Tag: Kingdom of Heaven

Red Letter Year: 4/16

Matthew 13:16-30

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds. 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Comments

Just a few things to note today:

  • The blessing in v.16 applies to me and you as well. We see Jesus in each other and especially in those in need and we hear the full measure of his teachings. Blessed are your eyes. Blessed are your ears. Receive those blessings today.
  • The weeds in the third type of soil are the ‘anxiety of the age’ – prosperity (or the hunger for it) chokes out the Gospel
  • It does not say the good soil did not have any weeds in it, a care-free life is not promised. In fact the second parable here tells us the opposite. The crop and the weeds grow up together – and it must be so to avoid damaging the crop. Any attempt to separate the “true” from the “false” believers can only end up hurting the true believers. Patience and unity are necessary.
  • The weeds are the work of the enemy, whose primary work is inside churches, trying to inhibit/prevent growth and fruitfulness from within.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Red Letter Year: 3/15

Matthew 5:13-20

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”

Comments

You are salty – keep be salty. You light up all those around you – don’t put out your light, keep shining bright. With both of these Jesus encourages us to keep being and doing what we are. He doesn’t say become salty or turn on your light. We are salty and we illuminate because the Holy Spirit makes these so, we don’t have the power to generate these realities, but we do have the power to negate them. So how about it? How salty are you? Are you adding flavor to the lives of the people around you? Are you lighting up your corner of the world? Are people illuminated when they are with you? If not, ask the Spirit to renew your flavor and rekindle your flame. Also spend time praying, asking how it is you lost your saltiness and light. Work on keeping those traits.

Also, this thing about Jesus not abolishing the law. The Gospels are written in Greek, but the Hebrew/Aramaic word Jesus used when he gave this teaching was most likely the word qum, which means to fill full (many English translations have “fulfill” right here) or to resurrect, i.e., to fill (a dead body) full of life. I think that is the best understanding here. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law of Moses, he came to raise it from the dead and fill it full of life. That’s what Jesus does with everything – he fills us full of life, saltiness, and light. Let’s live bright, shining, salty lives full of life!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.