I invite you to turn this morning to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. And we now move into a new section of Matthew, looking at the parables of Jesus. And we will consider together this morning 1 through 23 of Matthew 13. This is the word of the Lord.
"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.
Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables: because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, that says, You will indeed hear, but never understand. You will indeed see, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see and did not see it, to hear what you hear and did not hear it. here than the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while. And when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another 60 and in another 30
And there we'll end the reading of God's word.
Well, we have a major transition now in the flow of the book of Matthew as we move to Jesus now speaking in parables. It becomes crucial in the ministry of jesus and a crucial turn in the ministry of jesus as he now speaks to them in parables. It comes with a question that I think many people have tried to wrestle through and tried to answer and understand. Something the disciples want to understand is: Jesus speaking in parables to make things clearer for people, or to muddy it up? And I think that's a crucial question that this section seeks to answer for us. Is he is he trying to make things clearer for people, or is he making it more difficult for people?
We know, um, in John, the disciples would come to him in frustration in chapter i think it's 16 right before the high priestly prayer. And he says something rather plainly, and they get very excited. And they say, "Ah! Finally you're speaking clearly." Whose fault was that? Whose fault was that? They seem very confused at times by Jesus. He spoke in figures, and he spoke in parables, and he spoke with heavenly language. And you come to this conclusion that it takes a certain kind of heart to understand Jesus, doesn't it? Not everyone understands Jesus. And that's what we're wrestling with this morning. That's what we're looking at as we see this transition in the book of Matthew.
Because in answering this great question and the purpose of parables and why Jesus is doing this comes a real source of comfort for the people of the Lord. Embedded in this is a great source of comfort for you.
Crucial to understand this is to see in context that the parables come on the heel of what had just happened in chapter 12. It was important that we sort of, if I could have timed it right before Christmas, I would have finished chapter 12 and begun 13 last week. But I recognize how needful it was to see the connection of what had just happened. Remember what had just happened? An entire generation leaders and all, of all that generation of people who were walking wanted a sign from him. They wanted something a little more exciting in the ministry of Jesus. As we looked at, what many people in churches want today is just what Jesus had to face: a wicked and perverse generation. says Jesus. It was a strong language he gave of that whole generation.
"Wicked and perverse generation seeks for a sign." You'll get one sign. And then we looked at last time: he tied it together with the sign of Jonah, going in the whale, which was really a sign of the cross and the death and the burial and the resurrection of Christ. That's the sign you're going to get. And that sign has been preached all throughout the world to this day. People want a sign; they're going to get it. Jesus says, "You'll get the cross. That's what's going to be announced."
But I think this captures a little bit here, looking at it in context. Jesus's response to Israel it's itself herself how israel had responded, the people of the Lord had responded to him. There was all this presumption, wasn't there? was all this presumption i was thinking, you know, in Linden the the road that divides entering linden is the road that splits the cemetery. It's really remarkable. And everyone in Linden said, "That side was the elect; that side's the reprobate." And I would often respond, "We may be surprised who's getting up where on that day." And how would you know?
Well, Jesus is teaching us about the truths of the kingdom. It seems here that the disciples are confused about Jesus. They want to understand Jesus. And so if you look at verse 10: "Then the disciples came to him and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables Maybe their frustration went something like this: "If you are the Messiah, we're confused about your ministry. What do we all judge the ministry on today? Numbers, success, response. That's how we judge what is legitimate, how it feels. Of course, they're confused about Jesus. Why? Well, why are your words receiving so much opposition? Why this kind of response from Israel?" And I'm sure in the disciples minds: you know "Is Is the problem Jesus? is the problem jesus what is the problem here? Why so much opposition to this? Why so why so many varied responses to a word that is a good word to us? Why then does he speak in parables?" And that's what's confusing for them. It's already had opposition, and all of a sudden now he begins to speak in parables. You would think you'd start the ministry that way. Why? If you're calling a generation wicked and perverse, do you then move to speak in parables? I mean, our mentality would be: "Look how you fix this problem. Bring it down a notch, right? Bring it down. Have a children's sermon. That'll get it, and everyone will think it's cute." What is Jesus doing?
I can tell you it's been confusing for me as a pastor. Wouldn't it be great if everyone just loved what's happened in the ministry? I wouldn't have that much to do, right? Everyone loved the word and responded to the word. Well, you get all sorts of varied responses. That's what we're wrestling with this morning. Why? Why? Why all these responses?
And in answering this, what you're going to find surprisingly is that there's a great answer of comfort in the midst of this for you, his people. It's as if Jesus says here: "The real problem for those who don't respond is not the messengers. It's not the messengers. It's not the preachers who preach. If they preach faithfully every week, it's not the problem there. The problem is not there. The real problem," says Jesus, "is the soil of the human heart."
This is a parable of the soils. This is a parable about our hearts. And he's dissecting them. Jesus is now illustrating this. That's what's amazing. If you follow the structure of this section, he illustrates just what he says here. He actually illustrates the parable of the sower as he tells the parable of the sower. And he explains to us why there are so many varying responses in the kingdom to those who hear the word. And so you kind of have to stop and say, "Well, where are we looking here? We're not really out in the open square, are we?" Well, in some ways, everyone hears the word. They may have some contact with the word. But he really is looking at the earthly preaching of the gospel. He's sowing the seed. He is now illustrating this very thing.
So as we come to chapter 13, we read that "that same day Jesus went out of the house and he sat beside the sea." And you'll notice here: "great crowds mega crowds gathered about him, so that he got down in, got into a boat and sat down." It's like a little pulpit. I've never sat down it's not the reform thing to do but jesus did do it. We should say he didn't have a pulpit like this, though.
So notice what happens: "the whole crowd is standing on the beach mega crowd. It's a huge crowd. What an opportunity! What an opportunity! You know, this is every evangelist's dream. I mean, "Let's get people to walk the aisle." The wicked and perverse generation he had just mentioned is standing there. Keep in mind, this comes strategically after the responses we studied last week. You remember his own family had listened and heard all these things, and they didn't understand him yet. They would. But they had drawn the conclusion: "He's insane." Mark tells us that. "He's out of his mind." Mom says, "Go get him." Not a flattering picture of Mary at this point, by the way.
This was followed up by the response before that of the religious leaders, who said, "He has a demon. He does his work by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons. He is a demon-possessed man. He is directly influenced by Satan in all that he's doing."
What a response! What a response! He had been healing. He had raised the dead. And they still wanted a better sign. Yeah, the disciples are probably thinking, "Not working. Not working."
So he begins. He places in the most important position the parable of the sower which is the parable of all parables, the parable that explains all parables, the most important position and most important parable of every parable that he ever spoke. At one point he said, "You won't understand any other parable if you don't understand this one."
"A sower went out and sowed in his field to produce crops. Some... they knew this well in that culture. Some landed on a path. It scattered the seed. Some landed on a path, and it was immediately," says, "devoured up by birds. Some on stony places, no earth there. Sprang up quickly, but because of no depth of earth, the sun came and scorched it, and since there was no root, it withered away. Some fell among thorns. The thorns choked out, choked out the seed, so that there was no fruit. Then some, some, some were good. Landed in good soil. Notice it's it's about the soils here. And it sprung up and it produced some 30 some 60 some 100
Mark, um just out of interesting note mark says when he was in the boat, he actually bellowed out really loud at this point: "Listen! Hear me! Pay attention! Understand!" And then he tells the parable of the sower. He ends by saying, "Here you'll notice: he who has ears to hear, let him hear Which everyone should ask, "Who has ears to hear?" Now everyone should kind of stop at this moment.
He gets off the boat. He he leaves the multitudes. And you have if you compare the other gospels only a handful come back with the disciples to Jesus. So the crowds, by and large, have dispersed. He tells the parable, the crowds leave, and everyone should stop and say, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You didn't even explain it to them. That that's not helpful. You didn't even explain it to them."
Notice: the explanation comes. After he gives interpretation of the scenario, the interpretation comes, the explanation comes, to his disciples and the handful that came back.
So his disciples come to us: "Why are you doing this? We want to understand this. We understand what you just said. But we understand why you're speaking in parables?"
Jesus essentially says, in summary, this: "Here's why I'm doing this. There's a big problem with the human heart. Look at all these responses you've been seeing in the ministry. People running around saying, I'm insane. People running around saying that I have a demon. People running around rejecting me and all my words.
And then he says this: "He answered them, to to You it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. But to them, it has not been given. Wow. You have to kind of stop and just let that set in. Did you just hear what he said? "It's given to you. It's not given to them."
What an explanation of all the world's rejection of Jesus! For all who react to the doctrine of election, you're reacting to something that gives you a source of great comfort here. I see no other way to understand this. "I'm giving you a gift. I'm giving you a blessing. It is a blessing to understand this. To you who have that blessing, to you who have that gift, I have something even better to say: even more is going to be given to you. See that there? But the one who has, even what he has will be taken from him.
That is crucial to understanding the parable. That line right there. "I am doing this," says Jesus. "I am speaking in a parable because seeing me, they don't see me. And hearing, they don't hear. Nor do they understand."
So he just explained why it's happening and why he's speaking in parables. Why is Jesus speaking in parables? What is the answer to the question I posed at the beginning of the sermon? Is he speaking to give clarity, or is he speaking to muddy things up?
And the answer is: that depends. Parables were meant to give great clarity to those who see and hear. And parables were meant to blind those to whom it was not given. You could hear the response today. You could hear the response to this today: "Well, that doesn't seem fair."
I want to remind you what just happened. They just said, "He has a demon." Who are they talking to? The Son of God. They hated him so much they wanted to kill him. They would put him on a cross.
Parables were either blessing or judgment, depending on... Now notice here what we see: the open response to the ministry of the word. And Jesus says, "I'm fulfilling something. I'm fulfilling Isaiah."
"You will indeed hear but never understand. You will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they've closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. I would heal them."
See, this is an important moment in looking at the context for Israel. Look who had come to them! Look who had preached to them: the Son of God himself!
And remember the connection: "The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, and and the Queen of Sheba traveled thousands of miles to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And she wasn't even invited. They closed their ears. They stopped up their ears. They closed their eyes."
And so Jesus says, "So I speak in parables." So you see the connection there. It's either a blessing or it's a curse. It's either a blessing or it's a judgment.
And here's the good news: "But I have chosen to bless you. I have chosen to bless you. For your ears are blessed, for they hear, and your eyes, for they see. And that's exactly what all the prophets longed for: to listen to me preach. And I'm here preaching, and you're blessed to hear it."
I have that great question today then: you believe that Jesus is the Christ? You say yes? Listen to what he just said. Do you believe his word? You are blessed. You are blessed. Blessedness is not "if I do this, then I'll get blessed." That's what we think of blessed. That's not how Jesus uses blessing. That is not how Jesus uses blessing. Jesus says, "I have blessed you, and the evidence of that is that you're here today and you believe me and you believe my word, and you're bearing fruit."
I think that is wonderful news. What would we have without the sovereignty of God? What we would have is we would behave just like this to Jesus. God sovereignly predestined you to hear. God sovereignly loved you and gave you the ability to believe and to hear. That is the most exhilarating truth I could preach. Because the world doesn't. But you're here, aren't you? It's meant to inspire us. This is meant to inspire us to love God's Word, to respond to that Word, because he's blessed us.
So now Jesus explains it. He takes the parable absent from the crowds. And let me just say, if you want to look at it from this perspective: What are you getting today? You're getting explained to you the deep mysteries of the kingdom! But how many people out there aren't getting it right now today? Burdened for that? That's why we want to take it to them. That's why we want them to come in. But you're blessed. You're blessed.
So Jesus is explaining ministry here, if you will. Here's the preacher par excellence. He's preaching the gospel of the kingdom. He is the sower. And I think he's helping the disciples understand: when they go out and minister in his name as ambassadors for christ for that's what preachers are, they're ambassadors they're pleading with people to be reconciled. When you go out, you need to understand what's going to happen. You need to understand what this is going to be like.
There are all sorts of responses in my kingdom to the word of God. The soil represents the human heart. So he begins with the first soil.
The first soil: when I sow the word, is like the one is like the heart. When the seed... it's like when you see the seed and you sow the seed and it lands on the path. They hear the word. They hear it! But then Satan comes, and immediately takes away what was sown in that heart.
There's a kind of hearer in the kingdom whose heart is so hard it's like a hard surface it's a path it's calloused. When the word is spoken, that word is never taken inside the human heart. stays right here. And then, and and you know, you can talk about sermon critique, and you know, you could talk about whether the pastor gave a good sermon. But I think Jesus was always pressing people to to also think about: How was your hearing today? Wouldn't it be great if we asked the question not "How was the sermon?" "How was my hearing?" I've never, never had that happen yet. It'd be a good one, you know. "How was your hearing today?" Could I critique that instead of you critique me? But that's okay.
R.C. Sproul once said it's really hard for the PhDs in theology. As Sproul said, he called the scribes to listen to Jesus. They couldn't do it. He didn't fit their paradigm. He was too unorthodox for them. He was too outside the box. When they preached, that's the heart that he had to deal with. And in many cases, this kind of hearer is usually full of anger and bitterness at the message. It's a common hearer in the kingdom. They come to hear the word, but it's never taken in the heart.
And Jesus says, "Behind that, you have to understand what's going on. There's this much warfare going on in the preaching of the word. That Satan is active in the hearing of the word. And what's happening? He is working. In some people's hearts, they're so hard, they hear the word, and immediately they turn away from it. And he says, that's Satan. He has come and he has taken Well, that's not all Satan's fault, you know what? have We've been seeing from these people they're not receiving that word.
Next, Jesus describes another kind of heart another kind of soil. What I call the enthusiasts. These are the enthusiasts, right? And and and these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root in themselves. So they endure for a little while, but when tribulation comes or persecution arises on account of the word notice that it's on account of the word that those things happen immediately they fall away.
So there's topsoil there, and the seed kind of sprouts up quickly in the second soil. But there's nowhere for the roots to go because of the rocky ground. And so when the sun comes up, the soil you'll notice it scorches the plant, and it dries out the plant
And it quickly fades away and he explains this by saying: there are people who hear the word in the kingdom, and you're going to see that kind of response. It's the type of heart that immediately gets excited about what they heard: "Wow, Pastor Gordon hit it out of the park today!" Did it take root?
Jesus had many enthusiasts around him. One guy said remember i'll follow you wherever you want to go." "Will you?" "Foxes have holes, birds of the airs have nests. I don't have a place to let you. Really want to come? know What's going to cost you? Christianity."
The enthusiasts are those listen their Christianity is only as deep as the emotion that happened in the moment. The Christianity is as deep as the emotion that happened in the moment. But as soon as it gets hard, as soon as it costs something tribulation comes or persecution they're out.
There have been all kinds of people who get in the ordinariness of ministry. When it sets in, immediately they're excited about it. The ordinariness of ministry, the sacrifice, the self-denial quickly as fast in they are quickly as fast out for a whole bunch of possibilities.
I remember a seminary professor told me years ago in class. He said, "Just be on guard for that person that at the door says they're a new visitor. That's the best thing I've ever heard. Probably won't be there next week." And that's a real experience I've had. I could have been preaching by now to probably five or six times full this built, this size of building in my 20 years of ministry.
Looking at this kind of soil: you preach encouraging messages, they're fine. But when the word is brought to bear on something in their life that makes them uncomfortable, or that you have to speak on judgment, or hell, or you have to speak on repentance and counting the cost. Just think rich young ruler.
"All come." "Yeah, but you got a problem. You love your things."
Others are those who are sown among thorns. There are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
You'll notice: the emphasis that thorns choke the word. This is the soil that probably has longer standing in the church. Maybe been there a long time. There are those who have seemed to have real interest in the church, but something has happened. Something has changed. A bitter spirit has overcome them at some point. It's confusing. For at one time, they would have had their Bibles. They would have walked joyfully to the house of God. They would have been in Bible studies. They would have had some kind of hunger. But now the church has become a sort of duty, and they've become sour to the whole thing, and the hearing is just not there.
And Jesus says, "Why?" He says, "Because people, this soil, they get so distracted by the worries of this life. They get involved in riches. That becomes their God. And these are like thorns that choke, choke out the life that was there. The worries of life, the pursuit of riches. Worries, worries, worries, worries. How many worries do we have? Children, life, health. People come consumed by these things. Hearts are divided. Those thorns are choked have choked the plant.
I mean, Jesus told us not to worry. "I'm going to care for you. You don't have to worry. Don't be anxious. I'm going to provide. I'm going to clothe you. I'm going to feed you. I've taken that burden off you." Isn't that wonderful? This is why the ministry of the Word is so wonderful, because one of the blessings of it is it's a fitting word in season. You know what an encouraging word does for you. But this kind of soil has effectively been the plant has been choked out because of these things.
Now, Jesus, by this point, has essentially explained the reason for all these kinds of responses that have not embraced the word. And you come back now to what he just said, because you'd be really discouraged at this point, because we've seen all these things in us, right?
The ability to hear today is a gift of grace. As the old Reformed theologians used to say, "A desire of grace is evidence of grace itself." What did they come and ask of him? "Would you explain it?" That seems to be a really crucial question. Oh, that we would have people who love to have God's word explained! And therein is the fruit. Hunger for that.
Those who were sown on the good soil, and notice carefully, are the ones who hear the word and understand it. That is such a great, comforting truth. There is a good soil. And it's a soil of hearts of people prepared by the Lord. And they are the ones that hear the word. They accept the word. Notice: they bear fruit. They don't all bear the same amount of fruit. That's according to God too. Some bear 30 some 60, some 100 The 30 people get in the kingdom just as much as the 100
They hear it. What did he just say? "Blessed are your ears, for they hear." That's sovereign blessing. This is what overjoys me as a pastor. You know, the word gives us such a wonderful news. It's It's God's life it's god's answer. It gives us all we need. You know, the power of the word and the source of strength is. And when I see the joy for the from the word from understanding the word from you. What overjoyed me is that I see that's the Spirit's work in good soil. They hear. They understand. They accept. They're hungry for that word. They want to know that word. And they bear fruit.
The kind of hearer is receptive in his heart to the word. There's an eagerness to it. And that comes with humility. And that kind of hearing has lasting impact in somebody's life. It's never taken away. Understand that. It's never taken away.
I think of Mary and Martha. Martha was so distracted. Mary, sitting at his feet, listening to the word. And what did Jesus say? "Martha, you're distracted. Can't even make it back to church right now. Mary's chosen the right thing. She sat at my feet and listened to my word. It will never be taken from her."
And burn John 6. To close this out: I said the other day at the memorial for Betty, she told me to keep preaching. So you'll oblige me if I go a little longer in honor of Betty, okay?
Five thousand people had been listening to Jesus in John six And they got offended. Why'd they get offended? He said something pretty hard: "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life." He's a cannibal! They didn't care to understand what he said, so they left. Many of his own disciples, we read, "went and followed him no more."
He turned to the twelve. "Do you want to go?"
Remember what Peter said: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life."
Can you say that today? "No, Lord, I don't. I don't want to be away from your word." Doesn't mean you're not weak. Doesn't mean you won't try. But the character of the Christian is: he always comes back to the word.
You understand what a blessed person you are if you can say that? I'm not saying blessed if you hear. I'm saying blessed are you who hunger and thirst for that word.
It was in the midst of this parable he said this: "Blessed are your eyes. They see. Your ears, for they hear."
Now, the real effect of the parable is to answer the question: Why so many different responses?
Well, responses like this will happen in the kingdom. We should not be surprised at it. The ministry is not failing when it happens. There are the mysteries of blessing and judgment happening. But I think the real intent in this parable, even for these people, the wicked and adulterous generation, is that they would hear through the ministry of the apostles and disciples and apostles, and that they would return and that they would return to the word and repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
All that is evidence of grace. He's taken a lot of effort in our lives throughout the course of our lives to minister the word to us. One of you have been in church a long time? Think of all the pastors you've heard. Think of all the sermons you've heard. He is committed to take your dullness the dullness of your hearing and give you ears to hear.
This is the will of God: that whoever believes in him, in the Son, has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Have you heard that word? Do you believe that word? Are you listening today to that word?
What was the old song? "People hearing without listening." It's a 60s song, I think. If you've heard it, you've listened and heard it and taken it into your hearts.
Hear what Jesus just said to you today: "Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear."
What a reason to praise God for such blessing.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your word to us. But not just that. Thank you for opening our hearts and opening our eyes to receive that word. Let us be people of your word. May it, Lord, reach deep in our hearts as good soil. And if there be any today, since we've seen these kinds of approaches in your kingdom and know that they are even possible in our own hearts, that you would draw us, that the thorns and the stones would be removed from the soil, and we would receive the word and hear that word and treasure that word and it would find a place in our hearts.
May we realize the blessedness that has come upon us as we receive the very words of eternal life from the ministry of your gospel. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.