Fruit or Fire? You Decide: The Unproductive Fig Tree

Here we go!

A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ (Luke 13:6-9)

It's always noteworthy to see what preceded Jesus' teaching. You can imagine the people listening to Jesus and someone eagerly brings up this horrible event for Jesus' interpretation:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. (Luke 13:1-5)

The Book of Job was as familiar to this crowd as it is to us. The righteous man visited with sufferings unimaginable, draws us immediately in with the question: Why do we suffer? All of Job's friends have explanations and Job is constantly bombarded with the idea that he must have done something to warrant his current situation. So, tucked into telling of the Galileans' tragedy to Jesus is, what sin did these people commit to warrant such treatment?

Stop for a moment. Think about what is really being asked. What did those Galileans do so we can avoid doing the same things and avoid having that kind of judgment rained down on us? In other words, like Job's friends, who kept hunting for something that he must have done, these listeners of Jesus are on the same hunt. Going even deeper still, at the core of the question, is pride. We won't have that kind of judgment on us because we are good! We haven't done anything so obviously wrong that we'll get into trouble.

Like Job's friends, who were terrified that they would be the next Job, these people are distancing themselves from suffering with their prideful assertion that things like that don't happen to people like us--that is, good people--only to bad people.

Jesus had no tolerance for separating ourselves from those who suffer. Satan was involved in Job's suffering. We live in a fallen world, and we live under the rule of the Prince of this World, who loves to torment and cause pain and suffering among the just and the unjust.  Why, then?  Because the just grow afraid that they are not good enough and have committed some unpardonable sin, and the unjust sink deeper into despair, thinking they are beyond the reach of God. Ultimately, both the unjust and the just move further away from each other, not willing to share the burden of walking on a planet defiled by sin's consequence.

We want to be considered just, because our sins are not as bad as that other guy's. We compare ourselves to each other, and we walk out on the good side of things. Or, we are so steeped in sin and shame that we walk out hanging our heads.

But here's the key: the standard of goodness is not each other...it is God Himself. Paul speaks of all of us when he says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans. 3:23).

Whoa. So, those of you standing on the "We Are the Just--We Won't Suffer 'Cause We're Good" side of the field need to come on down.

Those of you who are standing on the "We Are the Unjust--We Deserve Everything We Get" side of the field need to come on down.

Let's meet in the middle. And what is the middle part of the Humanity Field called? "We All Have Eternity Staring at Us and We All Stand Condemned." Coach Jesus is calling us and warning us that the world is filled with evil--there are towers and Pilates everywhere and they can strike us at any time.

How do we play this field, then, Coach? With humility. Those who sin and those who suffer are on the same field. We are a team. We are all in this together. We all have in common our sin, our failings and our need for a Savior. Don't stand on the sidelines when a team member gets decked and say, "Well, that was their fault. I wouldn't have made that play that way." NO!!! Rush into the field and help out! Why? At the end of the game, all of us will face the Eternity Playoff.

The "good" and "bad" players will stand on the same yard line, and face the Big Judgment.  We will all stand before the most fair Coach in the Universe.  He will judge fairly, but He will judge:  "But unless you repent, you too will all perish."  

OK, let's cut to the parable.  See Jesus' point?  We all are given adequate time to repent.  Even an unfruitful fig tree is given time to produce.  But why has it not been productive?  Look at the man's solution: It needs fertilizing.  Obviously the soil it is in is not providing enough nourishment, even though it is old enough to have produced fruit.  The man is the fig tree's advocate, but the owner of the vineyard wants it gone.

The owner wants "justice"--it doesn't produce, so it deserves to be cut down! 

The worker in the vineyard wants "mercy":  give the tree another chance, and with the right application of nutrients and enough time, it will produce!

Contrast that with the earlier question about the death of the Galileans.  Was their calamity actually a punishment for their sins?   A divine act of justice? 

But the fear woven into this discussion was one of wanting mercy.  If God allows such justice to fall, isn't there any mercy available?  Don't we really, if we are honest enough, all deserve God's justice?  But we want mercy!  We want a second chance!  We want another year to be tended and fertilize and then we will produce!

Jesus stood before the crowd with a reminder that God is patient, forgiving and willing to grant us mercy.  But...He is not endlessly patient, forgiving and willing to grant us mercy.  We are not to take advantage of Him.  Now is the time to seek His forgiveness and mercy.  Allow His word to fertilize you and His Son to forgive you.

Fruit or fire:  The choice is yours and today is a good day to make that decision.

If you have already chosen, stay in community with others, and don't shrink back when calamity hits.  Don't obsess over the why's and the wherefores--weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.  In other words, life in the Body isn't easy, but it's all we've got.

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Fig Newtons, Anyone? The Parable of Fig Tree

"Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.  Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Luke 21:29-33)

The parable of the fig tree shows up in an immense teaching on the end of the age.  In chapter 21 of Luke, the disciples comment how beautiful the temple in Jerusalem is: "Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 'As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.'" (Luke 21:5-6)

Stop for a moment.  Can you imagine the disciples' reaction?  Here they are gazing on a monumental structure--the Second Temple, built by Herod, in all of its beauty.  Gazing up in awe at the mighty Temple of God, the disciples, like all of the Jews, believe in the centrality of His House to their lives.  The Jews believed that although He was not limited to any earthly structure, His House on Earth was this temple.  Jesus' comments must have stopped the disciples dead in their tracks.

How could something so permanent and indwelt by the very Creator Himself someday come a-tumblin' down? Did the disciples do a quick mental run-down of all the Hebrew Scriptures where a mighty structure came down? 

Jericho's walls--yes.  That was a pagan city.  Check. 

Sodom and Gomorrah--yes.  That was a place of sin. Check. 

But Jerusalem?  The City of David?  What?

What's interesting is that before Jesus launches into His discussion, the disciples and Him witnessed a widow putting her offering into the Temple box: "As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'Truly I tell you,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'" (Luke 21:1-4)

Jesus is setting up a contrast here. A widow, with so very little, gives a fortune in Heaven's eyes. She puts her all into that box.  She serves a mighty God, Who provides for her day by day, and loves her so deeply, that she cannot help but to give Him all she has.  She puts in all of her faith: She knows that whatever she has, is ultimately God's, and she gives it back to Him, knowing that God's "manna" and "quail" will never cease. She puts in all of herself: She herself is an offering, and knows that God loves someone who holds nothing back for Him. She has no fear, just gratitude and love for her God.

In the larger scheme of things, her coins will not even fund a minute of Temple activities. In Heaven's scheme, however, her gift will move the Kingdom of God one step further because it shows real faith in action. Her faith is a pleasing sacrifice to God.

So, Jesus, with the widow wandering away, and the disciples being wowed by the Temple, (probably forgetting this little moment of what true worship is) Jesus makes His profoundly disturbing statement about the Temple's future.

He lists in Luke 21 all of the signs that will herald this astonishing event of the Temple's destruction. Jesus tells in no uncertain terms about what will happen in 70 AD. He is alluding to that future date of when the Romans will put down a rebellion of the Jews in the harshest terms possible: mass murder of the Jews and the destruction of the Temple, stone by stone.

He then warns them, that like the fig tree and other trees, whose leaves herald the arrival of summer, they must read the signs to be prepared for what is to come. Jesus doesn't leave His disciples ignorant of the future.

God promised after the fall of man that He would never stop the seasons--that the earth would continue: "As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Gen. 8:22) He promises this through His covenant with Noah and with all of us. The signs of the seasons will allow mankind to plant, water and harvest all in the right sequence, insuring survival. If we are diligent and watch, we will act accordingly.

The same holds for the signs as to this coming catastrophe. The disciples are being told what "leaves" to look for, and how each successive "sprouting" draws the day of destruction even closer. How should the disciples respond? After using the parable of the fig tree, He says that "this generation" will not pass away until all has come about.

He then focuses on what is truly permanent: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Luke 21:33)

The Temple...Roman rule...The Jewish homeland...The sacrificial system...The dispersion of the Jews to faraway lands...The near future will rain down like a deluge, like a second Flood, to sweep away the world of the disciples and their generation. Wow.

Jesus sees the fear and utter consternation in their faces. He goes on to say: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

"Be always on the watch." 

Look for the little buds on the branches under gray winter skies. 

Look for the little buds slowly starting to unfurl as the days grow warmer. 

Look for the tender green leaves. 

Look. Watch. Pray. Don't run from the signs, but embrace them, knowing that God will stand by you. Even if you have very little in this world--don't forget the widow--you have God and His provision. Live by putting her kind of faith into action.

The parable also addresses where we put our faith. Do we put our faith in our grand monuments, churches and cathedrals? Beautiful, yes, but what was more beautiful to Jesus? The Temple in all its glory, or the widow giving everything she had? What furthered the Kingdom of God? The Temple or the widow?

We love our man-made structures, for they testify to man's greatness. But the Kingdom of God is based on His love for us. We are in covenant with Him: He is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His hand. Everything around us may fall, but His love and His word stands forever.

Today, all that remains of that magnificent Temple is The Wailing Wall.  People gather there to pray, to stand in His Presence, for a deep loss brings out a deep need for connection. 

We are now the temple of God. The veil tore on Good Friday. We can now enter in to God's Holiest of Holies by the blood of Christ. But, God also left the Temple to enter into us: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Cor. 3:16). So, what is permanent in man's eyes is fleeting in the larger picture of the Kingdom. We are His temple, His dwelling place.

We look to the signs of the times and understand the direction things are going, but we stand on His promise that He will never leave nor forsake us. 

This temple, this dwelling place of God, is you and all who stand forgiven in the Kingdom of God. 

No Thrift Stores in God’s Kingdom: Old Coats and Old Wineskins

Let's begin!

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (Matt. 9:16-17)

I love reading about the circumstances that went before Jesus teaches His parables. The context in which He teaches is illuminating to the parables themselves.

How often do we tell someone a story after they've shared some information with us, or recently experienced something dramatic or amazing? Stories tie us together. If I tell you that I received a speeding ticket on the way home from church (!), you might tell me that you let fly a swear word right when a fellow church member rounded the corner at the supermarket. It connects our humanity and makes us realize that we all have things we go through--for better or for worse.

So, let's look at what preceded Jesus' teaching on old coats and on old wineskins in Matthew 9:16-17.

Starting in Chapter 9, we see Jesus returning by boat "to his own town." The friends of a paralytic man bring him to Jesus. Jesus forgives the man's sins, when He sees such faith in action.  It' snot just his physical condition that needs Jesus' touch--it is the man's soul  Why?  How many times was he angry at God for his condition? How many times did he envy people who passed by him? How many nights did he cry alone, just wanting for one moment to leap up and run outside? Sin and sadness, anger and regret, swirl in this man's soul like a tornado, and Jesus sees the many layers of dust in the man's spirit.

Of course, the religious leaders are outraged that a mere man would take God's office and forgive the man's sins. Jesus rebukes them, and stands on His authority "to forgive sins." He isn't blaspheming, as they think in their dark envy of Jesus.  Why? Because He is the One of whom the ancients foretold.

The man arises, healed in body and soul, and goes home, much to the amazement of the crowds.

Jesus goes on and sees a tax collector. He calls him to follow Him, and Matthew leaves his post and follows Jesus. Jesus comes to dinner at Matthew's house and of course, Matt's choice of guests are the very ones that the Pharisees despise.

They question Jesus' disciples about the wisdom of their rabbi eating with such folks. Jesus then pointedly comments that the sick need a doctor. He quotes a verse from Hosea about how God "'desires mercy, not sacrifice,"" and tells the leaders that they need to learn what that means.

On the tail end of this, here comes John's disciples, observing with some consternation that they and the Pharisees fast, but Jesus' disciples do not. Interesting to see John's disciples making common cause with the Pharisees, who despised John. These men were probably hovering about in the crowd, listening to the Pharisees excoriate Jesus and didn't want to tick them or Jesus off. So, they ask a question as if they and the Pharisees are on the right path with their fasting, and that Jesus is either misleading or undermining the law with his practices, or lack thereof.

He sets the tone by equating himself to a bridegroom, and how in this celebratory atmosphere, fasting would be inappropriate. The time will come, he tells them, when his departure will cause fasting. But not now.

So, given what Jesus has just done: Forgiven sins and healed a broken body; called a scorned member of society to be his disciple; dined with more scorned members, and allowed for joy in his disciples and not ritual, he now starts to teach in parables: “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Hmmm...interesting. Jesus is exploring trying to use both old and new, and what will happen to each.

"Unshrunk cloth" is an interesting one--it hasn't been washed, beaten on a rock and left in the sun to dry. There's nothing wrong with such cloth, as long as the surrounding fibers are the same. If the whole cloth is "unshrunk," then it will go through the wash in a unified way, each fiber stretching together to face the wear and tear.

Now you have a garment that has hole in it--this implies it has been worn a lot, faced many washing days and needs to be repaired in order to be worn again. Fair enough! But, unshrunk cloth is not the solution, not because it is not good cloth, but because of its incompatibility with the fabric to which it's going to be attached.

So, we have a problem: a worn-out garment in need of repair and a patch of fabric that once sewn on, will make the hole even bigger as it shrinks. The new will "tear away" from the old. Maybe, at first, there seems to be a compatibility between the two: the new patch hides the hole nicely. But on wash day--that day when fibers are stretched and pounded in order to be cleaned--then the incompatibility will become painfully obvious and damaging to both the old and the new. The garment now has a bigger hole.  The new cloth cannot cover it.  It is ruined by the stretching of its fibers.

Now Jesus could have stopped there. But let us stop for a moment. The fabric for the Tabernacle in the Old Testament was woven to very specific instructions, as to color and what materials are to be used. The priests' garments were woven very specifically as well. God gave His law in an orderly way, by using Moses as His intermediary, and the Tabernacle was a place where Moses met God and received instructions. The Old Testament is the Old Covenant and Jesus is inaugurating the New Covenant. But that's our view, looking back.

All his listeners had was The Covenant--the Law and the Prophets. Every day of his ministry, Jesus is enacting a new way of thinking and acting before God. The Pharisees with their not-so-gentle reminders of the Law and the Prophets, represent what will later been seen as the Old Covenant, but only in the light of what Jesus does on the cross. That's in the future, however.

A new fabric is being woven in the work of this man from Nazareth. The "unshrunk cloth" is Jesus dealing with sinners, forgiving and healing them, and calling the lowly into the Kingdom of his Father. This is a Kingdom of the Law written on the hearts of those who love God and will act righteously out of love, not out of obligation or ritual.

The old garment is in need of repair--the following of rules and regulations, and hearts acting out of obligation has led to the coldness and snobbery of the Pharisees. They have a hole in their hearts, exemplified by their contempt of the masses, and their arrogance in thinking they alone know God.

The two are incompatible. The day is coming when the old garment will be cast aside for a new raiment, washed in the blood of the Lamb and shining white. It will endure the rough treatment of the world, and all its threads will face trial, united and strong.

Now, Jesus talks of wine and wineskins. New wine is valuable. The old wineskins are just that--they have served well. The vigorous pouring of new wine into such skins will be a loss for both: the new wine will spill on the ground and the old skins will be torn. Both are ruined.

The old garment had its place in covering the sin of the people. The old wineskins had their place in holding the truth about God. However, a new wine is coming.

The new wine is the New Covenant. Someday soon, Jesus will take the cup at Passover and tell His disciples that this wine represents His blood that will be poured out for the forgiveness of sins. He will be THE Passover lamb, whose blood will take away the sins of the world.

So, this new wine will be poured into new wineskins: Jesus' New Covenant will produce a new kind of follower of God, one who is committed and driven by love for those around him and for God. A person whose heart will be filled with the Holy Spirit and who will serve God well because the old nature "has been crucified with Christ" and we walk as new creations, where the old is passed away and we are empowered from within to live the life He requires. 

The Old Covenant is being filled/fulfilled with the wine of the New Covenant.

The "new wineskins" and the "new wine" are both "preserved"--they can be used again and again to serve at the table. With Jesus' blood, we stand in a new relationship to God: fully forgiven and free to serve Him. No religiosity, no ritual, no righteousness by works: He pours His newness into us, and we are free to serve Him and our fellow man.

The words of Isaiah ring out here: 

    
    See, I am doing a new thing!
        Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
    I am making a way in the wilderness
       and streams in the wasteland. (Is. 43:19)

Jesus' DIY: The Wise and Foolish Builders

Let's go shopping!

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matt. 7:24-27)

Jesus has been teaching a variety of things by the time we arrive at this parable. He begins with the Beatitudes, then talks of salt and light, and how He came to fulfill the Law. He covers murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, "an eye for an eye," loving your enemies, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, how we are to store up "treasures in heaven," not worrying for our Father supplies our needs, judging others, asking, seeking, knocking, how we are to enter through the "narrow gate," and how we must watch out for false prophets.

Holy wow!

In fact, Jesus kicked off His ministry with this Sermon on the Mount. He was baptized by John in the Jordan, called out into the desert by the Spirit and underwent temptation by Satan. He called His disciples and is now going about the Galilee, healing the sick.

Now, He climbs a mountainside, and sits down. He is inaugurating His ministry. My thanks to Ray Vander Laan for pointing out that Matthew is presenting Jesus as the new Moses. He is on a mountain and brings forth a new law--one that gives serious consideration to the Old Testament Mosaic law, but with Jesus' added elements of love, compassion and authority. He is fulfilling the Law, for He will do what the Lord spoke of through Jeremiah: "'This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,' declares the LORD. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.'"

Moses brought down the inscribed stones of the Covenant from Mount Sinai. This Covenant was an agreement between God and His people to abide together. God expected certain things from His people, and their obedience would lead to blessings aplenty from Him. Disobedience would equally lead to chastisement from His hand.

Jesus, when finished, gets this reaction: "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."

The crowds rightly senses a new Covenant is in the offing--Jesus is not simply reiterating what the Law said. He is teaching what the Law foretold: that God was seeking to inscribe His law on the hearts of His people, and that His definition of "His people" was going to embrace the whole world.

Did the crowds understand the bigger picture? Probably not. But the times, they are a-changing, and the crowds senses that.

So, after Jesus offers His version of the Law, He comments, 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

His listeners are very familiar with the desert and flash floods. The Hebrews' history is desert history, and the geography influences their analogies. I thank Ray Vander Laan for his teaching on the influence of the desert on the Jewish people.

A wadi in the Middle East is a seemingly dry stream bed. The trees are rooted along its outer banks, to make use of the subterranean water. The wadi is a quiet place, with rocks and sand, and the heat blazing down.  But, way up north in Israel, storms form in the mountains.  It rains and those waters hurl themselves down these canyons and the streams that result is a mighty force of nature.  

So, Jesus starts with wise man building his house on a rock. Who is this "wise man?" The man who hears Jesus and puts His words "into practice." This guy doesn't just go and build his house anywhere. He is wise in learning where the safe and stable places are.  He might be thinking...

I might build my house near this wadi. It looks harmless enough--it is in the desert! How much water could there be? Sure, the wadi shows evidence of water flow, but I am thinking it flows more like a stream. But I know the deceptive calm of a wadi.  In a flash, the flood waters come down and everything before the torrent is swept away.  Yes, water in the desert can be nice and refreshing, but building in the wadi would be foolhardy. 

But the wise man looks for truth in where to build. He isn't dazzled by the location and its calmness. He wants a firm foundation for when life hits hard. And it does:

Hmm...looks like another sunny day in the desert.  But, way out of sight, could it be raining?  Raining hard? I know that unseen rains can lead to a raging stream, and I might not even know it had rained until I hear that roar. But by then, it may be too late for me to get out of way! 

Isn't this life? Rains come, the waters rise, and the winds beat against our house. The very ground beneath our feet is swept away by a raging torrent we didn't even know was in the making. Boom!

The wise man considers what he is potentially facing--he knows God is faithful, His Word provides guidance and he trusts in the Word, not in his own opinion.   

So, who is the foolish man? The one who looks at the surroundings: the sunny day, the heat and blue skies, and says, 

This spot looks good. All those words of this new Teacher, Jesus...Well, they sound good. But, I can't relate. I have the Law. Good enough. Yet, when life gets really tough, I am not even sure that God loves me, because I don't uphold all the rules and regulations..."

Jesus knew that the very foundation of Judaism, the Temple and its system of sacrifices, would be swept away by the raging torrent, as it were, of the Roman army in 70 AD. His listeners were going to need a stronger, more enduring foundation: not one built of stones, but one built in the heart. The New Covenant would be written on the hearts of those who believed in Jesus, and even the severest flood could not wash Him away. He was and still is the Rock.

Jesus talked of false prophets, whose words and easy demands will seduce us. They promise us an endless parade of sunny days and blue skies.

But Jesus hears the rainstorms in the mountains. He hears the oncoming torrent. He wants us to be firmly built on a rock. He offers Himself: His blood, which washes away our sins; His love, which reminds us we are sons and daughters of the King; and His grace, which forgives us when we are foolish.

Rain, wind and torrents will come, but at the end, you will be standing if you are standing on the Rock.

God’s Economy: A Treasure, a Pearl and a Net Full of Fish

So, let's review.  In Matthew 13, Jesus goes to the lake, and because of the size of the crowd, he steps into a boat, and teaches them a little distance from shore.  He teaches the parable of the sower, which shows that the Word will produce a harvest, but not with everyone.  The soil of the heart must be open and ready to receive the Word, or you have crop failure.

Soon afterwards, the disciples ask Jesus why He uses this teaching method.  He explains that the Kingdom of Heaven is being revealed to the disciples and because of the hardness of the people's hearts, the teachings will not be understood by the crowd. 

I think He is also warning them not to harden their hearts, or they will lose the privilege of unpacking the secrets of the Kingdom.  

He then tells them that the prophets and the righteous people of old would have loved to have heard what the disciples are now hearing.  He tells the disciples, "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."

The Hope of the Ages, the very One promised so long ago, is now standing in front of the disciples.  They are blessed in ways they can't even imagine.  They are to possess "the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven."  They will walk in the very presence of the Messiah, and are learning of the Kingdom of God from God Himself.  The "Word was made flesh, and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14)    

Wow.  Then Jesus expounds on the meaning of the sower.  It describes perfectly how the crowd will receive His teachings:  some will not understand, and instead of seeking earnestly, the devil will show up and snatch the seed away.  Some will joyfully receive the word, and then when any conflict arises, they fall away.  Some will hear it and yet the cares of this world and its lure of wealth will cause the word to disappear in their hearts.  

But those who hear and understand the word?  Abundance!

Then Jesus talks about the wheat and the tares.  They look similar as they grow, but at the harvest time, it will then be evident who really walked in the ways of the Father, and whose actions were a mere cover for an uncaring and dead heart.

See a pattern here?  Jesus is talking about sowing and reaping and what makes for a fruitful harvest.  This will happen when someone hears the Word and takes the next crucial step:  They seek with all of their heart and mind to understand it. 

That includes the disciples as well--Jesus calls everyone to seek and find.

Next, in Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast:  seemingly insignificant things that will, in time, have a huge impact.  

Then the disciples ask Jesus to explain the wheat and the tares, once Jesus left the crowd.

Obviously, when Jesus is teaching the crowd, the disciples listen along with everyone else.  Then, when they can have a private moment, they ask Jesus the meaning of His parables.  

Jesus says earlier that "The knowledge of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." (Matt. 13:11-12)

While He is speaking of the crowds, I believe that a subtle but imperative warning is aimed at the disciples:  You will be tested with what you have learned when I go to the cross.  You will need to cling to what you have learned in order to stand tall.  You will have an abundance if you seek Me with all of your heart, let your roots go deep, and not allow anything--including death on a cross--deter you from doing what you have called to do.

Now, Jesus switches from the insignificant--little seeds, wheat, mustard seeds and yeast-- to what everyone will agree is important:  treasure, fine pearls and nets bursting with fish. 

In God's economy, whatever you have that you use lovingly and willingly for God, that makes it valuable, no matter what the world says.  

So, let's go to the field where a man found a treasure in verse 44.  What was he doing in that field?  He was out evaluating the parcel of land before buying it.  Was he walking around checking the quality of the soil?  Was he looking for evidence of underground water?  Was he seeing any areas that needed improving:  rocks that needed removing or burrowing animals that needed to be chased out of there?  Before he took possession, he looked carefully at what it contained. 

But:  he was out looking...seeking and then, guess what!  Finding!  That is the key.  He didn't just buy any field sight unseen and then go his merry way.  He was looking closely at this particular field and look at what he found!  A treasure!  Someone hid it there for safe keeping, and now it's his!   But to make sure that the treasure is truly his, he reburied it, "and in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." 

In looking closely at what this field contained, he found something even better.  But he was looking.  

Then he was willing to liquidate his earthly assets to obtain something far greater:  the kingdom of heaven!  Earthly things pale in comparison to heavenly riches!

Then Jesus switches to a merchant--another seeker of valuable things--who finds a pearl of "great value."  He see a lot of pearls on his buying trips, and all sorts of other things he can potentially sell.  

But one day, as he is looking, he finds not just any pearl, but one of "great value."  Meaning that yes, there are other pearls out there that are valuable and will compete for the merchant's money and attention.  But his eye is attuned enough to spot one far greater than the others he's seen.  He is willing to sell his inventory and with the cash, buy that one pearl.  

He probably told the buyer to hold it for him.  He may have even given him a deposit.  But he wanted it so much that he was not willing to risk it being sold out from underneath him.  He hustles to liberate his assets and then hustles back to buy that pearl. 

Once he's holding it in his hand, nothing else matters.  He will not miss his other possessions.  He will not miss his money or trade.  He has found what he has been searching for his whole life.

Jesus then finishes His teaching with a net bursting with fish.  It has all kinds of fish in it.  The net was cast far and wide, to collect up as many fish as it could hold.  

Then comes the sorting.  The good fish are put into the baskets and the bad fish are cast away.  

Jesus then parallels this sorting to the "end of the age."  The angels will sort the fish of humanity and those who do not possess the kingdom of God in their hearts, by accepting the Word made flesh, will go into the "fiery furnace."

Who are the "bad fish"?  They are the ones who don't give their all to find out Who this Messiah is, and then follow Him wholeheartedly.  Their hearts are calloused by sin and they don't see anything of value coming from this Man.  They aren't willing to give up earthly things to obtain the riches of heaven, and they aren't willing to see things from God's perspective.  Yeast and seeds need time to grow and flourish, and the "bad fish" are too much in a hurry--only wanting to gratify the flesh and leaving the spirit neglected.  

Jesus finishes His discourse with asking His disciples if they "understood all these things?"  They reply "Yes."

Now, He says that "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."  (verse 52)

Interesting.   The disciples are now being designated "teacher(s) of the law about the kingdom of heaven."  Whoa.  They are not the teachers of the law that are in the Pharisees' club...Jesus excoriates those teachers.  He is saying that with great knowledge comes great responsibility, and the disciples now bear this.  The "house" is filled with treasures, bequeathed by the Old Covenant (the Law and the Prophets) and the New Covenant, which is Jesus Himself.  

Paul puts it this way in Romans 3:21-24:

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Seek, ask, knock:  The Kingdom of God is for those who actively want what God has prepared for them.  Amen. 

Small But Mighty! The Parables of The Mustard Seed and The Yeast

Let's dive in! 

‘The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 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.’

He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.’ (Matt. 13:31-33)

I so love stories, and love Jesus' rather lavish employment of them. We listen to stories because each one of us has a little kid inside, who wants to be delighted, surprised and engaged.

So, away we go! We are going to be looking at three related parables in Matthew 13. We've already explored in earlier blogs the parable of the sower and the parable of the weeds. Keep those in mind as we look at these next ones. Right after the sower and weed parables come the mustard seed, and yeast parables.

What is the common denominator of all these parables? Something small and seemingly insignificant will become something mighty in time in the hands of a skillful individual.

Let's start with the "small" part. A crop seed. A weed seed. A mustard seed. Yeast. All are small without much to recommend them to the eye. They are not shiny like precious metals, nor catch the light like beautifully cut precious stones. They have no color to speak of: not the breath-taking blue of the sapphire, the dance of rainbows in a diamond or the fiery red of a garnet.

In fact, you would not even notice them lying on the ground. They would blend in with all the other debris in the dirt. Sand, pebbles, bits of plant matter, dust...these seeds would not even be noticeable amongst all that litters the ground.

But wait! Yes, they look insignificant...but what mightiness is contained in such nondescript and wee packages. Crop seed falls from the skillful hand of the farmer. Does he see what we see? We see tiny grains landing on soil--dead, inert and lifeless. He sees a fully-flowered field of lovely wheat, blowing in the late summer wind.

We see seeds just lying on the ground--they all look the same. All the seeds spring up, and even in bloom, the wheat and darnel look the same. It is at the harvest that the difference will be evident. In full bloom, wheat and its counterfeit, darnel (a wild, useless grass) will be seen for what they are: food and fuel, respectively.

Let's look now at the mustard seed--again, it is small and insignificant looking. Set it next to a pine cone, a sycamore seed or seeds of a fig, snugly embedded in the flesh of the fruit, and it pales in the comparison. The mustard seed looks like just more road debris.

Wait a minute. It is sown deliberately by a man. It's not just blowing around in the wind.  It is sown and  then it takes root. It is sown with an insight as to what it can be. It looks insignificant and has nothing to recommend it when you look at it. But the farmer knows what he is doing with the "least of all seeds." He see a beautiful tree with strong branches, and so, he casts the seeds in faith, knowing confidently of their potential. He sows by faith, not by sight.

The farmer also knows that the seeds' mightiness will only be realized in time. Time to sow, time to grow. The farmer has enough experience and knowledge to know when and where to plant these seeds. The results will come from skillful hands and wisdom. The right soil, the right amount of moisture and sunlight will all combine to produce what the farmer already sees in his mind's eye: a tree that will forever change the landscape.

Let's switch scenes and enter into a kitchen, with a woman making bread. Jesus emphasized wheat sowing and harvesting. Now, here is the results of the harvest: the ground wheat is in the hands of a skillful woman who will add yeast to make the wheat into a nourishing substance: bread.

The work of the farmer now enters into a kitchen, and is worked by another "farmer," if you will: a skillful woman who knows her family will need to eat.

The yeast is small and insignificant. It is worked into a "large amount of flour." The contrast is there--small seeds produce wheat, and wheat is ground into flour and now, again, a small thing is brought to bear: yeast. Do you notice a pattern? Small things in skillful hands bring bigger yields and those are in turn are used again with small things to bring bigger yields.

Wheat seeds need a farmer. Yeast needs a baker. Is the farmer any more significant than the seeds he sows? Would we even notice him? Would we even notice the woman making bread in her kitchen? Is she any more significant than the yeast she works into the dough?

No. Not to the world, anyway. We are far more interested in celebrities, the kings and queens of our modern world, than we are by the average, everyday kind of people.

Yet, look at the Kingdom of God and its economy: small things, insignificant by the world's standards, become mighty. Given enough time, with skillful hands and willing workers, the Kingdom of God can take root, providing shade and nourishment to a parched and hungry world.

We all have something to bring to God and partner with Him to bring about His Kingdom. The farmer, the wife, the wheat, the yeast...in our hands, not much to get excited about. But in the skillful hands of our Lord...watch out!

Jesus is in the business of taking small things—barley loaves and fish—and multiplying them to astronomical proportions for His Kingdom’s use.

1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

He sows by love and we walk by faith, secure in the knowledge that He knows what He is doing. He is building His Kingdom and wants us to work with Him, trusting His timing.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matt. 13:34-35)

Next time, we'll see how Jesus ups the ante, and instead of picking insignificant things like seeds and yeast, he picks items that the world values. Treasure, pearls and valuable money-making fish will illustrate powerfully the Kingdom of God.

And if you have one of those days where you feel rather insignificant and rather unimportant in the world's eyes, go stand by a field of wheat or a bakery full of bread and say to yourself, "Without the tiny, almost unseen things of this world, none of this would exist.  I am insignificant and rather unimportant in the world's eyes, but I exist and in God's economy, I have work to do."

One last observation on how God's economy works, reread the passage out of Samuel about a wee stinky shepherd boy whom God chose before the foundation of the world to do mighty things:

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.”  Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. (1 Sam. 16:1-13) 

Just tend your sheep.  One day, your calling will come.  Being anointed as the king over Israel had not even occurred to that wee shepherd as he watched over the sheep.  In God's economy, sometimes we don't even consider or think about the things that God will call us to do.  But He calls and His love is always at the center.  

Do The Math! The Unmerciful Servant (Part II)

Interesting how God's ways are not our ways. That's an obvious statement, but how quickly we forget this truth.

The disciples come up to Jesus with a question in Matthew 18: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Not who is the most blessed, not who is the least, not who is the most qualified...just who is the "greatest." Their question is implicitly full of worldly values and they may be thinking:

Who will reign over all the sheep that You, Jesus, are constantly ministering to? We follow You every day...that should count for something in this new kingdom You are creating. May we humbly suggest that we, Your disciples, are truly the best qualified to run the show. We have sat at Your feet, managed the crowds, distributed food, answered questions and have done wonders in Your name. 

Quite the resume, I daresay.  

We think this is enough for us to get to the head of the line. Besides, who knows Your teachings better than us?

Jesus understands all too well what the disciples are really asking. They want to be the leaders in this new Kingdom. Jesus wants the children of God running things as people who see themselves as family members who serve each other, not as dispassionate leaders who lord it over others. Jesus is saying:

Look around, boys. The kind of leadership you are asking about is what we have already have here: just look at the religious leaders. Look how unloving they are. Look how much attention they want simply for being leaders. They show no real compassion. They want praise from men. They dishearten My Father, for they have the Scriptures and should know better. Do they even see the children running around them?  Or are they ignored because they can't do anything for the leaders? Do they even see the sinners around them as fellow human beings, or merely as those worthy only of contempt? 

So, what does Jesus do to illustrate His point? He places a small child in front of Him and His disciples. He then launches into a long teaching about how the Kingdom is built upon a child-like trust of God and how its members are family. He wants the disciples to have no illusions of greatness; He wants them to have a revelation of who will occupy and lead His Father's Kingdom: people who are children of the King.

He concludes His teaching by saying that just as a shepherd will seek high and low for a sheep who has wandered off and rejoices in finding it, and so too does His Father not want any of these little ones to be lost. In other words:

You are looking to be leaders, boys. What kind of leaders is My Father looking for?  Here they are: These little ones who dash about our feet and smile when I enter the town. These little ones trust that they are loved by a Father that they cannot see. These little ones rejoice in the butterflies, flowers and the stars that come out every night. These little ones understand who I am. They come with no ulterior motives, just a love that reaches out and embraces Me without reservation. These little ones demand nothing but to be loved. They sense the operating principle of My Kingdom: Love and love alone is what this Kingdom is built upon. My Father's love is as unreserved as their smiles.

He then talks of how to restore a fallen brother. The Kingdom is built on restoration of its family members.

He then talks of binding and loosening. The Kingdom is built on discerning where disobedience has led to a shackling; how those shackles need to be loosened, and how forgiveness, not condemnation, will set others free.

He then talks of asking His Father as family members: where two or three gathered together in His name, they may make requests and trust the Father for the results.

Jesus has just sketched out, in clear and uncompromising terms, the contours of the Kingdom.

Peter then pops up with a legitimate question in light of all that Jesus has been teaching.  He was probably thinking at first:

OK, Lord...we are beginning to understand. Love is the foundation. A child-like acceptance is the attitude. We approach this Kingdom as a member of a family. But, wait! Every family has its obnoxious members: the uncouth brother-in-law who can't shut up; the nagging mother-in-law and of course, the cousin who sits and does nothing while everyone else is working. What about those family members in this Kingdom?

Peter, to his credit, at least got it right: "How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?" Jesus responds with a parable in Matthew 18:23-35:

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Servants were part of the master's family. So, the family theme is maintained here.

Look at how much the servant owed his master: 10,000 bags of gold. Whoa. That is a lot to loan a servant, but obviously, the master trusted the servant to give out such a generous loan. In fact, you get the impression that he might have been at the top of the list because this servant is called up at the beginning of the accounts to be settled.

He owes a lot, so a lot is demanded from him to pay the debt. His family will be sold into slavery and all that the man owns will be sold as well. Whoa. But, the servant knowing the heart of this master, begs for mercy. "Be patient with me..." he implores. If the servant thought his master wouldn't negotiate at all, he would have accepted his fate, knowing that the master was cold-hearted and wouldn't budge.  But he didn't! He appealed to the master's heart, knowing the compassion that lingered there. He begged for patience from the master. The master took "pity" on his servant, knowing how great the debt was. So, instead of just a reprieve, he received a cancellation altogether of the debt. Whoa.

The mercy and compassion in the master's heart exceeded all expectations that the servant held. The master's heart was far bigger than the servant could even imagine.

The master "let him go." The servant was free of debt; free to start afresh; free to hug his wife and children, knowing they were safe for now on. He could walk down the street not just debt-free, but loved. Loved by a master whose mercy was great because the love for his servant was even greater.

But did this love remain permanently lodged in the servant's heart? No, like fog wafting through the trees under a warming sun, it left. Why? The servant now focuses on the debt he is owed, not the love he just received. He is focused on what is missing, not what he possesses.

It's not like he needs the money--his debt is cancelled. So, why does he look up his fellow servant? On principle:

I am owed this money. He borrowed it from me, promising me he'd pay it back. Has he? Nope. I am within my rights to demand it of him; that's what I am going to do. Promptly. What a whiner! He wants me to be patient with him! I HAVE BEEN! He's taken too long to pay. He shouldn't have borrowed it unless he planned to pay it back in good time. Maybe this choke-hold will show him I AM SERIOUS! What a baby! You're going to prison, you loser. You can rot in there for all I care. No one makes a fool out of me. What if everyone finds out I am not serious about collecting what is rightfully owed me? Everyone will then want a piece of me! Stop your begging. You lose.

Whoa. The other servants, appalled by this servant's actions, go back to the one who has the real power. This servant is pridefully waving his "power" around, acting as if he in charge. Acting as if the other servants are subservient to him. He's somehow gained the notion he's above all the other servants. Why? Because he's debt free? Because he received his master's favor? Because he is free to start again?

Whatever is going through that servant's head, it is not love.

Debt free: yes, because a great love cancelled his debt. Favored: yes, by a master who saw his need, and released him with mercy. Start again: yes, with a heart no longer burdened by fear.

The Kingdom of God is built on love, mercy and freedom from fear.

But, this servant is not using Kingdom materials to build his house. He fiercely reminds the other servant what he owes him; he shows no favor nor mercy, just violence; he puts fear into the soul of that other servant, burdening him with an even greater debt.

The master calls back the servant. He is furious with him. He reminds him, in no uncertain terms, that the mercy he received needed to be extended without reservation to this other servant. The master's cup, filled to the brim and then some, poured into the first servant's cup so he'd had enough to pour into his fellow servant's cup.

Instead, this unforgiving and unmerciful is now visited with the same measure that he measured out: He is thrown into prison, and will now have to pay the debt.

How can he pay the debt if he's in prison? Exactly: The Kingdom of God operates on impossible principles from a human point of view:

We are forgiven much; we are to forgive much. (Objection!  He owes me!)

We are given mercy; we are to give mercy. (Objection!  But he's been so mean to me!)

We have been given love in abundance, not because of what we have done or not done, but because of who are are: children of the King. (Objection!  He's a child of God? You've got to be kidding!)

Impossible with us. But God is the Master of the Impossible.

Why?

Only He can change our hearts.

Only He can open our eyes.

You and me and all who call on His name are His family. Yes, we are to see all humanity as God's children. But when we enter into the Kingdom and live under the wise rule of our Heavenly Father, love, mercy and forgiveness are the order of the day. Every day. How we treat one another, especially with forgiveness, will be a hallmark of our membership in this Kingdom.

The Kingdom needs children to lead it: forgiven and free members who cherish what the Father has bestowed on them, and a willingness to bestow it on others.