Resource Detail

SEVERAL PARABLES IN REGARD TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 

Matthew 13:24-52

Key Verses: 13:40 and 43

 

   "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at

    the end of the age" (40). "Then the righteous will shine like the

    sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear"

    (43).

 

STUDY QUESTIONS

 

 

1. Read verses 24-30. What is this parable about? What can we learn

   from this parable about the kingdom of heaven? What can we learn

   about how we must live in this world?

 

2. Read verses 31-35. What can we learn about the kingdom of heaven

   from the parable of the mustard seed? What can we learn from the

   parable about the yeast and dough?

 

3. Read verses 44-46. What does the parable of the hidden treasure

   teach about the kingdom of heaven? The parable of the pearl of great

   value? How can we have a Christian value system?

 

4. Read verses 47-52. How is the net let down into the lake like the

   kingdom?  What does this parable teach about the end of the age? Why

   did Jesus want to make sure that his disciples understood?

 

5. Read verses 36-43. Why did Jesus explain the parable of the weeds?

   Why is it necessary to know that there is a day of judgment, heaven

   and hell?

 

 

SEVERAL PARABLES IN REGARD TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 

Matthew 13:24-52

Key Verses: 13:40 and 43

 

   "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at

    the end of the age" (40). "Then the righteous will shine like the

    sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear"

    (43).

 

   Today's passage teaches us mainly about the kingdom of God through

several parables. It is interesting that the children of the kingdom of

God have to live with the children of the devil in this world. So the

children of God cannot expect paradise in the world because they have

to coexist with the children of the devil, just as a man of noble

character, Socrates, lived with his wife Xanthippe, a woman of total

depravity. The children of the kingdom of God must patiently wait until

God deals with the children of the devil. At the same time, we must be

like a treasure-hunter in looking for the kingdom of God. In this

passage we also learn that the kingdom of God grows and expands in

character. But we modern people have a problem: Most people in this

generation do not believe in the kingdom of God. Some do believe in the

king- dom of God; they are an absolute minority. When we study the

Bible, we find that the plot of the Bible is lost paradise and the

rehabilitation of paradise. The key point of the Bible is the kingdom

of God for the children of God, and the kingdom of the devil. But most

Christians miss the main point of the Bible. They are not focusing on

the kingdom of God, but on this world. There is an impression that many

believe Jesus' messianic ministry on the earth, but not - the kingdom

of God. They want to live in this world forever with the money they

earn. Moreover, all people, including children of God, decline to

believe in the existence of hell. The Bible teaches us both the kingdom

of God and the kingdom of the devil. When we talk about the kingdom of

God, people are happy to hear it. But when we talk about the kingdom of

the devil, that is, hell, they are infuriated, saying, "God is love. So

there is no hell." One girl knows her father deserves hell. So she does

not believe the sovereignty of God, through which the kingdom of God

and hell are determined. However, it is important to study about the

kingdom of God and hell.  First, the parable of the weeds (24-30). In

this part good and evil are categorized. But these days many think that

beneficial things are good and things that cause us to suffer loss are

evil. In history, the concept of good and evil has been long disputed.

Soon Ja, one of the Chinese philosophers, said, "Man is evil."

Confucius and his followers said, "Man is good." Confucius, like John

Dewey, believed that man can ameliorate himself by means of education.

St. Paul said man is good and evil. But this part of the passage

clearly classifies good and evil.

 

   Look at verses 24-25. "Jesus told them another parable:  The kingdom

of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while

everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,

and went away.'" In these verses we learn that the children of God and

the children of the devil must coexist. It is not easy for the children

of God or even for the children of the devil. If we read Dostoevsky's

"Crime and Punishment," there are two persons who are quite a contrast.

One is a diligent and honest student. The other is an old woman who

owns a pawn shop. The young man finally kills the old woman, thinking

that such a selfish person should not exist in the world.

Allegorically speaking, the young student and the owner of the pawn

shop cannot live together in the same apartment building even though it

is very spacious. Likewise, the children of the kingdom of God find it

very hard to get along with the children of the devil in this world.

The Bible tells us that 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. When the wheat

sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 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?'  An enemy did this,' he

replied. The servants asked him,  Do you want us to go and pull them

up?'  No,' he answered,  because while you are pulling the weeds you

may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the

harvest'" (24-30).

 

   In these verses we learn that our God is a great God. Our God is a

universal God. He even sends rain on the good and the evil. Our God

allows evil men to live in this world even though they don't deserve

it. From time to time we confront terrible events. Several years ago,

one who mangled and killed his wife and his wife's boyfriend with a

knife was pronounced "not guilty." The children of the kingdom of God

see these kind of events overflowing in this world and wonder why God

does not immediately punish them and do away with them. But our God is

a long-suffering and patient God (Ro 2:4). Our God wants all men to

come to his Son and be saved. Our God gives the opportunity for the

children of the devil to come to Jesus and be saved. At the same time,

God wants the children of the kingdom of God to be the light of the

world and the salt of the earth. Of course, God knows the world is

wicked and adulterous due to evildoings of the kingdom of the devil.

 

   Our God is the almighty God and the God of love. But at the harvest

time, he collects the weeds and ties them in bundles to be burned. Then

he gathers the wheat and brings it into his barn. Look at verse 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." We will think

more about this later.

 

Second, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast (31-35). Look at

verse 31. "He told them another parable:  The kingdom of heaven is like

a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.'" A mustard

seed is the smallest seed among all seeds. Though it is the smallest of

all seeds, when it grows it is the largest of garden plants. This is a

beautiful allegory of how Christianity starts small like a mustard

seed, but grows like the largest tree. For example, the kingdom of God

on earth began through the baby in the manger.  The baby in the manger

is Jesus. Jesus was helpless compared with Caesar Augustus, who was

sitting on the throne of the Roman Empire. But Caesar's name has become

a dog's name and Caesar's palace has left no trace. Many archaeologists

have tried to find Caesar's palace for the last several hundred years.

But they couldn't find anything about it nor any relics of it. On the

other hand, Jesus, the baby in a manger, was nothing but a small baby.

But there was the life of God in him. So he grew and conquered the

world with the love of God. Verse 32 reads, "Though it is the smallest

of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden

plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch

in its branches."

 

   Look at verse 33. "He told them still another parable:  The kingdom

of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount

of flour until it worked all through the dough.'" If we mix a certain

amount of flour and make a lump, it looks small. But when we mix the

flour and put some yeast in it, it expands into a big clump of dough.

So without yeast, making delicious bread is impossible. Actually, in

the Bible, yeast is usually used to illustrate bad influence. But here,

yeast is used in illustrating the kingdom of God. The main point is

that the kingdom of God is expanding. Therefore those who have the

kingdom of God can grow in their inner man as yeast expands in dough.

Those who have the kingdom of God in their hearts can have a great

vision. They are not swayed by a small amount of money or adulterous

feelings. Those who have the kingdom of God always dwell in a great

dream and vision.

 

Third, the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl (44-46). The

parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl are basically the same.

But there are different emphases. Look at verse 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." This parable teaches us a value system. These days young people

generally think money is everything. So one promising young man works

two jobs to get a little more money. He has no time to read the

classics. He has no time to study the Bible, not to mention feed sheep.

As a result, he is growing as a truck driver candidate. When we review

the American educational system, we see that it is mainly focused on

science.  The humanities, music and art have been largely ignored for a

long time. Of course, this is good for attaining immediate benefits.

But American young people are getting wild because they do not study

humanity properly and are not developing their emotions properly. When

we develop our emotions properly, we can become disciplined people and

overcome wild ways.

 

   Since John Dewey's educational philosophy has been adopted, this

country has lost the normal development of young people's character.

Science-centered education has produced a huge amount of weapons for

war. At the same time it has deprived American youngsters of a value

system. Money is not everything. A value system is everything. Without

a value system one is liable to become a child of the devil. Where

there is no value system, there is no power to overcome sufferings,

which are required in doing something great.  When we have no value

system, we can become like a hog or pig or sow or swine or boar. It is

very important to work hard to plant a true value system in the hearts

of American young people. It is very important to work hard to help

American youngsters grow in humanity. It is most important for us to

work hard to disseminate the seeds of gospel truth in the hearts of

American youngsters so that they may have a value system, noble

character, and vision, and be men and women of sacrifice, and

altruistic people. The parable of the pearl is basically the same as

the parable of the hidden treasure. Look at verses 45-46.  "Again, the

kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he

found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and

bought it." If we are going to obtain that which is of the greatest

value, we must not be petty men but ambitious and venturous, like the

man who sold all his possessions to get one pearl. Allegorically

speaking, the pearl is the kingdom of God.

 

Fourth, the parable of the net (47-52). Let's read verses 47-48. "Once

again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the

lake and caught all kinds of fish. 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." This tells us that there is a

definite difference between good fish and bad fish.  Bad fish are

finally picked up and thrown away. Verse 49 reads, "This is how it will

be at the end of the age." Ordinary people do not think about what will

happen at the end of the age. Here, "at the end of the age" implies at

the time of one's death or at the time of Jesus' coming again. It is

hard to distinguish between good people and bad people. These days bad

people are regarded as good people because they have money and good

positions. On the other hand, those who live a poor and pure life for

the sake of the proclamation of the gospel are known as bad people. But

the day will come when our Lord Jesus Christ separates good people from

bad people. Those who lived for their stomach only will be in great

trouble. Verses 49-50 read, "This is how it will be at the end of the

age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and

gnashing of teeth." Jesus asked his disciples in verse 51, "Have you

understood all these things?" They answered, "Yes, sir!" But their

confident "yes" is questionable when we read the last part of the

gospel. Finally Jesus tells them that everybody must have new treasures

and old treasures in his storeroom (52). This means that they must have

the kingdom of God in their hearts.

 

Fifth, the parable of the weeds explained (36-43). Jesus' disciples

were very happy about hearing the other parables. It was like a sweet

dream while they were hearing other parables. But when they remembered

the first parable, the parable of the weeds, something bothered their

hearts. So his disciples came to him and said, "Please explain to us

the parable of the weeds in the field" (36). They wanted to hear the

parable of the weeds one more time because they did not have the

concept of each key word. Jesus said to them, "The one who sowed the

good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed

stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil

one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end

of the age, and the harvesters are angels" (37-39). After hearing

Jesus' explanation of each word, they understood better.

 

   But Jesus did not stop there. Jesus explained why he told them the

parable of the weeds and explained it again. Verses 40-43 read, "As the

weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of

the age. 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. They

will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and

gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the

kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." Ordinary

people think they will be okay. But they will not be okay. There is a

day of severe judgment for those who lived only for their stomachs. But

those who live for the glory of God will shine like the sun in the

kingdom of their Father. Read verse 43 again.

 

   Today we learned that the children of God ought to live together

with the children of the devil in this world. We must overcome

ourselves to do so.  Moreover we must pray for  them to come to our

Lord Jesus Christ. Ordinary people think the kingdom of heaven is

nowhere. But those who have Jesus Christ in their hearts can see the

kingdom of God and possess the kingdom of God. So let's be

treasure-hunters.