Friendship Baptist Church Series: “Our Lord Speaks through Parables.” Sunday Morning, September 14, 2014 “The Enemy of the Kingdom” Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43, 47–50 (Matt. 13:28) Pastor Curtis Mathis Matthew 13:24-30 (NIV) The Parable of the Weeds 24 Jesus told them another parable: “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. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “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?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 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.’” Matthew 13:36-43 (NIV) The Parable of the Weeds Explained 36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 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. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Introduction The kingdom of God (that is, the reign or rule of God) is illustrated by the following story. A man sowed good wheat seed in his field, but while he and other good men were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed tares. The tares were a kind of darnel that looked like wheat, but the grains were black and poisonous. These tares were not discovered until the grain began to form. The servants were surprised. They asked the householder, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? An enemy did this, he replied.” What could be done about it? The servants suggested that they pull out the tares. The householder knew that this was impractical. The tares looked so much like wheat that mistakes would be made and wheat would be uprooted also. Again the roots would be so intertwined that in pulling up the tares much wheat would be uprooted. The householder had a better plan. “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.” (v. 30). In Matthew 13:36–43, we find our Lord’s own interpretation of this parable. The one sowing the good seed is the Son of Man, Jesus. The field in which he sows is the world. He sows good seed, which are sons of the kingdom, or saved persons. He expects them to be seed for the gospel, which will multiply many other saved people. The devil is the one sowing the tares, which are the sons of the evil one, or unsaved people. I. The perplexing problem of evil in the world. Now if this is God’s world and he sows good seed, why should there be sons of the evil one? Why should there be lying, stealing, cheating, murder, war, and other forms of evil in God’s world? “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?” A. Jesus recognizes sin as a reality. It is a fact; tares, noxious weeds, are in with the wheat. They are fit only for destruction. Hear Dr. George A. Buttrick: To regard evil as illusory solves no problems. A God who, eager to create children of His love, confronts them with a good and evil choice and so fills His universe with danger, is a God who by that act fills our minds with dismaying questions. But a God who suffers His children to live under illusions is not a winsome substitute! A world of real good and real evil does at least provide the setting for heroic character, but a world in which everyone is victimized by false impressions is a mad world in very truth. Jesus says of the choking weeds of life, “I do not account for them, but they are the work of an ‘enemy.’” (The Parables of Jesus [New York: Harper and Row, 1928], 66) B. Jesus recognizes sin as the work of an enemy. God with great courage of love has made people “in his own image,” which among other things carries the power of moral choice. One may accept the grace of God and become a son of the kingdom or one may reject the grace of God and become a son of the devil. This power of choice that places humanity above the animal creation is both a precious and perilous possession. Character would be impossible without moral choice. Yet the same moral choice that opens heaven can be used to open hell. “Sin is enmity against God.” II. What are God’s servants to do? Some are willing to rush out and try forcibly to pull up the tares. History is filled with examples of those who in the name of Christ have been willing to root out the evil with the sword, but Jesus says otherwise. Wheat and tares look so much alike that no mortal can possibly draw the dividing line. “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7). We have no doubt but that God and God alone can indicate at this very moment the lost or the unsaved condition of every person living on earth. He alone knows all of the facts including the motives that give moral quality to the actions. Our responsibility as servants of God is not to persecute others. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matt. 7:1). Certainly, in trying to gather up tares, we would gather wheat with the tares and leave tares with the wheat. The servants of Christ are to speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). The weapon for that witness is not the sword of temporal power but rather “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17). In the natural world, there was no way by which tares could become wheat. In the spiritual world, however, sons of the devil can become sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. III. God’s judgment is certain. At the time of harvest, the tares and the wheat will be harvested with no difficulty in separation. The wheat without exception will be in the barn. The tares without exception will be destroyed by burning. The Son of Man himself will through his messengers do the harvesting. Not one saved will be among the unsaved; not one unsaved will be among the saved. The saved will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The unsaved will know anguish. Matthew 13:47-50 (NIV) The Parable of the Net 47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 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. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The parable of the net spoken later that same day emphasizes the same truth. It presents the familiar New Testament image of fishermen casting a net. The net drew in every kind of fish. The fishermen divided the good fish from the bad. They kept the good and cast the bad away. So at the end of the age, all will be judged. The angels as God’s messengers will effect the separation as easily as fishermen sort fish. The wheat is gathered into the barn (v. 30); the good fish are gathered into vessels (v. 48); then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun (v. 43). The wheat, the fish, the saved are valuable to their owners. These and countless other figures of speech in Scripture enhance the joy of salvation both to the believer and to the Lord. Their variety would warn against an insistence on too literal an interpretation. The tares are bound in bundles for burning (v. 30); the bad fish are cast away (v. 48); the wicked are cast into the furnace of fire where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (vv. 42, 49). These and other images are used of the sad fate of the wicked. Their variety should warn against acceptance with crude literalism, but the awful spiritual truth depicted by them must be accepted with all seriousness. Conclusion: God will be the final Judge. He will not make any mistakes. There will be no idle arguments about the hypocrisies of others. “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” (Rom. 14:12). But God as Judge does not desire to pronounce the sentence of death. He is “… patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). In love he approaches sinful people with the offer of forgiveness and salvation. In the spiritual realm, tares can become wheat; bad fish can become good fish; wicked people can become righteous. If God seems to delay his judgment, Paul suggests that mercy may be the reason: “When you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:3–5 NIV). “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20). “…I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2). Because His Grace is enough, Pastor Curtis Mathis
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:32:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015