Pilda Semntorului

Matthew 13:1-23
Introduction
This morning we begin a series on Jesus' parables concerning the most important theme in the Biblethe
kingdom of God. In Matthew's gospel, we find two different clusters of kingdom parablesone in chapter !
and another in chapter "#. $e'll spend the ne%t four or fi&e weeks stud'ing the parables in chapter !, and
then we'll look close out our series with the ones in chapter "#.
(et's di&e right in and read the first parablethe parable of the sower and soils )read !*+,-. Before we read
Jesus' e%planation of this parable and seek to appl' it to our own li&es, we need to be clear about the main
theme of these se&en parables )read !*.+a-. Jesus sa's these parables describe a portion of God's
kingdom that he calls /the m'steries of the kingdom.0
1 biblical /m'ster'0 is not something purposefull' &ague or difficult to understand )like a modern da' m'ster'
no&el-it is simpl' a truth not re&ealed until now. The m'steries of the kingdom of God refer to a portion of
God's kingdom that was not clearl' re&ealed in the 2ld Testament. That's wh' the' were so pri&ileged )read
!*3+4-the' were getting new information about God's kingdom that e&en the 2ld Testament prophets did
not know. 5ead and e%plain !*!6+!#7 #+#".
In order to appreciate what was new, we need to know what was old. The 2ld Testament &iew of histor' was
&er' straightforward. 8ince 1dam's choice to li&e independentl' from God, we li&e in what one biblical author
calls /this present e&il age0an age dominated b' rebellion and e&il. But God is so&ereign o&er histor', and one
da' he would replace this present e&il age with his own kingdom, when the wicked will be 9udged and
righteousness will reign. The e&ent that separates these two periods of histor' is the coming of God's Messiah
)read :aniel 4*!+6-.
;ow Jesus affirms this picturebut he adds some crucial additional information about the coming of Messiah
and the establishment of God's kingdom. $hat the 2ld Testament prophets called the coming of Messiah is
actuall' his 8econd <oming. =rior to that time, Messiah would comenot as a reigning >ing but as suffering
8er&antto die for the guilt of a rebellious humanit' who God lo&es. ?is first coming would usher in an
unanticipated form of God's kingdom that is different in important ways from the kingdom in its fullness.
This is what Jesus calls /the m'steries of the kingdom0 and describes through the se&en parables in
Matthew !.
This is the period of histor' we li&e in@ Through these parables, then, we learn about how God's kingdom is at
work in the world toda', and about how we can benefit from and cooperate with his acti&it'.
The ke' to understanding this parable is to ask* $hat does it re&eal about God's kingdom that the' did not
alread' knowA That's where we should start with this parable . . .
2 Key Contrasts
In its final phase, God's kingdom will come dramaticall' to all humanit' in the arri&al of the >ing himself in all of
his glor' and power )read Matthew "6*!.-. But during this phase, his kingdom comes and spreads through
the sharing of a message to indiiduals. In (uke B*, Jesus e%plains that /the seed is the word of God.0
Jesus begins his e%planation in !*, b' sa'ing, /$hen an'one hears the word of the kingdom . . .0
This /word0 is the message Jesus proclaimed, which is recorded for us in the ;ew Testament. It is the message
that Jesus is the rightful >ing of 'our life, and that he is worth' of 'our allegiance because he lo&es 'ou enough
to die for 'our sins. It is the message that God is offering 'ou the gift of membership in his kingdomhis
forgi&eness, eternal life with him, and a personal relationship with him now. This message comes to 'ou as 'ou
read the gospel of John, or listen to the witness of a <hristian friend, or hear a teaching like this one . . .
(ike a seed, this message ma' appear small or unimpressi&e )especiall' compared to the 8econd <oming-, but
it has tremendous spiritual power. Just as a small, seemingl' insignificant wheat seed has within it the power to
bear hundreds of bushels of wheat, so this message has the power to change 'our life )'our standing with God,
destin', purpose, etc.-, and to affect others' li&es through 'ou as 'ou share it with themif 'ou respond
properl' to it . . .
1nd that's the second wa' in which this phase of God's kingdom is different from its final phase. $hen Jesus
returns, his kingdom will come with irresistible forceo&erturning go&ernments and sweeping indi&iduals into
either hea&en or hell. But during this phase, its effect on you is in proportion to your chosen response.
God in his merc' is presentl' allowing 'ou to decide what 'ou want to do with his kingdom, how 'ou want it to
affect 'our present life.
This e%plains wh' the same message has such different impact on different people, or e&en on the same person
at different times. It isn't that the message changes, or that God's power to work through the message changes
it is 'our response to the message that determines how much impact it is ha&ing on 'our life. ?ow much can
this message transform 'our lifeA C%actl' as much as 'ou open 'ourself to its influence.
This parable warns us of the three most common wrong responses to the $ord, and e%plains what the right
response looks like. 1s we look briefl' at each of these responses, focus on 'our own present response )not
others- and whether 'ou want to change it. )The soils are not fi%edI'&e been all four.-
BESIDE THE ROAD: Unreceptive
5ead !*6. Dirst+centur' farmers broadcast the seed and then plowed it under. Dootpaths and roads commonl'
wound right through the fields. Because of its packed+down condition and immunit' to plowing, the seeds
falling here were Euickl' gobbled up b' the birds before the' could germinate.
5ead !*,. This is the unreceptie hearer, signified b' the packed+down condition of the soil on the road.
$hen Jesus sa's such people do not understand the message, he doesn't mean the' lack the IF to cogniti&el'
assimilate the content. ?e means that the' lack understanding because the' refuse to consider responding to it
)see conte%t of !*6,#-. This response takes different formssome b' outspoken hostilit', more b' bland
indifference, etc.
8o the message makes no progress because their heart is hard. But something else happens. God's enem', the
de&il, acts aggressi&el' and creati&el' to neutraliGe the message. ?e does this in a couple of wa's.
?e will suppl' 'ou with /reasons0 to re9ect this message* /H2I'(( TI5; I;T2 ;C: D(1;:C58@0 /H2I5 D5IC;:8
$I(( 5CJC<T H2I@0 /JC8I8 $I(( 5II; H2I5 (IDC@0
?e will distract 'ou from seriousl' considering it. ;o one has described this better than <. 8. (ewis in his book,
The Screwtape Letters.
1
8crewtape is an e%perienced demon who is counseling a 9unior demon on how to
handle his Jpatient'sJ recent e%posure to the /seed.0 ?e warns him not to argue against it because )5C1:
CK<C5=T-. The onl' thing that has changed here is the sophistication of the distractions )M1TC5I1(I8M L
/I;D2T1I;MC;T0-.
$hat about 'ouA :oes this describe 'our present responseA Hou can change that response toda' b' deciding to
deliberatel' e%pose 'ourself to God's message )b' coming to this series, for e%ample-, and b' committing
'ourself to reflect on it )and e&en discuss it with a friend who belie&es it-. $hat do 'ou reall' ha&e to lose b'
doing thisA If it turns out not to be true, 'ou ha&e lost nothing. But if it turns out to be true, 'ou ha&e gained
e&er'thing . . .
ROCKY SOI: Insincere
5ead !*#. C%plain limestone la'er 9ust below the surface. 8pring rains cause seeds to germinate Euickl' and
dramaticall', but limestone pre&ents the roots from growing deepl' so that the plants are burned b' the
summer sun.
5ead !*".+". This describes the insincere hearerthe person who e%presses a superficiall' positi&e
response to the message, but he doesn't reall' recei&e the $ord as the T5IT? to be followedhe onl' &iews it
as a means to other things he wants. This is wh' he /falls awa'0 when his connection to Jesus leads him into
suffering )peirasmos-. This response re&eals the insincerit' of his /commitment.0
$hat sorts of things do people want that leads to this kind of responseA
8ome want an emotional e%perience that will entertain them without changing the direction of their li&es. $hen
the buGG wears off, or when another more promising e%perience comes along, Jesus is 9ettisoned.
8ome want to please parents, or hang on to friends or lo&ers whom the' sense the' are losing to Jesus. $hen
this doesn't work, their JfaithJ in Jesus e&aporates.
$hat about 'ouA ?as this been 'our response to Jesus <hrist in the pastA ?a&e 'ou been telling 'ourself e&er
since that 'ou tried Jesusbut he didn't work for 'ouA Ma'be that's the problemthat 'ou wanted him to
/work for 'ou0accomplish 'our agenda, do 'our will, be 'our butler. Jesus will ne&er be 'our butlerhe lo&es
'ou too much for that. But if 'ou entrust 'ourself to him and his plans for 'our life, he will answer 'ou in a wa'
that goes be'ond an'thing 'ou can imagine.
A!O"# THE THOR"S: Co$pro$ised
5ead !*4. =erennial weeds grow 'ear+round and border the field. 8eed sown here will germinate and remain
ali&e, but the weeds suck the life+gi&ing nutrients so that the plant ne&er produces fruit.
5ead !*". This is the compromised hearer. If this is 'our present response, 'ou ha&e sincerel' recei&ed
<hrist, so 'ou know 'ou are genuinel' a member of God's kingdom.
Hou remember when 'our relationship with Jesus was close and he was changing 'our life and working through
'ou to impact others. But that's a faded memor'. Hou ma' sa' a pra'er dail', attend a church ser&ice fairl'
regularl', e&en ha&e a <hristian bumper sticker on 'our car )ugh@-. But when 'ou are honest with 'ourself, 'ou
know that 'our e%perience of closeness with God and his power to transform 'our life has withered.
$h' is thisA Hou ma' tell 'ourself it's because that was a different phase, because 'ou're in a stage of life that
makes this impossible, or because that's onl' for fanatics. But Jesus disagrees with 'ou. ?e has a different
e%planation, and he tells this because he lo&es 'ou. ?e sa's 'our growth is stunted because 'ou are
capitulating to competing lusts for pleasure, wealth, comfort, people's acceptance LMor admiration'allowing
them to steal 'our time and energ' and attention awa' from what God sa's should be the number one priorit'
of 'our life* learning his $ord and appl'ing it to 'our own life and sharing it with the people )both <hristians
and non+<hristians- he is bringing into 'our life.
$hat should 'ou do if Jesus is describing 'ouA I can speak with authorit' on this because I'&e been here se&eral
times. Hou need to admit 'our compromise to him and tell him 'ou want to ha&e closeness with him again. Hou
need to get personall' in&ol&ed with some other <hristians who are serious about learning and appl'ing his
word. 1nd 'ou need to cooperate with his personaliGed /weeding0 plan. $hat will this in&ol&eA I don't know, but
he does and he'll show 'ou )'ou probabl' alread' ha&e an idea-. $ill it be painfulA Hes, but which would 'ou
rather ha&ethe dull, chronic pain of a spiritual deadness from a compromised walk, or the brief, sharp pain of
responding to God's discipline that results in spiritual fruitfulnessA
#OOD SOI
5ead !*"!. I don't need to e%plain this response because I'&e alread' described it b' contrast to the other
three responses. This is the person who is far from perfectbut who consistentl' makes understanding and
following God's word the first priorit' of his life. The result is that 'our life fulfills God's purpose for itand
nothing is more fulfilling than this@@
%ootnotes
1 <. 8. (ewis, The Screwtape Letters );ew Hork, Touchstone Books, ,,3-, pp. ,,"..