Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
Okay, so the question here is in the parables Jesus gave about the kingdom of Heaven over and over he begins with the kingdom of heaven is like and then gives an analogy whereby we can learn learn about the kingdom, allowing us to draw from our own experience of the world around us, parallels and glimpse what the kingdom is like. Expert he says, the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which is among the smallest of seeds, but when grown becomes a large tree, and birds come and nest in its branches leaven, which a woman hid in three measures of meals till all was leavened. A field in which a man sowed good seed and an enemy came along and sowed tears. And the man allowed those tears to grow alongside the good seed until the harvest time, at which point those tears would be destroyed in the fire, a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid. And for joy over that treasure goes and sells everything he has to buy that field. A merchant seeking goodly pearls, who when he found one of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it a dragnet cast into the sea that gathered some of every kind, and when it was full was drawn to shore, and then sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw away the bad.
Speaker 1
Next slide. There are many more examples to give, but this question is already getting pretty long. So I’ll sum it up here and.
Speaker 2
Ask I like where it’s going?
Speaker 1
How are all of these parables talking about the same thing? They’re all about the kingdom of heaven and what it’s like. But how is that so? How can something that is like a mustard seed and that starts small and grows into a large tree also be like a dragnet cast into the sea and also be like a field full of wheat and tears, et cetera?
Speaker 3
I love this question.
Speaker 1
Yeah, great question.
Speaker 3
Did you want to go answer it or would you mind if I did the honors?
Speaker 1
To the honors?
Speaker 3
Sure. Okay. To my friend Angst Joe I love this question. I think that’s very, very valid and I think that the Bible kind of answers it. I think Jesus answers it when he’s in the middle of talking about his parables in Matthew chapter 13, after he gives the parable of the seeds that fell among thorns and sony places. And Jesus says something very interesting here in verse 13 or verse twelve. Go ahead and start there. Matthew 1312, the disciples ask him after this, verse ten. Sorry. Matthew 1310 it says, and the disciples came and said unto him, why speakest thou unto them in parables? Why do you speak to the people in parables? So even his disciples didn’t understand. And Jesus answers and says to them, because it’s given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. But to them it is not given. For whosoever has to him, it shall be given, and who has abundance, but whoever doesn’t have what little he has shall be taken from him. Therefore that’s why I speak to them in parables, because they saying see not and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.
Speaker 3
And this was again prophesied in the book of Isaiah. Jesus says in chapter verse 14 and what Jesus is getting at here. What I understand Jesus to mean by these verses. Is that Jesus is saying.
Look.
Speaker 3
I speak in parables so that those who have a spiritual ear. Who are listening by the Spirit of God are going to be able to understand what I’m saying. And that those that maybe don’t have a spiritual ear. Who really don’t care about spiritual things. Are just going to hear it and go like. Whatever. They’re not going to get it. It’s not going to affect them. They’re not going to be able to have that richness. That fullness that you see in understanding these truths of the Bible and of the mysteries of the God’s kingdom. Again, Jesus says later on in the chapter, I think, something that is very key to this. In verse 34, Jesus says, and all these things speak Jesus unto the multitude in parables. And without a parable he spoke unto them. Because Jesus knew that within the crowd of people, everybody that was going to hear, some people were actually interested in Jesus as the Messiah, that actually wanted to know God, that actually wanted to have a relationship with God. And then there were people like the Pharisees that just wanted to hear something interesting and just have something to talk about and criticize and puff up themselves.
Speaker 3
They really didn’t want to know God. They wanted to just live for themselves. And Jesus talks about things in a mystery so that only those that really have an ear to hear, that really want to listen to what God is having to say to them, is going to be able to understand these things. And again, Jesus says in verse 35 that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet saying, I will open my mouth and parables and other things that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. So basically these are just special truths that God is trying to reveal about Himself, about his kingdom, that he’s never revealed before until Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, came into the earth. And all of these different parables that you’re reading about, the mustard seed, some of them have similar principles. I do believe, like the mustard seed, that it is the smallest seed, but it grows into the biggest tree and it’s an aspect of God’s kingdom. And there are multiple aspects to God’s kingdom, which is why there are different parables that have some different meanings. But in essence, they’re all talking about God’s kingdom because they’re all kind of talking about an aspect, I believe God’s character as well, who God is and what his kingdom is actually about.
Speaker 3
Because when people were looking for the Messiah, when they were looking to Jesus in hopes of the Messiah, a lot of them didn’t believe it was Jesus because Jesus didn’t appear in the way that they thought Jesus should. And I think this is really key because so many of them were looking for a coming king, like a triumphant military leader to destroy the Romans who were oppressing them. But what Jesus was like, no, my kingdom is not like that. My kingdom is not like this earth where I have a really big army and I can destroy people and I’m just going to take over. That’s not what my kingdom is about. My kingdom, my character is about love. It’s about peace, it’s about doing good, it’s about kindness, it’s about being genuine. And all these different aspects about who God really is and what his kingdom, what his mission is all about, and why Jesus came, which is not just to go out and try to force people to a religion. No, Jesus was trying to convert people from the heart and he was trying to sow his good seed and heart that was ready to receive it and to give salvation to those that actually wanted a relationship with God.
Speaker 3
And that’s why I think it’s so important how we understand who Jesus is and who God is. And that’s why I believe Jesus said in John, chapter 17 three, that this is life eternal, this is eternal life, that they would know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ who now has set. And we know that Jesus and his father are one. And so when we understand Jesus, we understand the Father. And so basically our understanding of God is seen in our understanding of Jesus. And Jesus is trying to reveal in these parables some aspect of who he is, what he’s about, what his mission is about. And the whole purpose is for us going to Heaven one day, what that actually is going to be like, heaven isn’t. I think we’ve said this many times before, we’re going to get to heaven and we’re going to be surprised who’s there and maybe who’s not there. Because I do believe there’ll be people who will think will be there because they seem so religious. But really on the inside, their heart wasn’t right with God. And I think a lot of these parables are talking about like the sower of the seed.
Speaker 3
Some fell up among good seed where God’s Word was able to grow and be. Nourished, because they took care of the seed, they took care of God’s Word. They built that relationship with God. Same thing with the mustard seed, that it grew into something great. God’s little to the word. His Word that he gives to the world will grow and flourish if it’s fostered the right way and it will be more powerful and more beautiful than anything the world has ever seen if we can cherish God’s Word in the right way. And again, I just think that there are so many aspects to God and his character that we see in every different parable, because the whole purpose of the kingdom of heaven is like it’s just different aspects of the beautiful picture of who God is. And again, like I’m saying, his character, just like a diamond, has many, many facets and twinkles in different ways. So is God’s word and his character that you see in different aspects of the ministry and the parables of Jesus. So that would be my answer. I hope that helps you and I hope that blesses you and I pray that you continue to study in God’s Word.
Speaker 3
Jr. What do you have any thoughts on that?
Speaker 2
Yeah. To me. The heart of it is what you’re saying. Where there’s just so many facets to what makes the kingdom of heaven and God God and all these things that we have that parable of the five blind men and elephant. Right where one is touching the trunk. One is touching the leg. One is touching the back. One’s touching the tail. And each one is seeing something different. The one says, I feel this big, thick, muscular, tubular thing. Now that I feel this big, giant, round, sturdy, not wanting to feel this ball floppy thing. Or one is touching the ear too. I feel really flappy, thin thing. Are they inconsistent? Are they wrong? Or are they each sensing perceiving, a different part of the elephant? And that’s what Christ is doing here with all these different parables. He says, I could spend forever probably telling you about heaven. It’s beyond your comprehension, but I’m going to give you little visuals that will help you understand certain elements of it that I think are important as we have. One Corinthians 29 says, eyes not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
Speaker 2
So we have not visually seen any of these things or heard any of these things, but if you go to the next verse, one Corinthians 210 says, but God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things. Yes, the deep things of God. The Spirit is critical to help us understand and pull it all together as saying right to Paul, says one Corinthians 214. It says, but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God where they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. And the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writers to write the Bible has to also inspire us with proper interpretation. And this is going to be a critical component as you and anybody goes and studies the Bible is don’t study the Bible alone. You need the Holy Spirit with you to interpret it, to pull it together. And you’re going to start getting insides. God will have Bible studies for you. He’ll take you on an amazing journey if you let him guide you and answer you through the process.
Speaker 2
It holds all together. Amen.
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