The Kingdom of God AND The Parable of the Sower

This morning I am reflecting on several verses from Matthew's Gospel.  The parable of the sower is found in all three Synoptic Gospels, but it Matthew adds a little extra that is interesting.  Here are the verses - Matthew 13:3-19 NIV:

[3] "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop---a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. [9] Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 

[10] The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 

[11] He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. [12] Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 

[13] This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. [15] For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' 

[16] But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 

[18] “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: [19] When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path."

A couple things that are unique about Matthew's version are that he provides an expanded set of verses for Jesus' quote from Isaiah, verses 13-15 above, and His definition of the seed is slightly different.  Mark and Luke both have Jesus refer to the seed as the word of God, but in Matthew's version Jesus defines the seed as the message about the Kingdom, in other words the Gospel of the Kingdom of God being established by Jesus, and coming near to them.  Matthew, in general seems to bring out the theme of the Kingdom of God more regularly, with more emphasis than the other Gospel authors.  All three do quote verse 11 similarly, that the apostles were being given "knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom."

Recently our church has started diving more in the theme of the Kingdom and this is something I have waited for years to see happen.  I have written several entries about the Kingdom of God and the centrality of this message in Jesus' ministry, so I won't say much about it today.  Suffice it to say that this was Jesus' primary message.

Going back to the verses from this morning, what struck me was the statement Jesus made in verse 16 & 17.  He says that those who see with their eyes and hear with their ears the message of the Kingdom of God are blessed.  This was a moment that many of the fore-fathers of their faith, had looked forward to for centuries!   The apostles, and by extension us who have followed them, are seeing things and hearing things that were hidden from the early fathers.  In other words, we live in a rare age of revelation, and this knowledge should drive us forward to see the Kingdom, and the message of the Kingdom, revealed, fulfilled and embraced in our lives and the lives of our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ!

Somehow we have lessened the importance of this Gospel of the Kingdom over the centuries and millennia, and I believe it is being stirred back up by the Holy Spirit!  I love the promise that Jesus makes in verses 11 & 12.  He says that,  "whoever has 'been given the secrets of the Kingdom (from verse 11)' will be given more, and they will have an abundance."  What a great opportunity for us to press into, believing that the Lord will bring greater revelation of His Kingdom and the secrets of it, if we listen and observe (verse 16).  That message about the kingdom, if landing in good soil (verse 8 above) will produce an abundance, even a great harvest!  We have the ability to be good soil, and if we are the fruit will be evident, multiplication! 

Thus, we must make sure that we are listening and hearing, looking and seeing, what the Lord is saying!  This requires active participation on our parts, and focus and discipline in our pursuit, one could almost say we are required to become disciples!  :-)  I am reminded that great commission, found in Matthew 28, was to make disciples!  

In Mark 16, Jesus gives this command just before ascending, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." ( Mark 16:15 NIV).  In Mark's version of the Gospel, the Gospel Jesus is referring to is the Good News (Gospel) about the Kingdom of God.  He records the following as the foundation of Jesus message, "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” ( Mark 1:14-15 NIV).

Oh Lord, I pray that You would stir in our hearts the Gospel of the Kingdom, once again!  I pray that You would release revelation of the secrets of Your Kingdom, and that we, Your Church, would be good soil for this central message!  Let us hear and see and proclaim and demonstrate the reality that Your Kingdom is here, and real, and expanding!

Amen and Amen!