Day 13- Parables of the Kingdom-Part 1

Jesus makes a fundamental shift in how He communicates the Message of the Kingdom to the crowds that gather to listen. Instead of preaching, He now begins to teach through parables, short stories that illustrate an important truth about the Kingdom of God. Afterwards, He gathers His disciples and explains the meaning only to them. He is now intentionally separating those who are there just to be entertained from the ones genuinely seeking; dividing the critics looking for an excuse to condemn from the chosen, those who have embraced Him as The Christ. Are they looking for a meal or a Messiah? He is calling followers not fans. He is raising disciples not spectators. Which are you?

READ: Matthew 12:46-50; 13:1-30; Mark 3:31-35; 4:1-29; Luke 8:4-21

Major Events

Jesus teaches in parables to the crowds
- Parable of the Sower (Matt 13; Mark 4, Luke)
- Parable of the Tares Among Wheat (Matt 13)
- Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4)
- Parable of the Lamp on a Stand (Mark 4, Luke)

Major Topics

Will of God
Obedience
Parables
Kingdom of Heaven
Responding to the Word
Judgment
Spiritual fruitfulness
Evangelism
Productivity
Angels

Video

How to Read the Parables

Matthew 13:24-33

A narrated telling of the parables.

Matthew 13:16-14:13

Luke 8

Key Verses & Words

The Story

Matthew 12:46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Matthew 13:1-3 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables...
Luke 8:4 When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:
Luke 8:20 And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You."

The Teachings of Jesus

Matthew 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Matthew 13:3 "And He spoke many things to them in parables..."
Matthew 13:9 "He who has ears, let him hear."
Mark 4:11 "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,..."
Mark 4:23-24 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to..."
Luke 8:21 But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Questions for Reflection

Parable of the Sower (Matt 13; Mark 4, Luke)

What kind of soil would you say you are at at this point in your life?
What are the thorns that tend to choke out your Christian faith?
What circumstances have a tendency to scorch your faith and cause it to wither?
How could you become a more effective sower of God's Word?

Parable of the Tares Among Wheat (Matt 13)

In what ways does Satan try to mess up God's plan and your part in that plan?
In what ways do you need to alter your lifestyle in order to be more like wheat and less like a weed?

Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4)

What encouragement can believers glean from this parable regarding their own spiritual growth?
How does this parable help you better understand what the kingdom of God is like?
What should our response be to the fact that one day "the harvest will come"?
What is one way you can spread God's Word this week to help God's kingdom grow?

Parable of the Lamp on a Stand (Mark 4, Luke)

When Jesus said that those who have will be given more, what exactly did he mean?
How can we consider more carefully what we hear?
How would you describe "the measure" that has been given to you?

Digging Deeper

David Guzik commentary Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8
Chuck Missler audio teaching of the 7 Parables of Matthew 13

The video "The Four Soils Explained" by Chuck Misseler (6 minutes)

Curious Christians

The Parable of the Sower

Sowing Seed How and when the seed is sown. The farmer usually carries his seed to his field in a large sack on the back of his donkey. and then the leather bag which he carries under his arm is replenished with seed from the sack.13 As a rule, the seed is scattered broadcast on the ground, and then it is covered over by the ploughing. Often the sower walks along, scattering his seed, and then one of his family, or a servant if he has one, follows directly with the plough. The Biblical word "to sow" as used in the Pentateuch (Genesis 26:12; Leviticus 25:3, etc.), means "to scatter seed." [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]

Tares Tares. The tares are also enemies of the grain. In his Parable of the Tares, JESUS said: "While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat" (Matthew 13:25). In the Holy Land, tares are something called "wild wheat," because they resemble wheat, only the grains are black. Thomson has this to say about the tares: "The Arabic name for tares is zawan, and they abound all over the East, and are a great nuisance to the farmer. The grain is small, and is arranged along the upper part of the stalk, which stands perfectly erect. Its taste is bitter, and when eaten separately, or when diffused in ordinary bread, it causes dizziness, and often acts as an emetic. In short, it is a strong soporific poison, and must be carefully winnowed, and picked out of the wheat, grain by grain, before grinding, or the flour is not healthy. Of course the farmers are very anxious to exterminate it, but that is nearly impossible. [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]

For more info go to Manners & Customs: Farming in the Ancient World

Living the Lesson

Here is where the Holy Spirit has opportunity to bring great revelation and transformation in your life--in reflection and obedience to what you have been reading and studying in God's Word today. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can respond in obedience to the devotion today. Use the following questions to prompt you.

Is there a...

SIN to confess?
PROMISE to claim?
ATTITUDE to change?
COMMAND to obey?
EXAMPLE to follow?
PRAYER to pray?
ERROR to avoid?
TRUTH to believe?
SOMETHING for which to praise God?