The sole reason I believe as I do is that I trust completely what the Bible says – every word found in its proper context. I try very hard not to lean on my own understanding or my personal feelings about what it should say. I try never to think, it is fair, therefore God wills it. I think rather, God wills it, therefore it is fair. “He is the rock! His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice; A God of truth and without injustice. Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The King, the Lord Jesus Christ, had used most of the first 12 chapters of Matthew flashing His ID as Israel’s King, complete with the characteristics of His kingdom, and amazing miracles to back up His claims. He demonstrated power over nature, angels, disease, demons, and death itself. The Jewish leaders considered the Man, His message, and His miracles – and emphatically rejected Him (Matthew 1-12).
His final miracle was His healing of a demon possessed man who had been blind and mute. The miracle demonstrated that the King has complete power over Satan’s domain (Matthew 12:22). This prompted the multitudes to ask this penetrating question. “Could this be the Son of David?” (Matthew 12:23).
The Pharisaic media sensed that this was a pivotal moment. Their history was hanging in the balance. Their response was that the Christ was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub (Satan). Our Lord’s answer was amazing. He said that their conclusion was absolutely ludicrous, and He countered by asking a simple question that a child would ask. If Satan cast out demons by his own power, then how in the world could his kingdom stand? It would be Satan casting out Satan (Matthew 12:26). This rejection of the King sealed the doom of the nation. The Lord Jesus concluded “For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).
On that same day, Jesus went down by the seashore and a gigantic crowd gathered. So many, in fact, that Jesus had to get into a boat and shove out from the shore just to be able to talk to all the people (Matthew 13:1-2). The disciples seeing such a crowd were probably extremely excited.
Finally, the time had come. This was going to be the speech to end all speeches. This is it! Load the buses guys, we are headed to Jerusalem to at last crown Him king! The crowd grew silent, and Jesus said, probably quietly, “Behold, a sower went out to sow.” The disciples must have gasped! “What? Sower? Sow? You are kidding us, right? This is your big chance, Master. You must take it!”
But Jesus continued: And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside and the birds quickly ate them, and some fell on stony places where they dried up. Others fell among thorns that quickly overtook the plants and choked them out. But some seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Lord followed this parable with seven more: the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl, the net, and the scribe. The disciples came to Him privately, asking Him why in the world He was speaking to the crowd in parables. Jesus told them that the parables were describing a time that He referred to as the mysteries of the Kingdom. Jesus knew that He was going to soon die on a cross, rise again, and then ascend back to the Father – with the promise to one day, return. The promised kingdom was going to be postponed in lieu of this mystery form. This was not a plan “B.” This had been God’s plan all along.
This mystery age – the time between His first coming and His second coming – is where we are living now. Jesus told the disciples privately that it had been given to them (the disciples) to know this mystery form of the kingdom, but to all the others (the crowd) it has not been given (Matthew 13:11).
That does not seem fair! By speaking in parables, He was hiding the truth from some and revealing it to others (Matthew 13:14-16). These parables were extremely important. But just as important was a parable that the Lord Jesus spoke as He moved quickly to the cross. His time on the earth was coming to an end. As mentioned earlier, He was already the dying Lamb of God.
As He was leaving the house of Zacchaeus, Jesus spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately (Luke 19:11). As the people heard these things – Zac’s identity, his salvation, and the Kings’ mission of seeking and saving the lost – and since the King was near Jerusalem (ground zero) the crowd thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately. The crowd thought this was true, but they were wrong! The King knew they were wrong!
So, what did He do? He spoke a parable. How important is this parable? Because of where it is found, it is absolutely crucial. Every single word of this parable should shout to us. The King is leaving us a message that we dare not miss. It is a game changer. We will look at that parable beginning tomorrow. Stay safe and stay tuned.