Matthew – Page 14 – Be Still…

Matthew 13:53-58 – Rejected!

Have you ever known someone from your hometown that has gone on to make it big? If you live in a small town, there can even be more hype around it. I remember a couple of people over the years. One became a movie star, one a star NFL quarterback, and another an American Idol winner. Now I never knew these individuals personally, but I knew from where they came.

In the scheme of things, these people are just people like you and me. We went to school together or shopped at the same store, or worshipped at the same church. They were just “normal” people–until they became famous. Then they were just famous normal people. But Jesus was not “normal” was he?

Matthew 13:44-52 – Get Caught in the Net

Read Matthew 13:44-52

Have you ever saved and saved for something you really wanted? I remember as a child, I would save my allowance because I wanted to buy a horse. I had my horse fund. When it didn’t look probable that I’d ever have the horse of my dreams, the fund became my bike fund. A little more realistic. To me, those things were treasures. They were something I really wanted.

The first of our two stories today speaks of finding first a treasure and then a pearl, both of great value. There was urgency as well as desire. The merchant couldn’t wait for the time it would take to save his money. In both cases, he sold everything he had to have the item he wanted. He sacrificed all for one. Have you ever done that? Cashed in all you had for one thing?

Matthew 13:24-43 – More Weeds & Seeds

Read Matthew 13:24-43

Jesus gives us a couple more examples to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. It seems to be a complex thing to convey so he uses different pictures or parables to help us understand. It’s not clear if the people listening understood. We know the disciples asked for clarification. Jesus wants us to think through it, too. The beauty of a parable should be rich and memorable.

So what do we know from these readings about the Kingdom of Heaven? That it is like a field of good seed being sown, that it is like a mustard seed, and like yeast. Now if that doesn’t make it clear as mud, I don’t know what else to say! If you have insights I haven’t thought of, please share in the comments! Let’s break each of them down just a little bit.

Matthew 13:1-23 – Good Soil

Read Matthew 13:1-23

As I write this, I am feeling a lot like a farmer. We are trying to grow grass in our yard, and we’ve pretty much started from scratch by killing everything and starting over. However, there are many large roots unseen to the human eye that are not dead, and they are producing more and more weeds. The enemy of the farmer = weeds.

Jesus uses this parable as his first to explain the Kingdom of God. Chapter 13 is often thought of as the parable chapter. Up to now, Jesus has mentioned the Kingdom of God but it is something new that needs to be explained. There is no better way to explain a new idea than with a story. We know that in marketing as well. Facts tell but stories sell. Jesus wants us to understand the promise for our future.

Matthew 12:46-50 – Jesus’ Family

Read Matthew 12:46-50

The cycle of parenting begins at birth when your child is wholly dependent on you. At some point independence steps in. By the teenage years, the child starts to rebel and the natural separation begins. The teenager is not at all impressed by the parent and is sometimes embarrassed by the obvious hovering or parental attempts at being cool. Then the child leaves home and starts a life of their own. All of a sudden, Mom and Dad are a lot wiser now. Friendship can blossom between parent and child. The circle of life.

Well, here, it’s almost as if Jesus is disowning his own mother and siblings. He asks “Who is my mother?” Of course, he knows Mary and he cares for her deeply, but those words? If she were to hear them, would she be hurt that her son, the Son of God, has questioned her identity? Was he being disrespectful?