Wheat / Weeds Explanation:

Context:

- Jesus left the crowds and entered the house.

- the disciples take the opportunity to ask about the wheat parable.

Matthew 13:37-43 "...He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear..."

Where does the good seed come from?

- from Jesus.

Where does the bad seed come from?

- from the devil.

When is the harvest?

- the close of the age.

Who does the reaping?

- the angels.

Where do law-breakers and sin-causers end up?

- the fiery furnace.

- a place of weeping and gnashing teeth.

Where do the righteous end up?

- the Father's kingdom.

- a place where righteousness shines like the sun.

The Hidden Treasure:

Matthew 13:44 “...The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field..."

Why is the kingdom like hidden treasure?

- it's extremely valuable.

- it's more often missed than seen.

Why did the man have joy?

- the unseen was now seen, and it was of great value.

Why would someone sell all that they have?

- the man realized the insignificance of what he had compared to what he could obtain.

Mark 10:21-22 "...And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions..."

Why didn't the rich young ruler "buy the field"?

- he didn't recognize its value.

- he could only see the earthly treasure he was accumulating.

What is the treasure?

- Jesus doesn't offer an interpretation.

- some say eternal life, but can you buy it?

- some say the people of God, and Jesus bought them at a great price.

Mustard: Kingdom growth, not grey poupon!

Matthew 13:31-32 "...He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches...”

Mark 4:30-32 "...And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade...”

Luke 13:18-19 "...He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches...”

Context:

- this mustard shouldn't be confused with the American mustard plant.

- this mustard seed sometimes took a few years to get started.

- this mustard seed became a tree 10 to 12 feet tall.

- we might better relate to an acorn becoming a mighty oak.

What is the condition of an acorn?

- full of potential.

- vulnerable and at risk.

What is the condition of an oak tree, given enough time?

- sturdy, strong, massive, majestic.

What was the condition of the early church which Jesus birthed?

- eager and full of potential.

- small in it's scope and affect on the world around it.

What became of this small band of believers who were intent upon following Christ?

- they lived with increasing boldness and purpose.

- they changed the world around them.

- the kingdom grew to great size and scope.

What is the condition of the human heart when first born into the kingdom?

- willing and full of potential.

- feeble in the ways of the Lord.

What becomes of the young convert over time?

- increased awareness of kingdom truth.

- increased understanding of reality.

- increased capacity to love as God loves.

- increased willingness to live sacrificially.

The kingdom of heaven begins simply, but it culminates in glory.

What is the reference to birds nesting in it's branches?

- some think it's a reference to prosperity and bounty.

- others point out that the birds of the air are often a reference to evil, and that birds nesting is a reference to the evil that finds its way into a growing church.

- some think this may have been a reference to the Gentiles becoming a part of the kingdom.

Does the growing kingdom provide shelter and sustenance even for a world that doesn't embrace the reality of God?

WARNING:

- Don't confuse the Kingdom of Heaven with the Church.

- They are not the same thing.

- Preaching the Kingdom makes the Church grows.

- Preaching the Church doesn't make the Kingdom grow.

Leaven: What's expanding within?

Matthew 13:33 "...He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened...”

Luke 13:20-21 "...And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened...”

Context:

- the mustard tree represents an outward expansion.

- the leaven represents an inward expansion.

How does leaven work?

- silently, steadily.

- starting in one place, it expands into all places.

Is leaven good or bad? YES!

- a bushel of flour, infused with leaven, could feed about a hundred people.

- the word of God, at work in a person, has far reaching effects.

- a false word also has far reaching effects.

Mark 8:15 "...And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod ...”

Did Jesus consider discussions about religion and politics dangerous?

Romans 6:12-14 "...Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace..."

Which leaven is working within our mortal bodies? Religion? Politics? God's Word?

Weeds in the Wheat:

Matthew 13:24-30 "...He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ...”

In this parable, what is the field?

- the world.

What is the seed?

- the word of God.

- the good news of the Gospel.

What is the wheat?

- kingdom living that results from the word of God.

What are the weeds?

- tares" were a degenerate kind of wheat or the darnel-grass growing in Palestine.

- while growing, tares had a strong resemblance to genuine wheat.

- when fully grown, there either was no grain, or there was a very inferior kind.

- false teachings develop people who are very similar to Christians, but who produce no fruit, or yield a very inferior and even dangerous kind of fruit.

When are the weeds sown by the enemy?

- when the master's servants are sleeping.

- when people aren't diligent and alert.

Does the enemy have to be present for bad things to happen?

- the enemy only needs to sow bad seed.

- bad results are the end result of false teachings, and can occur long after the enemy has left.

Why can't the weeds be eliminated?

- the process would damage good wheat as well.

- the wheat and the weeds look too similar prior to the actual bearing of fruit.

When does the sorting take place?

- at harvest time.

What does this parable tell us?

- the work of the enemy leads to hypocrites and deceived persons among genuine Christians.

- it's unrealistic to expect to eliminate them, since these attempts would injure genuine Christians.

- separation of the two will eventually take place.

1 Corinthians 11:19 "...for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized...."

Kingdom Growth: Producing a harvest.

Mark 4:26-29 "...And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come...”

Context:

- this text follows the charge to "pay attention".

- it follows the "more given" or "taken away" verse.

What is the focus of this parable?

- growth and harvest.

- kingdom growth and harvest.

How is the growth of a farmer's produce still a mystery?

- we know a lot about the necessity of sun, rain, and good soil.

- we've observed the stages of seed to sprout to grain to ear.

- this wonderful and necessary process still takes place while we're sleeping.

- the force behind the growth is the creative power of God.

How is the growth of the kingdom of God still a mystery?

- do we know a lot about the necessities?

- have we observed the various stages?

- is this wonderful and necessary process taking place while we're sleeping?

- the force behind the growth is the creative power of God.

What are the three phases described here?

- sowing, growing, harvest.

Which phases require activity?

- sowing and harvest.

Can we make the kingdom grow?

- we can sow seed.

- we are called to be workers in the harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:6 "...I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth..."

2 Corinthians 9:10 "...He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness..."

Luke 10:2 "...And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest..."

Is this parable about evangelism? the spiritual growth of believers? the ongoing and ultimate purposes of God?

What is the harvest?

- is it the end result of kingdom seed working in human hearts - saving faith?

- is it the end of the age?

Revelation 14:15 "...And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe...”

Revelation 14:19 "...So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God..."

James 5:7 "...Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains..."