Mateus 13

Samuel Johnson · Citado em PreceptAustin

Mateus 13

Johnson - Theological Wordbook - borrow) Adrian Rogers - Faith is the greatest asset that we have. 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, the belief of the people of God. Did you know the sin that sends people to Hell today? It is not lying, it is not murder, it is not rape, it is not arson, it is not sexual perversion, it is not pride, it is not arrogance, it is unbelief. You see Jesus died for all those other sins. Stephen Olford - “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”—Matthew 13:58 What an amazing, yet solemn, verse this is! Purge me, O Lord, that I may never be guilty of such unbelief! Notice that the verse does not say, “He could not,” but rather that “He did not.” It was not a case that His power was limited on this particular occasion, but rather that Christ does not work in the presence of blatant or open unbelief. Unbelief is the preeminent fruit of the flesh. It is that which emanates from man's corrupt nature. “The carnal mind is enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7). Give me the grace to crucify the natural man in me, Lord, until all unbelief is removed. Amen Daniel Akin - Conclusion: 1) The preacher Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) was an American pastor who well said, “Familiarity breeds contempt, but only with contemptible things or among contemptible people” (Wiersbe, 59). The contempt shown by the citizens of Nazareth said nothing about Jesus. However, it said a lot about them! 2) What about you? What about me? Do you show contempt towards the Jesus revealed in Scripture? Do you allow the biblical evidence to slay your biases, reshape your preconceived notions of who Jesus must be for you to accept Him? Believe in Him? Trust Him? 3) Are you “scandalized” by the simplicity of His gospel? The unfairness of its message that says a child-molester or even a serial rapist and murderer on death row can be made right with God by child-like faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? 4) Or, have you become so familiar with Him having been raised in church all your life that His words no longer convict? His miracles no longer astonish? His death on the cross for you no longer strikes the cord of “Amazing Grace?” 5) Familiarity can blind us to the greatness and glory of a Savior if we are not careful. Spiritually inoculated at some point in life, we become immune to the real thing! I have seen it far too many times. You do not come to Jesus on your terms. You come to Jesus on His! This prophet was without honor in His own hometown! Please, do not make the same mistake in your heart. The consequences are of an eternal nature. (Sermon) Limiting God Psalm 78:41KJV - Wade H Horton INTRODUCTION: God's wise and benevolent purposes are often frustrated. There are many things God would do for men, but there are things that hinder or limit God. I. INCONSISTENT CHRISTIAN LIVING LIMITS GOD. A. "Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you" (Jeremiah 5:25). B. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1, 2). II. LACK OF FAITH LIMITS GOD. A. Jesus "did not many mighty works... [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). B. "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed... nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20). III. SHALLOW AND SELFISH PRAYERS RESTRICT OR LIMIT GOD. A. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3). B. The Pharisee in his prayer exalted his own goodness; but it was a selfish, self-centered prayer, and he received no answer (Luke 18:10-14). IV. A STUBBORN WILL LIMITS GOD. A. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:11). B. God extends His gifts, but we must accept them. C. Jesus invites us to come, but He does not compel us to come (Matthew 11:28-30). D. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock" (Revelation 3:20). But we must open the door. E. The key is on our side. We should by all means let Him in because He is the heavenly visitor. F. And He is the best visitor we will ever have. For His visit will not be for a day, a month or a year, but for all eternity. CONCLUSION: Let us quit limiting our heavenly Father; let us simply trust Him to do as He has promised CAN GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, BE LIMITED? - Al Bryant And [they] limited the Holy One of Israel (Ps. 78:41). God’s wise and benevolent purposes are often frustrated. There are many things God would do for men if permitted. 1. Inconsistent Christian living limits God. “Your iniquities have separated” (Isa. 59:2). “Your sins have withholden” (Jer. 5:25). 2. Lack of faith limits God. We limit the Holy One of Israel by distrust. Jesus at Nazareth “did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Mt. 13:58). Many of us lack an adventurous faith. We are afraid to “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4). When you say, “My sins are too many to be forgiven,” you have limited God. You have put your sins above His grace. 3. Shallow and selfish prayers limit God. They restrict Him. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss” (James 4:3). See the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. We often limit God by the narrowness of our prayers. Also by our lack of praying. 4. A stubborn will limits God. “He came to his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem … how often would I have gathered thy children … and ye would not” (Matt. 23:37). To limit God is to set bounds to His operations, to circumscribe or confine Him in His ability to effect certain purposes or works. The penitent sinner often does this when he doubts God’s willingness and ability to save. The Christian in trouble often does this in confining God to a certain mode of deliverance. God extends His gifts, but we must accept them. Jesus invites us to come, but He can’t compel us to come. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, but we must open the door. The key is on our side. LIMITING GOD - Flawed Memory (Read Psalm 78:40-53) The older we get, the more we forget. This is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God. The people of Israel often remembered what they should have forgotten and forgot what they should have remembered! "They did not remember His power: the day when He redeemed them from the enemy, when He worked His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan" (Psalm 78:42,43). How amazing. The Jews had seen God perform ten miracles on their behalf in Egypt. Moses even pointed out that this was the hand of the Lord, yet they forgot all about it. After they were delivered from Egypt and living in the desert, the first time they were thirsty, they complained. The first time they were hungry, they complained. Their constant cry was, "Let's go back." What did they remember about Egypt? The bondage? The taskmasters? Being beaten and whipped? Carrying the heavy burdens? They didn't remember those things. They remembered the leeks and the onions and the garlic and the cucumbers. They remembered the things that satisfied their stomachs. They did not remember the spiritual victories that God had given, His deliverance or His guidance. He had fed and led them, protected and provided for them; and they forgot about it. The same is often true of us. We forget what God has done for us, and when we forget, we start to go backward. Forgetfulness has consequences. "Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" (Psalm 78:41KJV). Imagine--feeble, unbelieving man limiting Almighty God! But that's what happens when we forget Him. Don't limit God in your life today. He has unlimited wisdom and unlimited power, and your life has unlimited potential in His hands. Don't turn back. Look ahead. Don't test Him. Trust Him and remember his mercies. The same God who worked miracle after miracle for Israel is the One who is working for you today. Don't live with a flawed memory. Meditate on God's faithfulness and goodness.(Bible Exposition Commentary) Beware in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what he can do. —Andrew Murray Related Resources: Spurgeon's sermon on Psalm 78:41KJV - Limiting God Other sermons on Limiting God The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus - Oswald Chambers Limiting God (audio sermon) - Martyn Lloyd-Jones (50 minutes) QUOTES ON UNBELIEF If you are an unbeliever when you die, Christ did not die for you. Ambrose Living without faith is like driving in a fog. Anon. Unbelief in the face of evidence is either stupidity or sin. Anon. All unbelief is the belief of a lie. Horatius Bonar In all unbelief there are these two things: a good opinion of one's self and a bad opinion of God. Horatius Bonar Can any man perish more justly than they who refuse to be saved? John Calvin Infidelity is always blind. John Calvin Our own unbelief is the only impediment which prevents God from satisfying us largely and bountifully with all good things. John Calvin The blindness of unbelievers in no way detracts from the clarity of the gospel; the sun is no less bright because blind men do not perceive its light. John Calvin Unbelief... is always proud. John Calvin Unbelief makes us rebels and deserters. John Calvin Unbelieving and irreligious men have no ears. John Calvin As faith is the greatest grace, so that which is opposite to it must be the greatest sin. Stephen Charnock Is not he as much guilty of his own death that rejects a medicine as he that cuts his own throat? Stephen Charnock Unbelief was the first sin, and pride was the first-born of it. Stephen Charnock When God is not believed we must needs give credit to the devil. Stephen Charnock Christ distinguished between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says, 'I can't believe.' Unbelief says, 'I won't believe.' Doubt is honest. Unbelief is obstinate. Henry Drummond Disobedience and unbelief are two sides of the same coin. Ronald Dunn What loneliness is more lonely than distrust? George Eliot Alongside getting faith out of a heart that is utterly hostile and unbelieving, making a silk purse out of a sow's ear or getting blood from a turnip is child's play. John H. Gerstner Unbelief is always conceited. Richard Glover Unbelief in the biblical view is not passive, an innocent but inaccurate view of the world that has unfortunately 'got it wrong' at a few points. Rather, unbelief is active, driven by a dark dynamism Os Guinness God excludes none if they do not exclude themselves. William Guthrie Gospel light is justly taken away from those that endeavour to extinguish it. Matthew Henry Nothing is more offensive to God than disbelief of his promise and despair of the performance of it because of some difficulties that seem to lie in the way. Matthew Henry There are those who will trust Christ no further than they can see him...; as if he were tied to our methods, and could not draw water without our buckets. Matthew Henry Unbelief is apt to mistake recruits for enemies, and to draw dismal conclusions even from comfortable premises. Matthew Henry Unbelief is at the bottom of all our staggerings at God's promises. Matthew Henry Unbelief is at the bottom of what sinners do ignorantly. Matthew Henry Unbelief is the great obstruction to Christ's favours. Matthew Henry Unbelief may truly be called the great damning sin, because it leaves us under the guilt of all our other sins; it is a sin against the remedy. Matthew Henry Unbelief, or distrust of God, is a sin that is its own punishment. Matthew Henry Unbelief is the shield of every sin. William Jenkyn Unbelief... makes the world a moral desert, where no divine footsteps are heard, where no angels ascend and descend, where no living hand adorns the fields, feeds the birds of heaven, or regulates events. F. W. Krummacher Unbelief is a matter not only of the head but of the heart. The unbeliever's trouble is that his heart is not right with God. R. B. Kuiper Unbelief is radically all other disobedience. Robert Leighton The Bible itself gives us one short prayer which is suitable for all who are struggling with the beliefs and doctrines. It is: Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief. C. S. Lewis When you are arguing against God you are arguing against the very Power that makes you able to argue at all. C. S. Lewis No difficulty in believing the gospel is intellectual, it is always moral. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones As no one can give himself faith, neither can he take away his unbelief. Martin Luther Birds lack faith. They fly away when I enter the orchard, though I mean them no ill. Even so do we lack faith in God. Martin Luther Unbelief is the mother of sin, and misbelief the nurse of it. Thomas Manton Ultimately, the acceptance of the gospel is a moral problem not an intellectual problem. Will Metzger Unbelief is not failure in intellectual apprehension. It is disobedience in the presence of the clear commands of God. G. Campbell Morgan The natural man does not want to believe that God has spoken. Tom Nettles For the most part we live upon successes, not promises. Unless we see and feel the print of victories we will not believe. John Owen Unbelief makes God a liar and, worse still, a perjurer, for it accounts him as not only false to his word, but to his oath. A. T. Pierson Unbelief is far, far more than entertaining an erroneous conception of God's way of salvation: it is a species of hatred against him. A. W. Pink Unbelief is not simply an infirmity of fallen human nature, it is a heinous crime. A. W. Pink No maniac ever reasoned more illogically than the unbeliever. William S. Plumer The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief. Thomas Russell If men do not have eternal life it is never because God did not love them, or because Christ was not given for them, but because they did not believe on Christ. J. C. Ryle No sin makes less noise, but none so surely damns the soul, as unbelief. J. C. Ryle The difficulties of Christianity no doubt are great; but depend on it, they are nothing compared to the difficulties of infidelity. J. C. Ryle Unbelief about the existence and personality of Satan has often proved the first step to unbelief about God. J. C. Ryle We can never be too much on our guard against unbelief. It is the oldest sin in the world. J. C. Ryle Those who deny God are bound to bestow all his attributes on flesh and blood. Isaac Bashevis Singer The revelation of the gospel is to a world that is already under indictment for its universal rejection of God the Father. R. C. Sproul Those who spurn the gospel challenge not the power of the church but the sovereignty of God. R. C. Sproul There are no infidels anywhere but on earth. There are none in heaven and there are none in hell. C. H. Spurgeon Unbelief calls itself 'honest doubt', and not without cause, for we should not have known it to be honest if it had not labelled itself so. C. H. Spurgeon Unbelief will destroy the best of us. Faith will save the worst of us. C. H. Spurgeon Unbelief is so deeply rooted in the human heart that when God performs miracles on earth, unbelief doubts whether he can perform them in heaven, and when he does them in heaven, whether he can do them on earth. Friedrich Tholuck If the way to heaven is so narrow, and so few seek it, what will become of those who never seek it? William Tiptaft Every man will have to decide for himself whether or not he cannot afford the terrible luxury of unbelief. A. W. Tozer Human unbelief cannot alter the character of God. A. W. Tozer I do not believe there is anybody who ever rejects Jesus Christ on philosophical grounds. The man who continues in his rejection of Christ has a pet sin somewhere—he's in love with iniquity. A. W. Tozer It is unbelief that prevents our minds from soaring into the celestial city, and walking by faith with God across the golden streets. A. W. Tozer A great many believers walk upon the promises at God's call in the way to heaven even as a child upon weak ice, which they are afraid will crack under them and leave them in the depth. Robert Traill Infidelity is the mother of apostasy. John Trapp Faith unlocks the divine storehouse, but unbelief bars its doors. Curtis Vaughan Unbelief is the foul medley of all sins, the root and receptacle of sin. Thomas Watson Unbelief is the root of apostasy. Thomas Watson The root of all apostasy is the primal sin of unbelief. Geoffrey B. Wilson Source - Complete Gathered Gold

Mateus 13

Johnson - I want you to notice two things. First of all, the fire is in the parable, and it is in the interpretation. In other words, the fire is fire. It just so happens that it’s a kind of fire that’s even more terrible than the kind of fire that I can make when I strike a match. It’s the kind of fire that is able to torment and torture a spiritual body, for remember, everyone shall have a resurrected body. Some shall have a resurrected body like the Lord Jesus Christ’s own glorious body, the saints. But others shall have a resurrection body, too – one in which they are able to suffer eternal punishment. It is the resurrection of the damned. Now, the fire that the Bible speaks about is the kind of fire that is able to torment that kind of body. So it is figurative, that’s true. But it’s even more terrible than the reality. Everlasting punishment. The world does not like that doctrine. (The Tares and the Wheat, or Satan in the Kingdom)

Mateus 13

Johnson - There was a rabbinic saying that the only safe repository for money was the earth. Josephus wrote, “The gold and the silver and the rest of that most precious furniture which the Jews had and which the owners treasured underground was done to withstand the fortunes of war.” John Broadus adds "Palestine had passed through many revolutions, and had always been exposed to raids from wandering tribes around, and in many districts to plunder from robbers at home. Accordingly it was common, as is the case in all unsettled countries, for one who apprehended robbery or thievery (25:25), or who was setting off to a distant country, to bury his money, jewelry, plate, and the like, in the earth. If the owner was killed in battle, or died in the far country, no one might know where his treasures were hid; and it became the usage that hidden valuables for which no owner appeared should belong to the owner of the land.....We are told that in the East men of wealth have been known to divide their estate into three parts, one invested in trade, a second part in jewels easily kept about the person, and the remainder buried in the earth.....An instance of hiding treasure occurred during the War of Secession in a South Carolina village, where the writer lived. A shoemaker, upon the approach of hostile troops, hid five hundred dollars in gold, and told his wife and a friend that he had done so, but without revealing the place, supposed to have been in some adjoining forest. In a few days he died after a brief illness, and his widow was quite unable to recover the money, which years hence some man may find “hidden in the field” where he is at work Treasure (2344) (thesauros from títhemi = put, set) refers to the place where goods and precious things are stored for safekeeping and thus a repository (place, room, or container where something is deposited or stored), a treasure chest, a storehouse, a treasury. The second sense of thesauros refers to that which is stored up as that which is deemed precious. (Mt 2:11 Mt 6:19 20 21 Lk 12:33). Figuratively thesauros can refer to the heart, as the repository of thoughts, feelings, purposes, etc (Lk 6:45, Mt 12:35). All NT uses Matt. 2:11; Matt. 6:19; Matt. 6:20; Matt. 6:21; Matt. 12:35; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 19:21; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 6:45; Lk. 12:33; Lk. 12:34; Lk. 18:22; 2 Co. 4:7; Col. 2:3; Heb. 11:26 Field (68)(agros) refers to a field (Mt 6:28; Lk 17:7), to the country as opposed to city or village (Mk 15:21). In the plural it refers to farms, hamlets (Lk 9:12) [cf acre, agriculture, agronomy] Agros - 37x - 1 Chr. 16:38; Matt. 6:28; Matt. 6:30; Matt. 13:24; Matt. 13:27; Matt. 13:31; Matt. 13:36; Matt. 13:38; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 19:29; Matt. 22:5; Matt. 24:18; Matt. 24:40; Matt. 27:7; Matt. 27:8; Matt. 27:10; Mk. 5:14; Mk. 6:36; Mk. 6:56; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 10:30; Mk. 11:8; Mk. 13:16; Mk. 15:21; Mk. 16:12; Lk. 8:34; Lk. 9:12; Lk. 12:28; Lk. 14:18; Lk. 15:15; Lk. 15:25; Lk. 17:7; Lk. 17:31; Lk. 17:36; Lk. 23:26; Acts 4:37 Septuagint has over 200 uses so only a few are noted - Gen. 2:5; Gen. 2:19; Gen. 2:20; Gen. 3:18; Gen. 23:9; Gen. 23:11; Gen. 23:13; Gen. 23:17; Gen. 23:19; Gen. 23:20; Gen. 25:9; Gen. 25:10; Gen. 27:27; Gen. 30:14; Gen. 30:16; Gen. 33:19; Gen. 39:5; Gen. 49:29; Gen. 49:32; Ruth 1:1; Ruth 1:2; Ruth 1:6; Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:2; Ruth 2:3; Ruth 2:6; Ruth 2:7; Ruth 2:8; Ruth 2:9; Ruth 2:17; Ruth 2:22; Ruth 4:3; Ruth 4:5; Hidden (2928)(krupto; English = crypt, cryptic) is a verb meaning to cover, to hide, to conceal, to keep secret (either protectively or for selfish reasons) and so to keep something from being seen. Jesus had just used this verb in Mt 13:35 declaring "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” - All NT uses - Matt. 5:14; Matt. 11:25; Matt. 13:35; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 25:18; Matt. 25:25; Lk. 13:21; Lk. 18:34; Lk. 19:42; Jn. 8:59; Jn. 12:36; Jn. 19:38; Col. 3:3; 1 Tim. 5:25; Heb. 11:23; Rev. 2:17; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 6:16 Stuart Weber - It was a kingdom of the spirit realm and human souls, which cannot be seen with physical eyes. This parable makes four points: (1) there is an “accidental” aspect to our discovery of the kingdom’s value, because each of us is so absorbed in going his own way that God must take the initiative to show us the kingdom (cf. Isa. 53:6; Matt. 18:12–14; Ro 5:6–8; 1 John 4:10, 19); (2) when we do realize the value of the invisible kingdom, its value is cause for great joy; (3) the kingdom is worth everything we have and are; (4) to own the kingdom, we must accept all that comes with it. The field in the parable that cost everything the man owned represents the losses, hardships, and persecution a follower of Jesus is called on to endure for him. (HNTC-Mt) Which a man found and hid again - He hid it again because it was of such great value. In essence Jesus is saying that Kingdom of Heaven is precious. And before you accuse this man of unethical behavior for not telling the owner about finding the treasure, understand that Jesus was not teaching ethics nor using the man's presumed unethical behavior (which is not necessarily unethical - see below) to teach a spiritual truth. Certainly with the detail found and hid, Jesus is clearly not implying that believers should hide the Kingdom from others! This detail is simply part of the parable story, for if he had told others what was hidden, someone else may have tried to purchase the field and he would have lost the field and the treasure. Again Jesus is giving this detail to emphasize the incredible value of the Kingdom of Heaven. And clearly from many other NT passages, believers who have been granted access by grace through faith into the Kingdom are to HERALD it, not HIDE it! (cf Jesus great commission - Mt 28:19-20). Gil Rugh has an interesting comment - This great treasure, however, is sometimes found even by those who are not actively looking for it. There are a number of examples of this kind of individual in the New Testament. The woman at the well in Samaria recorded in John 4:1-29+ was not looking for the King, nor was she looking for the kingdom. She was a Samaritan woman who had simply come to the well to draw water. Yet as Jesus confronted her with the truth about Himself (Jn 4:25, 26), she believed in Him, then went to bring the people of the city back to hear Him to see for themselves if he was the promised Messiah (Jn 4:28-30, 39, 40). Saul was not searching for Christ on the road to Damascus. This man, who became known as the great Apostle Paul, was opposing Christ, yet he came upon that great treasure and the salvation that is found in Him. (Acts 9:2-17, 18, 19, 30+) This seems to be the point of the parable of the hidden treasure. The great treasure of the kingdom and its King is present, yet many do not know it is there or recognize it, but some stumble upon it. The parable views salvation from the human aspect. No one questions the sovereign work of God in bringing these people to Jesus Christ, but humanly speaking, they are not pursuing or actively looking for the kingdom. The prophet Isaiah recorded a statement which fits very well with what Jesus is illustrating in this parable. “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me” (Isa.65:1). Those who were not seeking came upon this great treasure. (Sermon)

Mateus 13

Johnson has a nice review of the various interpretations and then offers his interpretation which agrees for the most part with those of MacArthur, Barton, Hendricksen, and Andrus mentioned above: Now, there are differing interpretations, and I want to mention two or three of these interpretations, not to degrade them, but to let you know there are different interpretations, and it is possible that my interpretation is wrong. So I want to suggest some of the others and then give you what I think is the interpretation of the parable... It is the opinion of some that the church of the Lord Jesus is the treasure, and that the man who found the treasure is the Lord Jesus himself, and that when the man of the parable sells all that he has and buys that field, that is a picture of the Lord Jesus giving all that the possessed in the sacrifice on the cross for the church of the Lord Jesus. Now, there are some biblical sentiments expressed by this, of course. It is true that the church is a kind of treasure so far as God is concerned. It’s obvious that he would not have redeemed the church if he did not have in mind for the church great purposes. But of course, the church is no great treasure in herself. And she is only valuable by virtue of that which God does for her. She is totally worthless otherwise. But nevertheless, it is true that the church has a great place in the purpose of God and might be called a treasure in that sense. And of course, it is true that the Lord Jesus gave his life for the redemption of the church. But how could the church be “found” by the Lord Jesus when she was chosen before the foundation of the world? How could the church be represented as something the Lord stumbled over while he was wandering through a field? In the light of the fact that Paul says we are chosen in him before the foundation of the world, what is the second hiding that is referred to also, here? So while that interpretation has some things that commend it, I really do not think that it satisfies everything that is found in this context. Still others say, no, the church is not the treasure, Israel the Nation is the treasure, because does not the Old Testament say that in the beginning of Israel’s history “A peculiar treasure will I make of Thee unto me?”—the passage in Exodus 19:5 would seem to suggest that Israel is a treasure to God, and could not Israel be the treasure over which the Lord Jesus stumbles? Again, remember the primary feature of these parables is the kingdom of heaven. The period of time between the first coming and the second coming in mystery form, but ultimately, the kingdom of the heavens in its manifested form begins at the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus and continues for a thousand years thereafter. What he is doing is giving us things that have to do with the gathering of the sons of the kingdom during this present age, in order that they may enter that glorious Messianic kingdom of the future. And the kingdom is the thing that is stressed, and not the entities within the kingdom. The church is not found in Matthew 13, so far as I can tell, nor is the Nation Israel, specifically found. He’s thinking about the kingdom. He’s thinking about this age, and the movements, and the works of God and of Satan that will characterize this inter-advent period. Others have said the kingdom is the treasure and Jesus is the man finding it and giving himself for it. So, the kingdom is the treasure. With that, I certainly can agree. But is the kingdom that which the Lord Jesus finds and gives himself for? Again, that’s an appealing interpretation. It has some things about it that are attractive. The kingdom is a treasure and he is speaking about the kingdom, but is the man who stumbles over the hidden treasure a fit picture of the Lord Jesus? I think not. The discovery is a surprise to the man. I don’t think that this is a fit picture of the Lord Jesus. And yet again, I say, that there are some things that are appealing about that interpretation. Let me suggest to you, with a little bit of diffidence, what I think is the correct interpretation of it. The kingdom is the treasure. The Lord Jesus is speaking about the kingdom. But the finder of the treasure is the one who becomes the believer and therefore, we are to look at this as a picture of how a man comes to the understanding and the possession of the kingdom as a treasure. Now if that is true, if the kingdom is the treasure and the man who stumbles over it is the man who comes to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and appropriates the blessings of the kingdom himself, then these points are made. First of all, the kingdom is something of great value, but men may fail to see it by virtue of blindness. Now we know that that is true. The kingdom is something of great value. To possess the life of the kingdom is great. To possess the life of the kingdom and live in that future Messianic kingdom is something that is surely great, and it is held out as future for the believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to know that I am looking forward to the day when I, by virtue of the grace of God, shall be able to live in that marvelous, glorious, Messianic kingdom, in which the world recognizes and must recognize the glory of our Savior God, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a second thing that we may argue from this, and that is that the kingdom may be found unexpectedly. The Bible stresses this as one aspect of the truth. For example, we read in Isaiah chapter 65 and verse 1, “I was found by them that sought me not.” Isn’t that an interesting statement? I was found by them that sought me not. That is, those who weren’t paying any attention to me, were not seeking after me, have found me. Now, every believer – well, I wouldn’t say every believer – but if we looked at our lives, we probably, every one of us, would come to the conviction that there was a time in our lives when we did not have any desire whatsoever for the relationship to the Lord Jesus, and that when we did come into that period of time in which there was a desire, it was something we recognized was not natural to us. Now, in my case, I do not think – while I grew up in a Christian church and grew up in a Sunday School in which we studied the word of God – I do not think that I had the slightest desire whatsoever to have a part in the Messianic kingdom of Jesus or to have any personal relationship to him all through my youth. Up through my high school days and college days and on into my business experience, no desire whatsoever. And in fact, the interest that ultimately came to my heart was awakened by means of a tea party on Sunday afternoon, and the presence of a Bible teacher at that tea party. A most unlikely thing, for in the first place, I don’t think I had been to a tea party for five years before – and I’m not sure that I attended on after that [laughter] – but at that particular one, I stumbled over the treasure hidden in the field. And as a result of that meeting that afternoon, attended a meeting that night and through the preaching of the word that week came to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It could truly be said of me, I was found by them that sought me not, for I was certainly not seeking so far as I know. Now, the Bible tells us, of course, that there is none that seeketh after God; no not one. So it is true of every one of us that we do not naturally seek after God. So when you do find a person who is seeking after God, you know that God has already worked in prevenient grace. Now, here the stress rests upon the unexpectedness of finding the treasure. And of course, thinking of Biblical illustrations, the one that stands out most strikingly in the conversion of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus with letters in his pocket by which he might persecute the Christians further. And there, on the Damascus road, the Lord Jesus appeared to him and as a result of that experience which transformed his life, turned him completely around, the apostle became the preacher of the faith that he at one time had destroyed. He later on said that he had, as one of his ambitions, that he might lay hold of that for which God had grasped or seized him. So, he was the kind of person who stumbled over the treasure in the field, who God, through the Holy Spirit, awakened in a moment to the significance of the treasure of the relationship to the king. We think also of men like Philip the Apostle, who was found by the Lord Jesus. Of Nathaniel, and others. There is another thing that this parable would seem, then, to teach, that there is such a thing as a decision involving a forsaking of all self-reliance. When the Apostle Paul speaks about his own conversion in that same passage of Philippians chapter 3, he describes the decision that he made as one of self-renunciation. Listen to what he says, “But what things were gain to me those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but refuse that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Lord, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which of God by faith.” We are not saying to you – and I do not intend to say to you – that you must give up this before you can receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. What I am saying to you is that the decision to trust Christ involves a decision to renounce [trust] in anything else. And when a person comes to faith in the Lord Jesus, there is implicit in that decision a renunciation of everything else. Before, you had been trusting in your own good works. Before, you had been trusting in your culture. Before, you had been trusting in your education. Before, you had been trusting in your religion – or whatever it may be – but in the moment that you see the Lord Jesus on the cross as the objective basis for the saving work, and you’re trust moves from trust in the things that have characterized you old life to trust in him, you have moved in self-renunciation to an objective trust in the Lord Jesus that means life. Now that comes only by virtue of the enabling, enlightening power of the Holy Spirit. It is not a work of righteousness which you do which God rewards by giving good works. It is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit by which you are turned by God to trust in the Lord Jesus. But it involves a self-renunciation. As the apostle says, “He suffered the loss of all things.” Now this parable does not stress the divine grace behind it, and the reason that I’m stressing it is because these are two sides of the same thing. It is the divine grace that enabled this man to stumble over the treasure in the field. (The Parables) Michael Andrus - Today is the third consecutive Sunday that the sermon will be drawn from Matthew 13. The majority of that chapter contains parables that Christ taught about the kingdom of heaven. Prior to looking at our text for today, I want to spend some initial time talking about the use of parables. In its general sense a parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Jesus did not invent the parable. Some can be found in the Old Testament. There are other examples of parables found outside the Scriptures. One does not need to look hard to find what some consider to be modern-day parables. Consider this example; a parable about a frog. A frog was hopping around a farmyard, when it decided to investigate the barn. Being somewhat careless, and maybe a little too curious, he ended up hopping into a pail half-filled with fresh milk. As he swam about attempting to reach the top of the pail, he found that the sides of the pail were too high and steep for him to escape. He also tried to stretch his back legs to push off the bottom of the pail but found it too deep. Although his options for escape appeared minimal, at best, he did not lay idly in the milk. He swam and kicked and squirmed until at last, all his motion had turned the milk into a big chunk of butter. The butter became a platform from which he could hop out of the pail! Now, if we were a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and were asked what was the title of this parable, here would be our options. A. “Look before you leap,” B. “The curdling property of milk,” C. “A hop, a plop, and a glop,” or D. "Never give up.” (A nd the answer is: “Never give up.”) What’s my point? As we open our Bible today to Matthew 13, I want us to do so with the understanding that when we read the parables of Christ recorded there, what we read is far more than a winsome story illustrating a moral or religious lesson. In the use of parables Christ does employ a recognized and acceptable means of teaching. A parable does provide a good means of comparison. You may have noticed the repeated use of the word “like” in Matthew 13. But the real power in these parables here is the One who presents the parables; the person of Jesus Christ. Additionally, these parables are part of the accepted canon of Scripture; they are the inspired Word of God. What they teach is truth. And it is truth that has eternal implications! So it is with entirely appropriate to read these verses now with the understanding that “this is the word of the Lord!” Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, NET Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. GNT Matthew 13:45 Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας· NLT Matthew 13:45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. KJV Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: ESV Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, NIV Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ASV Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: CSB Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. NKJ Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, NRS Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; YLT Matthew 13:45 'Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a merchant, seeking goodly pearls, NAB Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. NJB Matthew 13:45 'Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; GWN Matthew 13:45 "Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. BBE Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader searching for beautiful jewels. the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant - Mt 16:26 22:5 Pr 3:13-18 8:10,11,18-20 seeking fine pearls - Job 28:18 Ps 4:6,7 39:6,7 Ec 2:2-12 Eccl 12:8,13 Matthew 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SEEKING FINE PEARLS Again - This word suggest that this parable goes with the previous one in Mt 13:44. And because the parable of the treasure in Mt 13:44 is so similar to the parable of the pearl see comments on Mt 13:44. Jesus is presenting a picture to help us understand the Kingdom of Heaven. Be sure to read vv 45-46 together, because this makes the point that the Kingdom of Heaven is beautiful, fine, etc. The Kingdom (basileia) of Heaven (note) is like (homoios) a merchant seeking fine pearls - Historical context again is important to understand this parable. In Jesus' day pearls were one of the most highly valued gems in the society and were even purchased as investments. A merchant would look for high quality pearls to purchase and/or sell to others as an investment, much like we would do with diamonds today. In that day pearls were more valuable than diamonds. Note that in the previous parable, the man accidentally found the treasure, but here the merchant is actively seeking the "treasure" (fine pearls). I like how Stuart Weber explains this difference writing "We need not take this as a contradiction of the “accidental” element of our discovery of the kingdom. Even though we are going our own way, oblivious to the kingdom apart from God’s revelation, every human being is on a quest. Every choice a person makes is somehow guided by his or her search for ultimate fulfillment. Before God breaks in, we simply do not know what we are searching for. Most people search in the wrong places, seeking fulfillment through deceitful, worldly means (wealth, pleasure, power, fame), yet never finding it in those places. When, by God’s gracious guidance, we find the kingdom, we realize that it is what we have been searching for all along.The pearl merchant recognized instantly the value of the one pearl, because he had measured the value of many lesser pearls throughout his life. He, like the treasure finder, went and sold everything he owned in order to possess the pearl." (HNTC-Mt) Merchant (1713)(emporos from en = in + poros = a way, passage) literally means a passenger (as by sea) and thus a traveler, one who travels about which came to mean traveling for trading and thus a merchant or wholesale dealer in contrast to a retailer. The word emphasizes those who travel in merchandising and is also used of a passenger on shipboard. "Originally it designated a passenger in a ship going from one place to another, a traveler. Later émporos was substituted by the word epibátēs, one who boards, from epibaínō, to go aboard. In the NT, émporos means a merchant, trader, one who trades with foreign countries by sea or land on a large scale, a wholesale dealer; distinguished from the kápēlos, the verb kapēleúō or agoraíos, a retailer, one who purchased his wares." (Zodhiates) Emporos is a "key word" in Revelation 18, which describes the end of all merchandise which the world has in effect made its idol! Take care what you "possess" lest it end up "possessing" you (specifically your heart, see the preferred "possession" in Mt 6:21+). Emporos - 5x - Matt. 13:45; Rev. 18:3+; Rev. 18:11+; Rev. 18:15+; Rev. 18:23+ Emporos in the Septuagint - Gen. 23:16; Gen. 37:28; 1 Ki. 10:15; 1 Ki. 10:28; 2 Chr. 1:16; Isa. 23:8; Ezek. 27:12; Ezek. 27:15; Ezek. 27:17; Ezek. 27:18; Ezek. 27:20; Ezek. 27:21; Ezek. 27:22; Ezek. 27:23; Ezek. 27:25; Ezek. 27:36; Ezek. 38:13; Tony