Thursday in the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:44-53

More Parables about the Kingdom

Today we finish the parables of Jesus, at least for now.  He will tell more before we come to his death and resurrection, but the ones we have covered these last few days are the ones the gospels put forward as being essential to understanding the kingdom of our God and His heaven.

The first two parables go together.  The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and to his joy sold all that he had to buy that field.  Or it is like a fine and beautiful pearl for which a man sold all he had to buy it.  The meaning is not hard to ascertain: The kingdom of heaven is worth everything we have, with which we should willingly part, with exceeding joy, for the acquisition thereof.  Of course, the kingdom is not bought for money; that would be too easy.  The kingdom is bought for nothing less than our very lives.  The hardest thing we shall ever do is give away the sins which so easily beset us: lust, worry, envy, greed, strife, and so many more.  We must be willing to part even with our most cherished possessions.  We must make sure we have no other gods before Him, even if it is something as wonderful as family.  If the kingdom of heaven, if walking with Jesus in the power of the Spirit – thinking of Him even when we aren’t thinking of Him – is not our greatest joy, we have some serious matters of the heart to attend to.  We must die, that we may live (Galatians 2:20).

Then the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea and drug to shore where the fish are separated, the good from the bad.  A great and terrible day is coming.  We are taught not to judge before the time, for the weeds and wheat must grow together in this world (13:24-30, 36-43).  But they will not always be together; judgment day comes.  Those who refuse to believe that God has created a hell for the devil, his angels, and those who refuse Christ, simply refuse to believe the Bible.  They refuse to believe in justice as well.  The One who began it all is going to end it all someday.  Either way, there is going to be a meeting of Creator and creature, the Creator will render judgment, and there will be no court of appeal.  Therefore, let us sanctify ourselves before the Day of the Lord arrives.

So the “scribe” who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.  In the beginning was the Word, and yet it is ever fresh – never contradicting what went before, but ever going deeper into the truths therein.  The word of God is the treasure. May God give us master scribes.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist