Matthew 13

Matthew 13:1-3

Chapter 28 “The Parable of the Sower” “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower” (Matthew 13:1-23) In this chapter our Lord Jesus Christ taught the gospel to his disciples by seven parables, seven distinct and striking illustrations of divine truth drawn from the book of nature. He calls these parables “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:11). When we study the parables, several things need to be kept in mind. We do not build our doctrine upon parables. — Parables illustrate doctrine. They do not establish doctrine. Our doctrine must be built upon the plain statements of Holy Scripture, contextually interpreted. Parables are earthly stories or illustrations of heavenly truths. — They are earthly pictures of spiritual things. When the Lord Jesus preached the gospel, he gave people pictures and illustrations of his doctrine to fix it in their minds. Yet, he never gave a picture or illustration that was debasing to the gospel, or one that lowered the message of the gospel to make it more palatable to men. It is not necessary for everything in the parable to mean something, or even be compatible with the doctrine of the gospel. — Like the types of the Old Testament, the parables of the New Testament were never intended to be perfect illustrations of gospel truth. They are just illustrations, and nothing more than illustrations. Yet, they are beautiful, instructive illustrations. Each parable is designed to illustrate and enforce only one thing. — If we try to make the parables teach many things, we misuse them. Just as a preacher today uses a story only to illustrate one thing, so our Lord used his parables to illustrate, enforce, and drive home one particular thing, not two, or three, or twenty. The one thing taught in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) is the necessity of hearing the Word of the gospel with a believing heart. The message of this parable is a fact that is verified continually before our eyes. Wherever men and women gather to hear the Word of God preached and expounded, the sayings of our Lord in this parable are manifestly found to be true. It describes what goes on, as a general rule, in all congregations where the gospel is preached. Let me show you five things in this regard that are clearly established in these twenty-three verses of Holy Scripture. Christ the Preacher Before looking at the parable itself, it will be profitable to take notice of the ministry of our Savior as the Servant of the Lord, as it is set before us by God the Holy Spirit in the opening verses of this chapter (Matthew 13:1-3). (Matthew 13:1-3) “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. (2) And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. (3) And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow.” Our Savior was relentless in preaching the gospel. This was “the same day” in which he had preached the message contained in chapter twelve. He took no rest, though he was as weary as any other man would be after such labor. What a rebuke this should be to all who are called of God to this great work, but choose to pamper themselves,rather than be utterly consumed with the work of the ministry. All who are called and sent of God into the field of harvest should devote themselves completely to their work. I do not mean that pastors and gospel preachers should never rest.

Our Savior did, and so must we. But faithful men give themselves wholly to the work of the gospel (1 Timothy 4:15). Our Master said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Let all who are called of him to preach the gospel follow his example. Observe, too, the place of where he preached. He was not now in the temple or synagogue, but the seaside. Robert Hawker wrote, “All places are sanctified when the Holy Ghost makes them so.” And “great multitudes were gathered” to hear him. How anxiously they gathered to hear the Lord Jesus preach the gospel, “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29). Let every man who stands to speak to eternity bound sinners seek that authority that only God the Holy Spirit can give to deliver God’s message to the hearts of those who hear him. The Sower “Behold a sower went forth to sow” (Matthew 13:3). — Gospel preachers are like sowers. The preacher is a man who casts the bread upon the waters and waits for it to return only after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:2). He “goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,” and “shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalms 126:6). Like the farmer, the preacher has to sow good seed if he wants to see fruit. The seed sown must be the pure Word of God, the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. The man who does not preach the gospel does not preach the Word of God, though he may do nothing but recite Scripture. To preach the Word of God is to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Peter 1:25). “We preach Christ crucified,” not the traditions of the church, not a confession of faith, not the doctrines of men, and not the philosophy of the age, but “Christ crucified.” Like the farmer who diligently sows his seed, the preacher must be diligent in the work of the gospel. He must spare no pains. He must use every means he has. He must seize every opportunity God gives, and earnestly labor in God’s vineyard for the furtherance of the gospel. “Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32:20). He must “be instant in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). He cannot be deterred by difficulties and discouragements. “He that observeth the wind shall not sow” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). My wife and I raise a large garden every year. We are fully aware that we cannot cause the seed to germinate, and grow, and bear fruit. But if we do not plow the field, sow the seed, water it, and keep the garden weeded, we are not so foolish as to expect an ingathering of vegetables at the time of harvest. So it is with the preaching of the gospel. Success does not depend upon the preacher’s labor and diligence; but success will not be attained without it. The preacher can no more give life to men than the farmer can cause the seed to germinate, and grow, and bear fruit.

That is God’s business and God’s prerogative. But he can plow the ground, sow the seed, water it with prayer, and wait for God to give the increase as he sees fit, knowing all the while that “it is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). The Seed Luke tells us, “The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11). (Matthew 13:4-9) “And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: (5) Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: (6) And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: (8) But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. (9) Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” The Word of God is the Seed of life (1 Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 1:13). I will not attempt to explain what I do not understand. But I know this. – As sperm invading the egg brings forth life, so the Word of God invading the heart of a dead sinner, by the power of God the Holy Spirit, brings forth life. As the egg cannot be impregnated without sperm, so, too, a sinner cannot be born again without the Word of God. Why? Because God has so ordained it. God’s Prerogative Salvation is the sovereign prerogative of God alone. If language has any meaning at all, Matthew 13:10-17 cannot possibly be read without concluding that there is such a thing as sovereign, distinguishing grace. God gives life, and faith, and understanding to his elect, and does not give it to others (Matthew 13:10-11). (Matthew 13:10-11) “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? (11) He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” When people refuse to walk in the light God gives them, the light that is in them becomes darkness (Matthew 13:12-16). — “Take heed how ye hear” (Luke 8:18). (Matthew 13:12-16) “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: (15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” The seeing eye, the hearing ear, and the believing heart are gifts of God. — “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them” (Matthew 13:17). Compare Romans 9:16; Ephesians 1:19; Ephesians 2:8; Colossians 2:12. Fruitless Hearers Most people who hear the gospel preached receive no saving benefit from it. According to the passage before us, the vast majority, three out of four people, who hear the gospel preached do not profit by it. Our Lord is not talking about those who hear some false gospel, but those who hear the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. The vast majority of those who hear the true gospel receive no spiritual, everlasting benefit from it. Some are described as wayside hearers. —”Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side” (Matthew 13:18-19). Careless, thoughtless, and unconcerned, the gospel has no more affect on their hearts than water has upon a rock. As fast as the Word falls on their ears, the devil plucks it away. They go out just like they came in, unaffected. Christ crucified means nothing to them (Lamentations 1:12). When the Lord Jesus speaks of the devil, under the figure of the fowls of the air, catching away that which was sown in the heart, he is talking about the ministry of the word, and not the grace of God and the gracious operations of God the Holy Spirit, which are always effectual and irresistible. Satan does not and cannot take away what is sown by sovereign grace in the heart. That grace implanted by the Lord can never be taken away. Satan causes graceless hearers to forget what they heard. In them Isaiah’s striking prophecy (Isaiah 6:9-10), which is quoted no less than six times in the New Testament (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27; Romans 11:8), is fulfilled. — “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Others are called stony ground hearers. – “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” (Matthew 13:20-21). These people hear the sermon with pleasure. They are quickly excited. The message brings forth a plentiful crop of warm feelings and good resolutions. But the stony ground hearer’s religion is religion without depth. As soon as the cold blasts of opposition or the hot sun of temptation and persecution comes, their religion withers away. Many love to hear a gifted preacher preach good sermons, who have no interest at all in that which is preached. The mere love of good sermons and good preaching is not a sign of grace (Ezekiel 33:32). The sun rising upon the stony ground hearer is not Christ, the Sun of righteousness, who rises “with healing in his wings,” but the scorching, drying sun of opposition and persecution (Son 1:6). The stony ground hearer was never rooted in Christ. The seed did not fall into the ground, but upon stony ground. Because they were never rooted in Christ and Christ was never in them, they fall away in time. Then our Lord speaks of thorny ground hearers. –”He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). These people appear to be more hopeful than the others. They hang around much longer. They seem to really love the gospel. It appears that they really want to honor God and do his will. But other things constantly claim their affections. They know the truth. They hope one day to be decided and devoted followers of Christ; but they love the world! How many thorny ground hearers sit in the pews of our churches. They never make up their minds to “seek first the kingdom of God.” They have real struggles trying to have both Christ and the world, not willing to give up either. But, in time, the care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches destroys them. The Fruitful Hearer Wherever the Word of God produces life, it brings forth fruit. — “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23). Because every human heart by nature is evil, we know that the “good ground,” into which the seed is cast, is meant a heart renewed and made good by God’s sovereign, saving grace. God’s method and order of grace is set before us in this parable, just as it is throughout the Scriptures. First, he causes the chosen, redeemed sinner to hear the gospel. Then, by the hearing of the gospel, the sinner is born again by the incorruptible seed, the Word of God. And being born again, the believing sinner brings forth fruit unto God. We do not all bear fruit to the same degree. But all believers bear fruit; and the fruit they bear is the same (Galatians 5:22-23; John 15-16). All is of the same quality, though not in the same quantity. A single drop of morning dew on a blade of grass is as truly water as the ocean. And grace is grace, be it small or great. It is all of Christ, and from Christ, and to Christ. Grace in the heart produces heart fruit: repentance and faith, love, joy, peace. God the Holy Spirit causes the believing sinner to bring forth the lip fruit of prayer, confession, and praise. And Christ formed in the chosen sinner, being made partaker of “the divine nature,” causes the believing sinner to bring forth the life fruit of love and consecration to Christ. “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:18).

Matthew 13:24-43

Chapter 29 Three Instructive Parables “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.” Matthew 13:24-43 In Matthew 13:24-43 our Lord Jesus gives us three very instructive parables, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a field containing both wheat and tares, a grain of mustard seed, and leaven hidden in three measures of meal. In the middle of this passage (Matthew 13:34-36) Matthew was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to give an explanation of why the Master spoke in parables. First, he tells us that it was our Lord’s common habit in preaching to use parables. – “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them” (Matthew 13:34). The Master was a great story teller. He did not strive for spell-binding oratory, intellectual argument, or theological recitation. He deliberately spoke in plain, simple language to clearly set forth and illustrate gospel truth. That is the kind of preaching that should be cultivated among God’s servants (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). The word “parable” is the same word that is translated proverb in other places. Solomon’s wise sayings and instructive similitudes are called proverbs, or parables, by which he taught us wisdom. “Behold, a greater than Solomon is here!” By his parables he teaches us wisdom “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:34 shows us the manner, or method of Christ’s preaching. In Matthew 13:35 we see the subject matter of his parables. Speaking in parables, he fulfilled the prophecy of the Old Testament scriptures (Psalms 78:2). And the matter, the subject, the theme of these parables is “things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” The gospel of Christ and the purposes of God toward the Gentile world were wrapped up in the Old Testament by the types and shadows of the law, which have now been fulfilled by Christ, in whom God has revealed himself and made known his grace. Then, in Matthew 13:36, we see something of our Savior’s sovereign majesty. Before explaining the parable of the wheat and the tares, he sent the multitudes away and entered into a house with his disciples. Here is God almighty exercising his sovereign mercy, giving grace to whom he would, and making a clear distinction among men. To some he revealed his Word. From others he hid the meaning of his words. That is his prerogative as God (Matthew 20:15; Exodus 33:19). In these three instructive parables our Savior shows us what we may expect to be the result of gospel preaching throughout the ages of time, and what both the righteous and the wicked may expect from God when time shall be no more. Mustard Seed First, let’s read the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32). Though our Lord Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares before those of the mustard seed and the leaven, he explained it afterward. So we will look at the parables in this order: 1st the mustard seed, 2nd the leaven, and then, 3rd the wheat and tares. (Matthew 13:31-32) “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: (32) Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” The parable of the grain of mustard seed is designed to teach us never to despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:6-10). God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. God almost always does things exactly opposite of what we would and of what we imagine he does. The gospel does not triumph all at once. The church and kingdom of God is not set up all at once, neither among us in the world, nor within us in our hearts. The Church of God sprang from a very small seed sown in the earth. God’s works almost always begin in obscurity, with what appear to be insignificant things. And the gospel has been spread through the nations of the world very gradually. Occasionally, there have been great, sudden out-pourings of grace upon multitudes, as on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. But that has never been the normal method of God’s workings among men, and is not now. Normally, God’s church and kingdom grows and spreads gradually: consistently, but gradually. Like the grain of mustard seed sown in the ground, its growth is almost unobservable, but steady. As the full grown mustard seed is the greatest and largest of all herbs, so the church and kingdom of God shall, in the end of the world, be immeasurably great and large. — “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river” (Psalms 80:8-11). The number of God’s elect shall be ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Untold millions and billions of people shall inhabit heaven’s glory with Christ! Our Lord also compares faith to a grain of mustard seed. — “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6). It begins small. It grows slowly. It becomes a great grace, honoring God and serviceable to men. “As a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,” Robert Hawker wrote, “so the grace of God, when put by the Holy Ghost into the heart of a sinner, small and unnoticed as it is, produceth such vast things that angels look with wonder and astonishment at the change which is wrought (Luke 15:7).” Leaven “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33). The parable of the leaven is misinterpreted by many. We are often told that the leaven refers to the ever-increasing evil of the world. But our Lord is not talking about the world. He is talking about “the kingdom of heaven.” He is talking about his church. The parable of the leaven is very much the same in meaning as the parable of the mustard seed. It teaches us that the gospel prevails by degrees and works like leaven in the hearts of God’s elect. The woman, the weaker vessel, represents gospel preachers who have the treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). The leaven was hidden in three measures of meal. The regenerate heart, like meal, is soft and pliable. Leaven will never work in corn, but only in ground meal. So the gospel has no effect upon the stony, unregenerate heart. It only works upon broken hearts that have been ground by the Holy Spirit in conviction.

Once the leaven is hidden in the dough, it works. So the word of God, hidden in the hearts of chosen, redeemed sinners by God the Holy Spirit, works and brings forth fruit (Hebrews 4:12). And the change it works, though it is universal, affecting the whole person (2 Corinthians 5:17), is gradual. This parable, like the parable of the mustard seed, is meant to show the wonderful works of God in and upon his elect. The grace of God in his children, like leaven, sanctifies them entirely, sanctifies the whole nature. Wheat and Tares Now, learn the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43). “ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:24-30) “ Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:36-43). I will not attempt to explain every detail of this parable, because our Savior’s explanation of it is crystal clear. Let me simply call your attention to the primary lessons to be learned from it. The first lesson here taught is so obvious that it is astonishing how slow we are to learn it. — There is no such thing as a perfect or pure church in this world. Every local church, every assembly of professed believers is a mixed multitude of true believers and people who merely profess, but do not possess faith in Christ. In the professing church of Christ, the children of the wicked one are mingled with the children of the kingdom. They spring up together, and grow together. This has been the experience of God’s saints in all ages. Then, in this parable, our Lord teaches us that it is not the business of God’s servants to separate the wheat from the tares. We do not have the ability to do it. We are not authorized to do it. And we must not try to do it. We judge all things only by outward appearance. No mortal has the ability to look on the heart. That means that no human being has the ability to know who is saved and who is lost. If we try to separate the wheat from the tares, we will pull up the wheat and keep the tares every time. Though we cannot discern one from the other, both are perfectly known to God from everlasting. The tares can no more become good seed, than good seed can become tares. They are a totally different race. Though they are “to grow together until the harvest,” and though the Church of God in this world will never be free from tares, yet “the Lord knoweth them that are his.” And blessed are those who, by the sweet and effectual operations of his grace, giving them life and faith in Christ, are made to know whose they are, and to whom they belong. What unspeakable mercy it is to be numbered by electing love among the seed of Christ, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Isaiah 44:3-5; Isaiah 59:21; Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:16-29; 1 John 3:1-2). In the harvest time, at the end of the world, the Lord God will separate the wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:40-43). “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (Revelation 14:15-20). None but God can tell tares from wheat until the harvest time. Then, at harvest time, all shall be made to know, because the tares will stand tall and the wheat will bows their heads (Matthew 25:31-46). C. H. Spurgeon, commenting on Matthew 13:40-42, wrote… “What a description! The outgathering of ‘all things that offend,’ and of all persons who cause others to stumble, and who work evil, will be a consummation devoutly to be wished. Not only the outwardly wicked, but the false pretenders, the mock wheat, shall be removed… The fate of these ungodly ones will be fire, the most terrible of punishments, but this will not annihilate them, for they shall exhibit the surest tokens of a living woe ‘wailing and, gnashing of teeth.’ Sooner or later, this is what must come of evil men. Though in this world they flourish in the same field with believers, and can hardly be discerned from them, they shall be removed from such honorable association, and be cast, with the rubbish of the universe, into that great ‘furnace of fire’ whose smoke goeth up for ever and ever. This the Son of man will do with authority, the angels are simply the executioners of the wrath of the Lamb. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” — The righteous are those sinners saved by the grace of God who have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them in free justification and imparted to them in regeneration. As Ralph Erskine put it, “If you would have righteousness, you must have it in and from Christ. He has to give you both an imputed righteousness for justifying you, and an imparted righteousness for sanctifying you.” By faith in Christ we receive internally what Christ has done for us externally. Because we were justified by Christ’s imputed righteousness at the cross, we are sanctified by his imparted righteousness in the new birth. — “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). Though, in this world, the righteous are slandered and reproached as evil, though they are incessantly opposed, afflicted, and persecuted, in that day they “shall shine forth,” as John Gill wrote, “in the robe of Christ’s righteousness, in perfect holiness of nature, in all felicity and prosperity of soul, and in the shining dazzling robes of glory, incorruption, and immortality, on their bodies. They “shall shine forth as the sun,” having no spot in them or upon them, without any clouds of darkness. They will be as Christ himself, “the Sun of righteousness,” with whom and in whose glory they shall appear, faultless, without spot or wrinkle, “before the presence of his glory!” They “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” When Christ our Mediator has “delivered up the kingdom to the Father, even the Father,” when he has put all things under his feet, “that God may be all in all,” the righteous shall shine forth as everlasting monuments and trophies of grace (Ephesians 2:7) to the praise, honor, and glory of the triune God (Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 1:12; Ephesians 1:14). “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” — Our Redeemer calls us to pay attention to and reflect upon what he has taught us in these instructive parables. Blessed are they who, having ears to hear, hear and understand by his grace the things here declared by the Son of God.

Matthew 13:44-50

Chapter 30 The Kingdom of Heaven is Like “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:44-50) In these seven verses we have the parables of the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great price, and the net cast into the sea. Each of these three parables is full of rich, spiritual instruction for all who are taught of God. May God The Holy Spirit, who inspired Matthew to record these parables for us, be our Teacher as we study them together. Treasure Hidden in a Field“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field” (Matthew 13:44). The parable of the treasure hidden in a field is designed to teach us how precious, highly valued and esteemed, and greatly loved God’s elect are to the Lord Jesus Christ.[2] Who can describe the love of Christ for God’s elect, his chosen body and bride, the church? Yet, the picture before us in this parable, simple as it is, beautifully portrays that love which moved the Son of God to redeem us with his own precious blood. [2] Excellent commentators give different interpretations of this parable. Because the Holy Spirit nowhere gives us the interpretation of them, none can be stated with absolute dogmatism. “The treasure hid in a field” Robert Hawker takes to be Christ himself, hidden, in the field of holy Scripture, from the wise and prudent, but revealed unto babes. John Gill takes it to be “the Gospel, which is a treasure consisting of rich truths, comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; of the most valuable blessings, and of exceeding great, and precious promises; and reveals the riches of God, of Christ, and of the other world; and is a treasure unsearchable, solid, satisfying, and lasting.” The treasure hidden in a field is, in my opinion, the church of God’s elect. Yes, we are the Lord’s treasure, the portion of his inheritance, the apple of his eye, and the jewels of his crown. Though in ourselves, by nature and by birth, we are nothing but sinners, worthless and useless, because of God’s sovereign love and distinguishing grace we are precious in his sight, so precious that he has sacrificed men and nations for us (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 32:8-10; Psalms 135:4; Isaiah 43:4). God’s elect are so precious as the objects of his love and grace that he gave his own darling Son to redeem us and save us (John 3:16; Galatians 2:21; Titus 2:14; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). Roll this thought around in your heart. If you trust Christ as your Treasure, you are his treasure, the treasure of the Triune God! God’s elect are like a treasure hidden in a field. The field in which they have been hidden is the world and the nations of it. Throughout the Scriptures God’s elect are spoken of as a people scattered among the nations, chosen from, redeemed out of, and called from the nations of the world. The treasure was found by divine election. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), and it was hidden by divine predestination and providence. The Lord God scattered and hid his elect among the nations of the world. He did so after the sin and fall of our father Adam (Genesis 3:24). He did so after the flood (Genesis 9:20-27). And he did so after the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). This scattering of the elect, hiding them in the earth, was God’s work of judgment that he might gather them in everlasting mercy, love, and grace (Jeremiah 30:11; Ezekiel 11:16-18; Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 56:8; Isaiah 66:18). The man in this parable, if I am not mistaken, is the God-man our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He bargained for us in old eternity as our Surety in the everlasting covenant of grace. He sacrificed everything he had that he might obtain the object of his love, his bride, the church, which he treasures above all things (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:5-8). And he did it with joy! So great is his love for his elect that he joyfully came into this world to suffer the wrath of God for us to save us (Hebrews 12:2). There was no joy in his sufferings. When our blessed Savior anticipated being made sin for us, his heart was crushed within him in Gethsemane. If that which we read in Gethsemane displays the agony of our Savior’s holy soul in anticipation of the cross, how utterly inexpressible must have been his agony of soul when he was actually made sin for us and made to suffer all the unmitigated fury of the wrath of God at Calvary! Yet, he endured the cross, despising the shame, “for the joy set before him.” What joy?” you might ask. — The joy of seeing his seed with him in glory! The Scriptures clearly teach that which is commonly called, “Limited Atonement”, or “Particular Redemption,” that the Lord Jesus Christ died and effectually redeemed his elect alone (Isaiah 53:8-11; Isaiah 63:9; Daniel 9:24; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 26:28; John 10:11; John 10:15; John 10:26; John 11:51-52; Romans 5:11; Romans 5:15; Romans 5:19; Romans 8:33-34; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13-14; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 2:16; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:16; Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:9-10). Justice was not satisfied for the world. Christ did not put away everyone’s sins. It was never the intent of the Son of God to redeem and save the whole world by his death. He died for God’s elect. He satisfied divine justice for God’s elect.

He redeemed God’s elect. And he put away the sins of God’s elect. Yet, as the God-man, as our Mediator, the Lord Jesus bought the world. Understand what I mean. I do not mean that the Son of God has redeemed every man in this world. Such an absurd pretense I have never made. But I do mean this – Christ has purchased the right to rule this world as the mediator King for the salvation of his elect (John 17:2; Isaiah 53:10-12; 2 Peter 2:1). Our blessed Savior has redeemed God’s creation from the curse of sin (2 Peter 3:11-13; Romans 8:18-23).

As a result of our Savior’s redemption work, this world shall be purged of all sin and restored to its pristine beauty. Not so much as a blade of grass shall be allowed to bear the curse brought upon it by sin. And when all things are created new, righteousness shall again flourish in the earth! The slime of the serpent’s trail shall not be found in God’s creation. Our Lord Jesus bought the field (the world) that he might get the treasure hidden in the field. Our Lord Jesus, as a Man, bought the world that he might save his elect. This parable does not teach universal redemption. Not on your life! It teaches particular, effectual redemption. Christ did not make atonement for the world (the field).

He made atonement for his elect (the treasure). But as a man he bought the right to rule the field and to dispose of the field, as he will, for the salvation of his elect (Psalms 2:8; John 17:2). When he has gathered his treasure out of this field, he will burn the field, destroy all that is evil in it, and make this field anew, making it a suitable habitation for his saints. The parable of the treasure hidden in the field is designed to show us a picture of Christ’s love for his bride, the church of God’s elect. “Amazing love! How can it be That Thou my God shouldest die for me?” Pearl of Great Price “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46). The parable of the pearl of great price is intended to teach us how precious, highly valued and esteemed, and greatly loved the Lord Jesus Christ is to God’s elect. Christ is the believer’s portion. “Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). Some people object to the use of terms like “awakened sinners” and “sensible sinners,” and certainly the terms may be pressed to mean more than I intend by them; but I do not know how else to describe the merchantman in this parable than this. – He represents a sinner who has been awakened to and made sensible of his need of salvation and acceptance with God. I do not say that he is regenerated, saved, or converted. But he is a person who knows he must meet God in eternity and he seeks to prepare for that awesome event. Such men and women seek after a great variety of things, which, at first sight, seem to them to be “goodly pearls.” — Moral Reformations — Legal Righteousness — Religious Ritualism — A Profession of Faith — Church Membership — Works of Zeal, Devotion, and Piety, etc. For these things they are willing to exchange many things and imagine that they have made a good trade, until Christ is revealed in all the fullness of his glory and grace. Then, when the seeking sinner finds the sovereign Savior, he sees in the crucified Son of God everything he wants and needs (1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 3:11). Believing Christ, the sinner says, “He is precious!” And he is willing to part with anything and everything for Christ (Mark 8:34-37; Luke 14:25-33). Gracious Lord, incline Thine ear, My request vouch safe to hear; Hear my never ceasing cry, Give me Christ, or else I die! Wealth and Honor I disdain, Earthly comforts all are vain’ These can never satisfy, Give me Christ, or else I die! Lord, deny me what Thou wilt, Only ease me of my guilt, Suppliant at Thy feet I lie, Give me Christ, or else I die! All to whom Christ is revealed in the fullness of his saving grace and glory willingly give up all things to win him and be found in him (Philippians 3:7-15). This parable, simple as it is, explains the life and behavior of all true Christians. The believer is what he is and does what he does because he is thoroughly convinced that “Christ is all.” He comes out of the world. He says “No” to the lusts of the flesh. He puts off the old man and puts on the new. He hates sin and pursues righteousness. He counts all things but loss for Christ, because he sees Christ to be “the Pearl of great price” that he must have, for which he gladly sells all that he has. Many years ago, I was sitting in a hospital waiting room, reading J. C. Ryle’s “True Christianity.” I was not trying to be obvious; but a man sitting next to me kept looking over, as if he wanted to talk. Finally, I laid the book on my lap for a few seconds, and the man said to me, “I couldn’t help noticing the title of the book you are reading. May I ask you something?” “Certainly,” I said. “What does it take to be a true Christian?” the man asked. “Nothing from me, but all of me,” I replied. Then I proceeded to tell him that faith in Christ is nothing more and nothing less than the surrender of myself to the Son of God as my Lord and Savior. That is the doctrine of this parable. This parable, simple as it is, also explains the life and behavior of lost, unregenerate church members. Forgive me if I offend, but I must be plain if I am to help those who most need to understand our Lord’s doctrine. Many who have for years professed to be Christians are always halting between two opinions. They flinch from decisiveness. They shrink from taking up the cross and following Christ. They wear his name, but not his garments. They venture nothing for Christ. They simply cannot make up their minds to sell all for Christ. Why? The answer is obvious. – They do not yet see that Christ is “the Pearl of great price.” He is not precious to them because they do not trust him. Therefore, they cannot and will not forsake all that they may have him. They may sing with their lips, “Take the world, but give me Jesus,” but everyday they say with their lives, “If it comes to that, I’ll take the world, somebody else can have Jesus!” The parable of the Pearl of great price is intended to show us that Christ is incomparably precious to all true believers. He is “the Pearl of great price,” for which all who are born of God sell all that we may have him. The Net “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50). The parable of the net cast into the sea was given to show us the true nature of Christ’s visible church and kingdom in this world. The preaching of the gospel is like the casting of a great net into the sea of this world. It is our business to cast the net. But as a net cast into the sea gathers a great multitude of fish, some good and some bad, so the preaching of the gospel gathers into Christ’s visible church both genuine believers and carnal professors, both regenerate souls and unregenerate, both humble possessors of faith and hypocritical professors of faith. There is sure to be a time when the good fish are separated from the bad; but that is God’s doing, not ours. And he will not do it until the end of the world. We will look at this parable in more detail in the next study. For now, I want to show you three things clearly revealed in it. All the churches of Christ in this world are mixed assemblies of good and bad fish. Throughout these parables, our Lord repeatedly stresses this point. There are good hearers and bad hearers, – tares and wheat, – good fish and bad fish. – Why? He means for us to understand that there is no perfect church, no perfect body of believers in this world. If we try to make the church perfect and pure by separating the bad from the good, we will both be disobedient to our Master and instruments of great harm to his people. We must never be satisfied with an outward profession of faith and outward church membership. You may be in the net, and yet not be in Christ. Multitudes have been buried in the waters of baptism, who have never been crucified with Christ. Thousands around the world regularly eat and drink the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, who never feed upon Christ by faith. The true character of every person’s religion will soon be revealed. — “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vv, 49-50). When the Lord God draws the net to shore, he will gather the good and throw away the bad. There will be an eternal separation between the wicked and the just. There is a heaven for the just and a furnace of fire for the wicked. Richard Baxter wrote, “These plain words need more belief and consideration than exposition.” Have you bought “the Pearl of great price”? Are you in Christ?

Matthew 13:47-52

Chapter 31 The Dragnet and the Householder“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:47-52) Matthew 13 contains the parables of the kingdom. Each parable is intended to convey a single specific spiritual truth. They are earthly illustrations of spiritual things, of things relating to the kingdom of heaven, that kingdom into which sinners are born when they are born again by God the Holy Spirit. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-23) illustrates the various effects the preaching of the gospel has upon those who hear it. The parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:37-43) illustrates the fact that God’s visible church is a mixed multitude in this world, true believers and carnal professors. The parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) is a picture of faith, beginning as a very small thing, but growing into a strong and fruitful grace. The parable of the leaven hidden in meal (Matthew 13:33) portrays the gradual spread and influence of the gospel, both in the hearts and lives of God’s elect and in the world. The parable of the treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44) illustrates the love of Christ for his church, his elect bride. The parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46) displays the love of every believer for the Lord Jesus Christ – “Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious!” The last two of the eight parables of the kingdom given in this chapter illustrate the separation and judgment of unbelievers from the saints of God and the responsibility of God’s servants in the work of the gospel ministry. The parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50) is a warning of judgment, illustrating the separation of the wicked from God’s elect and their everlasting destruction in the day of judgment. The parable of the householder (Matthew 13:51-52) shows us what God’s servants are responsible to do as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the gospel. The Dragnet First, in Matthew 13:47-50 our Lord declares the parable of the dragnet. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50) In this parable, our Savior warns us that things will not always continue as they now are. Soon the kingdom of heaven will be full, the church of God will be complete, and there will be a day of judgment in which God will forever separate the righteous from the wicked. This parable is intended to be a warning to all men of the certainty of God’s wrath and of the day of judgment. To illustrate God’s judgment our Lord used an activity which all who heard him would surely understand – Fishing. It was a common, everyday activity around the Sea of Galilee. There were three basic methods of fishing employed in that day, just as there are today. A line and a hook were used to catch one fish at a time. That is the kind of fishing the Lord sent Peter to do when money was needed to pay taxes (Matthew 17:24-27). One man fishing by himself might use a one-man casting net.

Peter and his brother Andrew were taking turns casting this kind of net when the Lord Jesus called them to be “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19). These small nets were used in shallow water. A man would wade out in the water. When a school of fish came near, he would cast the net upon the water. As the net’s weights carried it down over the fish, he would draw it together and hall his catch to shore. The third type of fishing was done by the use of a huge dragnet. A dragnet might be stretched out to cover as much as one half square mile. It required the labor of a team of fishermen. The dragnet was pulled in a giant circle by two boats, or by one boat if one end could be anchored to the shore. Floats were attached to the top of the net and weights to the sides, so that when it was cast, the dragnet formed a huge wall around everything it encompassed. Because the net permitted nothing to escape, it swept everything in its path to shore, fish of every kind, both good and bad.

When the net was full, it would be drug to shore by a huge team of men. At the end of the day, they gathered the good fish into containers to carry home or to the market. And the bad fish, they simply discarded with all the useless trash that had been caught in their net. When our Lord said, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,” the word that he used specifically means dragnet. Explanation The fishermen in the parable are gospel preachers. The sea is the world. The net is the gospel we preach. The ship into which the fish are gathered is the church of God. The good fish are true believers. The bad fish are the false professors. The time of separation is the end of the world. “The preaching of the gospel is the means of gathering souls to Christ, and into his churches. Those that are gathered into a visible gospel church are of every kind, of all nations in the world, Jews and Gentiles, all ranks and degrees of men, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, all sorts of sinners, men good and bad. Some have the truth of grace in them. Others, that are only hypocrites,…have nothing but a form of godliness, and a name to live, and are dead.” (John Gill) We are to preach the gospel freely and indiscriminately to all men, as God gives us opportunity (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). As long as we are in this world the visible church of God will be like the ark that Noah built, containing all kinds of creatures, both clean and unclean. Three times, in the parable of the sower, in the parable of the wheat and the tares, and again in this parable, our Lord tells us that his church in this world is a mixed congregation. He intends for us to learn and remember this lesson. Separation There is a day of separation coming! (Matthew 13:49-50). When the fullness of the Gentiles has been brought in, when the last chosen, redeemed sinner has been saved, the Lord Jesus Christ will come again in judgment. In that day he will separate the bad fish from the good (Romans 11:25-26; Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; Acts 17:31). Nothing in the Bible is more difficult to accept than the fact of hell. Nothing more difficult to talk or write about. But we cannot ignore it. We must not ignore it. It is clearly and constantly set before us in the Word of God. It was spoken of more often by the Lord Jesus than any other subject. He talked much more about hell and divine judgment than he did about the love of God (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 11:23; Matthew 18:8-9; Matthew 23:33; Mark 3:29; Mark 9:43; Luke 10:15; Luke 12:9-10; Luke 12:46; Luke 16:33, John 5:29; John 15:6). Hell is not merely the state of forever being separated from all that is good. It is not merely going out into nothingness. I do not pretend to know what hell is. The human mind simply cannot conceive the horrors of hell. Even the biblical representations of hell are only suggestive. Men argue about literal fire in hell. But the fire of God’s wrath is infinitely more horrible than any inferno we ever imagined! No words can describe and no mind can imagine the pain, the agony, the torment of that “furnace of fire” where there is both “weeping and gnashing of teeth forever.” This much is certain. — Hell is a place of constant torment, misery, and pain (Matthew 22:13; Mark 9:43). The torments of hell will involve both body and soul. It is a place “where the worm dieth not” (Mark 9:44 Matthew 11:22-23; Hebrews 10:28-29; Luke 12:47-48). John Gerstner wrote, “Hell will have such severe degrees that a sinner, were he able, would give the whole world if his sins could be but one less!” And hell is forever! It is a state of total, eternal hopelessness (Matthew 25:46). John Bunyan wrote, “Forever!” will be the most tormenting word known in hell!” And C. H. Spurgeon said… “In hell thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls with an innumerable company of devils to keep company with thee. While thou art in this world the very thought of the devil’s appearing to thee makes thy flesh to tremble and thine hair ready to stand upright on thy head… Oh, what wilt thou do when all the devils of hell be with thee – howling, roaring, and screeching in such a hideous manner that thou wilt be even at thy wit’s end and ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torment? If after ten thousand years an end should come, there would be comfort. But here is thy misery: here thou must be forever!” The Householder The parable of the householder portrays the great worth and importance of the gospel ministry. “Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:51-52) The question of Mat 13:52 was put directly to our Lord’s disciples – “Have ye understood all these things?” While the reference may include all that he had spoken in parables, I think it is best to see this question as referring to what he had spoken immediately before in Matthew 13:47-50 regarding the preaching of the gospel, the gathering of sinners to Christ, and the judgment to come. Understanding these things, a great weight of responsibility is upon the shoulders of every believer and particularly upon the shoulders of all who are “scribes” in the kingdom, those men who are gifted and called by God as preachers of the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:1-21). They are men who have been instructed into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the gospel of the grace of God. These men, God’s servants, gospel pastors and preachers, are householders under Christ. They are responsible for the feeding of the family (Acts 20:28; Jeremiah 3:15), the rule of the family (Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17), and the care and protection of the family of God (2 Timothy 4:12-16). “Gospel ministers are deputies and stewards under him, and under him preside over the household, and have the government of it, provide food for it, and protect and defend it; all which require large gifts and abilities, great love and affection, both to Christ and his people; much wisdom, prudence, and knowledge; and great faithfulness and integrity, courage and firmness of mind.” (John Gill) Like a faithful husband and father, who is a good provider for his family, lays up stores for his household, and brings them forth as needed, so the faithful pastor, by diligent labor in study and prayer, lays up good things for the family of God and brings them out as needed for their souls good, comfort, and edification. The treasury from which we bring forth things old and new as they are needed is the Word of God. Every faithful gospel preacher knows that he carries the treasure of the gospel in an earthen vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7), and is humbled by the realization of that fact (Ephesians 3:8). Yet, like Elihu, he is full of the matter (Job 32:19). Like Jeremiah, he cannot forbear (Jeremiah 20:9). Like David, his tongue is the pen of a ready writer (Psalms 45:1). But what does our Lord mean by “things new and old”? He certainly is not suggesting that the gospel preacher brings forth old doctrines and new. Someone once accurately stated, with regard to doctrine, “If it is new it is not true; and if it is true it is not new.” By “things new and old”, our Lord is referring to truths that are old in themselves, but newly made known to and experienced by his servants as they study the Scriptures. To cite Gill again, this refers to “every new acquisition of knowledge and experience, added to the former stock and fund. The phrase seems to denote the plenty and variety of Gospel provisions, which the ministers of it are to bring forth, suited to the various cases of such who are under their care.” Some things are laid up to ripen in our hearts to be brought out in due season. Other things, like fresh vegetables gathered from the garden, are best served up immediately. But the faithful man keeps nothing back. He does not confine his provision for the family of God to a single aspect of gospel truth, but sets forth Christ crucified by declaring all the counsel of God. He is neither weary of the old, nor afraid of the new. Old truth is made new by a living experience; and the faithful man brings forth the old, old truths of Holy Scripture as new things, because he has experienced them new in his own soul. The word “new” means “fresh.” Faithful preachers do not serve up leftovers. They diligently seek God’s message for his people, that they might feed them with knowledge and understanding. C. H. Spurgeon’s comments on Matthew 13:52, in my opinion, precisely convey our Lord’s intent. “We must in our instruction of others cultivate variety, but we must not aim at it by poisoning the children with deadly drugs for the sake of giving them novel dishes. Only things worth putting into a treasury are worth bringing forth to the household. That scribe had need be well instructed who has to keep on handing out a variety of precious truth throughout a long life. Lord, make us sufficient for these things. Instruct as, that we may instruct our household. May we make no reserve for self, but bring out for thy people all that which thou hast put in our charge. Oh, to be accepted of thee in the day of thy return, because found faithful to our trust!”

Matthew 13:53-58

Chapter 32 The Power of Unbelief “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:53-58) We often hear and read about the power of faith, and rightly so. Our Lord Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). But in this closing paragraph of Matthew 13 the Holy Spirit sets before us the power of unbelief. Just as faith as a grain of mustard seed, looking to Christ, has the power to cast the mountains of our sins into the depths of the sea, so unbelief has the power to ruin your soul, unleash the wrath of God, and drag your soul down to hell. The power of faith in Christ is manifest throughout the Scriptures. Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. Noah believed God and built an ark to the saving of his family. Israel believed God and walked through the Red Sea. David believed God and slew Goliath. Daniel believed God and stopped the mouths of lions. The centurion soldier believed God and saw his servant healed. Two blind men believed God and received their sight. The woman with an issue of blood believed God and was healed of her infirmity. Jairus believed God and saw his daughter brought back to life. The Philippian Jailer believed God and received everlasting life. The list could go on and on. The Bible says much about the power of faith. But the Word of God also shows us the power of unbelief. Adam, Noah’s generation, Lot’s wife, Pharaoh, Israel, Nebuchadnezzar, the Scribes and Pharisees, the Rich young ruler, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa all stand out as beacons to warn us of the danger and power of unbelief. All unbelief is a matter of the will. Unbelief is a matter of choice. Unbelief is saying “no” to God in spite of the evidence. This is what we see in Matthew 13:53-58. Capernaum had been the home base of our Lord’s ministry for about a year (Matthew 4:13; Matthew 8:5). The people there had seen his miracles. They heard his word. They watched his life. But they did not believe on him. Therefore, the Lord departed, never to return (Matthew 13:53). The Lord Jesus never went back to Capernaum again, except to walk through it to go to another place. When the Lord Jesus returned to Nazareth, he met with opposition and unbelief in his own hometown and among his own kinsman (Matthew 13:54-57; Luke 4:16-32). The people who heard him preach and saw the miracles he performed were astonished by his doctrine and his divine power; but “they were offended in him.” They stumbled at “the stumbling stone.” That which should have been a stepping-stone for them, the incarnate Son of God, the sinner’s Friend and Substitute, because of the gospel he preached, was “a Rock of offense” to them. Poor souls! Like multitudes today, the things they heard from his lips, by which they were astonished, made him “a savor of death unto death” (2 Corinthians 2:16) to them! Because they only knew Christ after the flesh, and not after the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:16), they despised him. He was, therefore, a prophet without honor in his own country and among his own people. The offence of the cross has not ceased; and it never shall. Time and again our Lord came to Nazareth. Yet, “he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). J. C. Ryle wrote, “Behold in this single word the secret of the everlasting ruin of multitudes of souls! They perish forever, because they will not believe.” Let me show you six things about unbelief. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher and give us understanding. Unbelief ignores the obvious. “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works ?”(Matthew 13:54) — Those who heard his doctrine and saw his miracles 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 despised the light because they preferred darkness (John 3:1-20). When men and woman willfully reject Christ, the most powerful arguments and the most convincing facts will not convince them of divine truth. These people, being left to themselves, would not and could not come to him. The most convincing preaching, the most unquestionable displays of divine power, and the most emotional experiences did not produce faith in them. Faith in Christ is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is something that must be wrought in us by the omnipotent mercy of God the Holy Spirit (Colossians 2:12) Unbelief exalts the irrelevant. “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56) — These things were totally irrelevant. The Lord Jesus preached the gospel to these eternity bound sinners; and they began to quibble about his family, his education, and his qualifications as a preacher! “They grew sarcastic, and harped upon the family names of James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas. They hinted that he could not have learned much wisdom in a carpenter’s shop, and as he had not been among the rabbis to obtain a superior education, he could not really know much. How could he have attained to such eminence? He was a mere nobody. Why, they knew him when his parents lost him when they went up to the feast at Jerusalem! They could not listen to the talk of the carpenter’s son.” (C. H. Spurgeon) There are multitudes just like them today. As Paul described them, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). There are countless armchair theologians, men (and even women!) who consider themselves the religious authorities of the age, honor bound to enlighten all with whom they come in contact regarding spiritual matters of which they have no knowledge. They contribute nothing to the cause of Christ or the souls of men. But they are always full of questions, questions they spew out under the pretense of sincerity, with no purpose except to exalt themselves and slander faithful men. It is sad and tragic to see people exalting small, insignificant things, using them as great excuses for not believing the gospel. They like to discuss obscure texts, choosing to ignore the obvious. They value their opinions more highly than the Revelation of God in Holy Scripture. They cling to personal experience, religious tradition, and religious creeds as coverings for their rebellion to divine authority and unbelief. By their quibbles, they seek to divert attention away from the gospel, escape the claims of Christ, and justify themselves. Pastor Chris Cunningham, in his commentary on John 9, accurately describes the know-it-all Pharisees of the religious world as “orangutans with a vocabulary.” Unbelief stumbles over the truth. “And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57). Read Romans 9:30-32; Romans 10:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:21-24, and Luke 4:20-24. The fact is, all who are left to themselves in unbelief are offended by Christ and the gospel of Christ. In Matthew 11:6 our Savior declares, “blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Truly they are blessed of God, blessed with grace and salvation in Christ, who, rather than being offended by the gospel, believe it and cannot part with it. Trusting Christ alone as our Savior, we have peace, joy, and comfort in our souls and look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 1:21). Unbelief blocks the supernatural. “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). — Our Lord performed some miracles there, but not many, that they might be left without excuse. John Gill wrote, “He only ‘laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.’ Yet, these were such as raised their wonder and astonishment, but did not command their faith, and were rather stumbling blocks unto them. Such were their prejudices, their unbelief, and the hardness of their hearts. And the reason indeed why he did no more was, ‘because of their unbelief.’” Mark tells us that “he marveled because of their unbelief,” and ‘he could there do no mighty works’ (Mark 6:5-6). That does not mean that he lacked the power to perform them, or that their unbelief was too great and mighty for him (the omnipotent God) to overcome. Some of our Lord’s miracles were performed in direct response to personal faith. But many, perhaps most of them, were performed without any expression of faith in those who benefited from them. So man’s lack of faith does not bind the power of God. Man’s unbelief does not hold dominion over God’s omnipotence. God does what he will, whether man believes or not! However, throughout his earthly ministry our Lord chose not to perform his miracles where men and women manifest a hardened, willful unbelief. Unbelief became a barrier to divine blessings. In Matthew 13:58 the Holy Spirit specifically tells us that it was because of the unbelief of the people that our Savior did no miracles of significance in Nazareth. Unbelief can never see the glory of God. How unbelief robs us! I cannot help wondering, “What might have been, had I but believed God?” People sit around and debate the issue of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility as casually as they debate politics, so that they may appear very precise and orthodox in their theological opinions and excuse their rebellion, unbelief, sin, and disobedience, saying, “Well, God is sovereign. His purpose stands fast. His will is done.” All of that is true enough; but their rationalization is wrong. In Isaiah 48:16-19 the Lord God expressly declares what might have been, had Israel simply obeyed his voice. As Martha stood before her brother’s tomb, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). John Calvin wrote, “Our own unbelief is the only impediment which prevents God from satisfying us largely and bountifully with all good things.” Too often we walk upon God’s promises like children upon ice, always fearful of the breaking and us falling! How shameful! It is unbelief alone that prevents us from soaring in our hearts into the celestial city and walking by faith even now across the streets of gold. Unbelief alone holds lost souls in condemnation under the wrath of God. If you perish, it will be for only one reason. It will be because you will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:13-18). There is nothing else in heaven or earth that will prevent you from being saved (John 5:40). “There are three great enemies,” J. C. Ryle, wrote, “against which God’s children should daily pray — pride, worldliness, and unbelief.” Of these three, none is greater than unbelief. Let us ever beware of unbelief, praying for grace to be delivered from it. Unbelief kept Moses out of the promised land, caused Aaron to fall under pressure, caused David to behave like a mad man, and caused Peter to tremble before a little girl! I often wander what blessings, privileges, and opportunities I have missed because of unbelief! – “Lord, I believe, Help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24).