The disciples say they understand. Jesus says then they are like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new and old treasures.
Jesus then traveled to his hometown of Nazareth to teach. They were amazed by his wisdom and miraculous powers. They knew he was Mary’s son and his brothers were James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and his sisters. The took offense because they couldn’t see how he could have these powers. Jesus told them he was without honor amongst those who knew him. Since they lacked faith, Jesus did not do many miracles there.
11a) The responsibility to teach others.
b) The “old” treasures refer to the Old Testament laws and the “new” treasures refer to Jesus and the redemption he brings. Alternatively, you can think of this as the “old” as the truths and mysteries that Jesus (the “new”) fulfilled.
c) Having both the knowledge of the Old and the New Testament gives you a full picture of how to live your life on this side of heaven. The treasures God has given me is helping others through this medium know him. And, helping my family and those I know understand God’s Word, too.
12a) They took offense.
b) He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
c) Some people will never turn to the Lord no matter what they see or hear.
13) None, in truth.
I always love the idea of old and new, like putting on your new self (Ephesians 4:22-24). It gives me hope when I sin that I can be new again.
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The disciples say they understand, but how many times have you said you understood when in reality, you had no clue? More would be revealed as time goes on, which is how our journey in Christ looks, too. The more we know, the deeper we grow with God and the more we understand.
The parable of the household or homeowner is Jesus’s last parable of the kingdom of heaven.
You bring items out of a storeroom to share.
Since the disciples understand, they must now impart that knowledge to others. Teachers of the Word must understand so that the people do.
No one can believe a lowly carpenter’s son can do such things. He was a normal boy when they knew him.
We can infer that most people of extraordinary talent or ability are normal people.
Note how important belief is again in Jesus’s healing and helping others. You must believe if you are to be helped.
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Jesus tells the parable of the net. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches all kinds of fish. The fisherman collected the good fish but threw the bad fish away. At the End Times, the angels will separate the wicked from the good in the same way. The wicked will be thrown into a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
9)
The net: the world
The good fish: believers
the bad fish: unbelievers
The fisherman: Jesus
The outcomes for both types of fish:
Good fish — go to heaven
Bad fish — will be thrown into a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
10a)
In Matthew 13:37-43:
The two sowers: the sower who sowed the good seed is Jesus. The sower who sowed the weeds is the devil.
The good seed: believers
The weeds: unbelievers
The harvest: the Second Coming
The harvesters: angels
Both set up and tell the same scenario how at the End Times, there will be a judgement and a forever separation of the wicked from the good.
b) People either ignore the warnings and encouragement, or they turn to Jesus. Both the warning and encouragment serve to help people turn to Jesus and give believers strength to carry on. People’s response to the warnings or encouragement determine their eternal destination.
c) There have been several but none really stand out for instances. Holding your tongue, patience, and doing God’s will. In sum, just try to be more like Jesus every day.
I love this parable because it’s easy to understand and everyone can relate, even in modern times.
Dragnets were thrown out like in my photo above, and all types of fish were caught. The good ones were the ones that were kept; the rest were thrown back. Remember, Old Testament food laws still applied; some types of fish were considered unclean and could not be eaten.
Gnashing teeth represent anger, as unbelievers will be eternally angry at God for sending them to the pits of Hell.
There will always be unbelievers, even at the End Times. Trying to convert everyone is unrealistic.
Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found the treasure, he hid it and then sold all he had to buy the field where the treasure lie. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he sold everything he had to buy it.
6a) Similarities in two tales: Both times the man sold all he had to acquire what he wanted. Something extremely valuable is discovered, desired, and purchased. Differences: the man could have kept the treasure the first time without having to sell everything he owned to acquire it.
b) That the man would give up everything he had to have what he desired.
7a) In order to have the kingdom of heaven, you must be willing to give up everything you have. Philippians 3:8 says you must be willing to lose all things to know Christ. In Colossians 2:2-3, Paul says his purpose is to that all of us have complete understanding to know the mystery of God and Christ where all wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Psalms 16:5-6 says God has assigned us our portion and cup and made our lot secure as our inheritance. Romans 8:32 says that God gave up his own Son for us and give us all things.
b) That we must be willing to give all we have to follow Christ.
8 ) It’s encouraging to know that the more you give up in Christ’s name, the more you will know him. This is sacrificing time to study the Bible, tell others about the Bible, and grow deeper in your relationship with God.
It’s important to note the differences here. You must be willing to sell everything to follow Christ. However, do so smartly. For Christ, we are worth it. Is he worth it to you?
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In the parable of the hidden treasure, the man is Jesus and the field is the world. Jesus gave everything to purchase his treasure (believers). At the time, whoever owned the land would get the treasure; not the one who found it.
Consider how rare it is to find buried treasure. That shows how valuable we are to Jesus.
So we go from corruption to value added in Jesus’s parables.
In the parable of the pearl, Jesus is the buyer of the pearl, and the believer is the pearl that is so valuable to him that he would be happy to sell everything to have it. A pearl in ancient times was extremely valuable and desired. People would have instantly recognized this value. This shows you just how much Jesus values you.
Fun Fact: “Kingdom of heaven” appears more than 60 times in the Gospels.
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Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed and yeast. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Although it’s the smallest of seeds, it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds perch in its. The kingdom of heaven is also like yeast a woman mixes in with dough.
3a) The kingdom of heaven
b) The smallest thing blossoms into the something grand that others enjoy and use. Most Bible scholars agree that these parables are prophetic in terms of the growth of Christianity and how God’s Word and the Good News will spread.
4) It doesn’t matter where you come from; you can follow Jesus and make a difference in this world. In Matthew 16:6-12, Jesus is comparing yeast in bread to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Ezekiel 17:23-24 talks about how God plants trees on mountaintops that will bear fruit and have birds’ nest in it and find shelter. Everyone will know that God did so. Ezekiel 2:11 says that every grain offering is to be made without yeast. Ezekiel 23:15-18 talks about bread offerings. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 states that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast. Therefore, God works though the smallest things to create big things.
5a) He knew that those with a heart for God would understand the message, and those that didn’t know God weren’t privileged to do so.
b) It’s cool to see different interpretations and how things are used in the Bible. It prompts me to study God’s word deeper and continue to research meanings of Scripture.
Two of Jesus’s less famous parables, but everything Jesus said should be considered of equal import. Here, it’s important to grasp the message of how small things can yield big results. Practically speaking, when you are struggling to understand your place and purpose in life, know that you have an impact on others by what you are doing.
Most mustard seeds grow no more than the size of a bush. If the mustard seed is growing into the size of a tree, it’s a miracle. Most Bible scholars picture this as the church growing and offering shelter for the world. Some Bible scholars see the tree as an image of a great empire Ezekiel 17:23; 31:3-9; Daniel 4:10-12
Thus, the parable describes how God’s kingdom grew but then became a nest for corruption as in the Middle Ages. Birds can symbolize demons or even Satan Revelation 18:2
The birds that nest in the tree’s branches can be interpreted as Gentiles finding refuge in Christ. God’s work is big.
The parable of the yeast can be interpreted as a picture of the kingdom of God growing, or of sin and corruption growing. Exodus 12:8, 12:15-20
The large amount is more than usual. “Hidden” is used in other translations over “worked all through.” The idea is that Jesus’s kingdom would be threatened by corruption.
The church is part of the things hidden from the world and would not be revealed fully until later. Paul talks about this in Ephesians 3:4-11.