Parables of the Kingdom

Info

Series: No Series

Title: Parables of the Kingdom Matthew 13

Preached:

  • 2016-04-30: White Rock Lake

  1. Introduction
  2. Matthew 13: Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven
    1. What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
    2. 8 parables, belonging to 4 broad thematic categories
    3. We’ll group them thematically, not in order of scripture
  3. The parables
    1. How different people respond to hearing about the Kingdom
      1. Sower (13:3-9, 18-23): There are different responses to hearing about the Kingdom of Heaven.
    2. How does the Kingdom affect our lives?
      1. Mustard Seed (13:31-32): The Kingdom of Heaven starts small and grows big.
      2. Leaven (13:33): The Kingdom of Heaven permeates all of life.
      3. Twin parables:
        1. Hidden Treasure (13:44): The Kingdom of Heaven is the most valuable thing there is.
        2. Pearl of Great Value (13:45-46): Same as Hidden Treasure. Repeated for emphasis.
    3. Who is genuinely a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven?
      1. Weeds (13:24-30, 36-43): We don’t initially know who is a genuine citizen of the Kingdom and who isn’t, but at the judgment, the truth will be revealed.
        1. Many scholars have posited that the weed Jesus had in mind is darnel,1 a close lookalike to wheat, but which can be infected with a fungus which makes those who eat it appear drunk and which can sometimes be fatal.
      2. The Net (13:47-50): Similar to the parable of the Weeds, but the emphasis here is more on the judgment.
    4. After we understand the other parables, now what?
      1. New and Old Treasures (13:51-52):
        1. There is a lot of great treasure in the old things of the Kingdom—the Bible, past experiences, etc.
        2. But there is also a lot of great treasure in the new—our current walk with God, the things we’re learning now, etc.

Footnotes

  1. From Wikipedia: “Darnel usually grows in the same production zones as wheat and is considered a weed. The similarity between these two plants is so great that in some regions, darnel is referred to as ‘false wheat.’ It bears a close resemblance to wheat until the ear appears. . . . The wheat will also appear brown when ripe, whereas the darnel is black. ¶ “Darnel can be infected by an endophytic fungus. . . . The French word for darnel is ivraie (from Latin ebriacus, intoxicated), which expresses the drunken nausea from eating the infected plant, which can be fatal.” ↩