Continuing His analogy of sowing, Jesus moved on to a subject very familiar to His listeners. When a farmer planted a field of wheat, anyone who had something against him would, under cover of night, sow tares in with the wheat. Tares have the same...

The Parable of the Sower does not begin with “The kingdom of heaven is like” because it describes how the kingdom begins. It begins with the preaching of the Word, the planting of the seed in the hearts of people.

We have such need to hear these words of Jesus because Bible students are in great danger of being foolish men who erroneously conclude that because they are hearing the truth and agreeing with the truth, they are automatically practicing the truth...

This warning of Jesus applies to people who say “Lord, Lord,” and yet their spiritual life has nothing to do with their daily life. They go to church, perhaps fulfill some daily religious duties, yet sin against God and man just as any other might.

Israel was warned against false prophets, and the church is warned against false teachers, but both classes come in sheep’s clothing.

The narrow gate and road referred to Jesus’ teaching, which emphasized not external requirements but internal transformation. Even the Lord Jesus acknowledged that few would find the true way, the way that leads to life.

The “Golden Rule” had been expressed in negative terms at least one hundred years before this time by Rabbi Hillel. However, by stating the rule in positive terminology, Jesus goes beyond passive restraint to active benevolence. Christianity is not...

Ask” means to pray with humility and consciousness of need. “Seek” means to pray and to be active in pursuing God’s will. “Knock” seems to point toward persistence.

If a person sets himself up as a judge, it implies that he has a broader knowledge of God’s Word and standards and a higher degree of being able to live it. The harsh, strict standards by which they criticize others will be the same standard by which...

Seek first the kingdom, and everything else will fall into place. Every one of you is proof of this, for truly God has provided. We may have spent nights worrying, and yet the Lord has been faithful even when we’ve been foolish. That’s why Jesus told...