Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Lesson 20.1: More Kingdom Truths – Part 2 of 2

Brief 4-to-5 Minute Teaching Lesson

Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIES

Previous Lesson | Return to Home Page | Next Lesson

Return to Key2Changes.com


The continuation of lesson 20 of the Discipleship Making process, where we left off last time answering the question, “What does wheat and tares, mustard seeds, and leaven all have in common?”

Jesus concludes here His kingdom teachings with these final five parables.

Read: Matthew 13:31-35, 44-52 & Mark 4:30-34

The parable of the mustard seed demonstrates that the kingdom of God starts out extremely small but grows to great size. In Israel, the mustard plant can obtain a height of up to fifteen feet thus giving it the appearance of a tree. Remember, that in the parable of the sower the birds represented Satan. When the kingdom of God is in seed form Satan can easily devour it. But when full-grown as illustrated by the mustard tree he can no longer destroy it. But once the kingdom of God has become large Satan can make his home there and devour the seed that is produced by it. Birds usually build their nests in the forks of a tree or where a new branch is formed. Where division in the Church occurs Satan can be found.

The parable of the leaven illustrates that the kingdom of God changes everything it comes in contact with. Leaven is a change agent. It changes the characteristics of all that it is put into. Jesus would later equate teaching with leaven (Matthew 16:11-12). Teaching, whether true or false corrupts or changes the mind, either for good or evil. When the leaven or the kingdom of God in this case, is introduced into the spirit, soul, and body of someone, the entire nature of the person will be changed.

The parable of the treasure hidden in the field reveals that the hidden treasure is valuable. The field represents the world. The kingdom of God was hidden in the soil of the field, which represents the heart of man. In the parable a man was looking for the treasure and discovered it. The man represents Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. After discovering the treasure He hid it again. Then He gave his life, which was everything he had, to purchase the world. The treasure that Jesus was looking for in the hearts of men was the belief that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God (ex. Matthew 16:13-17).

The parable of the pearl of great price shows the merchant to be anyone in this world who is seeking after valuable things in this life. To possess the kingdom of God (pearl of great price – Job 28:12-28) requires that an individual give up everything he has considered valuable in exchange for it. At that point why should anyone renounce the kingdom of God in order to obtain back the things he had before.

The parable of the dragnet cast into the sea reveals that the kingdom of God is not selective in this age. In the parable, fish represent people. As the net is pulled through the water the fisherman cannot see what is being caught and it is not until the net is pulled ashore that the type of fish, either clean/kept or unclean/discarded, can be determined. Prior to the coming of the next age in which a new heaven and earth will be revealed there will be a separation of individuals drawn into the kingdom of God. The righteous will be preserved and the unrighteous will be discarded

The point of Jesus’ kingdom parable teachings, when taken as a whole, form a broad view of the kingdom of God. They show how it starts (the sower), how it grows (the growing plant) and how it ends (the wheat and tares). The growth of the kingdom is occurring both visibly (the mustard seed) and internally (the leaven) at the same time.

With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider until my next posting:

Why do you think Jesus told His disciples to pray for more harvesters and not more sowers?

Until next time . . . Godspeed!

Previous Lesson | Return to Home Page | Next Lesson

Return to Key2Changes.com


No comments: