothold in the church

 

            -- He then taught the parable of the hidden treasure and the great pearl -- teaching them the reason why He came -- that in this world there were some who were destined to be true believers -- true followers of Jesus -- those who would put their faith and trust in Him for salvation and eternal life and who would live in the kingdom of heaven forever -- these, Jesus said, are the hidden treasure and the great pearl that I have come to find -- and I will sanctify them and make them holy by saving them from this world

 

            -- this morning, we finish up our study of the parables from Matthew 13 by looking at the final two parables in this chapter -- the parable of the weeds -- also known as the parable of the wheat and tares -- and the parable of the net

            -- both of these parables look ahead to the end, when the true believers -- the people of God’s kingdom -- are finally separated from the others -- from those Jesus had warned were in the church and in the kingdom, but not of God

            -- while we are limited in what we can do at this point to protect the church -- to protect true believers from false teachings and false information -- at some point in the future, there will be a great separation, with believers being taken to eternity with Christ and unbelievers being sent to a place of torment

 

II.  The Parable of the Weeds or The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

-- let’s look now at the parable of the weeds -- which is also called the parable of the wheat and tares in some translations -- this is one of those parables that is easy for us to understand, because Jesus gracefully gave us the interpretation -- which tells us that He really wants us to understand what He is giving us in these verses -- He wants us to know this and believe this and to act on His words here

 

-- verse 24

 

Matthew 13:24 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.

 

-- look over at verse 36

 

Matthew 13:36 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.

 

-- so, we know exactly what Jesus is telling us here -- there are no doubts or questions on this parable -- in this parable, Jesus is telling us that He has come to sow the good seed in the field -- that He has come to bring the good news of salvation and eternal life to the world

-- back to John 3:16 again, right? -- For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life

-- so, Jesus sows the good seed -- the good word -- the word of God -- into the world today -- and, just like the parable of the sower teaches, there are some who receive this word -- who are planted in good soil -- and who grow up and produce a good crop -- these are the people of the kingdom of heaven -- these are the hidden treasure -- the pearl of great price that He came to find

-- but while Jesus is sowing good seed in the world, someone else is sowing bad seed -- He says that his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away -- the same message that Jesus taught in the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast

-- Satan has come in and sowed weeds -- false teachings -- misinformation -- fake news -- fake believers -- into the field that is the kingdom of heaven -- into the church itself

 

-- let me give you an example of how this happens

-- everyone in here is aware of what happened last Saturday evening, when there was an assassination attempt on former President Trump -- and for the past week, we have been inundated with news and stories and watercooler conversations about the incident -- what really happened -- who was really involved -- what this all means

-- and there have been many, many different stories and conspiracy theories that have popped up over the week -- all the way from the attempt being fake to it was a government conspiracy against Trump to it being just what we saw -- a lone gunman trying to shoot Trump for an unknown reason

-- as we discussed the incident this week and everyone offered up their thoughts and opinions on the event, I was told that you can’t believe the mainstream media -- that if you want to know the truth, you need to go to these particular news sources -- that only these sources had the truth -- and then they gave me the name of several news sources to look up

-- here’s the thing -- in a lot of cases, the news sources weren’t real -- the news sources themselves were fake -- I learned that other countries -- our enemies -- especially Russia -- have created fake newspapers online and are spreading misinformation and lies and propaganda designed to fool Americans and mislead us -- it’s happening here and France and England and other places

-- these newspapers sound real -- they’ve got names like the New York News Daily, the Chicago Chronicle and the Miami Chronicle -- they look real -- you can go to their websites -- they seem legit -- but when you start to examine them and look at them more closely, you’ll find out that most of their articles are filled with dummy text or AI-generated information¹

-- their sole purpose is to spread lies and misinformation to Americans -- to mislead them -- to fool them

 

-- that’s what Jesus is warning us about here in this parable -- not necessarily about fake newspapers or news sources -- but about people that are fake believers -- people that have been planted in the kingdom of heaven and the church by our enemy -- by Satan -- and who look like Christians and talk like Christians but who are spreading false teachings and false beliefs in the kingdom

-- I want you to notice the moment when the enemy sowed the weeds into the field -- in verse 25, Jesus says that the enemy came and sowed the weeds among the wheat “while everyone was sleeping” -- everyone was sleeping -- no one was on guard -- no one was paying attention -- no one was watching the field and protecting it from infiltrators

-- there’s a warning there for us -- we have to guard our hearts and our souls and our minds from false teachings and false information and false teachers -- we can’t fall asleep -- we have to be wary and we have to watch for danger and we have to know what we are looking for -- that’s the only way that we can protect ourselves from the fake news and weeds in the world today

 

-- the weed that Jesus is referring to here is the darnel wheat -- also called a tare -- T-A-R-E -- in the Bible -- it’s a type of false wheat -- it looks identical to real grain wheat while it is growing, before it puts on a head

-- Tares were one of the curses a farmer in Jesus’ day had to struggle against -- they were poisonous, and if you ate them, it would cause dizziness and sickness -- so you didn't want them in the field with your wheat

-- but the problem is, when the tares are young, they look just like wheat -- it is impossible to tell one from the other -- it’s only after the head is developed -- when it is mature and compared to a true mature wheat plant -- that it is easy to tell the difference between the two

 

-- verse 27

 

Matthew 13:27 “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.’”

 

-- like I said, when the darnel weeds were growing in the field with the true wheat, it was virtually impossible to tell them apart -- but the real problem occurs because of how the darnel weeds grow -- their roots intertwine and tangle up the roots of the wheat -- this means that you can’t just go out in the field and pull up the tares without hurting the wheat -- without potentially uprooting the true wheat, as well

 

-- So, what did the owner of the field do about the tares growing in the field? -- He told his servants not to pull them up until it was time for the harvest, because it might damage the good wheat if they tried to pull up the tares early

-- At harvest time, when the tares were easily identifiable, the owner of the field instructed his servants to gather them up and bind them and burn them. -- Only the good wheat was left standing in the field, and it was to be taken to the barn after the tares were removed

-- this is the separation that will occur at the end of the age

 

-- look over at verse 40

 

Matthew 13:40 “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.

 

-- this is what we read of in the parable of the sheep and goats -- this is what we read of at the end of the Book of Revelation -- at the end of Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be released from his prison in the abyss and allowed to tempt the world for one last time -- after which, both he and those people who followed him are going to be judged and thrown into the lake of fire -- or, as Jesus calls it here, the blazing furnace -- where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

-- the wheat -- the sheep -- the true believers -- those who have a personal relationship with Jesus and have put their faith and trust in Him for salvation and sanctification and eternal life -- these righteous ones will shine like the sun in the kingdom of God and will live with God forever

 

III.  The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50)

            -- skip down to verse 47, and we’ll end our study of the parables by looking at the parable of the net

 

Matthew 13:47 “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.

 

            -- having studied all the rest of Jesus’ parables in this chapter in context, the parable of the net is an easy parable to interpret and understand -- it has the same message as the last parable we looked at -- the parable of the wheat and the tares

            -- in this case, a net is lowered into a lake, which represents the world -- nets are used to harvest fish -- so, in this case, the net is lowered into the lake to harvest all the fish that are there

            -- but just like Jesus has been teaching us throughout Chapter 13, when the net is brought to the shore, it contains both good fish and bad fish -- just like the world contains both true believers and unbelievers

            -- so, the fishermen sort out the fish -- putting the good fish in baskets to be taken home -- while the bad fish are thrown away

            -- Jesus goes on to tell His disciples and us that this is a representation of how it will be at the end of the age -- this is another separation parable -- and at the end of the age, Jesus will send His angels to harvest the true believers from the world and will separate the righteous from the wicked

            -- the wicked will be thrown into the blazing furnace -- the lake of fire, as Revelation terms it -- where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

 

            -- the whole point of Jesus’ teaching of the parables here is to make us aware that we are in the world, but we are not of the world -- that while we are in the world, there are only some of us who are true believers -- while the rest -- while the majority, it is fair to say -- are not believers -- but are still kept under the control of the evil one

            -- and if they continue on their path and do not choose to hear the good news of Christ and repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation and sanctification and eternal life through faith and trust -- they will be sorted out in the end as the unrighteous -- as the weeds and the goats and the bad fish -- and will face judgment and punishment in the blazing furnace and the lake of fire

 

IV.  Closing

-- so, what do we do with these parables of Jesus? -- what does Jesus intend for us to do in response to them?

 

-- the very first thing we need to do is to examine ourselves to make sure that we are in a right relationship with Jesus -- that we know Him and He knows us -- that we have repented of our sins and asked Him to forgive us of our sins and to be our Lord and Savior -- putting all our faith and trust in Him and His atoning death and resurrection and looking forward to His glorious appearing and eternal life with Him

-- as we talked about earlier in this series, a lot of people have been misled or have false assurances that they are saved when they are not -- just praying the sinner’s prayer -- just repeating words without meaning them won’t save you -- only a true conversion experience with Jesus saves -- and if you haven’t truly believed in your heart that Jesus is Lord and put your faith and trust in Him, then you’re not saved

-- like it says in Matthew 7:21, “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.

-- so, our first response to these parables should be to examine ourselves and to make sure that we are in a right relationship with Jesus and that we are not living on cheap grace or false assurances

 

-- the next thing we should do is to live into the knowledge that there are those around us who are not part of the kingdom of heaven -- there are those around us who have no soil or shallow soil or who are being choked out by thorns

-- so, our job as the church of Christ on earth -- as part of the kingdom of heaven -- is to share the good news of Jesus with everyone we come into contact with -- to tell them about the Savior who loved them so much that He paid everything in order to find them -- the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price

-- to tell them that He loves them so much that He died for them and rose again, overcoming both sin and death -- and that if they turn from their sins and believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord and put their faith and trust in Him -- that they will be saved and will be part of the kingdom of heaven forever

 

-- third, we need to also keep in mind that there are some who are within the church that are not like us -- there are some within the church who proclaim to be believers but they are not -- and to know that these people are teaching false doctrines and sharing false teachings and are misleading many

-- we need to be on guard against them -- to weed them out of our churches before they can damage the wheat -- to keep them from infiltrating God’s people and sharing false teachings and doctrines that turn God’s church into something it isn’t supposed to be -- into a place where Satan’s dirty birds feel at home

-- I’ve told you this before and I’ll tell you again and again -- Acts 17:11 -- Be a good Berean -- just as the Bereans fact-checked the Apostle Paul and his teachings, we need to especially fact-check everything that we hear -- including everything that you hear from me

-- just because someone is recognized as a Bible teacher or a pastor or has a radio or TV or internet ministry does not mean they are teaching the truth of God’s word -- you need to fact-check them and make sure what they are teaching lines up with the word of God -- and if it doesn’t, stop listening to them

 

-- which brings us to our final response -- we need to be discerning and loving representatives of Christ -- we need to be discipling each other -- especially those people who are young in the faith -- to make sure they are growing rightly and are not following the blowing winds of false doctrines or false teachings

-- that means that we have to be growing in Christ, too -- that we have to be diligent in studying His word -- in knowing what it says and in doing what it says -- this means we have to be in relationship with Him -- praying and listening to Him -- and fellowshipping with other believers through discipleship and worship

-- we cannot be who God has called us to be if we don’t do these things -- and we cannot be salt and light in this world, unless we know His word and live His word and help others come to know Him as their Lord and Savior

 

-- so, with that, let us heed the words and the warnings of Jesus from these parables -- and let us join together as one body -- one church -- one kingdom -- under Him -- to be and to do what He has called us to do

-- let us pray

 

1 Russians are filling America's news shortage, BY JOEL MATHIS, THE WEEK US

PUBLISHED 11 MARCH 2024 IN TALKING POINT, https://theweek.com/politics/russian-america-news-shortage-disinformation-fake-news-sites

SERMON: THE ENEMY WITHIN -- THE PARABLES OF JESUS

 

Naylor community christian church

naylor, georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 13:31-33

 

Matthew 13:31 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[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 

            -- in December 2022, people in Slovenia were shocked when they read of the arrest of a young Argentinian couple in their community

-- “Maria Rosa Mayer Muños ran an online art gallery, telling acquaintances she’d left Argentina after being robbed in Buenos Aires by an armed gang at a red light.

-- “Her husband, Ludwig Gisch, ran an IT startup. Described by neighbors in their middle-class district of Črnuče as “normal” and “quiet,” the husband and wife appeared to be global citizens: switching from English and German with friends to accentless Spanish with their son and daughter, who attended the British International School.

            -- however, it turns out they were anything but normal and quiet immigrants to Slovenia -- they were actually senior officers in the SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service -- conducting espionage and sharing misinformation and propaganda as “deep-penetration” agents hidden in plain sight

            -- following their arrest, several other suspected Russian spies in various countries around the world fled their fake lives and headed back to Moscow -- obviously, in fear that their names and locations would be exposed as part of the investigation against Maria and Ludwig

            -- spies like Maria and Ludwig are more common that we would think, with some even here in the U.S. -- as the FBI noted in the Wall Street Journal article, “The Russian Spies Next Door,” -- “Russian illegals spent years establishing a seemingly normal existence in the U.S.: They married, bought homes, raised families, and integrated into American society.”

            -- for all intents and purposes, they were honest and loyal citizens of the country -- indistinguishable from any other citizen -- all while harboring a secret identity and seeking to complete the goals and missions of their agencies¹

            -- and the thing I want you to keep in mind this morning is that actors and spies like this aren’t just embedded in our communities for political purposes -- they are also very present in the church    

 

II.  Why Parables?

            -- this morning, we are continuing our teaching series on the parables of Jesus -- we began this series by looking at why Jesus taught in parables -- as we learned, teaching in parables served two purposes: 

first, Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truths to His disciples and those seeking Him with open hearts and open minds and open ears in a way that would grant them greater understanding -- the same way a good story or illustration can help someone grasp the truth of a message

            -- for those who were open to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit -- who were spiritually sensitive -- the meaning of the parables was clear and revealed new spiritual truths and insights

            -- the second reason Jesus taught in parables was as an act of grace to protect those in the crowd from responding to His messages based on emotion or pretense and not because of a true desire for a relationship with Him -- in other words, the people who were not following Him because they were convicted of their sinfulness and wanted to repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus, but who were just following the crowd

            -- the people who responded like this to Jesus’ messages were the ones Jesus portrayed in the parable of the sower as the seed that fell on the hard path and were eaten by birds and as the seed that fell in the shallow soil, where it quickly germinated and sprang up, but withered away because it had no root

            -- in our day, we would make the parallel to people who respond emotionally in the moment to an evangelistic message or who fly to the cross in the midst of a terrible circumstance in their life -- those who pray the sinner’s prayer and get up from the altar, assuming that they have punched their ticket to heaven -- without really surrendering their life to Christ -- without realizing the true cost that comes with following Christ -- these are the ones who seek salvation without repentance and rewards without discipleship or sacrifice -- and those who respond for other reasons, but their response is not real

            [Give Kairos Salvation Example]

            -- by using parables to express the spiritual truths of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus was keeping these people whose hearts were far from Him -- whose ears were closed to the truth of God -- from responding in lip-service only and assuming they had received salvation simply by following a religious ritual

            -- He was protecting them from false assurances of salvation until they reached the point where they were spiritually ready to hear and see the truth of the gospel and to respond to Him in faith and trust

            -- it was also a way to keep His true messages hidden from the Pharisees and others who came only because they were seeking evidence to support their goal of killing Him

 

            -- last week, we talked about the true meaning of the parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price -- and how these parables are pictures of the incarnation -- of why Jesus came to earth -- of how His love for us and His desire for us caused Him to lay aside the trappings and glory of His deity so that He might become one of us -- giving all that He had -- even His very life on the cross of Calvary -- that He might secure for us victory over sin and death and eternal life with Him -- that we were the treasure that He came to find and give His life for

 

III.  Scripture Lesson -- Matthew 13:31-33

            -- this morning, we are again looking at two of Jesus’ parables that are closely related -- the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast

            -- once again, let me caution you as we look at these together to consider them within the entire context of Matthew Chapter 13, which concerns the reason why Jesus taught in parables, as we just discussed

 

-- as we study them together, keep in mind that there were two different audiences that were present when Jesus preached and taught -- you had His disciples and the true seekers, those who were open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and who were responding to Jesus’ teaching in faith and trust and obedience

-- and you had the crowd -- the unbelievers -- the Pharisees and the others who were coming but who had no intent on following Jesus -- these are the ones that Jesus describes in Matthew 13:15 as having calloused hearts that is keeping them from hearing with their ears and seeing with their eyes and responding in faith to His words

            -- these next two parables are warnings to Jesus’ disciples to be on their guard against those who sought to be part of their fellowship, but who were not truly part of the church

 

-- John described these people in his first epistle as he warned about the presence of many antichrists -- 1 John 2:19 -- “They went out from us” -- that is, they were part of the fellowship of believers -- members of the church -- but they fell away and left the church

-- “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.  For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us”

-- in other words, there were some people who were members of the early church -- people who looked like Christians and talked like Christians and attended all the religious meetings and fellowship gatherings just like the other Christians -- but who were not really believers in their hearts -- they did not have a true relationship with Christ -- and so when persecution or hardship happened -- or when they had gathered the information they were seeking -- they abandoned their pretense of faith and left

-- these are the ones John calls “antichrists” in his epistle -- and these are the ones Jesus warns about in these parables -- we know that based on the context and background of Matthew Chapter 13 and what Jesus tells His disciples about the reason why He teaches in parables

 

-- you’ve probably heard these parables taught with a different meaning than the one I am going to give you this morning -- but read these parables in context -- don’t take them out and try to discern their meaning by looking at them by themselves, in isolation -- read them and interpret them within the whole scope of what Jesus is teaching here in Matthew 13 -- and feel free to reach out to me if you want to discuss this some more

 

-- with that long introduction, let’s look now at the next two parables in our series from Matthew 13:31-33 -- the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast

 

-- verse 31

Matthew 13:31 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.”

 

 

-- I know that most of you have heard this parable taught before -- and, more than likely, this parable was offered as an example of church growth and how the influence of the church spreads and grows in our communities and in the world today

            -- the common interpretation is that what Jesus is teaching here is that the church starts like a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the garden -- but over time, this small seed grows bigger and bigger until it becomes the largest of all the garden plants -- even becoming a tree that is so large that even birds can come and perch in its branches

            -- what this means, they say, is that the church may start out small, but it is going to grow and keep on growing until it becomes the biggest plant of all 

 

 -- but there’s a couple concerns with this interpretation  

            -- first, there’s something odd about Jesus’ description of what happens to the mustard seed -- it is true that the mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds -- but mustard plants don’t grow into trees

-- I grew up farming -- we used to grow mustard -- they don’t get that big, despite what you might read online or hear taught by others -- mustard plants will never grow big enough for birds to roost in their branches -- and I guarantee you that all the disciples who heard Jesus say this knew that mustard plants don’t get that big

            -- so, what Jesus is describing here is not a normal mustard plant -- what He is describing is unnatural -- a plant that has grown into something it should not be -- a plant that has grown into a tree

-- remember the context -- where these verses fit into the whole of Matthew Chapter 13 -- this is not a proclamation of the kingdom of God growing here -- this is a warning from Jesus to His disciples about those who would come and seek to join them but who were really hypocrites and false believers and not true members of the kingdom of heaven

-- so, this is not a parable about God's kingdom growing bigger and bigger, but a parable about what happens when hypocrites and fake believers take root in the kingdom -- it's a parable about how evil and hypocrisy corrupts and expands even within the church and turns it into something it was never created to be

 

            -- we have seen this happen throughout history -- it happened when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of his empire and the church traded the truth of God’s word for political power and prestige

            -- we’re even seeing it today with this Christian Nationalist movement, as people seek to marry the church to the Government for political power and gain -- making it into something it was never meant to be

            -- and we’re going to see it when the one-world religion takes over during the reign of the Antichrist during the Tribulation Period

            -- this is exactly what Jesus is warning against here in this parable 

 

            -- which brings up the second problem with the common interpretation of this parable -- Jesus says here that birds will come and perch in the branches of this unnatural plant

-- when birds are mentioned in Scripture, they are generally symbolic of evil -- they are representatives of Satan's activity -- think of the birds who took the seed sown by the farmer in Jesus' other parable -- Jesus said those birds represented the evil one who took away the word of God from the people who desired it

            -- some translations emphasizes that Jesus called these birds, “the birds of the air” -- in Ephesians 2:2, we are told that Satan is the prince of the power of the air -- Jesus is trying to make a connection here for us -- these are unnatural birds on an unnatural plant -- as Adrian Rogers said, "these are Satan's dirty birds"

            -- what Jesus is describing here in this parable is what happens when evil and hypocrisy and religion goes unchecked in the house of God -- it becomes a roosting place for evil

 

            -- verse 33

 

Matthew 13:33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 

            -- we find yeast referred to 98 times in the Bible, and every time it is used, it represents sin or evil -- I find it hard to believe that in this one instance, Jesus is using yeast in a good way to represent His desire for the church -- I believe He is using yeast to symbolize evil just as it is used the other 97 times throughout scripture

            -- the presence of yeast is not a good thing -- it represents that which is evil or unclean -- that which does not belong in the church

 

            -- along those lines, Jesus makes the point that it is a woman who took the yeast and put it in the dough -- many times in scripture we see false religion portrayed as a woman -- as some commentators have pointed out, the feminine in Hebrew writing is used to symbolize false religion or false prophets

-- that’s what we see in Revelation as Jezebel is named in Revelation 2:20 as a false prophetess and the leader of a false religion opposed to the true religion of God -- and we read of a woman dressed in purple and scarlet riding on the scarlet beast in Revelation 17 who represents the false one-world religion in the Antichrist’s reign

 

            -- so, once again, this is not a parable about church growth or the influence of Christianity -- this is not a parable about God's word permeating all of the culture but a parable warning against the yeast of sin and evil -- the yeast of the Pharisees and hypocrites -- the yeast of false religion -- permeating the kingdom of God

            -- in Luke 12:1, Jesus warned His disciples to be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which He said was hypocrisy -- that’s what He’s doing here in this parable -- He’s warning His disciples to be on their guard against the yeast that will try to come into the church

 

            -- these parables were given by Jesus to His disciples to warn them to be cautious of those who might pretend to be part of them while they are secretly sowing seeds of destruction in their midst

-- we can take that same warning to heart today -- just because someone is in the church doesn't mean they have God's interests in mind -- just because someone claims the name of Christ doesn't mean they are Christians -- and just like one bad apple spoils a barrel, one bad person pretending to be a Christian can spoil a whole church

            -- we have to be on our guard against those who oppose Jesus -- who work against the mission of the church, even if their actions are unintentional -- and we have to especially be on our guard against those who are actively seeking to halt Jesus' ministry and the Kingdom of God through their rules and their action (or inaction) -- we have to be on our guard to make sure it’s not us, too

            -- Jesus' point here is that we need to be aware of the presence of others in our midst -- and if we don't root out the evil and false religion, it will continue to grow and influence the whole church

 

IV.  Closing

            -- let me close by sharing with you an example from history

-- in the winter of 1944, World War II was rapidly coming to an end -- the German army was in retreat, but had one desperate battle strategy left -- they planned a surprise attack on the morning of 16 December 1944 in the densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg -- an attack which became known as the Battle of the Bulge

-- a key part of the German’s strategy was to disrupt and misdirect reinforcement troops from the Americans to keep them away from the actual battlelines -- German commandos, dressed in US military uniforms, infiltrated the American line -- they positioned road blocks and directed military units the wrong way -- they changed road signs so that American troops couldn’t find their way -- they did whatever they could to keep the Americans from reinforcing the troops at the frontline

-- a total of 44 German soldiers wearing U.S. uniforms successfully infiltrated the U.S. Army line -- but when the Americans discovered what was going on, the plan quickly broke down and the majority of the Germans fled back to the German forces

-- but the damage was done -- no one knew who they could trust and who they couldn’t -- soldiers became suspicious of everyone else -- “As a result, U.S. troops began asking other soldiers questions that they felt only Americans would know the answers to in order to flush out the German infiltrators, which included naming certain states' capitals, sports and trivia questions related to the U.S”^{2, 3}

            -- some American members, including senior leaders like Brigadier General Bruce Clark, were held at gunpoint for a brief period until their identification could be confirmed -- some Americans were actually killed because of misidentification

 

            -- this true story illustrates the point that Jesus is making in these parables -- infiltrators can cause great damage in the church -- they can even take control of a church and lead it in directions it should not go

            -- we need to be aware that Satan’s dirty birds and filthy yeast can infiltrate God’s church today -- we need to make sure that we are standing true to God’s word -- that our focus is on His kingdom and His glory and that we are true representatives of the gospel in our communities

            -- we need to be well-versed in God’s word and disciplined in our lives so that we can stand against any evil that might come and that we can be faithful stewards of all that God has given us

           

            -- let us pray

 

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1 The Russian Spies Next Door, The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2024, By Georgi Kantchev, Joe Parkinson, and Silvina Frydlewsky [https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/the-russian-spies-next-door-bd7c7312]

2 Illustration modified from Paul Barreca’s sermon, “Contend for the Faith”

3 Wikipedia Article, “Operation Greif,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Greif

THOUGHTS ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION INCIDENT

 As everyone knows, on 13 July 2024, a gunman attempted to take former President Trump's life as he spoke at a rally in Pennsylvania.  Thankfully, the attempt was unsuccessful and President Trump was safely removed from the site with minor wounds.  At least one spectator was killed, another injured, and the gunman was killed.

Regardless of the political ramifications of this event and the potential it has to further divide our country, as Christians there is one clear response that we should follow.  While some may deride "thoughts and prayers" as useless platitudes, the truth remains that prayer is an integral part of our faith.  As Christians, we believe in the presence, power, and grace of our Lord God, and through prayer, we unite ourselves with Him and offer praise and worship, intercession for others, and requests for God's divine providence in our own lives.

Regardless of your particular political persuasion, regardless of what political party you may follow, let us join together in prayer today for our nation, for our leaders, and for the people and the families of those who were killed or injured in yesterday's event.  

Let us pray for the peace of God to fall on our country.  Let us pray for the wisdom of God to fill us.  Let us pray for clarity and direction in the days ahead, and that God would use this event to express His grace and mercy to His people and this nation.  Let us pray that we would trust God to respond in justice and that no one would seek to exact retribution or vengeance outside His will.

Let us pray that God's peace would fill and comfort those who lost loved ones yesterday, and that He would be with their families and their loved ones in this time of loss.

Let us pray that God would continue to heal those who were injured and would take away their pain and discomfort.  

Let us pray that our leaders are protected by His grace, and that if they do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that the Spirit would lead them to the cross and point them to the path of salvation.  Let us pray that all in our country come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and put their faith and trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins, for salvation, and for eternal life with Him.

SERMON: HIDDEN TREASURES -- THE PARABLES OF JESUS

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bible to Matthew 13:44-46

 

Matthew 13:44 “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.

 

            -- have you ever dreamed about finding a hidden treasure? -- I sure have --

when I was a kid, I was convinced that one day, I would find a hidden treasure

            -- lots of the stories and movies I watched back in the day -- from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to the classic film, “The Goonies” -- all had me convinced that there was buried treasure hidden somewhere close to me -- and all I had to do was find it

            -- and, honestly, that wasn’t that far-fetched of an idea -- when we had Georgia History taught to us in school, I learned that the infamous pirate Edward Teach -- Blackbeard himself -- used to sail along the coast and rivers of Georgia -- and rumor had it that he had buried some of his treasure on a Georgia island or possibly up one of the major rivers, such as the Savannah or the Altamaha -- treasure that has not been recovered to this day

-- that means that it's still out there somewhere -- and who knows? -- maybe my dream of finding buried treasure is something that will come true in the future

 

-- but regardless of whether I ever find a chest full of gold doubloons and precious jewels, the truth of the matter is that I have found treasure in my life -- spiritual treasure -- treasure in heaven

-- as Jesus said in Matthew 6:20-21, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

-- these spiritual treasures include eternal life with Christ -- salvation and the forgiveness of sins made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus -- God’s own word given to us in the Scriptures -- and His very presence given to us in the person of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us and leads us ever onward to heaven

-- and these spiritual treasures include the five crowns that are promised for believers in God’s word:

1.  The Victor's Crown -- awarded to those who discipline their minds through the study of God's Word and prayer

2.  The Crown of Rejoicing --given to those who have led others to Christ

3.  The Crown of Righteousness --given to those who are in a right relationship with Jesus

4.  The Crown of Life -- given to those who have overcome this world -- who have endured and triumphed over trial and temptation and persecution, even to the point of martyrdom

5.  The Crown of Glory -- given to the faithful shepherds of the people of God and to Christian leaders

-- these spiritual treasures and heavenly crowns are offered to all who respond to God’s call and believe in faith and put their hope and trust in Jesus -- we can all find these spiritual treasures if we will but look

 

            -- this morning, we are continuing our sermon series on the Parables of Jesus by looking at two parables Jesus gives us here in Matthew 13:44-46 about finding treasure -- the first is a treasure hidden in a field -- the second treasure is a pearl of great price

            -- unlike some of His other parables, Jesus doesn’t give us the interpretation -- He doesn’t tell us what these parables mean -- He leaves that up to us to understand

            -- as we pointed out last week, the secrets to the Kingdom of Heaven have been given to those who are spiritually ready to receive the hidden meaning within -- to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see

            -- and the meaning and the interpretation of these parables differs, depending on who you listen to -- so, let’s look at these verses together and see what we can learn and what the Spirit reveals to us from these two similar parables

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Matthew 13:44-46)

 

            -- verse 44

 

Matthew 13:44 “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.

 

            -- on the surface, the parable of the hidden treasure is a very straight-forward story -- as Jesus tells us here, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field -- a man goes out into a field, finds a buried treasure, covers it up again, and then buys the field and keeps the treasure for himself

           

-- now when we first read this, the actions of the man sound dishonest, don’t they? -- in our day, we would expect an honest person to go to the owner and to tell him  about the treasure that they found hidden on the property since rightfully it would belong to the landowner -- but that’s not what this man does -- instead of going to the owner and telling them about the treasure, they hide it again and then go out and sell all they have to raise enough money to buy the field and dig up the treasure for themselves

-- but what this man did in hiding the treasure and buying the field was perfectly moral and lawful in first century Palestine

 

            -- the reason why it looks dishonest to us is because of the way we understand rightful ownership based on the law -- but we have to remember that our laws are based on the laws of the Roman empire -- in a very real sense, we are the descendants of the Roman empire -- and our law and our culture and even our language and worldview -- our way of looking at and understanding this world -- all come down to us from the Romans

            -- so, the actions of the man who finds the treasure and then hides it and buys the field look dishonest to us because we are looking at it from a Roman standpoint -- from a Roman worldview

            -- but when you study the Bible, you have to keep in mind who these passages were originally given to -- the audience who originally heard these teachings -- and how they would have received and understood and applied the message

-- in order to properly understand and interpret the Bible and then apply it to our lives, you have to think of the context -- not just what it says -- but what it meant to the original reader -- before you do anything else with the text

 

            -- in this case, Matthew tells us the audience for this parable was Jesus' disciples -- Jewish men -- raised in Jewish tradition -- steeped in Jewish law -- they would immediately understand what Jesus was saying in this parable, and to them, the actions of the man would not be dishonest, but would be perfectly in keeping with the law of the Jews

            -- as William Barclay pointed out in his commentary on these parables, "in regard to hidden treasure Jewish Rabbinic law was quite clear" -- it stated, and I quote, "What finds belong to the finder, and what finds must one cause to be proclaimed? -- These finds belong to the finder--if a man finds scattered fruit [or] scattered money...these belong to the finder."

            -- in other words, the man who found the treasure hidden in the field had the right to keep what he had found according to the law -- in fact, the man who found the treasure didn’t even have to purchase the field -- he could have lawfully just dug up and kept the treasure without saying anything to the landowner

 

            -- so, the man was acting honestly, but that’s not the point of the parable -- Jesus’ main point was that the kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure that a man finds in a field -- a treasure that is so valuable and so desirable that the man goes and sells all he has in order to purchase the field and claim it for his own

 

            -- we’ll dig into the meaning and interpretation of this parable in just a moment

            -- before we do that, let’s look at the next parable -- verses 45-46

 

Matthew 13:45 “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.

 

 

            -- in this case, the finder of the treasure is a merchant who is actively looking for fine pearls -- and when he finds a pearl that is more valuable than all of the others, he sells all he has in order to buy this one pearl of great value -- the pearl of great price

            -- the point of this parable parallels that of the first -- when a treasure of great price is discovered, the finder sells all he has in order to acquire the treasure he has found

 

            -- now I'm sure you've heard these parables taught in the past -- and I'm sure the interpretation of these parables has always been similar -- the actor in the parable -- the man who finds the treasure in the field and the merchant seeking fine pearls -- represent you and me -- sinners seeking eternal life -- sinners seeking the Kingdom of Heaven

            -- and the interpretation that we've always been given is that when we find eternal life through Christ, we are to sell all we have -- to give ourselves completely to Him -- in order to claim the treasure of the kingdom of heaven for our own

            -- however, this popular interpretation of these two parables is probably not the correct interpretation because there are some serious spiritual and theological problems with this explanation -- let me explain

 

            -- the first problem with the popular interpretation is in the definition of the actor in the parable -- in other words, who is the main character?

            -- in the first parable, the main character is a man who finds a hidden treasure while he is working in the field, going about his daily labors

            -- in the second parable, the main character is a merchant looking for fine pearls -- and when he find the pearl of great price, he sells all he has to buy it

            -- so, who do these people represent? -- in both cases, the common interpretation of this parable is that these people represent us -- that in both cases, the people are unbelievers who stumble across the hidden treasure of the kingdom of heaven -- the way to salvation and eternal life

            -- makes sense? -- heard that before? -- it’s a pretty common interpretation

 

            -- the problem with this popular interpretation is that it doesn’t line up with Scripture -- the Bible makes it clear that we can't find God on our own -- Scripture tells us that we have no desire to find God -- to seek God -- because our hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things -- Romans 5:10 says that we are actually enemies of God and 1 Corinthians 2:14 says that "the natural man has no ability to come to God" on his own

            -- in other words, in our natural state we aren't looking for God -- we don't have any desire to find God -- and even if we tripped over God in a field or found Him hidden in a market, we wouldn't recognize Him -- we wouldn’t even pay any attention to Him at all -- we wouldn’t care

            -- how many people have you talked to who have no interest at all in Jesus? -- how many people have you talked to who just don't care about religion or the Bible or any other trapping of Christianity? -- there's a reason for that

            -- in John 6:44 Jesus says "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him

            -- to put it another way, no one is going to look for God unless God first calls him through His prevenient grace -- the grace that reaches out to us before we are saved -- the grace that woos us to the cross -- the grace that makes us aware of our lostness and our need for salvation -- without God calling us in the first place, no one would even know there was a treasure available that offered eternal life

 

            -- let me give you an example of what I'm talking about -- several years ago Kim and I were trying to find a small station wagon she could use to haul dogs in -- and we saw one listed in the paper at an estate sale, so we went to go look at it

            -- we walked through the house and everything in there was for sale -- they had taken the pictures down and leaned them against the wall by the front door and we just glanced at them as we walked past looking for the owner -- we found him -- drove the car -- and ended up buying it

            -- a few weeks later we found out someone had found a treasure in that house -- they had discovered an original lithograph of the Washington Monument -- an artist's proof that had been made by the designer for approval before construction -- it had been signed on the back by several prominent early politicians -- I forget the value of the picture, but it was worth thousands of dollars

            -- and Kim and I walked right past it -- we walked right past a treasure -- inches from our knees -- we saw it, but it didn’t mean anything to us -- why? -- because we didn’t recognize it as treasure -- we didn’t have the capacity or the ability to discern its true value

-- and that’s the problem with this common interpretation of these parables -- the natural man is not going to be looking for the kingdom of God and won’t recognize it if he happens to stumble across it -- either hidden in a field or hidden in a case of pearls

 

            -- the second problem with this parable is what the main character does when he finds the hidden treasure or the pearl of great price -- in both cases, we are told the main character sells all he has to buy the field or to buy the pearl -- and we routinely hear this taught as an example of what we must do in our lives, as well -- that we must give all we have to Jesus in order to find eternal life -- that we have to sacrifice everything in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven

            -- now, I hope you can gather what is wrong with this interpretation now that you're looking at this parable with discerning eyes

            -- Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- and this not of yourself -- it is the gift of God -- not by works -- so that no one can boast"

            -- we are saved by grace through faith -- not by works -- as we often proclaim, "you can't buy your way to heaven -- you can't do enough good things to get to heaven -- you can only get to heaven through faith in Jesus"

            -- now, I don't know about you, but when someone tells me that these parables mean that we are to go and sell all we have to buy the field with the hidden treasure or to buy the pearl of great price, that sure sounds like it's telling me we have to buy our way to heaven

            -- of course, the commentators are quick to say that's not what it means -- they say what Jesus meant is we should make any sacrifice necessary and give up whatever we need to in order to gain eternal life -- as Barclay said in his commentary, you have to be willing to give up everything in order to gain the treasure

            -- but they're skirting around the literal meaning in order to make sure their interpretations line up with their doctrine -- in other words, "this parable can't really mean you sell all you have to buy the field or to buy the pearl because you can't buy your way to heaven, so Jesus really meant this instead"

            -- but when I read it, it seems to be clear that Jesus says both the man and the merchant sold all they had so they could buy the treasure with their resources on hand -- they sacrificed all they had to buy the treasure -- and this just does not line up with  what the Bible tells us -- with the foundations of our faith -- "for it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- not by works"

            -- also, to further confound the issue, Isaiah told us in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteous acts are like filthy rags -- that means that we don’t possess anything of value to begin with -- we don't even have the money to buy the field or the pearl if we wanted to

-- even the richest man in the world -- even Elon Musk or Bill Gates -- isn’t rich enough to buy their way into heaven

-- and even the best person you know -- even Mother Teresa -- isn't good enough and can’t do enough righteous acts to atone for their sin -- so how could we buy the field or the pearl in the first place? -- it just doesn’t line up with Scripture -- and Jesus is not telling us something that is biblically untrue

 

            -- so, if the common interpretation is not right, then what is the better interpretation? -- let's think about this logically in a way that lines up with a proper interpretation of Scripture

 

            -- first, who is the audience? -- who was Jesus talking to when He told them these parables?

            -- Matthew tells us these two parables were given to His disciples after Jesus left the crowd and went into a house -- so, these parables were not given to the crowd -- and that means the teachings of this parable were not for the crowd, but only for Jesus' chosen disciples -- the men who would build His church on earth after His death and resurrection

 

            -- secondly, what is the overall message of the parable? -- what is it that Jesus is trying to get across to these men?

-- He’s not telling them how to be saved or how to find eternal life -- they already know that -- that would be a message that the crowd needed to hear

-- instead, He's telling them the reason why He came -- in these parables, Jesus outlines to His closest followers the purpose of His coming -- the reason for the incarnation, for the cross, and the resurrection

 

            -- knowing those two things, let’s look at these parables again in that context

            -- look back at verse 44

 

Matthew 13:44 “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.

 

 

            -- in the first parable, a man goes out into the field, finds a buried treasure, and sells all he has to acquire the field and possess the treasure

            -- what is the field? -- the field represents the world -- both Jew and Gentile -- the entire world -- all the people of the world -- remember John 3:16? -- for God so loved THE WORLD… -- that is what we see here

            -- so, who's the man? -- we've already pointed out that it can't be us -- it can’t be unbelievers -- because we aren't looking for God in the first place -- and, even if we were, we don't have money to buy the field even if we wanted to

-- so, who has the resources to buy the field? -- that’s the key -- it's Jesus -- Jesus is the man -- or, as He calls Himself throughout the gospels, the Son of Man

            -- then what's the treasure? -- what is of such great price that He would sell all He had to gain it? -- it's us -- it's you and me and all the other people in this world -- Jesus came to earth looking for us and when He found us, He gave all He had -- even His very own body and blood on the cross of Calvary -- to redeem us from the curse and to offer forgiveness for our sins

            -- back to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life"

            -- Jesus sought us when we were still sinners and paid the sin-debt that we owed all because He loved us and considered us a treasure of inestimable value

 

            -- but what about the merchant looking for fine pearls? -- what's up with that? -- verse 45

 

Matthew 13:45 “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.

 

            -- once again, Jesus is the merchant -- He has to be since He’s the only one who has any resources to give up for our redemption

-- similar to the man working in the field, the merchant is looking among all the pearls in the market, searching for fine pearls -- this is a reminder to us that we are all pearls in the eyes of God -- all of us are made in the image of God, and that is why we are all valuable enough for Jesus to give it all in order to redeem us

-- but there is only one pearl in the market that Jesus sells everything to buy -- it is the pearl of great value -- the pearl of great price -- this pearl represents the church

            -- the men and women -- both Jew and Gentile -- who have been redeemed by God and who have put their faith and trust in Him

 

            -- if you consider pearls for a moment, you’ll quickly understand¹

 

            -- first, pearls are the product of suffering

-- pearls are formed when oysters get a grain of sand or other item trapped inside the mantle of their shell -- This piece of sand irritates the tender oyster and it responds by coating the grain of sand with layer upon layer of a substance called nacre, which is basically saliva and calcium -- It is the same substance that coats the inside of the oyster’s shell

-- the church was created through the suffering of Christ on the cross for us -- it is through His pain and His body and blood that we come together today -- the pearl of the cross is the product of His suffering

 

-- second, the process of creating a pearl takes something with no value and gives it value -- the irritant that begins the process of the oyster creating a pearl is nothing of great value -- just a piece of sand -- a bone fragment -- something similar -- but as the oyster responds to this irritant, it takes that worthless item and transforms it into a beauty of inestimable treasure in the same way that Jesus transforms sinners into children of God

 

-- third, the pearl is a composite -- it’s not just one thing -- a pearl consists of a minimum of three materials -- the piece of sand or other irritant and the secretions of the oyster, made up of its saliva and calcium -- in the same way, the church -- the pearl of great price -- is made up of people from varying backgrounds, different races, different genders, and different economic classes

 

 -- finally, the pearl is indivisible -- the pearl is the only gem known to man that cannot be cut or shaped -- large diamonds and other jewels are cut and made into smaller, more valuable stones, but a pearl cannot be divided -- to cut a pearl utterly destroys its value -- in the same way, the church of God cannot be divided -- Jesus prayed that we would be one with each other and one with Him as He and the Father are one -- the pearl of great price -- the true church of Christ -- in indivisible and will stand together forever

 

III.  Closing

            -- okay, so now that I've turned these parables upside-down for you, what does it mean? -- what are you to take from this interpretation of Jesus' parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price?

            -- it simply comes down to this -- you are loved -- in the eyes of God you are a beloved treasure -- a treasure of inestimable value -- you are worth so much to the God and Creator of this universe that He sent His only Son to save you and redeem you

            -- Jesus gave all He had to purchase you -- to redeem you from your life of sin and death -- to claim you as His own and make you part of the kingdom of heaven

            -- regardless of what the world may say about you -- regardless of what others may think or how they may judge you -- God knows your worth -- God knows your value -- and He moved heaven and earth to find you and call you and draw you to Him

            -- perhaps He's still calling some of you today -- perhaps His voice is still wooing you from your place of lostness in this world -- perhaps He's still waiting for you to come and let Him redeem you and forgive you of your sins

            -- if so, then let me encourage you to respond to His call -- all you have to do is put your faith in Jesus and His atoning death on the cross -- believe that He is the Son of God and that He died for you to pay the price for sins and that He rose again on the third day to prove His victory over sin and death

            -- that's it -- that's all it takes for you to experience forgiveness and freedom and life in the kingdom of heaven

            -- so let us close now in prayer, thanking God for His grace and for His Son, who gave all He had just for us

            -- let's pray

 

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1 Modified from Alan Carr’s sermon, Pictures from the Pearl