Setting: Contemporary Worship
Length: 42:47
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Title: The Parable of the Owner of the House
Commentary: Many are not familiar with this parable as the other 7 in this chapter gets all the attention. But this final one pulls of them together for a purpose that is important to all believers.
Main Scripture: Matthew 13:51-52
Main Topics: parable, understanding, faith, teacher of the law, the teaching ministry, the great commission, missions
As you listen, select, copy, and paste the following outline:
Be patient as you listen to the opening activity. It is a bit choppy but is very important to understanding vs.51
Matthew 13:51
"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.
-in the original Greek, the word “understood” means “put it all together”
-in other words, Jesus taught quite a bit about the kingdom of heaven
-there were so many aspects to the kingdom
-how the word is like seed that is sown and variety of results that come about …..that was the parable of the Sower
-there was the lesson about the entanglement of the kingdom between the good and the bad…that was wheat and tares
-there were also lessons about kingdom growth, kingdom value
-kingdom judgment…like a net that drags through the ocean
-can you put it all together?
-meaning, can you process all of them in a way that you can use it
-it’s one thing to just sit there at the cove and listen to the parables…
-but can you take all of them and apply them….put them all together in a way that you can use it
-that was the question Jesus asked….
-now that I gave you 7 parables of the kingdom, do you really
understand? Vs.51
-and the answer is….YES
-wow….that is a bit of a surprise…
-I believe….this question and answer in vs.51 is between Jesus and the disciples
-in other words, the crowd at the cove did not hear it
-in fact, I believe that vs.52…parable #8….was ALSO given just to the disciples
-I know some of you were wondering why I kept saying that parable #8 was given just to the disciples
-let me say that both vs.51 and 52 are just for the disciples
-today, you will receive 3 reasons why I came to this conclusion
Allow me to explain why vs.51 and 52 are just for disciples
1. This kind of question (vs.51) would not have been asked to the crowd
-the nature of the question….being able to put it all together…and the positive response is one of the reasons why scholars believe this final parable was NOT given to the entire crowed at Sower’s Cove
-my point is….there is NO WAY Jesus would have asked a crowd of 10,000 people if they understood everything he was talking about and be able to put it all together
-that would be ridiculous
-this is a mixed crowd of unbelievers and believers
-it would be ridiculous to expect one…uniformed answer
-and the fact that the answer was a definitive YES…there is no way a massive crowd would answer in unison with a yes
-let’s remind ourselves that large crowds were not very good to Jesus
-large crowds were usually hostile and antagonistic
-things usually end very badly and most people rejected what Jesus taught
-remember also how chapter 13 is connected to chapter 12… remember the first phrase of chapter 13? “That same day…” which takes us back to chapter 12 where the teachers of the law accused him of working with the devil…this is a day of resistance and rejection
-and Jesus did take note of that when he emphasized the concept of understanding and NOT understanding
-in fact, these parables were about understanding and NOT understanding
-I mean, the very first parable set the pace
-the parable of the Sower….brought out the contrast
-in that first parable, Jesus was critical of the nation of Israel
-critical because they lacked understanding
-And so, He says in vs.13-14
…"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding…
-in fact, their hearts was so hard that Jesus and unable to understand that Jesus actually used the parables to KEEP THEM FROM UNDERSTANDING
-remember vs.10 where the disciples asked why Jesus spoke in parables…and it was to judge the people for their unbelief, right?
-so, if the parables were used to conceal the truth and judge the crowd….why would be then turn around and ask them if they genuinely understood them and be able to put it all together? That wouldn’t make sense
-remember also in the parable of the Sower
-in his explanation of that parable, he said…in vs.19
19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
-And so, understanding is actually a spiritual battle in which the devil himself comes to fight !
-the last thing Satan wants is for you to understand
-and even later in that parable, Jesus explains the seed falling on good soil, He says in vs.23
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
-The parable of the sower – its about understanding and not understanding…
-I mean, the VERY FIRST parable set the pace
-and now, the LAST question echoes it….
-As Jesus asks his own disciples if they understand
-if they can put it all together
-it’s like Jesus is saying
-GUYS…these 7 parables….I presented to the crowd
-even though I know that many will not understand
-but I want to know if YOU understand
-I called you guys to follow me….you must understand
-so, that is one of the reasons why I believe this question was addressed to the disciples
-this is not a question he would have asked to a random and mixed crowd who would eventually not follow Him
-most likely, Sower’s Cove is now closed and they are walking back to Peter’s house or…heading down to Nazareth…take a look at vs.53 and you see that they are heading down to Nazareth
-most likely, Jesus is asking the question as they are walking along the road
-now that we have established that the question in vs.51 is given to the disciples, there is still the need to establish the connection between vs.51 and 52. In other words, are these 2 verses a set? Is vs.51 connected to vs.52? Can we say that since vs.51 is spoken to the disciples that vs.52 ALSO speaks to the disciples?
-yes, we can…
-here is the second reason why it’s just for the disciples
2. Vs.51 is connected to vs.52 with the word “Therefore”
-vs.52 begins with “Therefore”
-that word connects vs.51 to vs.52….in other words, vs.52 is a conclusion to vs.51.
-in other words, if 51 is given to the disciples, then vs.52 is also given to the disciples
-in other words, Jesus is making sure they understand all the parables at Sower’s Cove before he gives them one more…just for them
-so, there is a connection between 51 and 52
-there is another reason why vs.52 is given just to the disciples.
-this is the 3rd reason
3. The content of the 8th parable (vs.52) fits only the true disciples
-the content of the final parable would not be something Jesus gives to an assorted crowd
-just like vs.51 only fits the disciples, vs.52 only fits the disciples
-let’s take a look at vs.52
52 He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
-the story is about an owner of a house
-but, the original Greek is NOT talking about an actual house
-today, we use this phrase “owner of a house” to mean that a person owns an actual house….a homeowner
-but….don’t translate it that way
-the word house in the original is “household”
-household – meaning – a family
-and the word owner can be translated…. “head”
-and so, put it together….you have…
head of the household
-today, the father of the house is often called – the
head of the house
-and so, the original Greek expression is still alive
today
-the owner of a house is the head of the household
-he is the father in the family
-this is the parable of the head of the house
-as the head of the household…
-his job was to provide materially for his family
-of course, there are the spiritual needs too….but this parable is a simple one – it focuses just on the material needs
-from food to other supplies
-and….of course, it was not uncommon for the woman of the house to provide materially as well, but…again, this parable is a simple one
-let’s not bring in contemporary women issues here…
-we all know women make important contributions
-let’s keep it simple….remember tip #3: find the main point
-and the main point is about a man simply providing for his family
-this family man…has a storeroom inside his house
-the picture here is of a man who manages his material supplies
-he knows how to stock up
-he shops at Costco and buys way more than he can use right away
-but that’s OK
-he buys bulk on purpose….
…cause his plan is to “store” the rest in his storage area
-in fact, you and I know that this is an efficient way to live
-having a storage area
-where you stock all your supplies
-and as the family needs the supplies, he…
“...brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
-meaning
-some supplies are brand new stuff….never been used
-and other supplies are old stuff
-stuff that has been used…but…CAN be used again
-items such as clothing
-hey, we do that today too….we don’t throw clothes away especially if you have more than one child – you pack the old clothes – mark the box (6 months old – 24 months old, etc.) or… big brother’s football helmet, gloves, etc.
-you didn’t know Jesus spoke about hand-me-downs,
did you?
-and so, the storeroom of the family man is a combination of new and old things….to take care of his family
-it’s his job
-and the good father takes up the challenge and responsibility to provide for those under his care
Let’s read vs.52 again
52 He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
So…surprise, surprise…who is compared to the owner of the house?
The teacher of the law
-now, for some of you, this may be confusing
-the owner of the house is a good guy who takes care of his family
-and now, the owner is compared to a teacher of the law?
-for most….the teacher of the law is a bad guy
-and that’s understandable because most of the time, he IS the bad guy
-a thorn in Jesus’ side
-constantly testing Him….challenging Him
-rejecting His teaching
-even as recent as chapter 12, they accused Jesus of working with the devil
-those guys were truly bad guys….so, I don’t think Jesus is talking about those teachers of the law
-could it be that Jesus is using the title “teacher of the law” in a positive way?
-of course, this is a positive parable
-it’s about someone taking care of his family…that’s a good guy
-so, the teacher of the law here is a good guy who does good work
-remember back when we considered the bad reputation of yeast
-and we reminded ourselves that yeast can also be used positively
-so, in the same way, the teacher of the law can be a good guy as he is here
-in fact this good teacher is someone who has been “instructed about the kingdom of heaven”
Question: who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13?
-yes, the whole crowd heard, but who has been specifically taught?
-who did Jesus spend time with and gave extra explanations about the parables in hopes that they will understand?
-the disciples
-they are the ones instructed
-remember back in vs.51, they are the ones that Jesus asks if they understand…that is….if they can put it all together
-so, who is the teacher of the law who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven? The disciples
-therefore, parable #8 is given JUST TO….the disciples
-we gave 3 reasons so far
1. the question in vs.51
2. the connective: therefore
3. and the content of vs.52….just for the disciples
-just in case you need more evidence, let me give you a bonus reason…this one’s free
-the word “instruct” in the original Greek comes from the word “disciple”
-we can literally translate it: discipled
-so, we can translate vs.52 this way
"Therefore every teacher of the law who has been [discipled] about the kingdom of heaven is like…”
-Jesus is talking about his disciples who are discipled
on the kingdom of heaven
-so, let me read it this way
"Therefore every [ disciple ] who has been [discipled] about the kingdom of heaven is like…”
-makes sense?
-well, if it makes sense……I have a question
-why call the disciples……teacher of the law?
-why not just call them disciples?
-listen, if something is a little different
-in this case….Jesus does not call them disciples but teachers of
the law
-if something is a bit unique, you know something important is going on
-Jesus is emphasizing something
-let’s see what it is….
-I believe….
Jesus is calling his disciples, “teachers of the law”, because He wants to emphasize their calling to be teachers
-Sower’s cove was a tremendous learning experience for them
-many times they were confused
-they asked a lot of questions privately
-namely: why do you speak in parables, v.10
-and asking about the wheat and tares
-they were taught many things about the kingdom…publicly and privately
-the wheat and tares was a great lesson about the delay of the kingdom…they never thought about it that way before
-and with all that they learned, now they must go out and teach others about the kingdom
-like a family man that brings out the new and the old out of his storeroom, the disciple are to use new and old teaching
-new teaching refers to all the new things they have learned at the cove
-and the old teaching refers to all the things they already knew about the long awaited messiah
-and like the family man who provide materially for his family, the disciples are now to provide spiritually for those who will have the ears to hear
-what a contrast to the BAD teachers of the law who could not be taught because eyes could not see, their ears could not hear and their hearts were calloused
-it’s like Jesus is saying…the true teachers of the law…true disciples…will go out and take care of the believers….provide for them spiritually
-this is what true disciples are called to do
-true followers of Jesus are called to be teachers
-all disciples, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, are called to be
full time teachers
-whether we preach Sunday mornings
-or whether we teach our children at home
-or whether we speak to our friends, family, co-workers,
neighbors about Jesus
-taking the word of God….putting it all together…and going out as sharing it with others
-this is how the kingdom grows
-this is how the church grows
-there are many ways a church grows…this is one of the major ways…as true disciples of Jesus are making more disciples of Jesus through the teaching of His holy Word
-and so, in this last parable…a parable that is not as well known…you see the great commission coming alive
-to go out into world and make disciples
-and if we are faithful to it, the church will grow…the kingdom will grow to His glory
-so….
-this must be a year where we buckle down and study the Word
-in Sunday School and in small groups and even in our vbv journey during Sunday worship
-this must be a year where we spread the Word of God around us
-so many of you have shared with me how much you are learning from our vbv journey
-I have been encouraged
-we are almost done with Matthew 13…one more passage to go
-but after that….I think I am going to go vbv again
-listen, if we didn’t go vbv we probably would never have encountered vs.51…which seems like just filler information, right
-we realize now that all of God’s word is rich and has much to teach us
-and as we continue to learn and understand
-be challenged to put it all together
-be challenged to process it so that you can use it to disciple others
-for true disciples of Jesus take what they have learned and disciples others into the kingdom of heaven
-this is your calling this year
In the light of Jesus' question in vs.51 about the disciples can putting all the parables together, I am listing all 7 parables that Jesus was referring to:
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