Do you have ears to hear? Christ reveals the secrets of His Kingdom to his disciples.

## Matthew 13 - The Parables

*3rd Discourse of Teaching*

Structure - begins with a parable, then speaks of its hiddenness from the crowd and but reveals its secrets to his disciples.

#### I. the Parables v.1-9

- \* parable - is an analogy, a symbolic story or picture meant to convey a truth. The parables are about the kingdom of heaven/God.- "The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to... Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like..." Each parable reveals a dimension or principle of the Kingdom, and there is a progression to them.

- 2 dimensions, the human heart, and the world and the judgment.

- 2 principles - growth and value.

###### 2. Why Jesus speaks in parables

x. Isaiah 6:9-10 - Parables hide the meaning for those who don't follow Christ.

- But Christ unlocks the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven to his disciples, but the meaning is hidden from crowds.

- [ ] Fan or a Follower?

- [ ] God gives understanding to his disciples

###### 3. Parable of Sower explained v.18-23

- The Seed is the Word of the Kingdom

- The soil is the human heart and there are different heart conditions.

- path - doesn't sink in, don't understand... Satan steals it

- Rocky soil - receives it with joy but isn't rooted down when hardship comes

- persecution and troubles arises on account of the Word

- thorns - cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches choke the world, it proves unfruitful.

- good soil - hears and understand. bears fruit.

- - \* key is understanding - which is something that God gives.

#### II. Parable of the Weeds explained

- the soils of the hearts of humanity make up the field which is the entire world.

- two kinds of plants growing - wheat and weeds. \* weed - tares - a false wheat look a like, but fully mature is black instead of golden.

- Jesus plants the Sons of the Kingdom into the world. Satan plants the weed

- Until the Harvest time, or judgment - when he will separate the wheat from the weeds.

#### III. Parables that shows Kingdom principles

- Principle of growth - mustard seed and the leaven or yeast

- Principle of value - the Kingdom is worth all you have!

#### IV. Exhorts the Scribes of the Kingdom of God to share these things - treasures new and old.

#### V. Christ ironically rejected at Nazareth v.53-58

**Truth - Summary** - so we see that the Kingdom of Heaven starts small, as a message sown into the human heart by Christ. To those who have understanding, it grows to bear fruit. Jesus then sows these Sons of the Kingdom into the world. The enemy also sows his sons into the world. The Kingdom, while starting small, grows to its fullness, until finally, at the time of maturity, the time of judgment comes, where Christ separates the righteous from the wicked. The Righteous remain in His Kingdom and shine like the sun while the wicked are thrown into the fiery furnace.

**Applications -**

- [ ] He who has ears, let him hear.

- [ ] Ask Christ to give understanding of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. - the Disciples even ask him to explain.

- [ ] Value the Kingdom above all - surrender all to possess the Kingdom - the answer to the soils - the rocky soil, or the thorns.

- Paul - "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them rubbish in order that I may gain Christ."

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

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