Tag: Kingdom of God

The Greatness of Suffering and Service

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

The Greatness of Suffering and Service

Matthew 20:20-28

As Jesus continues to approach Jerusalem (see Matt. 20:17), the disciples are anticipating Jesus coming into His kingdom. Indeed, arriving in Jerusalem in Matthew 21, Jesus will openly accept praise as the Messianic King by His triumphal entry into the city on a donkey (Matt. 21:9). Yet, despite His repeated teachings about the true nature of His kingdom, even those closest to Him failed to understand it. Jesus had just predicted to His disciples His suffering, death, and resurrection that was coming in Jerusalem. Then, shockingly in the very next event, we see James and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, coming with their mother to ask for places of power and honor with Jesus in His kingdom.

What the disciples didn’t yet fully understand was that the Savior’s pathway to greatness wouldn’t follow the course they expected. They didn’t know that greatness in His kingdom led first through the path of service, suffering, and sacrifice. They could not yet comprehend that the way to His glorious crown required a stop first at the gruesome cross. They didn’t understand then that this was how true “greatness” in His kingdom would be accomplished.

And even we, today, easily forget it. We live in an ambitious and competitive world. The way up to prominence in the world is often by trampling over lesser people as we scramble to the top. Greatness is measured by how many serve you and look up to you. We celebrate those who are the best, fastest, smartest, strongest, mightiest, loveliest, and richest. Even in our Christian circles we are often captivated by celebrity preachers, musicians, and leaders. Many bask in the limelight of those who appear to have extraordinary gifts and influence.  

Yet in our text today, Jesus will make it clear that the road to greatness in Jesus’ kingdom is not the way of the world but through following His own example of humble, sacrificial service.

Our story begins with …

1. The Disciples’ Ambitious Request (Matt. 20:20-21)

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” (Matt. 20:19-21).

Zebedee’s sons are James and John (Matt. 4:21). They come to Jesus with their mother. Comparing the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection accounts in Matthew, Mark, and John, many scholars have concluded that the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Matt. 27:65) is the woman named Salome (Mark 15:40) and the Lord’s “mother’s sister” (John 19:25). If this is true, it would mean that she was Jesus’ aunt through Mary, and James and John were Jesus’ cousins. This might partly explain why Jesus entrusted the care of His mother Mary to John as He hung dying on the cross (John 19:27). Mary was John’s relative.

Salome had a great faith in Jesus and was clearly devoted to Him. She was among those women who followed Jesus and served Him in His earthly ministry and who watched after Jesus’ crucifixion to see where He was buried (Matt. 27:55-56). She was also among those women who came early on the Sunday of His resurrection to His tomb (Mark 16:1). She believed that He was the Messiah King and that His kingdom was about to be realized. And as a mother who is proud of her sons, she was eager for James and John to be appointed to places of honor in that kingdom.

Now we shouldn’t think that this was just their mother’s idea. I don’t picture James and John behind their mother, shaking their heads in embarrassment at her request. In Matthew 27:22, Jesus addresses His comments directly to James and John. He knew it was their request, not just their mother’s. Perhaps they thought they would more likely get a positive answer from Jesus if they put their request in the mouth of their sweet mother who was so devoted to Jesus.

We also must not think that only James and John had this ambition for first place in the kingdom. This was not the first time that the question of “greatness” came up among the disciples. Recall that in Matthew 18, the disciples had asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1). Mark tells us that on the way they had been arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest (Mark 9:34). Do you remember what Jesus did then? Jesus placed a small child before them and said, “whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4).

All the disciples seemed obsessed with the ambition for greatness. Matthew 20:24 tells us, “And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.” The ten were not offended at the two brothers’ lack of humility; they were indignant because they wanted those honored places. Luke tells us that even on the night of the Passover, after Jesus had instituted the Lord’s Supper and told them that His betrayer was there at the table with them, again they fought with each other about who was greatest.

Is it wrong to want to be great in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus has clearly taught us to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). He taught us to “… lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matt. 6:20). When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and come follow Him, He promised him “treasure in heaven” (Matt. 19:21). In Matthew 19:28, Jesus had already promised His disciples prominent places of authority in the kingdom, saying, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The real problem with the disciples was not that they desired to be great in the kingdom. Their first problem was that they misunderstood the nature of the kingdom of heaven. They were still thinking of earthly rewards, while Jesus spoke of heavenly rewards. They were seeking power and honor for themselves, and that’s not what the kingdom of heaven is all about. And this led to their second problem—they were seeking for greatness in the wrong way. If you seek an earthly reward you will pursue it in earthly ways. But if you seek a heavenly reward, you will pursue it in godly ways. If you seek a selfish reward, you will pursue it in selfish ways. But if you seek a godly reward, you will see it in godly ways.

So, Jesus has to correct James and John for their wrong thinking about the kingdom and how to pursue it. They wanted the crowns but didn’t understand the cross. They wanted the glory but had not counted the cost.

Jesus therefore teaches them …

2. The Lord’s Arduous Requirement (Matt. 20:22-23)

In Matthew 20:22, Jesus answered the two brothers and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?“

James and John did not know what it would mean for them to sit at His right and left hand in the kingdom. If they really knew what it would require, they might not have asked. Jesus asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” Drinking the cup is a figure of speech that represents a taking a portion or experiencing something. The Old Testament often uses the cup to represent suffering or judgment. David writes in Psalm 11, “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:6).  Psalm 75 says,

7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down. (Psalm 75:7-8).

Isaiah prophesies, “Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out.” (Isaiah 51:17).

For Jesus, the cup represented His suffering and death. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus would pray, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). And as Peter tried to fight back at Jesus’ arrest, the Lord told him, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11).

In our context here in Matthew 20, Jesus has just for the third time predicted His suffering and crucifixion that awaits Him in Jerusalem. He just told them He would die on a cross. And now He asks them, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matt. 20:22). He is asking if they are willing and able to die as well.

Do you think they understood now? Nope. Listen to their hasty response, “They said to Him, ‘We are able.’” (Matt. 20:22). Because they were selfishly ambitious, they were overly confident in themselves. They were ready to agree to anything to get those honored seats next to Jesus.

Knowing that they still did not understand what they were agreeing to, Jesus answered them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with” (Matt. 20:23). And drink that cup of suffering and death, they did. James was the first of the apostles to be martyred. Under the direction of Herod Agrippa, James was arrested and put to death. You can read the story in Acts 12. John suffered greatly for His Lord. He was persecuted and exiled to the island of Patmos, which was frequently used by the Romans to punish criminals. James and John drank from His cup.

But even still, Jesus makes it clear that He cannot promise them the places of honor. He says, “but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father” (Matt. 20:23). Honor and authority are not rewarded to us in this life. They are rewards in heaven, prepared by the Father for those who love Him.

These brothers thought that greatness meant being above others in position. They wanted to turn the twelve into “the two and their ten subordinates.”[i] So Jesus needed to teach them again the true nature of His kingdom, what greatness really means, and how to get there.

That is what we see next. Jesus teaches …

3. The Kingdom’s Absolute Reversal (Matt. 20:25-28)

Matthew writes, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you.” (Matt. 20:25-26a). Jesus says that they are not to be like the “rulers of the Gentiles”—in other words, they are not to seek greatness like unbelievers do.

Greatness in the kingdom of heaven does not at all look like greatness in the world. The world seizes positions of authority and then dominates those under them. In this world the poor serve the rich, and the weak serve the strong. It’s a “top-to-bottom” hierarchy of power, and the only way to climb up the ladder is by trampling those under you and ruthlessly crawling over those above you. People desire positions of authority because of the benefits that it will bring to themselves: recognition, social status, promotion, financial benefits, power, superiority, and influence. They are in it for themselves. Even the leaders of Israel in the time of Ezekiel were like this. Ezekiel 34 says,

  1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” (Ezek. 34:1-4).

How do you know if your attitude is too much like the world? Ask yourself: Do I need to be the one in control? Do I need to be the center of attention? Do I need to have it my way? Do I need to win? How do I feel when others treat me like a slave? Am I offended when I get ignored or passed over?

Jesus says to those who enter the kingdom of heaven, “Yet it shall not be so among you” (Matt. 20:26). They must have a different path to greatness than the rest of the world. That different path is, “… but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.” (Matt. 20:26-27). In other words, the path to greatness isn’t looking out for yourself; the path to greatness is looking out for others. It’s exactly what Jesus has been trying to teach the disciples: that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matt. 19:30; 20:16).

If you want to be great you must be what? A servant. If you want to be first you must be what? A slave. The lower you become, the higher you will be. In Jesus’ kingdom, greatness is not measure by how many people serve you, but by how you serve other people. Jesus Himself is our example. Remember what Jesus did for His disciples on the night He was betrayed? John 13 tells us,

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, (John 13:1-3).

Think about that. Jesus knew He had come from God and was going to God. He knew He had been with the Father from all eternity (John 1:1-3). He knew He was equal with God (Phil. 2:6). He knew He would sit at the right hand of the Father with all authority given to Him in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). Yet, He took the form of a slave and …

 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:4-5).

He took the lowly place of a slave and He served them. When He was through,  Jesus placed His garments on again, sat down, and said to His disciples,

“Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

Jesus is our example of humble service. Our role models are not the rulers of the world but Jesus Himself–Jesus, who humbled Himself as a slave. Jesus, who said, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28). The word “serve” in that verse is the Greek word diakoneo. It is the verb form of the word “deacon”. In the church, a deacon is not a position of authority; it is a position of service. One preacher commented, “Every time a person becomes a deacon they ought to go home and say, ‘I got demoted today, they made me a deacon.’”[ii]

Jesus’ ultimate act of service for others was “to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus knew He came to serve and to give His life up on the cross to pay the ransom for us. Because of our sin we owed a debt to God that we could not pay. We were slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6). We were condemned sinners (John 3:18) as children of wrath (Eph. 2:1). But while we were still sinners Jesus died for us (Rom. 5:8). He redeemed us with His own blood (Eph. 1:7; Matt. 26:28; Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6; Tit. 2:14; Heb. 9:12’ 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; Rev. 5:9). This is why He willingly went to the cross and died. He gave His life to ransom yours. There is no greater love than what Jesus showed in dying for us (John 15:13). If Christ has so loved us, shouldn’t we also love one another the same way (1 John 4:11)?

Jesus, in His service, suffering, and death, He not only redeemed us, He set the example for us. It’s not those who act high and mighty who are great. It’s the servant. How do you know you have the heart of a servant? How do you react when someone treats you like one? How do you feel when you give and help and labor, but nobody seems to notice or say “thank you”? In Luke 17, Jesus taught His disciples saying,

7 “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'” (Luke 17:7-10).

A servant isn’t supposed to look out for his own needs. A servant is supposed to look after the needs of his master. Servants cook the food for their masters. Servants clean the house for their masters. Servants wash the clothes for their masters. Servants plow the fields for their masters. Servants pick the weeds for their masters. And servants don’t look for a “thank you”. They don’t do it for the applause. They don’t expect recognition.

Jesus we must servants to others. We should be looking out for the interests of others, as if they were our masters. As if they were our Lord. That’s the way it is to work in Christian families, Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22); “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” (Eph. 5:25); “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Eph. 6:1). It’s to be that way in our work also. Paul writes to slaves, to serve their masters, “with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,” (Eph. 6:7).  And to all he writes, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17). We serve one another because in doing so we are serving the Lord.

And we are being like our Lord. Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2,

3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (Phil. 2:3-5).

The Christian’s ambition is not to gain authority over others but to serve others. It is not to be high and mighty but low and weak. It is not characterized by haughtiness but humbleness. It means suffering, service, and sacrifice.

As we close today, I want you to consider three things. One, have I trusted in Christ to pay the ransom for my sin? If not, repent and believe in Him today. Come, and He will give you life—eternal life. Two, consider how you can follow the example of Jesus in serving others. Let’s serve each other in the church, especially in ways that will not gain us recognition from others but only rewards from God. Three, consider how you will follow Jesus in suffering and sacrifice. If we are following His example, we will also drink that cup. Greatness is the kingdom is found in following Jesus in suffering and service.

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[i] Greg Allen, With Jesus on the Road to Greatness, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2008/011308.htm

[ii] Rory Mosley, The Christian Ambition (Matthew 20:17-28), https://fbcspur.org/christian-ambition-matthew-2017-28/  

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The Last Will Be First

parables-of-the-kingdom

The Last Will Be First

Matthew 20:1-16

Christianity is supremely a religion of grace. We sing about God’s amazing grace, grace greater than our sin. Paul’s epistles are saturated with the concept of God’s grace. But, even so, I think that God’s grace is often not well understood and sometimes not really believed. In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Phillip Yancey points out that part of our problem is in the nature of grace itself.[1] Grace shocks us in what it offers. Grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it, and hardly appreciate it. In grace, God does for others what we would never do for them. By grace God saves what we think are the not-so-bad people and also the very worst of sinners. In fact, no one is saved apart from God’s grace.

Today we are looking at Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. Although our text does not use the word “grace”, it powerfully illustrates it.  

Think about the context in which Jesus taught this parable. Jesus is on His final journey to Jerusalem with His disciples (Matt. 19:1). The conflict between Jesus and His adversaries began to intensify, and the time for our Lord’s sacrificial death was drawing near. In Matthew 19, when some parents brought their little children to Jesus for Him to bless them, the disciples tried to prevent them. But Jesus rebuked His disciples saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). The scribes and Pharisees didn’t see it that way. They thought that heaven belonged to them, because of their religious efforts, and because of their positions.

Then a man came up to Jesus and wanted to know what he needed to do in order to have eternal life. He was young, rich, powerful, and moral—a success by this world’s standards. And yet, he knew that he didn’t have eternal life. Since this man felt that he had fully kept the law from his youth, Jesus had to show him how far he came from measuring up to God’s standards. So, Jesus told this “rich young ruler” to sell all that he owned, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow Him. That was too high a price to pay, and so sadly, the rich young ruler went away without Jesus and without eternal life.

Jesus then turned to his disciples and pointed out how hard it is for the rich who trust in their wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24), the disciples were shocked. Jesus highlighted God’s grace when He said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26).

Then Peter looked at himself and the other disciples. They certainly weren’t powerful and successful like that rich, young, ruler. And yet, they had done what he could not do. And so, speaking behalf of the others, Peter said to the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matt. 19:27). Jesus told them,

28 Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matt. 19:28-29).

Jesus assures them that following Him would certainly be worth it in the end. They would have the very thing that the rich young ruler could not earn for himself—eternal life. But lest any of His followers should think of themselves as “greatest in the kingdom” because they sacrificed more, or followed longer—or, on the other hand, lest any of them should be discouraged and think that they would never amount to much in His kingdom—Jesus then teaches: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30).

And to help explain this proverbial statement, Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard, showing that our rewards for salvation and service will not be on the basis of human merit but rather on the principle of “grace”. Our Lord evaluates His servants in a far different way than the people of this world do. He loves to shower His grace on those who are the most unworthy in this world’s eyes. When it comes to the work of His kingdom, “many who are first will be last, and the last first“.

I have divided Jesus’ parable into three parts for our study today: the hiring of the workers (Matt. 20:1-7); the unusual payment of the workers (Matt. 20:8-13); and the owners explanation (Matt. 20:14-15). Then Jesus concludes His teaching by repeating what He said at the beginning, “So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16).

1. The Hiring of the Workers (Matt. 20:1-7).

Jesus begins by saying, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard” (Matt. 20:1). Like most of Jesus’ parables, the subject is “the kingdom of heaven.” In our context, that means salvation and eternal life. What is the kingdom of heaven like? It is “like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.”

In those days, a normal day was numbered in twelve hours from sunrise to sunset. So, “early in the morning” was probably the beginning of the work day around 6:00 am at sunrise. It was probably time to harvest, and the landowner needed workers to pick his grapes. So he went to the place where the day laborers gathered to seek work. These were unskilled workers near the bottom of the social-economic scale. Many lived at a level not far above beggars. They worked from job to job, many of which lasted no more than a day. So, they would gather in the market place, the local labor pool, before dawn to be available for hiring.

Jesus goes on to say, “Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” (Matt. 20:2). A “denarius” was the standard wage for a Roman soldier. It was a generous wage for a day laborer. And so, that agreement being settled, off they went to work.

But as Jesus tells the story, clearly the landowner needed more laborers than those he had just hired. So Jesus says,

3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'” (Matt. 20:3-7).

The third hour would be about 9:00 am. As the owner goes to the marketplace again, he finds more unemployed men and hires them as well. This time, saying “‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you” (Matt. 20:4). Even though the owner did not promise them a particular wage, these workers obviously trusted him to pay them what was fair. The owner then goes back again “about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise” (Matt. 20:5)—that is, about noon and 3:00 in the afternoon he hired more workers. Finally, “about the eleventh hour,” just an hour before the work day concluded at sunset, “he went out and found others.” They were not “standing here idle all day” because they were lazy but because “no one hired” them yet. The fact that they were still there at the eleventh hour shows just how desperately they needed the job. Even getting paid for one hours work would help in their hopeless situation.

So the workers are hired. The first went to work after the promise of a certain wage. The rest, including the last, went to work trusting the goodness of the master.  

Next in the parable Jesus tells about …

2. The Unusual Payment of the Workers (Matt. 20:8-13).

In Matthew 20:8 Jesus tells us how this took place, “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’” The landowner’s steward must have lined up all of the workers. The first in line were those who had agreed to begin working last, at the eleventh hour. To the shock of everyone, we read, “And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.” (Matt. 20:9). What a pleasant surprise for those men who were late in getting hired! They had expected fair payment for the one hour they worked. What they got was extremely generous compensation, a whole day’s wage—much more than they deserved! I’m sure that they went away rejoicing. They had wasted most of the day standing idle in the marketplace with nothing to show for it. But, then, this kind landowner came along and paid them a full day’s wage! What looked like the worst work day ever just an hour ago has suddenly turned into the best day ever!

I’m sure that as the others watched, they were pretty excited. They began calculating in their mind what might possibly take place. “If these guys who worked only an hour received a full denarius, I wonder what is in it for us? Certainly, we will receive even more because we worked more.” Then the twist in the story comes in Matthew 20:10, “But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.” Does that seem fair? They didn’t think so. Jesus tells their response, “And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’” (Matt. 20:11-12). In their minds, this was really unthinkable and totally unfair. So, they grumbled and complained because even though they worked longer and harder in the heat of the day, they all received the same amount no matter how long they had worked.

That brings us to …

3. The Explanation by the Vineyard Owner (Matt. 20:13-15).

The landowner said to one of these complaining, grumbling workers, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?” (Matt. 20:13). The laborers who signed up at the beginning of the day agreed to work in the vineyard for a denarius. They worked all day. They received their denarius. The contract was fulfilled. There ought to have been no complaint. Therefore, the landowner tells the complainer, “Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.” (Matt. 20:14).

Now remember, this parable is about the kingdom of heaven. It is about salvation and eternal life. The landowner clearly represents the Lord. He calls men into His kingdom and compensates them for their service to Him. So what does this teach us about God and salvation?

Three lessons:

A. God will keep His promises (Matt. 20:13).

The landowner kept his promise to pay the first workers what they agree to work for. He did not cheat them. And even though they did the most work, they only had the opportunity to work at all because the owner graciously agreed to hire them.

We should never forget that it is a privilege to be called to serve the Lord in His kingdom. It is an unspeakably great honor to serve the Lord.  Have you been called to teach a Sunday School class? Have you been called to provide some repair or maintenance work in the house of God? Have you been called to visit someone who is sick? Have you been called to provide transportation or meals to someone? Have you been called to share your faith in some particular setting? Do you see something in the work of the kingdom that needs to be done that you have the unique capacity to do; and are you feeling God’s call to get to work?

It doesn’t matter God called you to salvation and service early in life or in your twilight years. If He has called you, He has work for you to do. Whenever He called you into His service, don’t question the fact that He called you when He called you! Go to the vineyard and work—knowing that He knows what He has planned for you to do, and that He will reward you rightfully for your faithful service.

If the Lord has called you into the service of His kingdom in any capacity, Rejoice in it; and rise up immediately and get to work! Give yourself fully to that thing the Lord has given you to do. Don’t hold back, waiting for something better to do. Don’t put it off, looking for some other time. Do what He has called you to do now for His kingdom’s sake!

Jesus said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matt. 19:29). God will keep His promises.

B. God will be sovereign (Matt. 20:14-15)

The landowner said to the complainer, “I wish to give to this last man the same as to you,” and then asked him the rhetorical question, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?”  God is free to do what He desires with each of us. After all, it is His universe. He created it all, including us, for His own purposes. We belong to Him. He can do as He pleases. God calls whoever He wants to salvation and service and He does it whenever He wants. He is God.

We must understand that our salvation and our service to God is all a matter of grace—from beginning to end. It what God does—not at all what we do. We could not be saved apart from the gracious work of God and we could not serve except for the grace of God. If we don’t keep that in mind, we won’t have the right attitude about our service or about others whom He calls into His service.

On the one hand, we think that because we’ve come to believe on Him too late in life, or that we’ve spent too many years in sin, we couldn’t possibly do anything of significance for the kingdom. Or we may fear that we’re too unskilled or untalented to do anything that would really count for much to Him. And this parable lets us know that, because He operates on the principle of grace rather than human merit, we can give ourselves faithfully to His service in whatever area He has called us—knowing that we work for a Master who does not measure the value of His laborers as the world does.

But on the other hand, if we forget it is by grace, we may begin to feel that we deserve a higher place of honor in His kingdom because we have walked with Him longer, or because we believed sooner, or because we have labored more diligently, or that our efforts were more valuable than others. And this parable reminds us that, because our Lord operates on the principle of grace, we must be humble and not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, nor look down on others.

Our Lord is sovereign in who and how and when He calls people to salvation and service.

C. God will be gracious (Matt. 20:15-16)

When the landowner gave those hired last a full day’s pay, he was not being unfair, he was being gracious. It was an act of mercy and kindness because the owner was good. Knowing that they had not been able to work a whole day because no one had hired them, he nevertheless gave them what they did not deserve. He gave them the means to provide for their families. He didn’t reward them on the basis of human merit; but rather on the basis of grace. Just as God always gives what He promises, He also gives more than we deserve.

When I think the great grace that was shown to these last worker, it reminds me of the story of the thief on the cross next to our Lord. Luke tells us that, as Jesus hung on the cross, one of the criminals who hung next to Him blasphemed Him; saying, “If You are the Christ, save yourself and us” (Luke 23:39). Mark, in his Gospel, even lets us know that the other criminal had chimed in and was blaspheming the Lord almost to the very end (Mark 15:32).

But something had happened in the heart of one of those dying criminals. He eventually turned to the other criminal and said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” We’re told that he then said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom“, and that Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).

What grace! There was no time for this criminal to do any good deeds in order to make himself worthy. He didn’t have any time to reform his life. All that he had time to do was to repent and believe in Jesus saying, “Remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He was literally called at the eleventh hour of his life. And yet, Jesus promised that he would be that very day with Himself in Paradise! And his single act of service to the kingdom—giving us an example of how to be saved—has done more for the service of the kingdom than any human being could estimate! Truly, the last shall be first! Our Lord will be gracious!

God’s rewards in the kingdom of heaven are not according to the merit system. They are according to grace. Salvation is the gift of God. It is not by works, lest any should boast (Eph. 2:9).

Aren’t you glad that God is more than just? Aren’t you glad that God is generous? Or as the landowner said, “Or is your eye evil because I am good?” (Matt. 20:15). Be careful that you do not despise the grace of God. God is not unfair to you when He is generous to someone else. The first workers complained to the landowner, “You made them equal to us!” That’s right. We are all equal in God’s kingdom – equally sinners, equally loved, equally redeemed. That is how the last are first and the first are last—because we all finish equal. We al receive far more than we deserve. How do the last become first? By grace. By God’s grace. By God’s grace alone.

Some of have sinned a little. Some of us have sinned a lot. Some of us come to Jesus early in life. Some of us come to Jesus much later in life. Some of us serve God in many ways. Some of us serve God in very few ways. But everyone who puts their faith in Jesus receives eternal life.

You are never too old to come to Christ. You are never too sinful to come to Christ. Come to Christ now, even in the eleventh hour, and he will gladly welcome you into his kingdom. Our God is a good and gracious and generous God. The more you feel your need for grace, the better candidate you are to receive it. Hold out your empty hands and ask God for His grace. You will not be turned away. It’s never too late. Though your sins are as scarlet, God says they will be white as snow. Here is good news for sinners. Free Grace! Free Grace! Free Grace! Shout it, sing it, tell it, and share it. And above all else, believe it, for in believing, you will be saved.

When we get to the kingdom of heaven, there will be no contest to see who is most deserving, because none of us deserve heaven. There will be no contest to see who has earned more rewards because God rewards according to grace, not merit. Maybe the only contest will be to see how truly grateful we are when we sing Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

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[1] Phillip Yancy, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Quoted by Brian Bill in his sermon, The Scandal Of Grace, https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-scandal-of-grace-brian-bill-sermon-on-salvation-57664

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Who Then Can Be Saved?

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Who Then Can Be Saved?

Matthew 19:23-30

Last time, we looked at Matthew’s account of the rich young ruler and his encounter with Jesus. Looking at this young man from the outside, it appeared like he had it all—wealth, youth, influence, and morality. He seemed to the life that many would long for. Yet he knew that things were not right with his soul. So, he came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16).

Jesus first questioned him about his understanding of who is good, then directed him to keep God’s commandments, hoping to bring the young man to see his own sinfulness and need of the Savior. Although the young man claimed an eternal righteousness of keeping the commandments, he still did not have assurance of eternal life. So, he asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” (Matt. 19:20).

And exposing this man’s heart, Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matt. 19:21). Matthew concludes the man’s encounter with Jesus writing that “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:22). Sadly, the young man chose his possessions over following Jesus, proving he did not love God with all his heart or love his neighbor as himself. He had to choose between his sin and eternal life—and he chose sin. The young man refused salvation and forfeited eternal life.

So, Jesus turned to His disciples in this teaching moment. The disciples had just seen a man reject the opportunity to receive eternal life. This rich man loved his possessions more than he loved God. He would rather have the comfort of things in this life, than give them up for the life to come. And Jesus wasted no time in teaching His disciples about salvation.

The theme of the whole passage is salvation. What did the young man come asking Jesus about? Eternal life. What did the disciples ask Jesus about in Matthew 19:25? Who can be saved. And what did Jesus promise in Matthew 19:29 to those who forsake all and follow Him? Eternal life. To be saved is to have eternal life.

Our text is structured around Jesus’ statements in response to the rich man’s leaving and the disciple’s questions. In Matthew 19:23-24, reponding to the rich man’s parting, Jesus teaches how riches make salvation difficult. In Matthew 19:25-26, responding to the astonished disciples’ question, Jesus teaches that God makes salvation possible. And in Matthew 19:27-30, responding to Peter’s question, Jesus teaches that rewards make salvation worth it all.[1]   

1. Riches Make Salvation Hard (Matt. 19:23-24).

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”” (Mat t.19:23). Why is it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven? Why is it difficult for the rich to be saved? To answer that, let’s think about the rich young ruler again. He walked away from Jesus and eternal life because it was too hard. It would cost him too much.

What did riches have to do with it? Everything for him. His wealth had blinded him to his sin. Jesus had forced him to think about what is good and the commandments of God to expose his sin. But in his pride, the rich man refused to acknowledge his sin. He thought he could obtain eternal life by his goodness. Many in Jesus’ day viewed wealth as a sign of favor with God. They believed God blessed with riches those who were good. Proverbs 28:11 says, “The rich man is wise in his own eyes” or “in his own conceit” (KJV). Riches often make a person boastful and arrogant. The rich young ruler boasted that he had kept the commandments from his youth. Paul tells Timothy to “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17).

Moses warned the Israelites about the danger of riches before they entered the promised land. In Deuteronomy 8 he wrote,

10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest–when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end– 17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deut. 8:10-18).

Riches tempt us to think we did it all ourselves. They can make us conceited and smug. The boastful, proud, haughty person will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven belongs only to those who humble themselves like little children. Jesus taught in Matthew 18:3, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” You must be converted, changed in your heart and attitude. You must come humble, not depending on your achievements or merits, but on God’s grace in Christ.

Riches are deceitful. Remember in Matthew 13, Jesus told the parable of the soils? Jesus said that “he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22). Wealth and possessions shout for our attention. They distract us from what is truly important. They promise to satisfy us with good things. They can steal our heart away from loving God. The young ruler’s riches deceived him into thinking he could do something to obtain eternal life and drew him away from the only One who could give him salvation.  

How hard is it for a rich man to enter the kingdom? Look at how Jesus illustrates it in Matthew 19:24, “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” What a picture! The camel was the largest animal that the disciples would be familiar with. The eye of a sewing needle was the smallest opening that was used. To think of pushing a camel through a needle was absurd. You can’t fit a camel through the eye of a needle. It was impossible. If you even tried, all you would get is a broken needle and a very perturbed camel!

And yet, Jesus says that, as hard as it may be, it’s easier to push that camel through the eye of a needle than it would be for a rich man—a man who would have to give up his love for his wealth—to enter the kingdom of God. That’s how hard it is. It’s not just “you’ve really got to work at it” hard. No, Jesus says it is on the “impossibility scale” of hard for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.

At this point, you might wonder, “How rich is too rich to enter the kingdom?” Jesus doesn’t give a number because it’s not so much a matter of what you have but rather your attitude towards what you have. You don’t have to be extremely wealthy for money to be a snare. Even the desire to be rich can keep someone from Christ. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

The Bible’s teaching is clear. Whether you are actually wealthy or just want to be wealthy, money can be an obstacle to faith. It doesn’t have to be. There are many rich people who love God and serve God and give generously to God’s kingdom. Money is not the root of all evil. It’s the love of money that’s the root of all kinds of evil. That was the rich young ruler’s problem, wasn’t it? He loved his money more than Jesus.

Riches make salvation hard—so hard it is impossible. And that’s bad news if you are rich.

But wait! There’s good news! We see in Matthew 19:25-26 that …

2. God Makes Salvation Possible (Matt. 19:25-26)

Now when Jesus gave this illustration of putting a camel through a needle, the disciples were blown away. Matthew 19:25 says, “When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished…” They were struck out of their wits.[2] They are shocked because they (along with everyone else) were used to viewing wealth as a sign of God’s blessing or approval. And if it’s impossible for a person whom God has blessed to go to heaven, then how can anyone be saved?

They looked at the rich, influential, moral young man who was walking away, and felt that so many of their preconceived notions were destroyed. In their mind, such a man was most certainly blessed of God. He would most certainly been “worthy” of eternal life. He was among the best that humanity had to offer. But as it turns out, even he could not do enough “good things” to be able to inherit eternal life. In their minds, the disciples were thinking, “If the rich, the most blessed of God, can’t enter the kingdom, can anybody?”

So, in their astonishment, the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” Look at Jesus’ answer in Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

Notice what makes the difference between the impossible and the possible. “With men” it is impossible for anyone to be saved. “With God” it is possible for everyone to be saved. In other words, only God can save. We can’t save ourselves. Every time a person is saved it is a direct miracle of God’s grace and mercy. There is not a single thing or a multitude of things you can do to be saved. You can’t live good enough. You can’t be pleasing enough. You can’t sacrifice enough. God’s standard is too high. It is perfection. You can never save yourself. You can never earn or purchase eternal life. The cost is too high. With men, it is impossible.

But the gospel proclaims, “but with God all things are possible.” This is God’s amazing grace. God has done it all. God initiates salvation. God justifies lost sinners. God sanctifies them. God glorifies them. Salvation is completely of God—not of man. If it is impossible with men, but possible with God, then why are any saved? Because of what we do? No. But, because of what God does in opening our hearts to believe the glorious gospel of Christ. Consider John 1:12, ” But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,” When people receive Jesus and believe in His name, is this because man initiated it or completed it? No. It is because God did it. John goes on in the next verse to say, ” who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).

If anyone asks you why you have eternal life, what is the answer? Because God saved me by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It was nothing that I did. It was what God did in Christ. If you received Christ, you cannot take credit for it. God gave it to you. If you believe in Christ, you cannot boast about it because God granted you faith in Christ. He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus paid the debt of your sin. God drew you to Himself through the gospel message. He saved you. None of it was what you did. It was all what God did.

 So, yes, it’s hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. It’s hard for all of us. In fact, it’s impossible apart from God. Only God makes salvation possible.

Finally we see that …

3. Rewards Make Salvation Worth It All (Matt. 19:27-30).

When Peter heard Jesus say these things, he blurted out, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” On the surface, this may seem like a selfish question. But Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking such a question. Remember, Peter and the other disciples had already given up everything to follow Jesus. when Jesus called Peter. He and his brother Andrew were fishing. They were casting their net into the sea (Matt. 4:18). Jesus called out to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Matthew then records, “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” (Matt. 4:20). Peter literally “left everything” to follow Christ.

In the gospel of John, chapter 6, we see many people who were following Christ deserting him, because He was teaching some difficult things for the crowds to swallow—like “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51). As a result, ” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Then, Jesus turned to His twelve disciples and said, ” Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). And Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Peter had no other plans. By the grace of God he believed in Jesus. He could not turn back. He had no alternate plan.

Jesus had told them in Matthew 16, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:24-25).

Instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus answers him with a gracious promise:

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28).

These words describe the day in which the kingdom of heaven is fully consummated. Jesus calls this “the regeneration.” I believe that He is referring to the time when everything is renewed. It is the time when Jesus returns, and those who have trusted in Christ will be raised from the dead and glorified together with Christ (1 Cor. 15). Even the creation itself will be renewed and “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). And the twelve disciples will find themselves seated upon twelve thrones (Matt. 19:28). Upon those thrones, Jesus said that they will be judging the twelve tribes of Israel. They will have positions of leadership and authority in the kingdom of heaven. Their reward is so great that I don’t believe that the twelve will ever regret the sacrifices that they made to follow Jesus.

But rewards are not just for the twelve. Matthew 19:29 is directed to all followers of Jesus Christ, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30 records that Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

I have learned something wonderful about the Body of Christ. In a sense, I have—right now—countless “fathers” in the older saintly Christian men who bear a kind and godly influence in my life. And I have countless “mothers” in the older saintly Christian women who love me with motherly love. Many may have had to leave “brothers” or “sisters” behind; but they have countless other brothers and sisters with whom they share loving fellowship and the hopes of eternity. A follower of Jesus may be called upon to give up the comforts and security of “houses” and “lands”; but in the family love of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, he or she can enjoy the comfort and security of the countless “houses” and “lands” of other brothers and sisters who share hospitality and the comforts of life with them.

But the rewards are not just temporal. They are eternal. Jesus said, “and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:30). We will “inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29). Eternal life—that’s what the rich young man wanted, but he wasn’t willing to follow Jesus to get it. So, he lost out on the ultimate reward. And all that money he was unwilling to part with? If he had followed Jesus, he would have received a hundred times as much, and he would have received eternal life.

The greatest reason to follow Jesus Christ is because He is eternal life! As Peter himself once wrote, we have been a living hope through the resurrection of Christ, “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). We gain back everything in life that we give up in order to follow Jesus faithfully. And when it’s over, we gain eternal life with Him! We give up for Jesus what we cannot keep, in order to gain with Him what we cannot lose! Following Jesus is the greatest deal in the universe!

Jesus says at the end of this section, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30). This was one of Jesus’ favorite sayings. Everything gets reversed when it comes to Jesus. In the context of our passage: the little children who had nothing are welcomed by Jesus, while the rich man who had everything walks away. The disciples leave everything for Jesus, and they sit on thrones with Jesus. Those who sacrifice for Christ receive a hundred times as much in return.

Here’s the bottom line. We cannot save ourselves, because we are not good, and we are not God. Only God is good, and only God can save. And that is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus changes everything. His blood paid the debt we owed for our sin. His resurrection assures us of eternal life because He is alive forever and saves forever those who come to Him believing. It is worth everything to follow Jesus. If you have Jesus, you have everything. He is the greatest treasure. He is our inheritance and great reward. Look to Jesus, church, and don’t look back.

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[1] Steve Brandon, Then Who Can Be Saved?, https://sermons.rvbc.cc/sermons/2004-037.  

[2] Greg Allen, The God of Impossible Salvations, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/120907.htm.  

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Let the Little Children Come

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Let the Little Children Come

Matthew 19:13-15

Today, we come to a short and simple text in the middle of Matthew 19. It tells the heart-warming story about Jesus blessing the little children. This same story is included in the gospel of Mark (10:13-15) and the gospel of Luke (18:15-17). And in each of these accounts, the story is almost exactly the same. It begins with some parents bringing their children to Jesus. They wanted Jesus to place His hands upon the children, bless them, and pray for them. But the disciples attempt to turn the parents away. Jesus was displeased by His disciples’ response. He told them to allow and not forbid the children to come to Him. Jesus took them into His arms, blessed them, and prayed for them.

We’re glad to read about this little, tiny slice-of-life incident in Jesus’ earthly ministry. We’re thankful for a Savior who took the time from His busy ministry activities to welcome children, take them in His arms, and pray for them. We are enamored with our Lord, who genuinely loved humanity—even the insignificant and “least of these” who had no accomplishments or great abilities to their credit.

Even though this story is brief and uncomplicated, it is not undemanding. Like the disciples, we too can easily miss the heart of the Lord and need correction from Him when it comes to our attitudes toward children. What this passage teaches us is so important because it is crucial for the advance of the kingdom of God. As a church, if we ignore the lessons of this passage, we do so at the cost of our church’s future and at the risk of receiving the Lord’s rebuke.

This is not the first time Jesus has spoken about little children. You may remember that in Matthew 18, when His disciples came to Him asking who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus took a small child to Himself, set him in their midst, and said,

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Matthew 18:3-5).

Although these two passages are similar, there’s an important difference between them. In Matthew 18, Jesus spoke about the “little ones” because the disciples were valuing themselves to highly—arguing over which of them was the greatest. But in Matthew 19, Jesus spoke about the “little ones” because the disciples were failing to value the children highly enough. Far from receiving or welcoming little children, in our text the disciples rebuke those who bring them and try to prevent their coming to Jesus. It seems that the disciples have not learned the lesson and they need a remedial course. They needed their attitudes changed. And I would ask each of us here today: do we need to have our attitudes changed to line up with Jesus’ heart for the little children?

Our text has three parts. In Matthew 19:13, we have the situation where children are brought to Jesus and the disciples rebuke them. In Matthew 19:14, we have Jesus’ invitation to the children and their kingdom significance. Finally, in Matthew 19:15, we have Jesus’ blessing and His departure.[1]

1. The Controversy over the Children (Matt. 19:13)

Matthew 19:13 begins, “Then little children were brought to Him.” Let me point out two things from this opening statement. First, the word translated as “little children” refers to very small children who needed to be taught and disciplined. When Luke tells this same story, he uses the word that is translated “infants”. These are little children, even babies, who are brought to Jesus. Second, the verb “brought” is passive. That is, the children did not bring themselves, they were brought by others—most likely their parents or grandparents.

And they brought them for a purpose. Matthew makes the reason clear for us, “… that He might put His hands on them and pray.” This implies both something about those who brought their children to Jesus.  Those who brought their children to Jesus had likely heard of what great things that Jesus had done. They knew of the miraculous power that He possessed, as He healed people with His tender touch. Jesus touched the leper, and he was instantly cleansed (Matt. 8:3). Jesus touched the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law, and the fever instantly left her (Matt. 8:14). Jesus touched the eyes of blind men, and they received their sight (Matt. 9:29). These parents wanted to have their children receive a blessing from this mighty rabbi and healer, Jesus. Jewish children in Jesus’ day were often brought to rabbis and elders to be blessed, customarily by placing hands on them.[2] Perhaps you remember when Jacob placed his hands on his grandchildren and blessed them (Gen. 48:8-20).

Perhaps many of these parents had grown to have significant convictions about who Jesus was. Was this an expression of faith in Jesus to bring their little ones to Him?

Matthew sets these parents as a positive example. They brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. One of the greatest responsibilities we have as members of the Body of Christ is to bring little ones to Jesus Christ. If God has entrusted you with the care of children or grandchildren, you have the spiritual duty to actively bring them to Jesus! When they are tiny, and you hold them in your arms, you must whisper to them about the God who made them. You must take them on walks or let them look out the window; and tell them about the God who made the world around them. As they learn about God’s love for them, you must tell them about His Son, Jesus Christ. When they disobey, you must tell them about the reality of sin; and about how Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. And you must tell them about the eternal home Jesus is preparing in heaven for those who trust Him.[3] Bring them to Him!

Just before the people of Israel were about to enter the promised land, Moses, speaking by the Holy Spirit, said to them,

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

In other words, in the everyday activities of your family life, bring your children to know the Lord. Do you see how vital it is that word of God be passed down from generation to generation? Do you see how important “children” are in the plan of God? Let’s not break the chain of “faith” that runs from one generation to another. Let’s make it our commitment to follow the example set for us in this passage; and actively bring the little ones to Jesus!

We read about these people bringing children to Jesus and we say, “Of course! We should want children to come to Jesus.” But do we really? Or are we sometimes l more like Jesus disciples? Matthew 19:13 ends by telling us, “but the disciples rebuked them.”

Why did they rebuke the people who brought their children to Jesus? Perhaps the disciples were annoyed that Jesus was being delayed on his journey (Carson). Perhaps they were being interrupted in their important discussion with Jesus (Carson). Perhaps they were trying to protect Jesus from the nuisance that these children might be to Him, especially as He appeared to be tired and filled with tension while He thought about approaching Jerusalem (Barclay). Perhaps they thought that it would somehow dishonor Jesus to do such a lowly task of praying for children (Spurgeon). Perhaps they thought that children were lower class citizens, and not worthy of sharing the stage with Jesus. Perhaps they thought that “children were to be seen, but not heard.” We don’t know the exact reason, but we do know that their attitude was very wrong.[4] In Mark’s Gospel, we’re told that Jesus was “greatly displeased” with His disciples for trying to send them away (Mark 10:14).

So next, Jesus corrects their wrong perspective of children…

2. Jesus Welcomes the Children (Matt. 19:14)

The Lord gave His disciples a command in two parts. First, He said, “Let the little children come to Me” (Matt. 19:14a). This is the positive part of the command. And isn’t it interesting that He didn’t say, “Let the parents bring the little children to Me“? Notice that He focused on the children—”Let the little children come to Me”. The children were no burden to Jesus. He could see that even these tiny ones wanted to be near Him, and He Himself welcomed them to come.

Notice how joyfully Jesus accepted these children. You get the sense that He was eager to receive these children into His arms. He eagerly wanted to pray for them and to bless them. Jesus took these children into His arms because they were welcome to enter the kingdom. The song is true, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Yes, it’s also true that even the smallest of children are born as members of fallen humanity. None of us are born into the human family innocent, or without the taint of sin upon us. Even in a small child—given time—the flesh will begin to rebel against the grace of God. But it seems to me that when tiny children learn of who Jesus is, they are not so easily inclined to withdraw from Him as they would prove to be in later years—out of arrogant pride, or a love for sin. It’s a prime time for them to draw near to the Savior and learn of Him.

So, parents, bring your children to Jesus – raise them in the church and in the Lord. Grandparents, bring your grandchildren to Jesus – pray for your grandkids and be a loving and godly example to them. Churches, bring the little children to Jesus – pray for the children in your church; pray for the children’s ministry in your church; give and volunteer where you can.

The negative part of the command is “and do not forbid them.” The present imperative is telling them to stop forbidding or hindering them from coming. This is what the disciples were presently doing. In effect, Jesus says, “Stop it!” But before we wag our fingers at the disciples, let’s ask ourselves if we are ever a hindrance to children coming to Jesus. We can hinder them by allowing the things of this world to crowd out their vision of Him—filling out lives and theirs with so many activities that we forget the priority of worshiping and serving the Lord. We can hinder them by treating their budding love for Jesus as if it were something that didn’t matter. We can hinder them by not living a consistent Christian life at home before them—playing the hypocrite. We can hinder them by leading them into unbelief and sin. Think about Jesus’ words of warning from Matthew 18:5-7,

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:5-7).

May we never do anything to hinder little ones who are drawn to Jesus! Jesus rebuked His disciples for trying to stop the children from coming to Him. Would He rebuke you?

Jesus says that reason that we must let the little children come and we must not hinder them from coming is “for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). The kingdom of heaven is characterized by children such as these. Again, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 18,

“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3-4).

These children are a picture of the humility, dependence, and trust of those of any age who enter His kingdom.[5] These are the things that make children such an example for all of us. These are the sorts of characteristics that those in the kingdom possess. And the kingdom belongs to those who are like this. Jesus said in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Who are the poor in spirit? They are those who recognize that they have nothing to bring to God but their sin and who gladly receive the free gift of salvation from His hand. They are those who have humbled themselves and become like little children.

If we understood true greatness in Jesus’ kingdom as He taught us, we’d never again be irritated by the presence of children who truly love Him and believe on Him. Rather, we’d be honored. As a church, children ought to be important to us. We ought to eagerly receive them. We ought to do what we can to help them, to teach them, to nurture them, and to train them.

Finally we see that …

3. Jesus Blesses the Children and Departs (Matt. 19:15)

Matthew 19:15 says, “And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.” Laying His hands on the children implies that He prayed over them and blessed them just as those who brought them wanted Him to. How very important this was to Jesus is indicated by the last phrase, “and departed from there.” Where was Jesus’ journey taking Him? We find out in the next chapter, Matthew 20:17, where it says that Jesus was “going up to Jerusalem.” That is why He crossed over to Judea beyond the Jordan in Matthew 19:1. It was His final journey to Jerusalem. And what was it that He was going up to Jerusalem to do? In Matthew 20:18-19 Jesus tells His disciples,

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again” (Matthew 20:18-19).

Could there be any more pressing matter than that? Was there any higher priority for Jesus than going to the cross to die for our sins? And yet, even as Jesus is bound for Jerusalem to finish this dreadful mission that the Father set before Him, nevertheless, Jesus prioritized the time to welcome the little children, to take them in His arms, to place His tender hands on them, blessing them, and praying over them.

Listen, if, in that context, Jesus prioritized giving His time and energy to the care and ministry of little children, then as a church of His followers we’d better do the same! So, let’s be sure that we do those things Jesus teaches us to do in this passage: that we actively seek to bring little ones to Him; that we earnestly seek His blessing upon them; that we do nothing to hinder them in drawing near to Him; that we humbly recognize the great value He places on them; and that we place as high a priority in ministering to them as He does.[6]

To minister to the little ones who believe on Jesus is to do the work of His kingdom!

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[1] Grant Osborne, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, p. 710.

[2] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 420.

[3] Greg Allen, Let the Little Children Come!, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/120207.htm

[4] Steve Brandon, Let the Little Children Come, https://sermons.rvbc.cc/sermons/2004-035

[5] John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew, Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL, p. 181.

[6] Greg Allen, ibid.

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Protecting Little Ones

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

Protecting Little Ones from Stumbling

Matthew 18:5-9

Last time we began to study Matthew 18 which contains the fourth great section of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel of Matthew. Here, Jesus is teaching us as believing children how to relate to God and one another in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ disciples prompted this teaching when they asked, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1). The disciples were jockeying for position in Jesus’ kingdom, each desiring to be the greatest, the most honored disciple.

In response, Jesus called a small child, set him right in the middle of them all, and told them, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). In their pride and self-seeking, the disciples thought they merited greatness in the kingdom. But Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of heaven is not about our merit at all. That minor child had the least accomplishments, wisdom, and abilities of anyone in the room. In the eyes of the disciples, he was insignificant. Yet, he is the epitome of greatness in the kingdom. In fact, no one can even enter the kingdom unless they turn away from self-merit and humbly come to Jesus as a little child.

No one gets into the kingdom of heaven on their own merit. We don’t deserve the kingdom and we could never earn a place in the kingdom. Like a child, We must enter by faith in the merits of Jesus Christ. The only people who are in the kingdom of heaven are those who have come humbly, without merit, trusting in Jesus Christ alone to save them from sin and give them eternal life. It is only by God’s mercy and grace shown to us in Christ that we get in.

Since everyone enters the kingdom the same way, then how could we ever think that we are greater than anyone else in the kingdom? How could we ever think that someone else is lower than us? Do you see how incompatible that attitude is with Christ’s kingdom? A true Christian attitude is “I am the least important person here, and I come, not to see how good I can be treated, but I come to serve you because you are so important to Christ.” This attitude of humility forms the foundation of all kingdom relationships that Jesus teaches about in the rest of Matthew 18.

The disciples needed to learn the attitude of humility because they were stumbling and tripping over each other to be named the greatest. They were being an offense to each other.

That leads us to today’s passage because the key word in Matthew 18:5-9 is “offenses”. You see it three times in Matthew 18:7, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” The Greek word is σκάνδαλον (skandalon), meaning a trap, snare, or stumbling block. It pictures something that trips up and causes someone to stumble and fall—thus something that offends or causes sin. Jesus used this noun in Matthew 13 in the parable of the wheat and tares concluding, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 13:41-42). Jesus also used it when Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him for saying that the Son of Man must suffer and be killed (Matt. 16:21-22).  Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt. 16:23). Peter was being used by Satan as a stumbling block to hinder Christ from going to the cross to die for our sins.

The verb form of this word, σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), is also used three times in our passage. You see it in Matthew 18:6 translated, “cause … to sin”. Literally, the verse reads “But whoever shall offend (or cause to stumble) one of these little ones who believe in Me…” The same verb is in Matthew 18:8,9 where Jesus says that if your hand, foot, or eye “causes you to sin” cut it off or pluck it out. Again, the idea is that it offends or causes you to stumble and fall.

So, an offense is a stumbling block that trips up or hinders people from coming to Christ and believing in Him. How do we keep from stumbling and help keep others from stumbling?

First, Jesus teaches us a…

1. Condition: Receive believers in Christ (Matt. 18:5)

In Matthew 18:5 Jesus says, “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” Remember—Jesus has a little child with Him. The child pictured the lowliness and humility of those who come to Jesus without any merit, accomplishments, or ability of their own. Jesus is talking not just about receiving and welcoming children—that is certainly important to Jesus as we see in Matthew 19—but He is really talking about receiving believers. In Matthew 18:6, He calls them “these little ones who believe in Me.” So this applies to anyone who by grace believes in Jesus with humble childlike faith—no matter their age.

To “receive” means to accept with open arms, minds, and hearts, welcoming someone with gracious hospitality. The term was often used of receiving honored guests and meeting their needs with special attention and kindness. We are to receive other believers in Christ like they are honored guests. Why? Because we receive them “in His name”. That is, we receive them not based on their merits, not based on what they can do for us in the church, not based on their ability or accomplishments, but simply because they belong to Christ. We receive one another the same way we entered the kingdom, on the merits of Christ.

It is such a temptation for us to assign value to people based on how they look, what they do, how much money they have, and what they can do for us. Jesus says that none of that matters in the kingdom. None of us is more important than anyone else in the kingdom. Therefore, we receive each other based on the merits of Christ alone. We accept each other and treat each other with loving kindness for one reason only—because we all belong to Christ by grace.

Jesus identifies with each lowly and insignificant believer. When we receive each other, we are receiving Christ Himself because Christ Jesus is in every true believer. Jesus values each and every one of those who trust in Him with humble faith, and He watches carefully to see that they are treated rightly by others. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10?

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. (Matt. 10:40-42).

To keep from causing others to stumble, we must receive other believers the same way that Christ received us. We welcome others on the basis of the merits of Christ alone. He has loved them, accepted them, saved them, and qualified them just as He did us.

This brings us to our second point where Jesus gives a stern …

2. Caution: Refuse to cause others to stumble (Matt. 18:6-7)

Matthew 18:6 says, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Literally, Jesus speaks here of an upper-millstone—a stone that was used in the grinding of grain on a mill. It was so large and heavy that it had to be harnessed to a donkey by a large beam, so that the stone could be turned by brute force. It was so big that, if it were tied to a man’s neck and he were thrown into the sea, he’d sink directly to the bottom and not come up. What’s more, Jesus speaks of throwing such a man into the depth of the sea—a punishment that is severe and permanent.

The warning is even stronger than the picture Jesus gives. Notice that Jesus isn’t simply saying that someone who harms one of His little ones should have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea. He is saying that such a person would be better off if that were done for them than what will happen to them. Jesus is warning that an unspeakably worse destiny awaits such a person than anything that could be done with a millstone and the sea! He speaks in Matthew 18:8,9 of being ‘cast into the everlasting fire‘ (v. 8), or of being ‘cast into hell-fire‘ (v. 9). It is better to drown in the waters of the ocean than to burn in the fires of hell.

The Judge of all the earth is putting the people of this world on notice never to mess with any of His little believing ones. No one had better ever interfere with their faith, or hinder them from coming to Him. And once they come, no one had better ever cause them to stumble in their faith or tempt them into falling away! Obviously our Lord is serious about not causing our brothers to stumble. You would be better off to tie yourself to the ocean floor than to have Jesus catch you offending His little ones.

Now, Jesus understands the fallen world in which we live. He says, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt. 18:7). A “woe” here is an expression of sorrow as well as a pronouncement of judgment. Jesus pronounces “Woe!” on the world because of its offenses. We live in a world that is full of snares, traps, stumbling blocks, and offenses. John writes in his first epistle,

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17).

John said watch out for the world, don’t love it, it’s a trap, it causes people to stumble. It will drag you into things that will lead you into judgment. Our world advertises sin in almost every commercial. The world takes pride in immorality, greed, and deception. There is no way to live in this world and not be confronted by its stumbling blocks. The devil has devised them to keep people from believing in Jesus and finding life in His name. Jesus said, “offenses must come,” stumbling blocks are inevitable. But listen—they may be inevitable, but He did not say they are acceptable. The second “woe” that Jesus pronounces is on those who put them there, “but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt. 18:7). We are responsible before God not only for our own sins, but for our part in causing others to stumble as well.

There are a number of examples of causing others to sin in the scriptures. For example, Jeroboam was the first king of the northern ten tribes of Israel that broke away from Judah after the reign of Solomon. King Jeroboam set up high places of idolatrous worship to rival the temple in Jerusalem. His name became a byword for idolatry. The prophet Ahijah says about Jerobaom that God “will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin” (1 Kings 14:16). The evil kings who came after Jeroboam “walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin” (1 Kings 15:26,30,34; 16:19,26; 21:22; 22:52).  

Greg Allen applies what Jesus warns this way:

Woe to that man or woman who keeps ‘little ones’ from coming to Jesus. Woe to them when they undercut a growing faith in Him; or when they deliberately keep those little ones from church; or when they deliberately mix the pure gospel message up with the philosophies and religions of this world in order to confuse them or hide its truth from them. Woe to the teacher or college professor who mocks and belittles the faith of Jesus’ little ones; or who makes it their aim to destroy the faith of those unfortunate believers who end up in their classroom. Woe to those who recruit Jesus’ little ones to cults and false religions though the pretense of professing the truths of the Christian faith; thus embittering their poor victims from the pure claims of His word. Woe to anyone who would dare to lead one of Jesus’ little ones into sin in order to justify their own sinful inclinations. And especially, woe to those who ever dare to lay a hand on any of Jesus’ precious little ones as an object of their own vile lusts![1]

Jesus doesn’t pronounce the woe on the sinner who stumbles, but on the one who caused them to stumble. You don’t want to be the one to hinder others from coming to Christ or walking with Christ. The point is: Refuse to be the cause of others’ stumbling.

Warren Wiersbe says about these verses: “The truly humble person helps to build up others, not to tear them down. He is a stepping-stone, not a stumbling block.”[2]

To keep from offending others in Christ, we must receive them on the merits of Christ and refuse to be the cause of other believers stumbling.

Third, Jesus gives a …

3. Correction: Reject enticements to stumble (Matt. 18:8-9)

Jesus says in Matthew 18:8-9,

8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. (Matt. 18:8-9)

If you want to avoid causing other people in stumble, you must first take care of the stumbling blocks in your own life. And so, Jesus tells you to get rid of anything in your life that causes you to sin. If there is anything in your life that would lead you to cause one of His little ones to stumble and fall into sin, it would be better for you to take whatever drastic measures are necessary to sever yourself from it.

Jesus uses very graphic imagery – cutting off your hand or foot, gouging out your eye. Jesus gave similar instructions back in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount. There he was talking about the sin of adultery and how we should avoid even looking lustfully at another person with our eyes. Jesus is using hyperbole. I don’t believe that Jesus is saying that you should actually physically cut off your hand or foot, and dig out your eye—because, as Jesus taught, sin comes from the heart, not the hands or eyes. Mutilating yourself on the outside will not cure the disease of sin on the inside. Only Jesus can do that.

Sin takes people to hell (Rev. 21:8), and that makes sin something to avoid at all costs. Jesus says that whatever is causing you to sin, take drastic measures to get that thing out of your life. The point Jesus is making is that sin is so horrible that we should go to any extreme to reject it. He is saying that if there is anything in your life that would cause you to harm the faith of even a single one of His little ones who believe in Him—even if it were your hand, or your foot, or your eye—you’re much better off going through life without it.

In other words, you need to get rid of everything in your life that pulls you and other people away from Jesus. Just as it’s better to lose a leg than to lose your life, it’s better to lose things that cause sin than to lose your eternal life. Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures, and nothing is more urgent or extreme than our need to avoid sin and causing others to sin. Nothing is more urgent than believing in Jesus and helping others believe in Him. Anything that hinders that is expendable.

If you tolerate adultery in your own life, it will cause others to stumble. If you tolerate drunkenness in your own life, it will cause others to stumble. If you tolerate crudeness, or gossip, or jealousy, or strife, or lust, or any other sin in your own life it will cause others to stumble. The point is to reject anything that causes us or others to sin.

Charles Spurgeon commented on these verses: “Two hands, two feet, and two eyes will be of small advantage if cast into everlasting fire.” (Charles Spurgeon. The Gospel of the Kingdom: An Exposition of the Gospel of Matthew.) Or as someone else put it: “It is better to go limping into heaven than leaping into hell.” (Frederick Bruner, Matthew Volume 2, p. 640) No sacrifice is too great. No matter what you must do to get rid of sin in this life, it is worth it.[3]

God is holy. We are sinful. Life is short. Eternity is long. We are responsible to God not only for our own sins but for all the ways we cause others to stumble and fall. God is fiercely protective of His children—so should we be. Therefore, receive others in Christ. When you receive them, you receive Him. Refuse to be the cause of others’ stumbling. And reject all enticements to sin in your own life.

Listen—the gospel message is this: Jesus took the millstone from your neck and put it on His own. He died for your sin. He paid the debt you owed. When you believe in Jesus who died for you and was raised again, God accounts all your sin to Christ and accounts His righteousness to you. You get in on the merits of Christ. Let us give Him all the glory and honor. Jude writes, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25).

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[1] Greg Allen, Jesus and the Little Ones, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/093007.htm

[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 65.

[3] Quoted by Ray Fowler, Causing Sin, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/causing-sin/

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The Greatest in the Kingdom

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

The Greatest in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:1-4

As we begin a new year today, we also begin a new chapter in our study of the Gospel of Matthew. You should remember that Matthew is the Gospel of the King and His Kingdom. Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is the promised and prophesied Messiah-King who will save His people from their sins. Jesus has taught about the Kingdom of Heaven and demonstrated His authority and power as the King through His compassion and miracles.

Remember that Matthew has structured his Gospel to highlight five major teaching sections alternating with narrative sections. In Matthew 14-17 we have been studying the narrative section that focuses on miracles, controversy, suffering, and glory. The central passage in this section was Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:18), and Jesus then promised to build His church. Jesus’ church is His assembly of called-out believers who form the community of His Kingdom presence in this age. Jesus then began to inform His disciples what it meant for Him to be the Christ—rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection. And what’s more, Jesus’ disciples must also be those who deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him in the way of suffering.

Then in Matthew 17, Jesus showed three of His disciples a glimpse of the glory of His Kingdom on the Mount of Transfiguration. And again, Jesus predicted His betrayal, death, and resurrection. The disciples do not comprehend what Jesus says and react by denying, disbelieving, and despairing. Matthew 17 ended with the coin in the fish to pay the temple tax. Thus, Jesus showed His humility while acknowledging that He was the very Son of God.

Now, turning the page to Matthew 18, Matthew presents the fourth of Jesus’ major teaching sections—this one prompted by a question from the disciples. The key words in this chapter are “little child” (Matt. 18:2,3,4,5) and “little ones” (Matt. 18:6,10,14)—descriptions of Jesus’ followers in their relationship to God and to one another. Jesus teaches how God’s Kingdom kids must relate to Him and each other. Jesus first teaches that everyone must enter the Kingdom of Heaven in humility like a little child (Matt. 18:1-4). Then He teaches that Kingdom people must receive one another as children (Matt. 18:5-9), care for each other as children (Matt. 18:10-14), reconcile with one another as children (Matt. 18:15-20), and forgive one another as children of the Kingdom (Matt. 18:21-35).[1] This chapter is essential for us because here Jesus teaches us how to relate to one another in His church (Matt. 18:17).

Today we will look at just the first four verses where Jesus where Jesus teaches that greatness in the Kingdom looks like the humility of a little child. Our passage begins when Jesus’ disciples ask Him a question.

1. The Disciple’s Question: Who is the Greatest? (Matt. 18:1)

Matthew 18:1 says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’” Mark and Luke both make more explicit what Matthew implies here: the disciples are jockeying for position here.  Luke tells us that somewhere along the way in their travels “a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest” (Luke 9:46). Apparently, the disciples had kept this argument to themselves. But, as always, Jesus knew their thoughts. Mark’s Gospel tells us that when they all got into the house at Capernaum, Jesus asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” (Mark 9:33)? The Gospels record that this was a recurring dispute among the disciples. It will come up again in Matthew 20 when the mother of James and John asks that her sons might sit at His right and left hand in His kingdom.

Here in Matthew 18, even though the disciples are probably embarrassed about the argument (Mark 9:34 reports that “they kept silent”), they are still filled with enough pride and self-seeking to ask the question, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Ironically, while Jesus spoke of His personal humiliation and suffering, they argued about their personal exaltation and glory.

The fact that they ask that question shows that they still do not know what the Kingdom of Heaven is all about. Even though Jesus taught about the attitudes of the Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, … those who mourn, … the meek, … the hungry and thirsty, … the merciful, … the pure in heart, … the peacemakers, and … the persecuted, … for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3-10). Even though Jesus taught them that they “will be hated by all for My name’s sake … and a disciple is not above his master” (Matt. 10:22,24). Even though He taught, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). Even though He taught, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 17:24). They should have understood by now that selfish pride and personal advancement are the opposite of a kingdom mindset.

How does Jesus respond to their misguided question?

2. Jesus’ Response: Be Converted and Humble (Matt. 18:2-4)

In response to their question, we read, “Then Jesus called a little child to Him,” and “set him in the midst of them,” (Matt. 18:2). Apparently, the little boy was already there in the house. And apparently, he was old enough to come to Jesus when He called him. But the word that the original language uses means just what our translation says—a little child anywhere from an infant on up. The word stresses the immaturity of the child and the need to be under direction or instruction.[2]

Children always seemed to be comfortable around Jesus and He always welcomed them gladly. We will see this again in Matthew 19. Jesus placed this tiny, humble little boy in their plain view as an object lesson to them. Then He dropped the bombshell on them all. Jesus arrests their attention with the words, “Assuredly, I say to you,” indicating the gravity of what He is about to say. Then, using the strongest negations that could be stated, He says, “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3-4).

The disciples were asking about who is the greatest in the kingdom, but Jesus says that the real question is not who is great in the kingdom, but who can enter the kingdom. Jesus says that two things must happen to enter the Kingdom of Heaven: 1) be converted and 2) become as little children.

Be Converted

First, He says that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven “unless you are converted” (Matt. 18:3). The word He uses means “to turn around”.[3] It means that we recognize that we’re going the wrong way and that we must turn around and go the opposite way. It’s very much the same idea expressed by the word “repent” in the Old Testament (שׁוּב, shûwb, meaning to turn back[4]). The disciples were seeking greatness in the kingdom, but they were going in the wrong direction to get there. They were preoccupied with “one-ups-man-ship” and elevating themselves. They needed to repent of that mindset, turn away from it, and go the opposite way.

Do you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus says you must change. Jesus says you cannot remain the way you are if you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You need to turn away from self-promotion. You need to repent. Change your mindset. Turn from self to God. But notice that Jesus states this requirement in the passive voice, you “are converted.” This change, this turning around and repenting, is not something you do to yourself. It is something that is done in you by God. Only God has the power to convert a soul. It requires both a personal response by the sinner and the power of God to save. No one comes into the Kingdom of Heaven any other way. Unless you are turned around and converted, “you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).

Become as little children

Second, Jesus tells them that, along with being “converted”, they must also “become as little children”. And there, before them, stood a living example. What does Jesus mean that we must “become as little children”? We can sure that it doesn’t mean that we should become “childish”. In Matthew 11, Jesus denounced that generation for being childish in wanting their own way in the kingdom (Matt. 11:16-17). Here, the disciples were being childishly selfish. That’s why the Lord needed to correct them. The Bible also indicates that we must not become “children” in our understanding of God’s word, but are to be “mature” (1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:14-15; Heb. 5:13).

Jesus says that the quality He want us to become as little children is humility. He explains in Matthew 18:4, “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” D A Carson points out that “The child is held up as an ideal, not of innocence, purity, or faith, but of humility and unconcern for social status.”[5] The little boy is the opposite of the attitude of the disciples. They were seeking status. This little child had none. In Jewish society, children were considered to be of no importance and were not to taken seriously except as a responsibility, one to be looked after, certainly not one to be looked up to.[6]

What does a child-like attitude look like? We began our worship service today by reading Psalm 131. There, King David gives us a good picture of being child-like:

1 LORD, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.
2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
From this time forth and forever (Psalm 131).

David teaches us in this psalm that to become like a little child means that we cease from being “haughty” or “proud”. It means that we cease from raising our eyes in a “lofty” or “arrogant” way. It means that we humbly accept that there are things that we cannot understand about the greatness of God’s plan. It means that we are meek and humble before God and His word.

Second, it means that we become content in God’s love. Like a weaned child, we don’t fret and worry but become like a little child resting comfortably and satisfied in mother’s arms. It means that we become calm within our soul because of the Father’s good care for us. We are content in God’s loving provision.

And finally, it means that we hope in God. We don’t look to our own resources. We don’t imagine that it’s all up to us. Instead, we trust in God knowing that He loves us. We are confident in God’s power. Jesus says to humble yourself like a little child, that is, to acknowledge your weakness before God and look to Him as your strength.

Do you want to be great? Then make yourself small! Come to Jesus in dependent, trusting, childlike faith. Humble yourself like a little child. This is greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Think about it. Who humbled Himself more than anyone else in history? Jesus. He left the glory of heaven, laid aside His privilege and prominence, humbled Himself, lived as a servant, and became obedient to His Father even to the point of dying on the cross. Jesus is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven because He humbled Himself the most.

And why did He serve and give His life on the cross? As a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). He humbled Himself to suffer and die on the cross for sinners. He is the atoning sacrifice that makes us right with God. He took our sin upon Himself so that we could receive His righteousness. And how do we receive this salvation from sin? By faith in Christ. By simply humbling ourselves like little children to come desperately needy, empty-handed, trusting only in His death and resurrection to save us. Have you come to Jesus that way? Let God turn you around today, be converted, be changed, believe in Jesus, trust only in Him. He will save you, make you a child of God, and you will enter His kingdom.

—————————————————————

[1] John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew, Moody Publishers, Chicago, p. 94.

[2] William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series: Matthew Vol. 2, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, p. 175.

[3] Blue Letter Bible, Outline of Biblical Usage, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4762/nkjv/tr/0-1/.

[4] Blue Letter Bible, Outline of Biblical Usage, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7725/nkjv/wlc/0-1/.

[5] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 397.

[6] R.T. France, Matthew, an Introduction, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. P. 274.

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The Transfiguration

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

The Transfiguration

Matthew 16:28 – 17:9

In Matthew 17, we have what is called the transfiguration. The account records three disciples seeing Jesus’ appearance changed into His glorified form right before their very eyes. Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus and the voice of God the Father sounds forth. It was a momentous event in Jesus’ life as well as in the lives of Peter, James, and John. All three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—record this amazing occurrence (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). Peter himself refers to it in his second letter (2 Peter 1:16-18). John doesn’t record the incident in his Gospel, but he does allude to it when he writes, “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Plus, John describes his vision of the risen, glorified, and transfigured Christ later in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:13-16).

We must not let the chapter division get in the way of the context. Remember that after Peter confessed Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16) and Jesus promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18-20), the Lord began to explain the necessity of His suffering, death, and resurrection (Matt. 16:21). Stunned by this ominous image, Peter reacted by taking Jesus aside and rebuking Him (Matt. 16:22). But Jesus, determined to fulfill the Father’s purpose, rebuked Peter (Matt. 16:23).

Jesus then taught His disciples the necessity of the cross for them as well, saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24). I’m sure this also puzzled the disciples who still envisioned the kingdom arriving with earthly grandeur. So, Jesus pointed to the certainty of future glory in His kingdom, saying, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt. 16:27). The whole New Testament confirms that Jesus will come again in glory to judge men and consummate His kingdom.

Putting this all together, here is Jesus—affirmed to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” God in human flesh, destined to be revealed as the glorious King of kings and Lord of lords. But He also must first suffer for sinners, die on the cross, and be raised on the third day. And He insists that anyone who would come after Him must follow Him to suffering and death—to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. They are to be willing to do this, trusting that the Son of Man will come to earth again one day, in the glory of His Father, and will reward each according to their works.

That brings us up to today’s passage. It’s important that we remember the context, so we begin with Matthew 16:28, which I spoke about briefly at the end of our last lesson. But we need to take a closer look at it today because it ties together what Jesus just said in Matthew 16 with what Jesus does in Matthew 17. Everything in this passage is there to show the disciples, and us, who Jesus is and what He has come to do. First, I want us to …

1. Consider Christ’s Kingdom (Matt. 16:28).

After Jesus spoke to His disciples about following Him in His suffering and assured them of His coming glory and judgment, then Jesus made another startling statement in Matthew 16:28, “Assuredly,” or literally, “Amen,” “I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” This verse has created quite the controversy over the years because Jesus had just made a statement, a prophecy, about His second coming. He said that He “will come in the glory of His Father with His angels” and that He will come as the judge to “reward each according to his works” (Matt. 16:27). Therefore, if Matthew 16:28 is talking about the same event, Jesus seems to be saying that some of the disciples who were with Him when He said this will still be alive when He returns.

The problem is that, obviously, everyone who was with Christ on that day has died many centuries ago, and Christ has not returned in glory to judge the world. So, what did Jesus mean when He said, “there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom”? Some have foolishly claimed that Jesus was mistaken. Others think that Jesus was referring to His resurrection, or His ascension, or His giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, or His judging the nation of Israel in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., or even the expansion of the church in this age. Certainly in all these interpretations (except the one that says Jesus made a mistake), Christ’s kingdom was manifested in powerful ways in those events.

However, I think the answer is much simpler and is indicated by the context. In each of the synoptic Gospels, the next event immediately after Jesus gives this promise is the transfiguration. Look at Matthew 17:1, “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves.” (cf. Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). Jesus takes “some standing” there (three of them in particular), and they “see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” This promise from our Lord was fulfilled only six days after He gave it. Peter, James, and John got a glimpse of the glorified Christ in His royal majesty. In fact, the word “kingdom” can be translated “kingship or royal power”[i] These disciples saw a vision of Jesus’ kingly majesty. It was a preview of Christ’s majestic glory and royal splendor that all will see when Jesus comes again.

Many years after this event, Peter writes about their experience on that mountain in 2 Peter 1. To urge his fellow Christians to keep following Jesus even through suffering and death, Peter reminds them that he saw the power, glory, and majesty of Christ—the same majesty that will be His when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Listen to what Peter testifies:

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (2 Pet. 1:16-18).

Jesus’ transfiguration assured Peter that Jesus’ glorious kingdom is not just wishful thinking. It is real. Jesus Christ is king. Yes, there would be suffering and death for Jesus and for His followers, but there will also be the glory that will follow. His kingdom is glorious. His majesty is unmatched. Christ will come again in the consummation of His kingdom and glory. And we who are His will behold His coming kingdom in its fullness. Peter, James, and John saw a preview of Christ’s kingdom, a glimpse of His glory. And by the inspired word of God, we can see it as well.

So this event was given for us to consider Christ’s kingdom. Second, the transfiguration allows us to …

2. Glimpse Christ’s Glory (Matt. 17:1-3).

Look at Matthew 17:1 again. It says, “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves.” Jesus separated Peter, James, and John from the rest of the disciples. These three seemed to form an inner circle of disciples who were privileged to witness things the other disciples did not. Only these three of the disciples were in the room when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37,40; Luke 8:51). Jesus would ask these same three to stay and watch with Him as He prayed in the garden on the night He was betrayed. The Scriptures say, “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matt. 18:16; Deut. 19:15). These three would become powerful witnesses of Christ and His glory.

Matthew says that Jesus “led them up on a high mountain.” None of the Gospels name the mountain. The traditional location is Mount Tabor in Galilee, but many scholars think Mount Hermon is a more likely choice. It rises some 9,200 feet above sea level near Caesarea-Philippi where Jesus has been with His disciples. What we do know is that, in the Bible, high mountains are often significant places. It was on a mountain called Moriah that God manifested His grace to Abraham when he willingly offered up his son Isaac (Gen. 22). It was on Mount Sinai that God handed down His Law to Moses (Exo. 19). It was on Mount Carmel that God demonstrated His power to Israel through Elijah (1 Kings 18). It was on Mount Horeb that God ministered peace to the troubled heart of Elijah (1 Kings 19). It was on Mount Calvary that Jesus died for our sins on the cross (John 19). It was from the Mount of Olives that Jesus ascended back into His heavenly glory (Acts 1:9-11). And it will be that same mountain that will greet His feet when He returns in glory (Zech. 14:4).

And on this mountain, the disciples get a glimpse of Christ’s glory. Matthew 17:2 describes what happened, “and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.”

The verb “transfigured” means “to change into another form”[ii]. We get our English word metamorphosis from this word. For over thirty years, since the time of His conception in the womb of the virgin Mary, Jesus had been in the form of a man. Philippians 2 says that although Christ existed “in the form of God”, being “equal with God” (Phi. 2:6), He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phi. 2:7). Before the Son of God came in the likeness of men, He lived in dazzling glory in heaven. In John 17, looking toward His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus prays, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:5). From eternity past, Jesus existed in the form of God with all the glory of God.

But the Lord emptied Himself of that glory to come “in the likeness of men”.  He allowed His glory and majesty to be veiled in the womb of a virgin, and then in the body of a baby, and then in the quiet life of a carpenter from Nazareth. Isaiah prophesied about God’s servant humbling Himself saying,

He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isa. 53:2-3).

When Jesus lived and walked among us, all that most people ever saw with their eyes was His humanity. And it was nothing special. It was not stately, or majestic, or attractive. Jesus’ deity was hidden beneath the veil of His humanity. They saw Jesus demonstrate the wisdom of God in His teaching and the power of God by His miracles, but they never saw His true essence as the Son of God.

But on this day, on this mountain, the veil was pulled back and these three men witnessed the true glory and majesty of the Son of God. Matthew tells us “His face shone like the sun” (Matt. 17:2). Jesus’ face radiated—not from being in the presence of God, but because He truly was God. His was not a mere reflected light such as the moon, but it was like the sun itself in its brightness and strength. And we’re also told that our Lord’s “clothes became as white as the light.” Mark, in his Gospel account, tells us that His garments became “exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them” (Mark 9:3). This is the same glory that the prophet Daniel saw centuries before when he had a vision of God: “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire.” (Daniel 7:9). It’s hard to imagine how magnificent and resplendent this sight must have been.

Yet, that’s not all they saw. Matthew 17:3 tells us, “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” What a sight! Moses and Elijah appeared out of nowhere. Think about this. Moses was the great Old Testament giver of the law. And Elijah was among the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. But Moses had died about fourteen hundred years earlier, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot about eight hundred years earlier. And now, they both suddenly appear alive and are talking with Jesus. As Jesus later says to the Sadducees, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” After His resurrection Jesus will say, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, testify to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

These two men also represent the two ways that people meet the Lord when He returns. Moses died and was buried (Deut. 34:5-6). Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot into Heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Like Moses, many believers die and are buried—they are “absent from the body” and “present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). When the Lord comes again, they will be raised to life and appear with Jesus. And like Elijah, some will be taken up alive to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thes. 4:16-18). Regardless of how you leave this world, if you know the Lord, you will be with Him in glory when He returns! This is our blessed hope—the “glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13).

Luke, in his Gospel, tells us what they were talking about—that Moses and Elijah “appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). His “decease” is the word “exodos” meaning departure. They were speaking about Jesus’ coming death—the same thing Jesus had just told His disciples in Matthew 16. Now Moses and Elijah, the representatives of the Law and the Prophets, spoke with our Lord concerning the death for us that He was about to accomplish on the cross! 

Even though the veil is temporarily removed and Jesus’ glory is displayed, Jesus is still looking to the cross. And it is obvious from Moses and Elijah that heaven anticipates its accomplishment with Him.

So in this passage, we are called to consider Christ’s kingdom, to glimpse His glory, and third to …

3. Hear Christ’s Honor (Matt. 17:4-9).

How would you react if you saw what Peter, James, and John saw that day? As Peter beheld the glory of the Lord Jesus on display, and as he saw Moses and Elijah in talking with Him, Peter was overwhelmed. He said to Jesus; “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matt. 17:4). When Luke told this story, he added that Peter said these things, “. . . not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33).

Why would Peter suggest building tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah? Luke tells us that Peter said this as Moses and Elijah “were parting from Him” (Luke 9:33). Perhaps Peter sensed that this great moment was closing, and he wished to preserve it—to just stay and enjoy it longer. Perhaps, seeing the royal splendor of Jesus accompanied by Moses and Elijah, Peter thinks that Jesus is now going to establish His world-wide reign as the Messianic King. The prophet Zechariah prophesied that “the day of the LORD is coming …” (Zech 14:1) when “the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with Him” (Zech. 14:5), and “the LORD shall be King over all the earth” (Zech 14:9). And then “it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zech 14:16).

Peter could have easily thought that what he saw could be the beginning of the kingdom reign of Christ. He could think of nothing better than celebrating the feast of Tabernacles there on that Mountain with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But Peter was wrong. The kingdom was coming, but not in the way that he envisioned it. Moses and Elijah left, and Jesus was still going to Jerusalem to die.

Peter wanted to honor all three—Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But the three are by no means equal in status. Moses and Elijah were great messengers of God, but their message was about Christ. And it’s Jesus Christ who must be honored and worshiped. This point is made clear by what happened next. Matthew 17:5 says, “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!””

This was no ordinary cloud. It was a “bright cloud“; and it seemed to encompass them—as if to silence them and place a holy veil over the things that they were then seeing. God often appeared in a cloud in the Old Testament. The cloud enveloped Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 at the giving of the law (Ex. 19:16,18); in Exodus 40, the cloud covered the Tabernacle of Meeting filling it with the glory of the Lord (Ex. 40:34-35); later, in 1 Kings 8, the cloud of the glory of the Lord filled the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:10-12). And now, as the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ—God in human flesh, the true temple of the LORD—is being revealed, this cloud once again comes as a covering.

The voice of the Father rumbled from within this cloud to the three trembling disciples, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5). This is the second time in the Gospel of Matthew that the voice of the Father spoke. The first time was at Jesus’ baptism when the Father said essentially the same thing: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Remember that “This is My beloved Son” links to Psalm 2 and Christ as the King, while “in whom I am well pleased” links to Isaiah 42 and Christ as the suffering servant. Here, the Father stresses the command to the disciples, “Hear Him!“

What did they need to hear from Jesus? Exactly what He had begun to tell them in Matthew 16:21, “…that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Jesus had been trying to teach His disciples this, but they misunderstood and resisted His words. God the Father reinforces Christ’s message, “Hear Him!” The road to glory leads through the cross.

Then Matthew records, “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” (Matt. 17:6-8). The transfiguration was over. Jesus has done just what He said in Matthew 16:28. They saw “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matt. 16:28). They witnessed His royal majesty. They saw what He intended for them to see and heard what He needed them to hear. Now, Moses was gone. Elijah was gone. The cloud was gone. The voice of the Father was gone. All they saw was Jesus—with the words of the Father, “Hear Him!“, still echoing in their ears.

Matthew 17:9 says, “Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”” The reason Jesus commanded them to tell no one until after His resurrection was the same reason He commanded them to keep silent about Him after they affirmed Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:20). His divine destiny—His purpose from the Father—remained the same. He still must go to Jerusalem, must be rejected, suffer, and die on the cross for our sins.

Which is exactly what we learn next. We must …

4. Contemplate Christ’s Suffering (Matt. 17:10-13).

As Jesus and the disciples descend the mountain, they ask Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (Matt. 17:10). They probably ask this because they just saw Elijah with Jesus on the mountain. All their lives, as Jewish men, they had been brought up to believe that the great Old Testament prophet Elijah would arrive into this world before the Messiah and prepare His people for His coming. In fact, in the very last two verses of the last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi, God says,

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Mal 4:5-6 NKJV)

The disciples just saw Jesus in His glory accompanied by Elijah. But perhaps they are wondering: Where is ‘the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the children to their fathers’? Where is “the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD“? Why did the glory of the Lord shine—and then suddenly disappear? Why did Elijah come—and then suddenly leave? Why is it that, instead of the conquest and victory of the kingdom, they hear Jesus speak of ‘the cross’, and of ‘suffering’?

Jesus graciously answered their question. First, notice that Jesus said, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first“—or, as the New International Version has it, “To be sure, Elijah comes”—”and will restore all things” (Matt. 17:11). In other words, the expectation that the scribes taught was correct. Elijah truly comes into this world, and truly performs a ministry of restoration as the forerunner to the Messiah—just as they said.

But then comes the shocker. They were still looking for Elijah’s coming to yet occur. And Jesus tells them, “But I say to you that Elijah has come already . . .” (Matt. 17:12a). Can you imagine what a surprise that must have been to the disciples? “What?”, they would have said to themselves; “Did we miss something? Elijah already came and we didn’t know it? When? Where?”

Jesus drops another bombshell on them and tells them that Elijah came to those to whom he was sent; “. . . and they did not know him but did whatever they wished” (Matt. 17:12b). The word “know” means that they did not “recognize him” in the sense of acknowledging him and accepting him for who he is. And when Jesus says “did whatever they wished“, He implies that he suffered mistreatment and abuse. And Jesus says, “Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands” (Matt. 17:12).

Matthew 17:13 says, “Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.” Perhaps then, the disciples remembered what Jesus said about John the Baptist back in Matthew 11:

… “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” (Matt. 11:7-14).

John was once asked, early in his ministry, if he was Elijah; and he plainly told those who asked, “I am not” (John 1:21). But he did affirm “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”‘ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23). He was not Elijah in the literal sense; but he was the “Elijah” in the sense that he fulfilled the role of the forerunner-prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord’s coming—just as was promised in Isaiah 40 and Malachi 4.

And the point Jesus stresses is that just as John was unrecognized, rejected, and killed, “Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands” (Matt. 17:12). John fulfilled his ministry through suffering and death. Jesus must also, but in an even great way: “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matt. 16:21).

The cross was not an obstruction to the kingdom of God, it was the plan of God for the fulfillment of His kingdom. The message of the cross is the only gospel that saves from sin. Believing in Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sin is the only way into the kingdom of heaven. The transfiguration was a preview of the glory of Christ and His kingdom that will be fulfilled when He returns. The transfiguration was an affirmation of Christ’s Sonship and a preview of His second coming. Christ will return in power and glory, and then we will share in the glorious resurrection to come. Our God is the God of the living who will transform our lowly bodies so they will be like Christ’s glorious body. Jesus is God’s Son. Listen to Him.

Are you ready for Christ’s return? If Christ were to come back this afternoon, would you be ready? The first step to being ready is to turn from your sin and trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you haven’t done that, you are definitely not ready!

So, if you do not know Christ as your Savior this morning, let me encourage you to put your faith in Him. God has never turned away anyone who has come to Him through Jesus His Son. If you come to God believing in Christ, He will save you. He will forgive your sins, and He will welcome you into His kingdom.

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[i] Outline of Biblical Usage, Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g932/nkjv/tr/0-1/  

[ii] Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3339/nkjv/tr/0-1/

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The Tragedy of Unbelief

matthew-the-kingdom-of-heaven

The Tragedy of Unbelief

Matthew 13:53-58

53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Today, we come to the end of Matthew 13. In this chapter, Jesus has taught both the crowd and His disciples in parables. The parables were about the kingdom of heaven—its beginning through the preaching of the gospel, its nature, its growth in the world, its immeasurable value, and its final and complete establishment at the return of Jesus Himself to earth.

The final six verses in Matthew 13 are a transition passage between Jesus’ parables of the kingdom and Matthew 14-17 which focus on miracles and opposition. In many ways what happens at Nazareth is an outworking of the parables Jesus has just shared. In the parable of the sower, Jesus taught that not all receive the gospel message, which is exactly what happens in Nazareth. In the parable of the weeds, Jesus taught that believers and unbelievers will live together in this world until Christ returns. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show us how God’s kingdom seems small and insignificant in the beginning, which we see in Nazareth when Jesus’ own hometown rejects Him. The parables of the treasure and the pearl teach that only those who treasure Christ truly receive Him. The people of Nazareth did not receive Jesus when He came because they did not honor or treasure Him. And then finally, the parable of the dragnet shows God’s judgment on those who disbelieve. This is prefigured by the lack of miracles in Nazareth due to their unbelief in Christ.[1]

Unbelief is deadly. Unbelief is the greatest stumbling block. Unbelief is the chief wickedness. Unbelief is the mother sin, the father sin, the parent sin…the sin of all sins is unbelief. It was unbelief that caused Eve to sin against God in the Garden of Eden. She failed to believe the Word of God. It was unbelief that unlocked the doors to the promised land and the Israelites did not go in the Bible says, because of their unbelief. It was unbelief that tied the hands of Jesus when Jesus was in His own hometown and the Bible says, He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief and the sovereign God has limited Himself to work according to the faith.[i]

In the end, people who reject Jesus do not do so because the evidence for faith is not compelling enough. It’s not because the things the Scripture say about Him are not intellectually sound. When you really get down to it, people who hear the truth about Jesus and reject Him do so because of an unbelieving heart of disobedience toward God.

Jesus’ visit to His hometown of Nazareth teaches us that Jesus can be rejected even where He is best known, if unbelief abides in the heart.[2] How in the world can you hear Jesus teach, see Him grow up for thirty years in your midst in a little town, know that He has preformed miracles upon miracles that could never be refuted, and not believe?

Our passage this morning has a very simple structure. Jesus goes to his hometown. We see the people’s reaction to him, and then we see Jesus’ response. In this passage we see what the tragedy of unbelief does. It blinds the eyes, hardens the heart, and prevents salvation.

1. Jesus goes to Nazareth (Matt. 13:53-54)

Matthew 13:53 says, “Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.” “There” is Capernaum where Jesus had been teaching and doing many miracles. Where did He go? Matthew 13:54 tells us “When He had come to His own country…” That place—as Luke tells us in his Gospel—was Nazareth, where Jesus had spent His growing-up and early adult years.

Nazareth was a very small and humble town. The people who lived there would have seen Jesus up close and personal for a long, long time. The families of Nazareth would have grown up along with the members of His earthly family. Many people would have had children who played with Jesus, and with the other children of Mary and Joseph. He would have worked in the community in Joseph’s trade as a carpenter. Luke tells us that it had been Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue of Nazareth on the Sabbath. Jesus was called a “Nazarene”. Nazareth could truly call Jesus their ‘hometown boy’.

Surely, the people of Nazareth had heard about all that Jesus was doing. In fact, when Jesus goes to their synagogue, they ask, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” (Matt. 13:54). They heard about the things that He was doing and the miracles He had been performing in Galilee. When He came back to His hometown, we would expect that they would have a great celebration and that he would receive a hero’s welcome. When Jesus arrived in Nazareth, Matthew tells us that, “…He taught them in their synagogue…” Imagine how packed their synagogue would have been that day! What would Jesus—one of their own!—have to say?

Luke, in his Gospel, gives us an example of what Jesus was teaching them. He writes,

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:16-19).

Jesus had read from a passage that the people of Nazareth would have known and loved. It was a passage from Isaiah 49 that spoke about the coming of the Messiah—the promised King of the Jews. But Luke goes on to say that something remarkable happened.

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:20-21).

No doubt, you could have heard a pin drop! Luke tells us that “… all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth”.

We have seen that Jesus finishes teaching His parables of the kingdom and returns to His hometown where He teaches in their synagogue. What was the reaction to Jesus?

2. The people react to Jesus (Matt. 13:54-57)

Matthew 13:54 tells us that, “…He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished…” At first, they were astonished. His words struck hard and left a deep impression.

The people were amazed or impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and power. But you know what? It doesn’t matter if you’re impressed with Jesus. A lot of people are impressed with Jesus. They are impressed by His teachings, captivated by His example, awestruck by His sacrifice. But it doesn’t matter if you’re amazed with Jesus. What matters is do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe He is the Son of God? And that’s where the people of Nazareth ran into a roadblock with Jesus.

But even though they were amazed and marveled at what He taught, their hearts were full of unbelief. So they asked, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” (Matt. 13:54-56).

Why did they bring up the subject of Jesus’ family? Because it lays the foundation of why they were astonished and why they questioned where Jesus had gained His power and teaching ability. Jesus had grown up in their midst. They knew Him as child and a young man. They knew He did not have formal religious training like the Rabbis – so how could He teach like He does? They had not seen Him do miracles when He was living in Nazareth – so where did this power come from? To the people of Nazareth, Jesus was just a carpenter that used to live there and the son of a carpenter whose family still lived there.

Matthew shows us that their familiarity with Jesus bred contempt. Matthew 13:57 says, “So they were offended at Him…” The word “offended” literally means that they stumbled at Him. As Paul put it, “. . . they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 9:32-33). In Matthew 21:44, Jesus would say later of Himself, “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder”. It’s the same today. Jesus is not what people expect Him to be; and they either must be changed by Him, or they will take offense at Him. They either fall on Him, or He falls on them.

What was it that He said that was so offensive? I believe that what was offending them the most was what He was telling them about Himself. As you read the Gospels, have you been surprised by how many times that people get offended by Jesus? It happened a lot! And usually it was what He says about Himself that offended them the most. It put them at the point of decision. They either had to believe what He said about Himself, turn from their sins, and trust Him, or they had to refuse to believe what He said, and reject Him out of a hardness of heart.

Both the verb “taught” in Matthew 13:54 and the verb “offended” in Matthew 13:57 are in the imperfect tense, indicating a progressive action. This suggests that the more He taught, the more offended they became at Him. Look at our passage in Matthew, and you can see how that offense grew.

First, they didn’t believe in who He was presenting Himself to be. He was presenting Himself to be the Messiah—both in the things that He taught about Himself and in the things that He did. His teaching and His works were authenticating Him as their long-awaited King. But they wouldn’t receive Him as the King sent from God. They said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty miracles?” And people do the same today, don’t they? They refuse to make a connection between His divine words and divine works, and draw the conclusion about His divine identity.

Second, they wouldn’t accept His authority. They didn’t appreciate that His words placed Himself above them. They focused on His human-family as reason to believe that He was no better than them. People do something similar today when they insist that Jesus was just a man—a wonderfully profound teacher and a brilliant religious reformer; but in the end, just a man. And as a mere man, they say, He has no real authority.

So, they were offended at Him. And the reason they were offended and rejected Him is given in Matthew 13:58—they responded to Him with “unbelief”.

John 1 tells us that “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12). The people’s response to Jesus in Nazareth teaches us a great danger we all face—especially in the church! Jesus can become the least appreciated in the place where He is the best known . . . if He is greeted by those who have sin in their lives and unbelief in their hearts.

This is how the people of Nazareth reacted to Jesus. How did Jesus respond to their unbelief?

3. Jesus’ response to their unbelief (Matt. 13:57-58)

Matthew 13:57 tells us, “But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’”

The word translated “without honor” in this verse is a word that means to be dishonored or despised. We find the same word twice in Isaiah 53:3 where Isaiah says about Christ: “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”  

Jesus is not saying here that He was honored everywhere else except His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus was dishonored in other places, as well, but there’s something about your hometown or your own home or family that makes things especially hard. It’s hard to take a stand for God among the people who know you best, unless they’re standing for God, too.

Notice Jesus even specifies “his own house” here. Although Mary was a believer, the Bible tells us Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him at this time, although they would come to faith in Him later (Acts 1:14; James; Jude). It’s hard to be a Christian, but Jesus is saying it is especially hard at home.

In Matthew 13:58, we’re told, “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Mark, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them (Mark 6:6); but that was all. He didn’t do in Nazareth—His own home-town—the sort of mighty works that He did elsewhere. They wouldn’t believe on Him, nor trust Him; and so, they didn’t receive very much from Him.

He disappointed their expectations because they wouldn’t receive Him for who He is. How many people do you know who say they have had the same kind of experience with Jesus? They say that they tried Jesus, but He didn’t work for them. And the truth is that they wouldn’t receive Him for Who He really is—Lord and Savior. They didn’t come to Him for deliverance from their sin. They came to Him selfishly or pridefully—with their own preconceived notions of who He should be or what He should do for them. They do not see Jesus do mighty works for them because of their unbelief. So many people miss out on salvation because they see Jesus only from a worldly or human perspective.

John MacArthur wrote,

Those who heard and saw Jesus did not reject Him for lack of evidence but in spite of overwhelming evidence. They did not reject Him because they lacked the truth but because they rejected the truth. They refused forgiveness because they wanted to keep their sins. They denied the light because they preferred darkness. The reason for rejecting the Lord has always been that men prefer their own way to His…The people of Nazareth were like people throughout the history of the church who can find every foolish reason to justify their rejection of the gospel. They don’t like the attitude of the one who witnesses to them; they think most church people are hypocrites; they think the preacher is too loud or too soft, too stuffy or too overbearing; and the services are too formal or too informal. They are offended at the slightest things Christians do and construe the insignificant as being all important. They put up one smoke screen after another to excuse their unwillingness to believe the clear and demanding claims and promises of Christ.[II]

What a tragedy! How much we lose when we won’t—by faith—receive Him as He truly is!

Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this earth and lived a sinless life. Because of this, He is the only offering that is acceptable to God. He died upon a cross to pay the debt for your sin. He was raised from the dead to give eternal life to all who would place their faith in Him. He is the only means of salvation that this world will ever know.

When God sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins, God gave us a gift that we don’t deserve. Let us give Jesus the honor He deserves every day of our lives and for all of eternity.

Repent of your unbelief. Place your trust in Christ today. Honor Jesus by living for Him and telling others about Him.

 

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[1] Ray Fowler, A Prophet without Honor, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/prophet-without-honor/

[i] Adrian Rogers, quoted on https://www.preceptaustin.org/matthew-13-commentary#13:58

[2] Greg Allen, The Home-Town Stumble, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/012107.htm

[ii] John MacArthur, New Testament Commentary-Matthew, pg. 409 & 411.

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The Parable of the Dragnet

parables-of-the-kingdom

The Parable of the Dragnet

Matthew 13:47-52

In our verse-by-verse exposition of the Gospel of Matthew, we have been studying the kingdom parables that Jesus taught in Matthew 13. Each of these parables unveils profound truth concerning the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 13:11)—truth about the beginning of the kingdom on earth, its obstacles, its spread, its immeasurable value, and its consummation in the final judgment. The Kingdom of Heaven is defined as the rule and reign of the Lord Jesus over His people. For now, that is an invisible, internal kingdom. Jesus rules over our hearts. When the Lord returns, it will be a visible, physical kingdom too.

Today, we come to the parable of the Dragnet. What in the world is a dragnet? When you hear that word, maybe some of you immediately think of the old television police show. One famous phrase from Dragnet is, “The stories you are about to see are true.” And I can tell you this about what Jesus teaches us today, “the parable you are about to see is true.” In this parable, Jesus portrays a principle of the kingdom of heaven that is absolutely true and worthy of our attention. Another famous phrase that Sergeant Friday would often say is, “Just the facts, ma’am.” Today we are going to look at the facts from the One who knows, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus teaches His disciples some truths concerning the judgment of men and the proclamation of the gospel.

1. The Parable of the Dragnet (Matt. 13:47-50).

A. The Picture of the Judgment (Matt. 13:47-48).

Again, Jesus uses a parable, a common story with a spiritual truth. This particular parable was indeed common to the disciples. After all, at least four of them had been professional fishermen and many of the others had grown up around the fishing industry in Galilee.

In Galilee, there were three common types of fishing. First was the simple hook and line. Peter used this method in Matthew 17:24-27 to catch a fish with a coin in its mouth that he used to pay taxes. Second was the one-man casting net. A man would wade out into the shallow water and hand cast this net over schools of small fish. Third was the large “dragnet” or seine that hangs vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down by weights and its top edge buoyed by floats. It could be pulled between two boats or anchored to the shore on one end so a single boat could pull it to surround the fish. Some of these nets were very large and would drift for hours catching all kinds of fish.

The purpose of the dragnet was to draw everything that came into its sphere, pull it all to the surface or the shore, and allow the fishermen to empty its contents into the boat or onto the beach and pick through it all—selecting the best and most profitable fish, and discarding the rest. We can only imagine what types of things would be caught in a large dragnet. Weeds, refuse, small and large fish, good and bad fish. Jesus said it “… gathered some of every kind.” Anything in the path of the net would eventually be caught and gathered by the fishermen.

We see a couple of examples of this kind of fishing in the Gospels. In Luke 5, Jesus taught the crowds from Simon Peter’s boat. After He was finished, He told Peter to let down his net for a catch. And when Peter and his co-workers did so, Luke tells us, “they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink” (Luke 5:6-7). We have a similar story at the end of the Gospel of John after Jesus had risen from the dead. He stood on the shore and told Peter and his fishing partners to cast their net out at a certain spot. When they did, “they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish” (John 21:6). Eventually, the disciples came to the shore, “dragging the net with fish” (John 21:8). The Lord had made a fire and invited them to bring some of the fish they caught; and we’re told that “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken” (John 21:11).

Jesus says in Matthew 13:48, “when [the dragnet] was full, they drew” it “to shore” and the fishermen “… sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.” The bad fish are those that couldn’t be used either because they were unclean or not suitable for market.

So first, Jesus tells the parable of the net. The kingdom of heaven is like a net catching fish in a lake. When the net is full, the fishermen collect the good fish in baskets and throw the bad fish away. What does this parable teach us?

B. The Principle of the Judgment (Matt. 13:49).

Jesus doesn’t leave us wondering what this parable means, He explains it clearly. Jesus compares the “dragnet” to the judgment by saying “So it will be at the end of the age…” Jesus specifically tells us this parable is about the end of the age. There is coming a time “at the end of the age” when all men, will be separated and judged.

Earlier in this chapter, the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares symbolized believers and unbelievers living alongside each other in the world and their separation and judgment at the end of the age. There are quite a few similarities between the parable of the weeds and the parable of the dragnet. In Matthew 13:41-43, Jesus explained the parable of the wheat and tares…

41 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matt. 13:41-43).

That parable focused more on the co-existing of the good and evil in this present world, whereas the parable of the dragnet focuses more on the separation of the good and evil at the end of the age.

As in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, “The angels”, God’s agents of justice, “will come forth.” Their task will be to “separate the wicked from among the just” (Matt. 13:49). Notice in both these parables the role of the angels in separating the wicked from the righteous at the end of the age.

This agrees with Jesus’ other teachings in the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 24:31, Jesus teaches that when the Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, “… He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Angels also appear in Jesus’ teaching about the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25. There, He said, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matt. 25:31-32).

Listen to John MacArthur’s words as he describes the judgment using Jesus’ metaphor of the dragnet:

Men move about within that net as if they were forever free. It may touch them from time to time, as it were startling them. But they swim quickly away, thinking they have escaped, not realizing that they are completely and inescapably encompassed in God’s sovereign plan. The Invisible web of God’s judgment encroaches on every human being just as that of the dragnet encroaches on the fish. Most men do not perceive the kingdom, and they do not see God working in the world. They may be briefly moved by the grace of the gospel or frightened by the threat of judgment; but they soon return to their old ways of thinking and living, oblivious to the things of eternity. But when man’s day is over and Christ returns to set up His glorious kingdom, then judgment will come.[1]

This kingdom ‘dragnet’ would not only draw people from all people groups around the world; but it would also draw both the faithful and the faithless, both the just and the wicked. And Jesus is teaching us that not all who appear to embrace His kingdom will truly have a part in it. He warns that at the end of the age—just after He returns to this earth to assume the full possession of His kingdom—He will separate out from it those who do not belong in it.

C. The Peril of the Judgment (Matt. 13:50).

In Matthew 13:50, Jesus says that the “wicked” will be “cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” I think it’s very instructive that, in this parable, the Lord doesn’t tell us about the destiny of those who are His “just” ones. In the parable of the wheat and the tares, He does tell us about their destiny. He tells us that, on that great day when He returns to this earth and commences His earthly reign with the great “separation”, then “the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). But there is no such joyful note here in this parable.[2] Instead, Jesus ends with the dreadful warning that the angels “will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:49-50).

“Wailing” suggests anguish. Hell is a place of conscious torment. And I believe that one of the greatest aspects of that torment will be an eternal separation from the God who made us for Himself and loved us, but whom we refused. The wicked did not want to bow to Him or serve Him or even know Him. And then—to their eternal anguish—they will have what they wanted.

The phrase “gnashing of teeth” describes intense hatred and malice. King David wrote of how the wicked “plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth” (Psa. 37:12) and of how ungodly mockers at feasts “gnashed at me with their teeth” (Psa. 35:16). Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations of how the enemies of Israel “have opened their mouth against you; they hiss and gnash their teeth” (Lam. 2:16). And in the book of Acts, after Stephen preached to the Jewish leaders—just before they rose up and stoned him to death—we’re told that “they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth” (Acts 7:54). Hell is a place of eternal torment for those who hated our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

We find similar imagery in the book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament where we read: “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)

The biblical doctrine of hell is hard for many people to accept. However, if we are to be true to God’s Word, we must accept its reality. The teachings about judgment in Scripture are essential. If there is no judgment, then there is no need for salvation. If there is no final judgment, then many of the wicked in this life would get away with their wickedness. If there is no moral reckoning, then God is unjust. But God’s kingdom is a kingdom of justice, and so, yes, there is a day of judgment coming.[3]

Hell is not a mythical place. Jesus spoke more about hell than any other prophet or apostle. He constantly emphasized the reality of eternal punishment. And He used horribly graphic terms to describe it. There is a reason. It’s because He is the Savior of mankind who will also one day come as the Judge of all the earth. He loves people more than they could ever know and does not wish for them to suffer eternal punishment. Therefore, He tells the horrible facts about it because He does not want people to experience it and has come to save them from it.

When people die, or when the Lord returns, they do not go out into nothingness or cease to exist. God will “separate” the wicked from the righteous and “cast them into the furnace of fire.” Jesus Himself knows those who are truly His within His dragnet. And on the great day of judgment when the angels pull the dragnet to shore, the Lord will see to it that the wicked are separated from the righteous—both to the praise of His grace, and to the glory of His justice.

The Bible teaches that the Lord has no pleasure in the destruction of wicked people. In Ezekiel 18:23, the Lord asks, “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is … longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Luke 19:41 records how Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people would not repent. Our Lord is a good and merciful Savior. And when the final judgment comes, no one who heard His gospel will be able to say that He did not give them ample opportunity to believe it and trust in Him. No one under the influence of His “gospel dragnet” will be able to have an excuse for not knowing Him and trusting Him as they should. In fact, Mt.25:41 tells us hell was not created for men but was “prepared for the devil and his angels.”     

Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the dragnet is clear. It is a warning that judgment is coming. Those who have rejected Christ and His kingdom will be separated out of it and sent away to eternal torment.

Jesus has just shared all seven of these parables of the kingdom. Now he encourages the disciples to teach these parables to others. So He teaches them …

2. The Parable of the Householder (vv. 51-52).

A. Have you understood? (Matt. 13:51)

In Matthew 13:51, Jesus asked His disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” The word “understand” means “put together”. We could say that He was asking them, “Have you put all the pieces of these things together so that you now comprehend them?” Remember the parables are designed both to conceal and reveal. The parables are meant to conceal the truth from those whose hearts are hardened towards God. And they are meant to reveal spiritual truth to those whose hearts are open towards God.

“Have you understood all these things?” That’s a good question for us. Do we have an understanding, have we put together these vital truths of the kingdom and the judgment? The truths Jesus teaches in these parables disclose God’s program for history and eternity.

Do we really believe what the parable of the sower teaches—that we come into the kingdom by hearing and receiving the message of the gospel so that it produces fruit in us? Do we believe that even though we live alongside unbelievers like wheat and tares in a field, that there is a time coming when we will be separated? Do we believe that the kingdom, even though it appears small and insignificant like a mustard seed, will ultimately permeate and rule over the whole world? Do we believe that the kingdom is a treasure worth more than everything else in life? Do we really believe that judgment is coming, that hell is real, and that the kingdom of heaven is glorious?

The disciples answered, “Yes, Lord.” Though their understanding was far from perfect they understood what they could at the time. They accepted the things they understood and they were eager to understand more. The truths about the kingdom that Jesus teaches in these parables are meant to be received by eager, hungry learners who love Jesus Christ, have ears to hear Him, and a heart to go forward and follow Him. They are for those whose heart cry is “Thy kingdom come!” Apart from Jesus Christ, the truths in these parables cannot be understood. But through an authentic relationship with Him by faith, they can be.[4] In Matthew 13:12, Jesus said, “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance.”

So we respond to the parables of the kingdom by being eager learners, disciples who want to hear and understand.

B. Then be like good householders (Matt. 13:52)

Finally, in Matthew 13:52 Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

This verse is like a mini-parable that sums up the disciples’ responsibility concerning all the other parables. The word “scribe” means “one who writes.” In those days the term referred to a student and teacher of the law. The word “instructed” is the verb form of the word disciple. Under Jesus’ teaching, the disciples were becoming scribes—students and teachers of the truths of God’s kingdom.

Jesus implies an expectation of us regarding the mysteries of the kingdom. We aren’t supposed to sit passively and receive information about the kingdom—as if the Lord wants to merely pour knowledge into empty heads. Rather, we are to grow. We are to be scribes and disciples—astutely trained scholars in the school of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, who work hard at understanding and applying the kingdom truths He imparts to us.

Jesus said such a scribe was to be like a “householder.” This literally means the “house-master”. He was the manager of a household, or a family, or a large estate. He would maintain supplies of food and clothing and use them wisely. He was responsible for making sure that everything in the treasure-store was well-stocked; so that when anything was needed for the provision of each member of the household, and for the smooth operation of the house, it was provided.

The “householder” or head of the house would “bring out of his treasure [storehouse] things old and new.” They were to “bring out” the truth, which means to “cast forth.” They were not to keep the truth of the kingdom to themselves. They were to bring it out and cast it forth. In other words, one of the distinguishing marks of a true disciple of the kingdom is that they share the treasure. They share the truth of the kingdom, the word of God.

The disciples, later, as they became apostles would dispense both “new and old” revelation. In other words, both the Old Testament and the New Testament are important. They are both the word of God. The older teachings about God and the kingdom are still valuable and true. But now we must add to them these newer teachings about the kingdom.

The newer teachings do not replace the old teachings. Rather the new teachings complete them and fulfill them. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” A teacher of the law who only knows the Old Testament can only teach the law. But those who know the New Testament also teach faith in Christ and God’s grace given to us in his Son Jesus.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God has given you everything you need in His word to teach others about the kingdom and to reach others for Jesus Christ. All Scripture is useful for teaching, both the old and the new. The new completes the old. So, we focus on Jesus and His teachings about the kingdom.

Jesus is coming again. When He comes, this world will end. God’s great dragnet will sweep through the earth and no one will escape. All people, great and small, will stand before the throne and be judged according to their works. The punishment for the wicked will be serious and severe. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ will experience eternal pain, mourning, and regret. Only those whose names are found written in the Lamb’s book of life will be saved.

And so, now is the time to make your decision about Jesus. It will be too late after you die or after Jesus returns. Now is the time for salvation. When Jesus returns, that will be the time for judgment. Because God will make the division then, you must make your decision now.

Have you trusted Jesus for salvation? If not, I urge you, I encourage you, I invite you, I welcome you – come to Jesus today. He loves you. He died for you. He is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?

And to us who already belong to Christ, are you telling others about Him?

I remember another phrase from the show, Dragnet. Sargent Friday would say, “We were working the day watch.”

There’s a whole mass of humanity all over the world moving toward judgment. God has placed this church here to be a lighthouse, a rescue operation to get the word out about the kingdom of heaven, about eternity, about heaven and hell, but most importantly to get the word out about the Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you working the day watch?

The church is not a country club where you come to socialize, pay a few dues, and leave. We are not a performing arts center where talented people do their thing up on stage and the congregation applauds and nods approvingly and leaves unaffected. We’re the body of Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit and commissioned to proclaim to our world that Jesus saves.

The stakes are high. It’s not just life and death, it’s eternal life and eternal death that hangs in the balance. We have the treasure, the good news of the kingdom of heaven—the word of God. We have the Savior Jesus Christ. We have the Holy Spirit to empower us. We are His church. Let’s bring the treasure of the gospel to everyone.

————————————————————————

[1] John MacArthur, New Testament Commentary—Matthew, p. 395.

[2] Greg Allen, Bad Fish in the Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-50, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2006/120306.htm

[3] Ray Fowler, The Parable of the Net, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/parable-of-the-net/

[4] Greg Allen, Students of the Kingdom – Matthew 13:51-52, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/010707.htm

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The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

parables-of-the-kingdom

The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

Matthew 13:44-46

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven in parables. The Jews in Jesus’ day, including His disciples, had certain expectations about the kingdom of God. They knew the prophecies about the glory and grandeur of God’s kingdom, but they misunderstood the nature and timing of the kingdom.

We have already looked at four of the parables. First was the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus showed why there are many who will not receive the King and His kingdom. They expected that when the Messiah-King arrived, all Israel, indeed the world, would instantly turn to Him. That didn’t happen. Many rejected Jesus and His message of the kingdom. Jesus explained that they could not receive the message of the kingdom because their hearts were hardened, shallow, or worldly.

Second was the parable of the wheat and the tares. The disciples expected that when the kingdom came, all the wicked and all evil would immediately be judged and destroyed. Jesus explain that the sons of the kingdom will grow together with the wicked until the end of the age. Only at the final judgment will God separate them.

Next, Jesus told the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. The disciples expected God’s kingdom to be glorious and immense, and they were not prepared for the humble form of the kingdom that they saw. Jesus explained that though the kingdom appears small and insignificant, it will eventually grow and permeate the whole earth.

Today, we look at two more parables of the kingdom of heaven—the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price. These two parables share the common purpose to teach us about the precious, immeasurable value of the kingdom. Both parables follow a similar pattern. Each begins with an object of enormous wealth, a treasure in a field, or a costly pearl, but its full value is unseen or unrecognized. Then someone discovers its true worth. Finally, that person trades all that he has to acquire the vast riches unrecognized by others.

First, I will explain the two parables and then I will draw some application from what we learn. First, we see that the kingdom of heaven is like…

1. Treasure Hidden in a Field (Matt. 13:44)

Jesus taught in Matthew 13:44, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

The details of the parable all support the main point: the kingdom of heaven is incomparably valuable. First, it is a treasure, something stored up, hidden away because it is precious and costly. In the days before there were reliable banks, people commonly buried their valuables to keep them safe. This was especially true in the land of Israel which had been subject to countless military raids and wars over its long history. Jesus’ story implies the treasure had long been hidden and forgotten, and whoever buried it was no longer around to claim it. It couldn’t have belonged to the present owner of the field, because, if it did, he wouldn’t have sold the field, or at least, he would have dug up the treasure first before selling.

According to Jewish rabbinic law, if someone found treasure, it belonged to the finder.[1] But if it was on someone’s land and the finder lifted it out, it belonged to the owner of the land.[2] In that case, “finders, keepers” didn’t apply. By not disturbing the treasure, reburying it, and purchasing the field, the man who found it legally acquired it for himself.

The second element that shows its great value is how the man felt about founding it—“joy”. The man doesn’t go off dutifully or reluctantly to raise the funds to purchase the field. No, he is so full of joy at the discovery of the treasure that he is glad to sell everything he has to obtain it.  

Thirdly, its value is demonstrated by what the man does, “he goes and sells all that he has.” Imagine this man figuring up the value of the land and making an offer to the owner. Then the man sells everything he owned—literally everything—to scrounge up all the money he could. Selling everything he had could have made him experience temporary hardship, homelessness, and hunger. But he was happy to suffer whatever the loss because of the great gain he would have.

But this parable is not about the cost of the kingdom of heaven, it’s about the overwhelming value of the kingdom. It is a precious, priceless treasure. Finding it brings great joy. It’s worth more than everything else you have.

And that brings us to the second parable. Its theme is the same. The kingdom of heaven is like…

2. A Pearl of Great Price (Matt. 13:45-46)

Jesus teaches, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt. 13:45-46).

Again, this parable is a twin to the parable of the treasure in the field. The details are different, but they also support the main point—that the value of the kingdom of heaven is most precious and priceless.

The merchant in this story is a person who buys and sells commodities. And this particular merchant is on a quest to find pearls. Pearls were considered the most valuable items in Jesus’ day, more precious than silver or diamonds or gold. Jesus tells us the merchant is looking for “beautiful pearls,” which means he is looking for fine pearls, the best pearls, those of the highest quality and value. A pearl that was perfect and beautiful was priceless.

Notice the difference between the man who found the treasure and the pearl merchant. The man in the field was not necessarily seeking treasure, he just discovered it, perhaps by chance. But the merchant is seeking his treasure, the most beautiful pearls. And Jesus tells us he found it—”one pearl of great price.” It is very valuable, extremely costly. The merchant knows his business. He would know what a pearl was worth. He certainly wouldn’t be duped into overpaying for a pearl. No, he understands how valuable this pearl is. “This was the granddaddy of all pearls, the pearl of pearls, the best of them all, magnificent, beautiful, of the highest quality, unequaled, unrivaled, incomparable, matchless, superior, supreme.”[3]

And notice that this merchant does the same as the man who found the treasure in the field, he “went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This merchant considered the pearl so valuable that he sold everything he had to buy it. He knew it was worth more than all he had. He knew he was getting a good deal.

Again, that is the point. The kingdom of heaven is like that. It is like a treasure or a pearl more valuable than anything and everything we have. It’s not about the cost you will pay. It is about the value you will receive.

So those are the parables and their explanation. Let’s make three points of application…

  1. The Kingdom is priceless.

Both parables teach us the incomparable value of the Lord’s Kingdom. In his commentary, John MacArthur quotes Thomas Guthrie, who writes about the preciousness of the treasure we have in salvation:

In the blood of Christ to wash out sin’s darkest stains, in the grace of God to purify the foulest heart, in peace to calm life’s roughest storms, in hopes to cheer guilt’s darkest hour, in a courage that defies death and descends calmly into the tomb, in that which makes the poorest rich and without which the richest are poor indeed, the Gospel has treasure greater far than east or west unfold, and its rewards more precious are than all the stores of gold![4]

Christ and His Kingdom are treasure precious beyond comparison. It is incorruptible, undefiled, and eternal (2 Pet. 1:4). Do you know, O Christian, the great treasure you have in Christ and His Kingdom?

When you recognize the value of the kingdom of heaven and realize it is yours, what do you do? REJOICE! Because …

B. The Kingdom brings joy.

The man’s response to finding the treasure was joy (Matt. 13:44). When God truly reveals himself to you through Christ, there is a joyful, spontaneous abandonment of self and sin for Christ and the gospel. That’s the joy of salvation.

The world pursues happiness. But happiness is fleeting because your happiness most often depends on what happens—your circumstances. When something good happens, people get happy. When something bad happens, they are unhappy. Christian joy is not like that. Joy is not tied to what happens. Joy is tied to Christ and His kingdom (Rom. 14:17). It is found in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 15:11), “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). Joy is the gift of God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

O Christian, do you have this joy? “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phl. 4:4).

The kingdom is priceless, the kingdom brings joy, and finally …

C. The Kingdom must be personally appropriated.

In both parables, the one who found the priceless treasure “sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:46). This, of course, isn’t saying that we can “buy” our place in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We know from the rest of scripture that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. No amount of money, or good works, or religious rituals, or keeping God’s law could ever purchase for us a place in the kingdom of heaven.

So why does Jesus stress that the men sold all they had and bought the field or the pearl? Gil Rugh points out that “The point in buying or purchasing something is in securing it for yourself, having it as your possession.”[5] The point of buying in this parable is securing it for yourself.

Let me show you how this concept is used in other places in scripture. Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”  That proverb is not teaching that you can purchase truth or understanding. The opening verses of Proverbs, show that knowledge, wisdom, and truth are found in fearing and trusting in the Lord, not purchased with money (Pro. 1:7; 9:10).  The point is to obtain the truth, to get wisdom, instruction, and understanding for yourself—to make it yours. The emphasis on buying the truth is not on paying money for it necessarily, but rather the emphasis is on doing whatever is necessary to secure the truth. It may cost you to stand for the truth. No matter what, secure it for yourself.

In Isaiah 55:1, the Lord gives this call to His people: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.” Here again, the idea behind buying is not trading money for the refreshing water of life. Even those without money can secure it for themselves because it can be obtained “Without money and without price.” The idea is securing it as your possession.

Jesus used this same approach in Revelation 3 when He wrote to the church at Laodicea. This church thought it was wealthy and needed nothing. Yet Christ said they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). So, He tells them in Revelation 3:18, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Can you purchase these spiritual blessings from Christ? No. His salvation is by grace and spiritual blessings are free gifts, but you can buy it from Christ in the sense of securing it from Him. What you need to be righteous before God you can get only from Jesus Christ.

So, the emphasis on buying is securing it for yourself. What is the emphasis on selling all you have? The point is that the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that you should let nothing keep you from it.

Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? (Matt. 19:16-22). He asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. He told Jesus that he had kept the law from the time he was a youth, but he knew something was missing. “What do I still lack?” he asked. Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matt. 19:21-22). Jesus then said to his disciples, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24).

What a contrast he was to the man in Jesus’ parable! He didn’t sell all that he had “for joy” over Jesus’ offer. In fact, he went away sorrowful. He did  not consider eternal life to be of more value than his possessions.

When Peter heard this, he looked at himself and his fellow disciples, and saw how they had forsaken all to follow Jesus. He said to the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matt. 19:27). Peter wants to know if it is all worth it. Is the kingdom of God so valuable that it’s worth more than everything? I think it was a very good question to ask.

Jesus told them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:28-29).

The answer is: Yes, it is worth it. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a treasure far more valuable than anything and everything. The “great price,” was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly servant, and shed His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. It cost our Lord Jesus Christ everything—humility, rejection, suffering, and death on a cross. His blood has purchased salvation, eternal life, the kingdom of heaven for all who believe in Him. To us, it is a free gift. We cannot earn it or pay for it. Christ has already paid the ransom for our freedom from sin and death. We receive it free of charge by God’s grace through believing in Jesus Christ.

Then why did the man sell all he had to obtain the treasure? FOR JOY! Once you truly see Jesus Christ as Lord, the eternal Savior and King, no one will have to tell you to go, sell all you have and buy that field or secure that pearl. You will joyfully give anything and everything just to have Jesus Christ and His kingdom. It will be like abandoning trivial trinkets to possess eternal treasure. It will be like giving up your garbage to possess a lavish kingdom.

The apostle Paul writes about His salvation in Philippians 3. First, he lists the self-righteous things that once gave him confidence in the flesh. He thought these things merited him the kingdom of heaven. He writes that he was “… circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Phil. 3:5-6). These were his self-righteous treasures of the flesh. But meeting Jesus Christ changed everything. He writes,

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:7-11).

In comparison to the kingdom of heaven, to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, everything else is rubbish—garbage, dung.

Every day, people are tempted to trade eternal joys for worldly pleasures. They pursue self-righteous, works-based religion rather than receiving God’s gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ. Some people never come to Jesus because they are afraid they would have to give up their sinful desires and the trinkets of this world. But nothing is more valuable than the kingdom of heaven. Nothing is more important than entering the kingdom of God. Only Jesus can bring you into the kingdom, and so no one is more important than Jesus.

If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, what stands between you and Christ? What do you think is more important than eternal life? Your family, your job, your prestige, your influence, the pleasures you now enjoy? Repent of your folly. Change your mind about Jesus Christ. He is Lord and Savior. Surrender your all today.

 

 

[1] William Barclay, Daily Study Bible, Matthew, p. 94-95, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/matthew-13.html

[2] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 328. Carson quotes Derrett (Law, pp. 1–16) who pointed out that “under rabbinic law if a workman came on a treasure in a field and lifted it out, it would belong to his master, the field’s owner; but here the man is careful not to lift the treasure out till he has bought the field.”

[3] Ray Fowler, The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/parables-of-the-treasure-and-the-pearl/ accessed 6/20/2024.

[4] Thomas Guthrie, The Parables, London: Alexander Strahan, 1866, quoted by John MacArthur, Matthew, https://www.gty.org/library/study-guides/111/the-parables-of-the-kingdom accessed 06/21/2024.

[5] Gil Rugh, Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl, https://s3.amazonaws.com/ihccathena/pdf/GR695transcript.pdf accessed 06/21/20024.

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