The Kingdom of Heaven is Like… (1)

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field…” Mt. 13:24

“He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked” Mt. 13:37-38

In Matthew 13, there are powerful and practical lessons for us about the kingdom of heaven if we can see them.  The chapter drives home the point that Jesus is teaching the crowds in parables for a reason.  On one level, he is trying to reach those who might have hearts prepared to seek truth.   For those who are willfully blind and dull to hear about spiritual things, it will mean little to them.   He is drawing those from the crowd who are willing to ask and seek.  On another level, for his true disciples, he is leading them from one truth into clearer understanding and deeper truth.  [see v. 10-17].

The organization and setting of the whole chapter help our view.  Jesus went “out of the house” to sit by the seaside (v. 1), and a great crowd is gathered to hear him teach.  He gives the parables of the sower (with its explanation), then the tares, the mustard seed and the leaven.  After this, Jesus sends the multitude away (v. 36) and goes back in the house.  Now his disciples ask him to explain the parable of the tares, and after his explanation, he teaches his disciples with the parable of the treasure, the pearl and the dragnet.  Finally he gives them another “parable” to emphasize their responsibilities with their new understanding (v. 51-52).

Now just on a broad look, consider that in the first 35 verses or so, there are given to the “multitudes” by the sea some basic “drawing points” about the kingdom of heaven, designed to arrest the attention of men and women in the crowds who are willing to hear and seek.  For those who are interested, Jesus’ words here will draw them on.  He is getting their attention and inviting them to inquire further.  But in verses 37-50, there are deeper things, leading those who are followers of Christ to see more clearly and more deeply the nature of the kingdom.   Let’s look at the chapter in that way.

The earlier parables are simple, surface parables.  They speak of the kingdom in terms of good in the midst of an evil world.  The goodness of the Son of Man and the seed he sows, but also of the opposition of Satan and the world, which grows and may even seem to triumph for a while.   For the crowd listening to Jesus, these are the choices each individual must make.  They must see the evil around them and learn to recognize and seek the good.  These are parables that speak of warning about paying attention to good [“take heed how you hear”], and that one day, there will be a separation and destruction of the evil.  Those parables are aimed at causing worldly people to stop and think about what they are listening to, what they are allowing to grow in their lives, what they are seeking.  [Many around us need this simple light shined on them – even in the church!].  These kingdom parables challenge people to conviction about good and evil, sin and judgment. [“When he, the spirit of truth is come, he will convict the world in respect of sin and righteousness and judgment.”]

It is straightforward to us to see good and evil in the parables of the sower and the tares.  They both have the sower (Jesus), the seed (the word), the soils (fields or waysides of the world), and the fruit or grain produced.   They both have the opposition (rocks, thorns, tares).  Even the parables of the leaven and the mustard seed may relate to good and evil, to the kingdom and its opposition.  Look carefully at them in that light.

The hearers (outside the kingdom) need to understand that there is good and there is evil.  There is the true seed and its fruit, and there are the birds, the weeds, the hard ground and the thorns.  The kingdom is hard to see! Sometimes they can’t see the saints for the hypocrites!  Sometimes they can’t appreciate the glory and beauty of the kingdom because of the pain and sorrow and evil all around.  It seems evil is stronger than righteousness.  Sometimes evil seems to win, even in the church!  They have to look wisely and choose wisely.  They must be careful how they hear!  These are simple parables of conviction about right and wrong, good and evil, harvest and judgment.   Jesus calls the hearers who seek truth to consider the kingdom of heaven.  Look at it rightly.  Understand the gospel.  Hear the call.  Choose honestly.  It is serious business, those first steps about the kingdom of heaven!

The later parables in Mt. 13 look deeper.  They show Jesus teaching his disciples some fundamental and profound insights about the kingdom, and about Jesus the king in relation to it.  Then He challenges them about their responsibility.  We’ll look at that in the next article.