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Text: Matthew 13:1-17
Fleeing the house
- The same day went Jesus out of the house… (vs 1)
- The Lord Jesus literally leaves the house he’s in and goes to the boat dock.
- But look at the excellent way with words the Holy Spirit has. Jesus warned of a clean house being occupied by devils after it’s cleaned up. In 12:43-45 he describes the state of Israel as a possessed man who would not allow the true occupant of the house, namely Jesus Christ, to live in his own house. Therefore the devil comes back with more devils and the latter end is worse for that house than before. The reason the house is worse off is because the one who is supposed to live there isn’t allowed to live there.
- Now watch the first verse in chapter 13; The same day went Jesus out of the house… Foreshadowing of dark days coming.
Filtering the truth through parables
- …he spake many things unto them in parables… (vs 3)
- Jesus isn’t speaking like he spoke in Matthew 5 with direct statements of truth.
- A parable is an allegory of something real in order to teach a truth. The catch is if you don’t understand some of the truth being allegorized the parable will not make any sense. So it is truth revealed to those who already have some understanding of the truth, and it is truth concealed to those who have no understanding.
- Notice Matthew 13:10-13. The light that is right in front of them is being taken away slowly, while the disciples are being given greater understanding of things.
Fruits of righteousness are the point (vss 3-9)
- Let’s read verses 3-8.
- What is the truth being presented? What is Jesus saying? The point of the seed is the fruit and the point of the word of God is to bring forth the fruits of righteousness.
- Romans 3:1-2 says the chief advantage the nation of Israel had was that they were given the words of God. They had the scriptures and the prophets. While being an advantage, it didn’t make them right with God.
- Here’s where they went wrong:
- The self righteous Jews believed the point of the seed – the word of God – is so that they would have seed – the word of God. Jesus says the point of the word of God is so that you would bear fruit.
- Romans 2:13, 17-22, 25, 28-29 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. … 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? … 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. … 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Fulfillment of the scriptures (vss 10-15)
- Conversion of the seed into fruit is the point as the Lord says in Matthew 13:13-15. Note the words in verse 15 “and should be converted.”
- Jesus said either make the tree good or make it evil Matthew 12:33.
- Isaiah 6:5, 9-12 Isaiah got a glimpse of the Lord and it caused him to fall on his face and beg God to clean him up.
- Converted into children is also what Jesus says in Matthew 18:3 like being born again.
Faithful see what prophets and righteous men looked for (vss 16-17)
- 1 Peter 1:10-12
- Romans 1:1-4
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
