Kingdom Parables — Albert Leckie

The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew chapter 13. Matthew 13 verse 10. And the disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5.

And reading at verse 31. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 31. Shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that your reverence her husband. Chapter 6 of the same epistle. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all sins.

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

And finally in the first epistle by Paul to Timothy chapter 3. First Timothy 3 verse 8. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Daniel's Prophecy and the Parenthetical Period

We have already considered in these meetings the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9 concerning the 70 weeks of years of God's dealings with the nation of Israel. And we have observed that there is a gap or a parenthesis between the 6 to 9th and the 70th week.

Between the cutting off of the Messiah at the place called Calvary at the end of the 6 to 9th week, and that covenant which a future Roman prince shall yet make with the nation of Israel. We observed how that this links up to with the commission given in Matthew chapter 10 to the twelve apostles.

From verse 1 to 15 we have the immediate commission given to the apostles. Then from verse 16 to the end of the chapter we have that commission which has been interrupted taken up at a future date. And we have observed that we today live in the gap between the 6 to 9th and the 70th week of God's dealings with the nation of Israel.

That we find ourselves today during the suspension of the commission given to the twelve apostles in Matthew chapter 10. Last night we began to consider the unique features of the day we live of this gap, this parenthesis.

And may I just say that I'm laying the foundation for what we shall yet consider the coming of the Lord Jesus in relation to the church, in relation to the nation of Israel, and in relation to the world.

When we were together last night we thought of Romans chapter 11. And there our attention is directed to the one of the unique characters of the day in which we live. That blindness, hardness, obdurateness has overtaken the nation of Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in.

That Israel as a nation finds itself with a hardened, with an obdurate, with a blinded heart. And God in this day in which we live is out and offering salvation to the Gentiles. When we come to Matthew chapter 13 the Lord Jesus is unfolding to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, of the kingdom of the heavens.

And here in this mystery of Matthew chapter 13 our attention is again directed to the unique character of this parenthetical period of this gap in God's dealings with the nation of Israel. For we're going to see that in the mysteries of the kingdom we are acquainted with the character of the kingdom during this parenthesis.

The Old Testament predicted, as we have seen, two events in connection with our Lord Jesus Christ. It predicted that he will be cut off and of nothing. It also predicted that he should come again in power and great glory.

But the Old Testament is altogether silent as to the character of the kingdom between these two events. That is between the cutting off of the Messiah and Calvary and his coming again in power and great glory.

But here in Matthew chapter 13, as we shall see in a few moments, our Lord Jesus indicates to us in delightful parabolic language the character of the kingdom between these two events. Now we notice how that this fits in beautifully with what we had before us last night.

Israel's Rejection of the Messiah

Let me just direct your attention to the setting of Matthew chapter 13. Had we read in Matthew chapter 12 we should have noticed that as far as the Messiah's presentation to the nation of Israel was concerned the crisis had come.

Matthew chapter 12 divides itself into two sections. From verse 1 to 21 we see the nation of Israel rejecting their Messiah. From verse 20 to 50 we see the Messiah himself in turn rejecting that same nation.

Now let us think of this just for a moment. From verse 1 to 21 we see the nation of rejecting their Messiah and thus we read in verse 14 these solemn words. They hold a council how they might destroy him.

Here's the purpose of heart of the leaders of the nation of Israel that the Messiah of the one who said he was their Messiah must be destroyed. Then in the second section the Messiah he is seen to be rejecting the nation of Israel that is from verse 22 to 50.

Listen to the language that the Savior uses in respect of that nation. Verse 34 all generation of vipers. Verse 39 an evil and an adulterous generation. Verse 45 even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Thus he rejects the nation of Israel speaking of it as a generation of vipers an evil and an adulterous generation and a wicked generation. But notice that if in the first section we have the nation rejecting the Messiah we are acquainted with the dispensational character of the change.

Once the nation rejects the Messiah there's going to be a change in God's dispensational dealings with man. And what is the dispensational change? Verse 21 in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Is that not what we saw last night?

Thus in the first section the nation rejects their Messiah and we're given to appreciate the dispensational character of the change. Verse 21 in his name shall the Gentiles trust. But in the second section the Messiah is seen to reject the nation of Israel and we're given now to appreciate the spiritual character of the change not just the dispensational character of the change but the spiritual character of the change.

And what is this? Well so the Savior in verse 50 for whosoever shall do the will of my father the same as my brother and sister and mother. In other words it's not now a matter of being able to claim Abraham as your father.

Oh no the relationship is a spiritual one and whosoever shall do the will of my father the same as my brother and sister and mother. Thus we see that Matthew 13 is a development of Romans chapter 11. Now just a few words on this chapter before I deal with it in detail.

Revelation of Previously Hidden Truth

The Lord Jesus made a remarkable statement in verse 12 of Matthew 13. For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Now what exactly did our Savior mean with these words? Whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance. He's addressing himself in a particular way to his disciples as is this. Whosoever hath the person, whosoever hath the Messiah, whosoever hath the Savior, to him shall be given the truth about the Savior, to him shall be given the truth about his person and he shall have more abundance.

But whosoever hath not the person, that's the nation of Israel at large, from him shall be taken away the person whom he seemeth to have. Thus we understand verse 12. Now then I've mentioned that in this chapter we have the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and I observed last night with you that when we have this word mystery in the New Testament it has nothing to do with anything that is mysterious in its character.

It simply means a truth hitherto unrevealed but now made known. And here the Lord is introducing a truth hitherto unrevealed as to the character of the kingdom during this parenthesis during this gap.

You remember when you go back to the book of Genesis we're told that Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paneah and you will remember that the meaning of that name is a revealer of secrets and here in Matthew chapter 13 we see our blessed Lord as the true Zaphnath-paneah for he says in verse 35 I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

He is unfolding secrets that have been kept unfolding truth that has been kept secret since the foundation of the world. And remember that in Matthew's gospel with the Lord Jesus presented to us as the king and here in this gospel of the king we see the truth of Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 2 it is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honor of kings to search out a matter and here we have this king grasping the honor of searching out a matter which God hitherto had concealed.

And after the Lord Jesus had revealed the secrets to his disciples he makes a remarkable statement in verse 52. Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

After having unfolded the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven he says now you're like a householder and you were able to bring out of your treasure things new and old. I wonder what our savior meant when he spoke of things new and old.

Well he says the things that I've been telling you as far as God's purpose is concerned they are old things kept secret from the foundation of the world very old as far as God's purpose is concerned but he says they're new now new in terms of revelation old in respect of divine counsel and divine purpose new now in respect of revelation for I have uttered these things unto you.

The Seven Kingdom Parables

Now having given that background to these seven kingdom parables let us think of these seven kingdom parables tonight. The seven parables of course of these the first the parable of the sore the second the parable of the wheat and the tears how that an enemy so tears alongside the wheat while men slept.

The next parable is the parable of the grain of mustard seed that grew into a great tree and the birds of the air lodged in its branches. Then we have the parable of the leavened lump or perhaps I should have noted that the parable of the leavened lump precedes the parable of the birds of the air and the branches.

Now what is the parable of the leavened lump a woman insidiously putting into three measures of meal leaven unto the whole became leavened. Now there's the first four the other three parables of these the parable of a certain man who found a treasure hid in the field.

Then the parable of a merchant man who found one pearl of great price and the seventh parable the parable of the dragnet that drew in fish both good and bad and in these seven parables we shall observe we have the character of the kingdom during this gap during this parenthesis.

But how are we to understand these seven parables you'll notice that six of these parables are similitudes of the kingdom in other words the lord prefaces six of these parables with the words the kingdom of heaven is likened unto.

The first parable is the only exception the parable the sower is not a similitude of the kingdom the lord does not speak of it in that way for in the first parable as we shall see in a moment the lord Jesus is just indicating how the kingdom is being formed today it is being formed by the sowing of seed.

Another important point to observe indeed a very important point to observe is this that these seven parables divide themselves into two and the twofold division is obvious in verse one the savior says the same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the seaside.

Then verse 36 then Jesus sent the mighty of the way and went into the house. Thus certain of these parables were spoken by the lord as he sat by the seaside. Then certain of the parables were spoken by the lord to his disciples once he returned to the house.

Now what is the significance of this. The first four parables were uttered by the lord as he sat by the seaside in the hearing of the multitude. The other three parables were uttered by the lord to his disciples when he was in the house alone with his disciples.

Now what is the significance of this twofold division my dear brethren here's a point that we must observe and if we fail to observe this point we shall never rightly interpret the truth in respect of the kingdom of the heavens.

In the first four parables we have the kingdom in profession within there is both good and bad the kingdom of heaven as seen by the eye of man we might speak of it as Christendom. Christendom is just an abbreviation for two words Christ's dominion.

And all who take upon their lips a confession of Christ as lord they find themselves in the kingdom of the heavens they find themselves in Christendom. But my bible makes it clear that all we take upon their lips a confession of Christ as lord do not necessarily belong to the lord.

Why the day is coming when they're going to cry lord lord open unto us and he shall say depart from me. I never knew you. Thus in the first four parables with the kingdom in profession the kingdom as seen by the eye of man within there is both that that's real and that that's unreal.

But in the three parables spoken by the lord in the house to his disciples we have the kingdom in its reality the kingdom in which there is nothing but that which is real the kingdom not seen by men but the kingdom as seen by the eye of faith and the kingdom as seen by the eye of God.

Thus we have this twofold aspect of the kingdom. But yet another truth in connection with this twofold division and one that I want to establish in our minds helping us to understand the true character of the day in which we live.

Satanic Corruption and Divine Triumph

In the first four parables we have the devil's attempt to destroy and to corrupt the kingdom of heaven. In the first parable he sends down the birds of the air who catch away the seed that are sown by the wayside.

In the second parable an enemy sows tears beside the wheat. In the third part of the birds of the air are lodging in the branches the same birds that would catch away the good seed. In the first parable they're lodging in the branches of the third parable.

And then in the fourth parable we have a woman insidiously putting into the three measures of meal the leaven. And this all has to do as we're going to see with the devil's endeavor to corrupt and to destroy God's kingdom.

But in the third the last three parables in the second section of Matthew chapter 13 we have God's purpose to establish his kingdom and praise God he'll be triumphant. He couldn't be otherwise if the devil would seek to corrupt and destroy our God will be triumphant and he shall establish his kingdom as we shall see it in the treasure in the peril and in the dragnet.

Now there's the background to these seven kingdom parables. We begin by thinking of the parable of the sower. And we now notice dear brethren the change up to this point of time God had been dealing with the nation of Israel.

And the nation of Israel had been a vine that God had taken out of Egypt. He had cared for it he had nourished it given Israel as a nation special and favored attention. But it became a degenerate vine an empty vine a vine that was producing wild grains.

Thus in Matthew chapter 12 Israel as a nation is rejected. And thus today it's not the thought of a vine in a vineyard being cared for by God but it's the thought of a sower in the field scattering his seed far and wide.

That's the character of things today. And the field is the world and the sower goes throughout the world scattering the word of the kingdom. Thus there we have another of the unique features of this parenthetical period.

The Parable of the Sower

It's no longer a vine in a vineyard but a sower sowing seed in the field and the field is the world. Now notice my dear brethren that in this first parable we're not told who the sower is and this is very important.

In the next parable we are the one who sowed the wheat the son of man the one who sowed the tares the wicked one. But in the first parable we're not told who the sower is. In the first parable we're not told the type of seed that was sown.

In the second parable we are wheat and tares. Now why is this. First of all in the first parable the emphasis is not upon the sower nor upon the seed but on the different kinds of ground into which the seed was sown.

Four different kinds of ground. That's what's emphasized in the first parable. But i feel i must say a little word more on that. My dear brethren the reason why the sewer is not mentioned in the first parable is this that while the sowing commenced with the savior it didn't stop with him.

The seed is still being sown today. Is that not the truth of hebrews chapter 2. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

At first it was spoken by the lord then it was confirmed by them that heard him. And today it is still being preached. Thus the sewer is not specified because the sowing is continued until today. But in the second parable we are told who the sewer is.

I wonder why i want you to grasp this. In the first parable we're told that the seed is the word of the kingdom. But the wheat in the second parable is not the word of the kingdom. It's the children of the kingdom.

Who is it that sows the children of the kingdom. Ah the sewer must now be specified. He is the son of man. My dear brethren there are lessons to be learned here. The preacher can only sow the word of the kingdom.

Christ alone can sow the children of the kingdom. And i feel that as preachers today this is something we need to learn. My dear brother you who preach the gospel it's yours to sow the word and no more.

You can't sow the children of the kingdom. Only the savior can. And all that more and more of us who were preachers would learn that it's ours to show the word. And we would be done with this appealing and diverse means of getting people to come forward and make some kind of profession.

My dear brethren that doesn't belong to us. And it's time that we learned that it's ours to show the word and leave it to the lord to sow the sons of the kingdom. For he alone can do that. Surely we have sufficient confidence in the word to leave the rest with our blessed lord.

He sows the children of the kingdom. And he alone we sow the word of the kingdom. He sows the children of the kingdom. But now we notice that the seed it falls in different kinds of ground. There is the seed that falls by the wayside.

There is the seed that falls upon the stony places. There is the seed that falls among the thorns. And the seed that falls into good ground with regard to the seed that fell by the wayside. The lord jesus speaks of this as those who hear but they don't understand.

And in his interpretation he tells us then cometh the wicked one and catch the way that which was sown in the heart. Thus we have the seed sown on the wayside. What kind of heart is the wayside heart.

Well of course those of us who seek to do a little work for the lord in the spread of the gospel we often meet the wayside heart the heart that has been made hard by the traffic of this world. No matter what you might say no impression is ever made by reason of the traffic of this world's pleasure its politics its business and other things beside it has become become altogether unsusceptible to the word of the kingdom unimpressed by the good message that god sends from heaven.

What then happens. The birds of the air come down and take away the word out of the heart. No i know not who might be here tonight but i wonder if i speak to someone. And you've heard the message preached over and over again but little or no impression is made and all too quickly whatever slight impression might be made is quickly wiped away.

Would you like to know the reason for that the birds of the air come down these emissaries of the wicked one and they snatch away the word out of the heart. And the lord tells us in luke's gospel lest they should believe and be saved.

It's a solemn thing to have a hardened heart sometimes hardened according to hebrews chapter 3 by the deceitfulness of sin. And such an individual becoming a dupe of the enemy of their souls the birds of the air.

Now we speak of this heart as the unreceptive heart the hard heart that's unreceptive. And the birds of the air snatch away the good seed. Then we have the seed that fell upon stony places or rocky ground.

Now of course this isn't a ground that is strewn with stones and strewn with rocks. That's not the thought. It's ground or soil but a thin layer on top of hard rock. It's shallow ground shallow soil on top of hard rock.

Thus the lord speaks of it as there not being much earth. And forthwith the seed springs up. But because there is no deepness of earth when the sun rises it is scarce and it withers away because there is no root now.

Then here we have an important lesson. Here notice there is growth upward but there is no root downward. And when the test of the warm sun arises it withers away because there is no root. There are those who are in a particular way amenable to the preaching of the gospel.

They would apparently and quickly receive it. The lord speaks of them as those who hear and they receive with joy. And there appears to be plenty of growth upward for a little while but there's no root downward.

Let me say here tonight that growth which is of god is always slow but it's steady. Usually what grows in a night like jonah's good it perishes in a night. Thus here we have the seed sown upon this rocky ground where there isn't much depth.

There is quick growth upward but no root downward. But our dear brethren i want us to be impressed with this tonight. How did the lord jesus expound this for us. He says this is like unto those who hear the word and anon with joy they receive it.

They endure for a while. But when tribulation and persecution come by and by there's a proof that never was a real mark in the soul. There knows the expression anon with joy they receive it. Mark 4 says they receive it with gladness.

My dear brethren when the word is received it is never received joyfully. It is never received with gladness. Why no authorized version says in acts chapter 2. Then they that gladly heard his word were baptized.

And you consult any good version or you discover that the word gladly is omitted. The result of the reception of the word brings gladness but the actual reception of it never brings gladness. Who are the glad to receive a word that condemns a word that strips of every vestige of good a word that makes me to realize i'm destined for eternal wrath except for divine mercy.

No one receives such a message with joy and gladness. We ought to see to this that the gospel preaching today is the kind of preaching that causes men and women to be broken down in the divine presence.

I'm convinced of this that we've lost the solemnity of the message that god has committed us to preach. Oh there's much more dear brother than telling men and women how to get to heaven. We've got to tell them about their sin hates it and if they don't forsake it god can't forgive it.

We've got to preach repentance. We've got to preach the blood. We've got to preach hell. That kind of message will never be received with gladness or with joy. The result today is this that oftentimes instead of gospel campaigns we're having gospel carnivals.

My brother you who preach the gospel keep to the book in your preaching. Don't win for the modern tend of topical preaching. After all my brother what is it that god blesses. If men and women are to be born again they're to be born of incorruptible seed by the word of god.

Nothing's topical but the word of god and preach it my brother preach it in such a way that people won't receive it with gladness and endure just for a while. But like noah being warned of god they'll move with fear.

Like those mentioned in hebrews chapter 6 they'll flee to christ for refuge here with those who receive it with joy but endure for a while. If the seed on the wayside ground is the unreceptive mind the seed up on the stony places is the deceptive mind.

The Thorny Ground and the Good Soil

But now we have the third kind of ground. The seed that fell among thorns and the thorns spring up and choke them. Choke the seed. The lord jesus speaks of those of this of those who only hear. Then there comes the care of this world and the deceit the deceitfulness of riches.

And they choke the word and they become unfruitful. Now what kind of mind is this if the first is the unreceptive mind and the second is the deceptive mind. Here we have the competitive mind. Two things crowded notice the care of the world that's poverty and the deceitfulness of riches that's wealth.

And they choke the word and it becometh unfruitful. Alias. The test of either poverty or wealth proves too much. Now i want to mention dear brethren both poverty and wealth in this parable are spoken of by the thorns.

We're inclined to think that only welfare only wealth can be a thorn. But i tell you poverty can be a thorn. And i won't deliberate on that tonight. But when the competition of care and wealth comes along the world is choked and there's an evidence that there never was any work at all.

Then with the seed that fell into good ground it brought forth fruit some 100 fold some 60 fold and some 30 fold. Here we have ground that's neither hard nor shallow nor thorny. It's good ground ground that has been plowed deep.

The lord jesus speaks of this as those who hear and who understand and who bear fruit that's that have been plowed deep by the convicting of the spirit of god. All here some don't understand others receive with joy.

But here with individual who hears and who understands whose heart has been plowed deep by the convicting of the spirit of god. Here we have the sensitive mind the good ground the sensitive mind. Now i spent more time on that parable than i had intended.

But just let me direct your attention to the different prepositions that the lord employs here. Notice in connection with the seed that fell by the wayside the preposition is by the wayside. Then verse five upon the stony places.

Verse seven among the thorns. But we come to the good ground. It's into the good ground. It's only in connection with the good ground we have the preposition into. Apart from that it's by upon and among.

But in the good ground the seed falls into it. Thus in that parable we have how the kingdom is being formed during this unique day by the sowing of the word of the kingdom. That brings us to the second parable verses 24 to 30.

The Wheat and the Tares

And the lord expounds it in verses 36 to 43. It's the parable of the tears in the field. In the parable the soar the enemy tried to prevent the work of god. He sent down the birds of the air who snatched away the good seed but he failed.

There was the seed that famine a good ground and there was fruit. But if in the first parable he tried to prevent the work in the second parable he tries to corrupt the work. How does he corrupt the work by causing there to be sown alongside the wheat.

This darnell these tears this bastard wheat. And i'm told that tears can scarcely be distinguished from wheat that they only in fact can be distinguished really when they're full grown. I want us to appreciate dear brethren tonight that the devil the enemy of men's souls he is a master in the art of imitation.

What is so deceptive today is this that there is an element of truth in the teaching of every evil cult. I repeat the devil is a master in the art of imitation beginning with those egyptian magicians who were able to imitate what moses did.

The climax shall be the antichrist who shall yet appear in the earth. The counterfeit christ. Revelation 13 speaks of him as being a like a lamb. That's christ. But he speaks as a dragon. That's the devil.

Now the enemy sows the tears. So is this imitation. Wheat the lord says while men slept. Ah this is sad but true. How busy the enemy is while we as god's people are sleeping today hear the word of scripture romans chapter 13 knowing the time that now it is high time to wake out of sleep.

For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Ephesians chapter 5. Awake now that sleepeth sleepeth and arise from the dead and christ shall give thee light. And while many of us as gods purely are sleeping the enemy he is so very busy.

From morning to night they're knocking on men and women's doors while the majority of the lord's people they're sleeping. The last with so many of our young people today little or no interest in the spread of the gospel.

They wouldn't think of spending their half holiday going round the doors distributing tracts. They want some kind of entertainment some kind of sport. The enemy's not doing that kind of thing. He's busy.

And we're sleeping. And we're sleeping while there has been entrusted to us the word of the kingdom. Ah this is no day for idle indolent christians while the enemy is so busy. This is no day for secret disciples.

My brother my sister let's not sleep. Let's be up and doing while the enemy is so busy now the word in verse 13 after the servants came and said well then that we go and gather them up. Gather the darning up.

The lord jesus said let both grow together. Let them go together until the time of the harvest. And i remember being in london and listening to an open air meeting where a roman catholic priest was preaching.

And he was asked the question why it was that in the roman catholic church there were so many roads. That was how it was put. And he quoted this verse did not the parable of matthew 13 say let both grow together.

So we let both grow together. Of course he failed to appreciate that the wheat and the darnell they grow together. Not in the church. They grow together in the field. But if there's any darnell in the church it must be dealt with.

It must be put away. But of course you could never put darnell out of the world. That's impossible. Fail you to appreciate the simple teaching of god's word. Thus let both go together. After all it's not ours to try and uproot the darnell.

We want to get on with preaching the word. It's ours not to uproot the unreal. It's ours merely to preach the word and leave that with god. Now we cannot take time to develop this much further save to observe that the darnell it's bundled together and then it's cast into the burning.

And this is the end of the darnell. The children of the wicked one cast into the burning as the savior speaks of the reverse partitude there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth cast into the furnace of fire.

But what are. What are the wheat. What are the children of the kingdom gathered safely into the barn. Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of my father. Thus in the second parable with the devil's endeavor to corrupt the word of god.