Matthew 13: Kingdom Extravaganza (4)
Pray Psalm 146.1, 2, 10.
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being…
The LORD shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Sing Psalm 146.1, 2, 10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows
Praise the LORD, my soul, give praise! While I live, His Name I’ll raise
and exalt Him all my days—God forever reigns in Zion!
Read Matthew 13.1-35; meditate on verses 31-35.
Prepare.
1. What seems to be the focus of the two parables presented here?
2. Why did Jesus speak in parables?
Meditate.
We who are called to the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12) should especially be inclined to think “good to great”, as one popular management book explained. As Jesus showed in the two parables in these verses, growth and impact are inherent qualities of the Kingdom of God. It starts small, but it grows to become a flourishing realm, attracting inhabitants from all around (vv. 31, 32). Indeed, that has been the case with the Kingdom of God for some two millennia. Jesus mixed the ingredients for the Kingdom, then poured them into the mold of His Spirit, baked it in His Word, and served it into the world on the first Christian Pentecost. From those small beginnings in Acts the Kingdom has spread like a growing vine to every place on earth (Ps. 80), and it continues growing and expanding to this day.
Moreover, like leaven in dough, the Kingdom works transforming power to make something which is rather blah and distasteful (you and me, for example) into that which is wholesome and wonderful and good (v. 33). The Kingdom works by divine and supernatural power (1 Cor. 4.20) to bring holy qualities to the world—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14.17, 18). As the Spirit massages the Kingdom into our souls and, through us, into our Personal Mission Fields, the attractive qualities of the Kingdom begin to be apparent, and many are drawn to it. Stream up to it, in fact (Mic. 4.1-8).
The Kingdom goes from small to great wherever it takes root. The world is the field for Kingdom sowing, growth, and fruitfulness; and we who force our way ever deeper into that Kingdom carry its transforming power into every relationship, role, and responsibility of our lives. We should expect, pray about, and work for the Kingdom to go from small and good to great and transformative wherever Jesus sends us.
Jesus taught in parables because they have power to stimulate our imaginations and excite us in our souls. And honestly, if these parables in Matthew 13 don’t heat your spiritual blood to the boiling point, then you need to reconsider what you mean by thinking of yourself as a Christian. The psalmist told us to expect One Who would teach this way (Ps. 78.2), and Jesus is that One. He came small and good among us, a solitary Man, but now He rules great and almighty over all, King of kings and Lord of lords in a Kingdom that keeps going from great to greater. And you and I are part of that exciting enterprise.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
These two parables pave the way to Jesus’ statement in John 17.17-21
regarding His hopes for the Church through His sanctified children:
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
I do not pray for these alone,
but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You;
that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
That tiniest of seeds becomes a tree safe for the birds to rest and nest in its branches.
But how? By being planted in good soil and being able to stand strong amongst the tares.
And the small amount of leaven mixed throughout much flour affects the whole integrity of it.
No flattened flour can ever be extracted from that leavened mix. It permeates permanently.
And that is how we become sanctified: by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit permeating our souls permanently; so much so, that we will never again be flattened-persons by the enemy—regardless of the steamroller circumstances we might find ourselves in. We are sturdy enough for others to rest and nest in, and we are leavening our homes and neighborhoods with the grace of God.
Paul guides us through the sanctification process by suggesting these steps:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Rom. 12.1-3).
“You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your Word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe Your commandments” (Ps. 119.65, 66).
“…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3.17-19).
To become a strong tree (Ps. 1.3) to bless others in your godly shade; and
to leaven everywhere you go with the grace of God—sanctified for this very purpose.
“For Yours is the Kingdom…” (Matt. 6.13).
Reflect.
1. How would you explain “sanctification” to a new believer?
2. How do you know when your sanctification is proceeding as it should?
3. How can believers encourage one another in sanctification?
Thus He meant to set forth the most decisive sign of its greatness. “Even so then shall it also be with respect to the gospel,” He says. For His disciples were weakest of all and least of all. Nevertheless, because of the great power that was in them, it has grown and been unfolded in every part of the world. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 46.2
Pray Psalm 146.5-10.
Commit your day to the Lord, and trust in Him to help you in seeking and advancing His Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. Hope for a good day, and work for a great one!
Sing Psalm 146.5-10.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows
Blessed are they whose hope resides in the LORD, Christ at His side.
By Him heav’n and earth abide—God forever reigns in Zion!
He is faithful evermore; He gives justice to the poor,
feeds the hungry from His store—God forever reigns in Zion!
Jesus sets the pris’ner free, heals blind eyes that they may see,
lifts those burdened painfully—God forever reigns in Zion!
He the righteous loves the best; wand’rers in His grace are blessed;
needy ones in Him find rest—God forever reigns in Zion!
But the wicked who defame His eternal blessèd Name,
them He brings to ruin and shame—God forever reigns in Zion!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast is turning into the home stretch of our book, The Kingdom Turn.Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. TheReVision column continues our examination of the hope for the church, especially struggling churches. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
