The Parables of Christ (11/19/2023)

Let's turn to the gospel of Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13 and the title of this message is the parables of Christ.

The parables of Christ. So a parable is a simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson.

Christians usually though describe the parables of Jesus as earthly stories with the heavenly meaning.

Who's heard that definition? That's very common. An earthly story has a heavenly meaning.

And I think most people assume, most Christians would assume, that Jesus told parables in order to help people understand what he was saying.

So he would tell a parable to try to clear things up for people to understand his teaching better.

Well, yes and no. I mean there's some truth to that, but at the same time here is what some people miss.

I'm just going to quote from commentator Matthew Henry. I think he says it best. He writes that through the parables the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught.

And at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who are willfully ignorant.

So if you remember the context in Matthew, we've been going through chapter 12 over the past few weeks.

Israel's leaders have just committed what is called the unpardonable sin.

And it's at this point where it's very clear that Israel's leaders had rejected

Christ. It's now that he really starts to speak to the people in parables.

If I can put it this way, he didn't want to cast his pearls of wisdom before swine.

So those who had open hearts, those who are willing to believe on Christ, at least consider him and and listen to him, they had ears to hear.

They would hear, they would understand. Okay, that's for them. But those who rejected

Christ, those who were not interested in learning, for them the parables just made the teachings of Christ more difficult to understand.

So really the parables served two purposes, to make things clear or to make them harder.

So let's begin by reading the first parable in Matthew 13. This is verses 1 through 9, the parable of the sower.

This is probably one of the most well -known parables that Jesus gave. It says, on the same day

Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathering together to him, so that he got into the boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them.

Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

But when the sun was come up, they were scorched because they had no root, and they withered away.

And then some of the seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some sixtyfold, or some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

And Jesus says in verse 9, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

So did you notice that last statement? Let's focus on this for a moment. Those who have ears to hear.

And listen, if you hear a parable, a lot of people, it doesn't sink in the first time.

So if you don't understand all the parables of Christ, you know, don't feel bad. It takes a little time, even as disciples didn't understand them at first.

But he makes this statement in verse 9, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

So to start out, that is what is necessary. We need to be willing to listen.

We need to have ears. For to understand the teachings of Christ, you have to first want to understand the teachings of Christ.

You need to find them valuable. Some people, you know this, they're just mockers.

So if somebody doesn't believe in Christ, they mock Christ. The parables are worthless.

They probably aren't going to understand them. They don't want to understand them. Some people, this is a common thing, some people just think they already know everything.

And you know, the people like that can't learn, because you can't tell them anything they already, they already know.

So really, you have to approach Christ and His teachings. You have to be humble, willing to learn, willing to listen, believing that Jesus actually has divine wisdom to share.

So do we, that's the first thing to start with, do you have ears to hear? Next, you need to be open to the messenger.

Do you believe that Jesus is sent from God? Again, if somebody doesn't believe that, they're not going to understand.

What was the attitude of the religious leaders of Israel? At this point, they looked at Christ and they viewed

Him as what? Yeah, they viewed Him as a false teacher. Remember, He was working miracles, they said, by the power of Beelzebub.

I mean, they really despised Jesus. They were not going to listen. They did not have those ears to hear.

Jesus is going to explain this parable, excuse me, of the sower that we just read.

He's going to explain that in a moment, but before we go through, I just want to jump through this passage to see what

Jesus Himself says about the parable. So before we explain them and tell you what they mean, let's see, let's kind of get a big -picture view of what the parables are all about.

So in this chapter, Jesus, if you take notes you can write this down, Jesus gives seven parables.

So the parable of the sower that we just read, then there's the parable of the wheat and the tares, there's the parable of the mustard seed.

I know this is too hard to write it all down that quick, but the parable of the leaven, you just write mustard seed, leaven, you know, scribble, go ahead.

The parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of great, the pearl of great price.

So those are two sort of, they have the same meaning. And then finally we'll look at the parable of the dragnet.

So the parables of Christ, even though they make up some of His best -known teaching, and while they're some of the most famous stories in all of the world, there's actually a lot of disagreement about the parables, even among Christians.

First of all, some people will argue and debate what constitutes a parable.

If you notice at the very end there's a statement about He who is like a householder.

Some people wonder, is that a parable? It's like one verse. Is that a parable or not? Some would say it is, some say it isn't.

If you have the NIV, according to the NIV, it says there are 24 parables of Christ.

Most people would say over 30. 39 is a pretty common number that a lot of people agree on, and yet some say there's over 50 parables.

So you see, a lot of people don't even agree on, is this a parable? Is that a parable? So there's that disagreement.

Some will wonder, are there multiple meanings in the parables? Some people think that there's only one meaning.

Every parable has one meaning. Others believe that there's multiple meanings.

So all sorts of disagreement, but that's why I just want to focus on what Jesus Himself says about the parables first.

So look at verse 10, Matthew 13, starting in verse 10.

This section is titled, The Purpose of Parables. It says,

And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do you speak to the people in parables? Okay, so now we get some clarification.

Why is Jesus doing this? From His own words. Okay, verse 11, He answered and He said to them,

Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

So who's asking this question? Yep, going back to verse 10. The disciples asked

Jesus, Why are you doing this? Why do you speak to people in parables? He says, Because you, it's for you to understand and not for them.

So you see, at least to some degree, Jesus is trying to hide the meaning from some people.

These are those who don't have faith. Verse 11, so continuing on,

Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Verse 12, For whoever has, to him more will be given. And he who has, or has in abundance, let me start over, verse 12,

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Okay, so that really fits with what Matthew Henry said, that through the parables, the things of God were made more clear to those willing to be taught, and then at the same time more difficult to those who did not want to learn.

So again, presenting the question to you, do you want to be taught? Do you want to be taught by Christ?

Do you have ears to hear? Then Jesus, in verse 14, so skip ahead to verse 14, he quotes from Isaiah chapter 6.

Actually, why don't you go to Isaiah 6, and you know, we can sort of compare the two.

Turn to Isaiah chapter 6 in the Old Testament, but this is a well -known passage from Isaiah, where the

Lord asked the question, you know, whom shall I send, and who will go for us? If you've ever attended a ordination for a missionary, this is usually the verse they bring out.

Even though, you know, the person who volunteers to go and preach, you know, they might be in for a rude awakening, because he goes on to say that nobody's going to listen, unfortunately.

So here's what Jesus says in Matthew 13, 14. You're in Isaiah 6, stay there. Jesus says, and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, so in Matthew 13,

Jesus is quoting Isaiah. So let's just read straight from Isaiah. Isaiah 6, verse 9, says, go and tell this people, keep on hearing, but do not understand.

Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people, what?

Dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.

Then I said, Lord, how long? You know, in other words, how long do you want me to preach to people, when you're already telling me up front that they're not going to listen, they're not going to understand?

How long do you want me to do that? The Lord answered Isaiah, until the cities are laid waste, and without inhabitant.

Okay, now let's go back to Matthew chapter 13. That'd be kind of a discouraging message for a prophet.

Some preachers feel like this, like I'm preaching, and I'm trying to tell people, and nobody's listening. Well, that happened in Isaiah's day.

It happens now, but that's partially what the parables are, right?

Some people are going to listen. It's to clear them, clear things up for them, and to then hide the truth from others.

So in Isaiah's time, because the people didn't repent, the nation was conquered by the

Babylonians. And in Jesus's day, because Israel would not listen to him, they were destroyed by who?

The Romans, because they wouldn't believe the gospel. So this is one of the reasons why

Jesus spoke in parables. Okay, and again, in Matthew 12, a few weeks ago, the

Pharisees accused Jesus of doing these works by the devil. Really, they crossed a line, and Jesus, in effect, he's saying,

I'm not going to give you any more truth. You can almost look at that as as doing them a favor, because the more truth you have, the more accountable you are.

So Jesus hides this truth from the religious leaders of Israel.

Okay, look at verse 16, Matthew 13, verse 16, saying to his disciples now, but blessed are your eyes, for they see.

In your ears, for they hear. So Israel is not going to listen, but the disciples of Christ, the new

Israel, if you will, they will listen. They are true Israel, the disciples, because they believed in the

Messiah. Verse 17, for assuredly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it.

And they wanted to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it. Okay, skip ahead to verse 34.

Remember, we're still trying to get a big -picture view of what the parables are all about, seeing what

Jesus said about them. Matthew 13, 34, all these things

Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables. And without a parable, he did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

I will open my mouth in parables, and I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

So this quote is from Psalm 78, verse 2. The things that were kept secret, at least in part, is the gospel itself.

You know, in the Old Testament, obviously when Jesus came, they were not expecting the Messiah to have to suffer and die.

There were little hints, all throughout the Old Testament, about the first advent of Christ.

Did the people pick up on it? No, they were blind. They were not listening. And now that Jesus is there, again, the religious leaders of Israel are not listening.

And I would say, same thing today. You know, there's Bible -believing, evangelical churches,

Protestant churches, all over this country, all over the world. The gospel is being proclaimed, that people need to repent and turn to faith in Christ.

But the majority of people, what, are not listening, and they read through the

Scripture. And again, there's parts of the Scripture you don't understand, parts of the Bible I don't understand.

We understand the big, the big picture, though. We understand the main message, right? But again, people, they're just not listening, by and large.

So Jesus makes this quote from Psalm 78. Part of what was kept secret was the gospel itself, which

Paul later will call a mystery. Okay, now jump down to verse 53 of Matthew 13.

So, in order for them to really understand the teachings of Christ, they had to believe on Jesus.

But now we see what had to have been a painful rejection, where Jesus was denied, really, in His hometown of Nazareth.

Look at verse 53. It says, now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished.

And they said, where did this man get his wisdom and these mighty works?

So, they hear Jesus speak, and they're totally amazed. Where did this guy get all this knowledge and wisdom?

Now, why did they say that? Well, because some of them remember Jesus when He was younger. They know

His family. Jesus, this is His hometown. And here He, you know, He goes, He leaves home for a few years, and He comes back with all this knowledge.

Now, He's this powerful preacher. And what's their reception?

Is it a warm welcome? No. It says they were offended at Him in verse 57.

Why? Why were they offended? Well, because familiarity breeds contempt.

So, where did this man get the wisdom? Verse 55. Is this not the carpenter's son?

Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

And by the way, this is a difference between, you know, Roman Catholicism that believes

Mary was forever a virgin. Us Protestants, evangelicals, we believe

Jesus had brothers and sisters. And I think you see that here. You know, we know His brothers,

James and Judas. And verse 56, His sisters are here. Are they not all with us?

Where did this man get all these teachings? So, they were offended at Him.

In other words, how can Jesus be a prophet? I remember Him when He was like this tall. How can

He be a prophet? Now, one thing really has nothing to do with another. How can He be a prophet?

I know His family. Like, I'm not seeing the connection. Like, why would that prevent

Him? But again, this is just the way people are. If you know somebody, hey, there can't be anything special about them because they grew up where I grew up.

And I don't know, maybe that's a reflection on them. They thought they weren't special. So, how can He be special? Whatever the case.

Even His people in His hometown rejected Him. Do you think that Jesus was going to reveal some special wisdom to them?

No. He... When Jesus finds people not willing to listen, He's going to move on.

Here's what He says in verse 49. But Jesus says to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.

In verse 58, now He did not do any mighty works there because of what? Their unbelief.

So, you just have to understand this. When a person has unbelief, they're living in unbelief.

They don't care what Jesus says. They're living life on their own terms. You know, these are the people that say, hey, what's the big deal about the

Bible? I don't see what's, you know, why are people so interested in this book?

Or they read the book and they say, this is just boring. And you know, the people who say that about the

Bible, they are living either in unbelief or they're going into it with that mindset.

And if that's your mindset, you know, your understanding is not going to be open. You have to go in with an open mind, with an open heart.

So, hopefully you get it. That's just kind of an overview. Let's go back over the parable of the sower because now

Jesus explains it. So, hopefully all of that to say this, we need to have ears to hear.

Verse 18, Jesus goes into His explanation of the parable.

Matthew 13, verse 18, He says, Therefore hear the parable of the sower.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart.

This is he who received seed by the wayside, but he who received seed on the stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

Right? There's some people who hear the gospel, they hear the word of God preached. It's like in one ear and out the other.

Like no effect at all. Other people, they hear it and they immediately accept it. However, verse 21, yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a time.

And when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Have you ever run across somebody the first time they hear the gospel or you know one of the first times they immediately accept it, you're like praise

God and then you know the next week something happens. Somebody insults them or maybe they face some tragedy in their life.

Immediately they bail out. They were following Christ for like two weeks and they stopped.

Well that's kind of what he's describing here. Look at verse 22. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.

They choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. I think this is probably one of the most common things.

People they receive the word of God, they believe it, they stay living as a Christian.

It's just that the things of God are way down here on the priority list. I mean I'm interested in a promotion and making money and the things of the world and I'm being distracted by everything and anything but the things of God.

And if you do that, what? Jesus says you become unfruitful. Verse 23, but he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it.

Who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30.

Now which one do you want to be? What do you think the ideal is? The fourth one, right?

The good ground. Now sometimes people say okay we got an interpretation of the parable of the sower.

Some people wish that Jesus would give an interpretation of the interpretation. Like I'm still not quite clear on all this.

And again if that's you that's okay. But some people argue about this.

You look at the good, the fruit, the things that the person who receives the word of God is producing.

Some people see fruit as good works. Others see it as making converts. And people will argue about okay which group is actually saved?

You know the in one ear, out the other group. Okay they're probably not Christians. The one who received it for like two weeks, are they true believers?

Well probably not because they fall away right away. But what about those who are the cares of this world?

You know people argue okay which group is are the true Christians? Which group isn't? I don't know that's the point of the parable honestly.

It could be. That's the way a lot of people will read it. Others will say this, that the point of the parable is not which group is saved.

Rather that God's Word will only flourish and thrive when it reaches the hearts of faithful people who are willing to absorb and grow it.

Okay because the God's Word will wither and die on the hearts of the evil or on the uncommitted or on the worldly.

So again some Christians even argue about and debate whether or not you know does it mean this or does it mean that.

Let's continue on with the parable of the wheat and the tares. I think every parable has a true meaning but I think there are many ways you can apply it.

The one thing you would walk away with the parable of the sower, you want to be that good ground amen. Let's bring a little clarity.

You want to bring, you want to be the good ground. You want to produce fruit. So you want to say

I believe in Christ. I heard. I believe it. I'm sticking with it and I'm producing fruit.

I'm showing good works. I'm trying to make converts. That way you can know that you are the good fruit.

Okay next the parable of the wheat and the tares. Look at verse 24. Another parable he put forth to them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

But while men slept, his enemies came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, sir did you not sow good seed in your field?

How then does it have tares? And he said to them, an enemy has done this. And the servants said to him, do you want us then to go and gather them up?

But he said, no, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest. And at the time of harvest

I will say to the reapers, first gather together the tares and bind them in bundles and burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

Skip ahead to verse 36. Jesus then is going to explain the parable.

Matthew 13 36. Then Jesus sent the multitudes away and went into the house.

And again his disciples came to him saying, explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.

So he answered and said to them, he who sows the good seed is who?

The Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

The enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness.

Now is that happening now? No. The two are allowed to grow together right now.

This is happening at the end, at the harvest. And once he collects those who practice lawlessness, they will, verse 42, will cast them into the furnace of fire and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine forth as the Son in the kingdom of their Father, and he who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Now this parable, I think, is a little more obvious in its meaning. So what's the parable about?

Well, in this world, and even in the church, but in this world, in the kingdom of Christ, which is a spiritual kingdom, including all true believers all over the world, there's going to be a mixture of good and bad.

And isn't that true? There are people in this world who say they're Christians, and they're not. There are people in churches who say they're

Christians, and they are. And others who say they are, but they're not. There's going to be a mixture of saved and lost.

And you know, sometimes you can tell the difference. Guess what? A lot of times you can't. And this is one reason why we shouldn't judge other people, at least in that ultimate sense, because who goes to heaven and who doesn't isn't my call, and it's not your call.

Jesus will make that call at the end, at the harvest. But as of now, in this age, both are growing up together.

There's a mixture of good and bad. Look at verse 31. This is the parable of the mustard seed.

It says, another parable he put forth to them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds.

Okay, mustard seed is very, very small, but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and it becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.

So this parable teaches that the kingdom of God, it starts out what? Small, tiny.

Started out with Jesus and twelve followers on the other side of the world, and now look at it.

So it starts out small, but it will grow and spread across the whole world to where now there is really a, it's hard to count all the

Christians worldwide. So the mustard seed is the smallest, it grows, becomes like a tree, and what happens?

What nests in its branches? Birds. Okay, the birds of the air. Now if you remember the parable of the sower, the birds of the air represented who or what?

Satan. So it's probably the birds here, same thing, I'm assuming, represents the devil.

So the kingdom of God started out small, it grows, it grows, and now covers the entire world.

It's like a big tree, and Satan is always trying to infiltrate it. You know, the birds of the air try to nest in the branches, so to speak.

One commentator says this, the history of the church has shown Jesus' parable of the mustard seed to be true.

The church has experienced an explosive rate of growth through the centuries.

It is found worldwide and is a source of sustenance and shelter for all who seek its blessing.

In spite of persecution and repeated attempts to stamp it out, the church has flourished.

And by the way, if you say, well, the church in America isn't really flourishing right now, well, it's,

Christianity is still the largest religion or the largest faith in the world, so keep that in mind.

And even if it's not growing in the United States, it's still growing other places. So Jesus' parable is absolutely true.

And this is partially why, one reason why, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, because what he said came to pass.

Okay, let's get into the next parable. Verse 33, this is the parable of the leaven.

So there's a similar take here as well. Verse 33, another parable, he spoke to them, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven.

Leaven, of course, is yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened.

So God's work, even though you can't always see it, God's work is relentless and it continues to grow.

It starts out small, it's invisible, and it works from within. Just with the leaven, the yeast, and the dough, you can't see it working, except when, you know, the effect of the dough starts to rise.

But the work of God is similar. It starts small, oftentimes you can't see it, and it's from the inside out.

Okay, a heart is changed first and then the visible effects are seen later on.

How did the gospel impact the world in regards to this parable? Again, it began with 12 disciples, the church did, on the other side of the earth.

Started growing slowly, one heart at a time was changed, and now you can find a

Christian church on every continent in every country in the world. It was like the prophet

Habakkuk said, Habakkuk 2 14, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge and the glory of the

Lord as the waters cover the sea. Okay, next is the parable of the hidden treasure.

Another short parable, just one verse. So we'll do this one and the pearl of great price together, since they essentially mean the same thing.

So verses 44 and 45 says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid.

And for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

And again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who when he has found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

So the treasure and the pearl represent what? Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers.

Nothing is more valuable than that. Amen? Nothing is more valuable than Christ and salvation.

What does the scripture say? What is it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?

Speaking about hidden treasure or the thing being hidden, Christ is only hidden to those who have made themselves blind by sin and unbelief.

Anyone who is truly searching for Christ will find him. Amen? Jesus said in Matthew 7 verse 8, he who seeks what?

Finds. People in this world are looking for, you know, searching for peace and happiness and all these other things.

They're searching for the wrong things oftentimes, certainly in the wrong places. But once a person discovers that pearl of great price, they search no longer, for they have found rest for their soul.

Next, starting in verse 47, the parable of the dragnet. Jesus says again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which when it was full, they drew to shore and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but threw the bad away.

So it will be at the end of the age, the angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire.

And there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. So you see here, there's a lot of fishing, you know, illustrations here.

That makes sense because the disciples were fishermen. A lot of people were, you know, if Jesus were alive today telling parables,

I suspect they'd look a little different. But this is what they were dealing with back then. Basically, you had a fisherman, he has this weighted net that gets dragged along the bottom of the sea and it collects a variety of different fish.

Some of the fish are good, you could eat them, some of it you couldn't. So similar to the parable of the wheat and tares, it represents a final sorting, right?

There's good and there's bad. There's useful and there's useless. So in the end times, the end of days, there's going to be a final sorting, a final determination of those who have heard the word, you know, they had ears to hear, they believed on Christ, they listened to His teaching.

The angels are going to come and gather them together and take them to be with the Lord and His kingdom.

But all those who couldn't have, didn't have time for God during their life, guess what?

There's going to be a final sorting there. People who went their own way, lived their own life, had no time for God, blasphemed

His name, they're going to be collected too. And we see where they're going to go. Jesus said it. It's one last thing.

Verse 52, I'll come back to verse 51, we're almost done. Verse 52,

He said to them, therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder.

I said, you know, some people think this is a parable, some don't. Maybe seven parables, some eight.

You know, it's pointless to argue about that stuff. But what does this mean? The scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven, he's like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.

The scribes were teachers of the Old Testament law. If they came to faith in Christ, they're going to continue to preach the

Old Testament, just like pastors today. We preach from the Old Testament, but we also preach from the new.

And once you accept Christ, it gives you a whole new outlook on the Old Testament scriptures because you read the

Old Testament through the lens of Christ. So you're coming in with both old and new.

Okay, here's what matters most of all, and this will be the application for you today.

And again, if you don't understand all the parables, nobody does. Certainly the first time reading through them, nobody understands.

It's all about those ears to hear. Are you searching for Christ? Do you want to learn?

Do you have an open mind and an open heart? This is what Jesus says in verse 51, to His disciples.

He says, have you understood all these things? You know, who am I to say this?

But I suspect they didn't really understand it all. But they understood enough.

Jesus says, have you understood all these things? What did they say? They said to Him, yes,

Lord. I'd ask you the same question. Have you understood? Like, are you getting the basic message?

Yes, Lord. Let's hear you say it. If you're getting the basic message, have you understood all these things?

What? Yes, Lord. They understood because they had ears to hear.

And they had ears to hear because they had faith. Let's pray. And Heavenly Father, if there's somebody here this morning who has never placed their faith in Jesus, I believe that faith is a gift.

There is something in the Bible called the gift of faith. But Lord, if they've been searching for you, may today be the day they find you.

And so Lord, I just pray that you would give many people, whether it's here this morning, listening later on, you would give them the gift of faith.

Give them ears to hear, that they would understand your teaching and apply it.

And Lord, as we see, there is going to be a great final sorting in the end of days.

And Lord, some will be gathered together to heaven. Others will be bundled together and thrown into the furnace.

Lord, help us to be about your work, to spread the gospel, to save people from the fire to come.

And Lord, we pray all this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Let's sing with one voice, hymn number 206.

Megan's gonna come up and lead us. Please stand. Your spirit till the work on earth is done.

Jesus, my Redeemer, name above all names.

Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, all for sinners slain.

Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your

Son. And leaving your spirit till the work on earth is done.

When I stand in glory,

I will see his face.

There I'll serve my King forever in that holy place.

Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your

Son. And leaving your spirit till the work on earth is done.