Good morning, everyone.
It is a joy and a privilege for me to gather with you,
to worship with you, and to preach God's word to you this morning.
! Please open up your Bibles to Matthew chapter 13.
And if you don't have a Bible, please raise your hand.
And we'd love to give you a copy that you can use while you're here
and you can take home with you.
Matthew chapter 13.
We're looking at verses 24 to 43 this morning.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Father, you do work in mysterious ways.
How can it be that the seed of the precious, eternal kingdom of heaven
is deposited into us?
Lord, that is your wisdom, your love.
Father, that you would open up our eyes to see
the wondrous spiritual realities
about the kingdom of heaven,
about the church of Christ,
that we may see as you see.
that we might walk by faith,
not by sight,
the sight of our eyes.
So Lord, give us ears to hear,
open the eyes of our hearts to understand
and to believe,
to cherish
your word this morning.
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Please stand if you are able
to honor God
as I read from his word
and then we hear from him.
Matthew chapter 13,
verses 24 to 43.
He put another parable before them,
saying,
the kingdom of heaven
may be compared to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.
But while his men were sleeping,
his enemy came
and sowed weeds among the wheat
and went away.
So when the plants came up
and bore grain,
then the weeds appeared also.
And the servants of the master of the house
came and said to him,
Master,
did you not sow good seed in your field?
How then does it have weeds?
He said to them,
an enemy has done this.
So the servants said to him,
then do you want us to go and gather them?
But he said,
no,
lest in gathering the weeds
you root up the wheat along with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest.
And at harvest time,
I will tell the reapers,
gather the weeds first
and bind them in bundles to be burned,
but gather the wheat into my barn.
He put another parable before them saying,
the kingdom of heaven
is like a grain of mustard seed
that a man took and sowed in his field.
It is the smallest of all seeds,
but when it has grown,
it is larger than all the garden plants
and becomes a tree
so that the birds of the air
come and make nests in its branches.
He told them another parable,
the kingdom of heaven
is like leaven
that a woman took
and hid in three measures of flour
till it was all leavened.
All these things,
Jesus said to the crowds in parables.
Indeed,
he said nothing to them without a parable.
This was to fulfill
what was spoken by the prophet.
I will open my mouth in parables.
I will utter what has been hidden
since the foundation of the world.
Then he left the crowds
and went into the house
and his disciples came to him saying,
explain to us the parable
of the weeds of the field.
He answered,
the one who sows the good seed
is the son of man.
The field is the world
and the good seed
is the sons of the kingdom.
The weeds are the sons of the evil one
and the enemy who sowed them
is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age
and the reapers are angels.
Just as the weeds are gathered
and burned with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The son of man will send his angels
and they will gather out of his kingdom
all causes of sin
and all lawbreakers
and throw them into the fiery furnace.
In that place,
there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their father.
He who has ears,
let him hear.
Scott's holy and authoritative word.
Please be seated.
Daniel 7, 13 to 14,
prophesied that a one like the son of man
will receive an everlasting dominion
and authority and a kingdom
from God the father,
the ancient of days,
a kingdom that will never be destroyed
and that he would rule over
all peoples and nations and languages.
This was a very important prophecy
in the Old Testament.
So when Jesus comes on the scene
and then he starts calling himself
the son of man,
alluding to that majestic title
in Daniel 7,
you can imagine the growing anticipation.
He is here.
The Messiah,
the son of man
who will bring about
the everlasting kingdom of God.
Similarly,
in Zechariah chapter 14,
or in Zechariah prophesied of a day
when the Lord God,
Yahweh himself,
will come down to earth
and stand on Mount of Olives
that lies before Jerusalem on the east
and fight against the nations
who rebel against God
and suppress his people.
He prophesied that on that day,
the Lord will be king
over all the earth.
On that day,
the Lord will be one
and his name one.
Meaning,
God's rule will be consummated
over all the earth
so that he will be the only king
and he will be the only Lord,
the only God who is worshipped.
For those who knew this prophecy
of God coming down himself
and standing upon the Mount of Olives,
when Jesus stands atop Mount of Olives
in Matthew 21,
before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
when people are hailing him,
Hosanna, son of David,
that excitement would have been palpable.
He's here.
God himself
has come down
to be king
over all the earth
so that the Lord will be one
and his name one.
But Jesus does not go
from the Mount of Olives
into Jerusalem
to overthrow the Roman Empire.
He goes into Jerusalem
to be crucified
by the Romans.
Yes,
he rises from the dead
on the third day
and at that point,
this messianic expectation
of this kingdom,
the consummation of the kingdom
is at a fever pitch
among his disciples
post-resurrection
and then Jesus ascends to heaven,
leaving the disciples to wonder,
what about the kingdom?
What about the kingdom of God
you spoke of so frequently?
Where is this kingdom of heaven?
And that same question
would warm its way
into the minds of Christians
throughout the ages
when they feel like
foreigners and aliens
amidst a swirl of confused
and sinful values
of our world,
when they are ridiculed
and marginalized
for their faith
in different parts of the world,
when they are persecuted
and even martyred
for their faith,
where is the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus answers that burning question
in this passage
and he counsels patience,
perseverance.
And the main point
of this passage is this,
as resident aliens
in the kingdom of earth
endure patiently
until the consummation
of the kingdom of heaven.
As I mentioned to you last week,
this is the third
of five major teaching discourses
by Jesus
in the Gospel of Matthew
and this third discourse
is around the theme
of the kingdom of heaven
or as the other gospel writers
put it,
the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God,
the kingdom of heaven
refers to the rulership of God,
his dominion.
The kingdom of God
is closely related
to the church of God,
the church of Christ,
but they are not identical.
The kingdom of God
refers to the sovereign rule of God.
The church is the subject
of that rule.
The church is,
in this sense,
the instrument
and the visible expression
of the kingdom of God.
So what does the kingdom
of heaven look like
as it breaks in
upon the kingdom of earth?
What does it look like
for the rule of God
in heaven
to assert itself,
to start to assert itself
on earth?
Jesus answers this question
in four ways
in our passage.
First,
the kingdom of heaven
is contested,
but it endures.
Second,
the kingdom of heaven
starts small,
but ends big.
Third,
the kingdom of heaven
is hidden,
but it's nonetheless present.
Fourth,
the kingdom of heaven
is new,
but old.
The first thing
that Jesus teaches us
about the kingdom of heaven
is that it is contested,
but it nonetheless endures.
He teaches this
using the parable
of the weeds.
This is one of the parables
that are unique
to the gospel of Matthew,
so you won't find it
in the other gospels.
Jesus compares
the kingdom of heaven
to a man
who sowed good seed
in his field.
But by the time
the good seed
bears fruit
and the wheat comes up
and starts to bear grain,
the weeds also
rear their ugly head.
The servants of the master
confusedly wonder,
where did all these weeds
come from
when you only sowed
good seed?
And the master
of the house
reveals to them
that it's a case
of agricultural sabotage.
An enemy
has sown
the weeds
among the wheat.
If you're using
the English standard
version of the Bible,
which is the one
I'm using now,
you most likely
have a footnote
next to the word weed
in verse 25.
And if you follow
that down to the footnote,
it will tell you
that the word weed
is probably a reference
to darnel.
A darnel
is a grass-like weed
that looks nearly
identical to wheat
in its early stages.
You can only tell
darnel apart
from the wheat
when the ears
begin to form.
The ears are the tips,
the heads of the cereal grains
like wheat.
It's the part that,
it's the fruit,
the part that produces
the edible grain,
the seeds.
The wheat grains
are heavier,
so mature wheat ears
will droop humbly
like this
when they're fully mature.
Whereas darnel
is lighter,
darnel ears are lighter
and therefore will stand
proudly erect.
even after it's fully mature.
So when they're fully mature,
they're easy to tell apart.
The wheat kernels
are also golden brown,
but the darnel kernels
are black and poisonous.
They're actually poisonous,
cause food poisoning.
But all of these differences
are only apparent
in the late stages of growth
when the ears are forming.
That's why it says
in verse 26,
so when the plants
came up and bore grain,
then the weeds
appeared also.
Not that the weeds
weren't there beforehand
and then all of a sudden
they sprang up overnight.
The weeds were there,
but before they looked
like wheat.
We thought we only had wheat.
But then as the grains form,
as the year begins to form,
now you see,
oh wait,
where did all these
weeds come from?
That's when it becomes apparent.
But by the time
the darnel is identified,
it is too late
to try to go around
and uproot them
and gather them up
because as the master says
in verse 29,
no,
lest in gathering the weeds
you root up the wheat
along with the wheat.
By this stage of growth,
the roots are all entangled
underneath,
they're intertwined,
it makes it impossible
to eradicate the weed
without prematurely
killing the wheat.
This is why
the only solution
is verse 30,
let both grow together
until the harvest.
And at harvest time
I will tell the reapers,
gather the weeds first
and bind them in bundles
to be burned,
but gather the wheat
into my barn.
It's at harvest time
that the reapers
will have to go through
the painstaking task
of separating out
the wheat from the wheat.
Because bread
was the most basic staple
in their diet
in Israel,
ancient Israel,
wheat was the most
critical crop.
And because darnel
is a poisonous grain
that looks so much
like wheat,
sowing darnel
among the wheat
rendered the field
commercially useless.
This made darnel
the perfect candidate
for agricultural sabotage
and people actually did this.
So there was a Roman law
that specifically
and explicitly forbade
sowing darnel
in a neighbor's wheat field.
But this is precisely
what the devil does.
He is a spiteful saboteur.
He is bitter
that he doesn't have
what God has.
And he tries to sabotage
and spoil God's good work
of building up
the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus begins to explain
this parable in verse 36.
Then Jesus left the crowds
and went into the house
and his disciples
came to him saying,
explain to us
the parable of the weeds
of the field.
Once again,
Jesus starts to make
that distinction
between the crowds
and his disciples
that we saw earlier
in verses 10 to 13.
He speaks to crowds
in parables,
but he speaks plainly
to his disciples
and explains the parables
to them because,
as he said earlier,
to the disciples
it has been given
to know the secrets
of the kingdom of heaven,
but to the crowds
it has not been given.
Jesus explains
in verse 37
that the master
who sows the good seed,
the wheat,
is the son of man,
Jesus himself.
Then he says
in verses 38 to 39,
the field is the world
and the good seed
is the sons of the kingdom.
The weeds
are the sons
of the evil one
and the enemy
who sow them
is the devil.
The harvest
is the end of the age
and the weepers
are angels.
It's really nice
and helpful
to have a glossary
of terms
after a parable.
You don't get this
with every parable,
but you can't get this wrong
because Jesus told us
exactly what it means.
The resemblance
between wheat and darnel
and the fact
that they can only
be distinguished
once they start
to bear fruit
I think is meant
to teach us something
about how to tell
true Christians
apart from false ones.
Matthew makes this point
in numerous places
throughout the gospel.
Earlier in chapter 7
verse 15 to 20
Jesus warned us
about false prophets
who come to us
in sheep's clothing
meaning they look
like believers
but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves.
He counseled us
you will recognize them
by what?
By their fruits.
Our grapes gather
from thorn bushes
or figs from thistles
so every healthy tree
bears good fruit
but the diseased tree
bears bad fruit.
A healthy tree
cannot bear bad fruit
nor can a diseased tree
bear good fruit.
Every tree
that does not
bear good fruit
is cut down
and thrown into the fire
thus you will recognize them
by their fruit.
Like the wheat and darnel
the only surefire way
to distinguish
true Christians
from false ones
is their fruit.
Are they bearing
the fruit
of the Holy Spirit?
Galatians 5
22
33
love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control.
Every true Christian
will bear
in some measure
the fruit
of the Holy Spirit
but we also need
to be patient
the young
and immature wheat
that hasn't
borne much fruit
yet is very difficult
to distinguish
from the darnel.
However it's only
a matter of time.
Every good tree
bears good fruit.
Every good seed
will bear good grains
and every true Christian
will evidence
love
and good deeds.
Similarly Jesus taught us
in Matthew 7
verse 21
not everyone who says
to me
Lord Lord
will enter the kingdom
of heaven
but the one who
does the will
of the Father
who is in heaven.
There are people
who claim Jesus
as Lord
and pay lip service
to him
and yet their lives
do not bear testimony
to the Lordship of Christ.
They are not wheat
but darnel
and you can tell them
apart by the grain
in the ear.
Even the church
of Christ
and I'm speaking here
of the visible church
is a mixed community
of believers
and unbelievers.
Paul warns about this
in Acts 20
but that wolves
in sheep's clothing
will rise up
from among the church
from within the church
to draw away
disciples after them.
we do our best
to vet new members
and we conduct
membership interviews
and we'll be inducting
new members later on
today
but even then
we can't always ensure
that only true Christians
are admitted into the church
which is why
church discipline exists.
This mixed nature
of the visible church
troubles us
because we like things
to be neat
and clean
but even in local churches
with the highest
and most rigorous
standards of membership
inevitably
there will be some
darnel found
among the wheat
until the final judgment.
The fifth verse
of the hymn
church is one foundation
that we sang this morning
says this
though with a scornful wonder
men see her
the church
sore oppressed
!
By schisms
rent asunder
by heresies
distressed
yet saints
their watch
are keeping
their cry
goes up
how long
and soon
the night
of weeping
shall be
the morn
of song.
Every branch
and denomination
of Christianity
throughout history
has been
by schisms
rent asunder
and by heresies
distressed.
This makes us
weep
and cry out
how long
oh Lord
but this parable
counsels
patience
and endurance
not yet
soon
but not yet
brothers and sisters
when divisions
and doctrinal errors
mar the church
of Christ
mourn
and pray
and proclaim
and contend
for the truth
but do so
patiently
perseveringly
we are not
to be the final
judge
of these matters
in this life
but when our
Lord Jesus
returns for the harvest
he will separate
out the weed
from the darnel.
The mixed nature
of the church
I do think
is one of the
implications
of this parable
however I do not
think it is the
main point
of this parable.
Why do I say that?
Because in verse 38
Jesus tells us
that the field
is the world
and the good seed
is the sons
of the kingdom
the weeds
are the sons
of the evil one.
the field
is not restricted
to the church
he's not talking
about just the church
the people of God
the visible community
the gathered people
no the field
encompasses
the entire world
so then the good seed
the wheat
is the people of God
scattered throughout
the world
and the weeds
the darnel
represent all
unbelievers
throughout the world
not just the false
Christians
who have infiltrated
the church.
Notice also
that in this parable
the word good seed
is consistently
and even awkwardly
at times singular
whereas the word weeds
is consistently plural.
It's as if Jesus
wants to communicate
to us
the wonderful
spiritual realities
that the true church
only has
one foundation
and one cornerstone
and that is
Jesus Christ
our Lord.
There is one gospel
on which we stand
for all eternity.
there is one body
and one spirit
just as you were
called to the one hope
that belongs
to your call
one Lord
and one faith
and one baptism
one God and Father
of all
who is over all
and through all
and in all
there is
an invisible
spiritual unity
that undergirds
the entire people
of God.
no matter how weak
and frail
and divided
we may seem
there is
that underlying
undergirding
unity of the spirit.
In contrast
the weeds
are variegated
and many
their misbeliefs
and heresies
are numerous.
Within this world
the believers
and unbelievers
coexist
until the day
of final judgment.
this I think
is a helpful
corrective
to some Christians
who predict
a thorough
and worldwide
Christianization
of the world
leading up to
the return of Christ.
I do believe
that the gospel
will grow
the kingdom of heaven
will grow
as this passage
teaches us
but Jesus also
teaches us here
that the wheat
and the weeds
grow side by side
in the field
of this world.
world.
But shouldn't there
be a new
world order
now that the
kingdom of heaven
has broken up
in upon this earth?
What kind of
mighty kingdom
of heaven
allows
rivals
and opponents
to continue
unchecked?
Shouldn't we
as Christians
be the ones
who hold
authority
and power
in this world?
Why does God
not do away
with the wicked
right now?
The parable
of the weeds
answers
those questions.
God allows
the wheat
and the weeds
to grow
side by side
until
the appointed
time of final
judgment.
So then
don't be
disheartened
that Christendom
is not
the dominant
authority
and power
that you wish
it were
in the world.
Don't doubt
the reality
of the kingdom
of heaven
just because
there's much
resistance
and rebellion
against God
in the world.
The kingdom
of heaven
is real
no matter
how powerful
the kingdoms
of this world
might appear.
So don't
be discouraged
that the world's
great powers
today are
sometimes
antagonistic
toward the church.
These things
should not
surprise us.
2 Timothy 3.12
says all who
desire to live
a godly life
will be
persecuted.
1 Peter 4.12
says beloved
do not be
surprised at
the fiery
trial when
it comes
upon you
to test
you as
though
something
strange
were
happening
to you.
Opposition
persecution
these are
the norm.
These are
normal.
They're not
strange.
Jesus said
in Matthew
5.10
blessed are
those who
are persecuted
for righteousness
sake for
theirs is
the kingdom
of heaven.
If you
belong to
the kingdom
of heaven
you will
face these
things.
if you
are of
the good
seed
you will
be
persecuted.
The weeds
around you
will try
to deprive
you of
the nutrients
in the soil
and the water.
They will
distract you
from seeking
the kingdom
of God
and seeking
the righteousness
of God
first.
They will
try to
choke the
spiritual
life out
of us
and sometimes
as a result
following
Christ
and pursuing
the kingdom
will get
hard
but we
must patiently
endure.
Remember
that this
is the most
precious thing.
We must
pursue
seek.
The kingdom
of heaven
is contested
but it
endures.
Jesus
tells us
that the
wheat
and the
weeds
will coexist
until the
harvest time
and he
tells us
in verses
39 to 42
that the
harvest
is the
end
of the
age
and the
reapers
are angels.
Just as
the weeds
are gathered
and burned
with fire
so will
it be
at the
end
of the
age.
The
son of
man
will
send
his
angels
and they
will
gather
out
of
his
kingdom
all
causes
of
sin
and
all
law
breakers
and
throw
them
into
the
fiery
furnace.
in
that
place
there
will
be
weeping
and
gnashing
of
teeth.
Jesus
is speaking
here of
the
final
judgment.
Many
passages
of
scripture
employ
the
language
of
harvest
to
speak
of
the
final
judgment
and
the
ingathering
of
God's
elect.
The
fiery
furnace
continues
the
metaphor
the
farming
metaphor
where
it's
the
oven
where
the
unwanted
vegetation
is
thrown
into
to be
consumed.
And here
it functions
as a
metaphor
for
hell.
Hell
is
frequently
associated
with
fire.
Jesus
calls
it
the
hell
of
fire
in
Matthew
5
22
and
18
9.
He
calls
it
the
eternal
fire
in
Matthew
18
8
and
25
41.
Matthew
3
10
to
12
spoke
of
how
God
will
cut
down
any
tree
that
does
not
bear
good
fruit
and
throw
it
into
the
fire.
And
he
said
that
Jesus
has
a
winnowing
fork
in
his
hand
and
he
will
clear
his
threshing
floor
and
gather
his
weed
into
the
barn
but
the
chaff
he
will
burn
with
unquenchable
fire.
This
is the
place
of
eternal
torment
reserved
for the
devil
and
his
angels
as it
says
in
Matthew
25
41.
And
as our
passage
this morning
tells us
it is
also
reserved
for
the
sons
of
the
evil
one.
Those
who
follow
the
devil
because
they
have
rejected
Christ.
Fire
is
an
appropriate
metaphor
for
this
eternal
punishment
because
God
is
described
in
scripture
as
the
consuming
fire.
Hell
is a
place
reserved
for
those
who
rebel
against
God
and
seek
to
usurp
his
throne.
The
one
who
dwells
in
unapproachable
light.
The
consuming
fire.
And
when
you
seek
to
usurp
his
throne
you're
consumed
by the
holy
just
wrath
of
the
consuming
fire.
In
that
place
Jesus
says
there
will
be
weeping
and
gnashing
of
teeth
symbolizing
regret
and
bitter
resentment
when
people
grind
their
teeth
gnash
their
teeth.
But
in
contrast
verse
43
describes
the
final
vindication
of the
sons
of the
kingdom
of
heaven.
It
says
then
the
righteous
will
shine
like
the
sun
in
the
kingdom
of
their
father.
This
is an
allusion
to
Daniel
chapter
12
verse
3
which
prophesied
that
those
who
are
resurrected
to
everlasting
life
will
shine
like
the
brightness
of
the
sky
above.
They
shine
like
the
sun
because
they
are
united
with
Jesus
Christ.
Later
in
Matthew
17
verse
2
at
the
transfiguration
when
Jesus
is
transfigured
into
his
heavenly
glory
for a
brief
time
it
says
that
his
face
the
fact
that
the
righteous
will
shine
like
the
sun
it
identifies
the
righteous
the
people
of
God
with
Christ
because
they
are
united
with
him
they
are
one
with
him
because
of
their
faith
in
him
and
those
who
are
united
to
Christ
then
become
children
of
God
we
become
as
God's
people
collectively
God's
son
because
we
are
in
his
only
son
Jesus
Christ
so
that
we
can
rightly
be
called
it
can
be
said
of
us
in
the
kingdom
of
their
father
as
Jesus
says
in
order
to
enter
the
kingdom
of
heaven
we
must
receive
the
son
of
heaven
in
describing
his
death
and
resurrection
Jesus
said
in
John
12
24
truly
I
say
to
you
unless
a grain
of
wheat
falls
into
the
earth
and
dies
it
remains
alone
but
if
it
dies
it
bears
much
fruit
where
did
the
singular
good
seed
come
from
that
produces
this
weed
harvest
it's
Jesus
Christ
himself
his
life
death
and
resurrection
he
died
in
our
place
to
take
our
sins
and
he
rose
from
the
dead
so
that
sinners
might
be
declared
righteous
so
that
orphans
can
be
adopted
as
children
of
God
that
is
the
good
news
that
we
proclaim
and
that
is
the
good
seed
that
we
sow
and
scatter
all
over
the
field
of
this
world
Jesus
is
the
good
seed
that
bears
fruit
within
us
so
have
you
received
the
son
of
heaven
into
your
life
only
those
who
have
done
that
will
be
declared
righteous
and
only
the
righteous
will
one
day
shine
like
the
sun
in
the
kingdom
of
their
father
seeds
in
this
world
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
contested
it
starts
small
and
in
many
ways
it's
hidden
but
on
that
day
there
will
be
nothing
to
hold
back
the
glory
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
Jesus
tells
another
parable
likening
the
kingdom
of
heaven
in
verses
31
to
32
he
says
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
like
a
grain
of
mustard
seed
that
a
man
took
and
sowed
in
his
field
it
is
the
smallest
of
all
seeds
but
when
it
has
grown
it
is
larger
than
all
the
garden
plants
and
becomes
a
tree
so
that
the
birds
of
the
air
come
and
make
nests
in
its
branches
a
mustard
seed
is
a
proverbially
small
seed
it's
about
one
millimeter
in
diameter
it's
the
smallest
of
all
seeds
among
the
commonly
cultivated
seeds
in
that
part
of
the
world
and
yet
when
it
is
planted
in
your
garden
the
mustard
seed
grows
into
a
tree
that's
larger
than
all
the
garden
plants
so
that
the
birds
of
the
air
come
and
make
nests
in
its
branches
Jesus
is
speaking
of
the
small
humble
beginnings
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
when
Zerubbabel
led
the
Jewish
exiles
out
of
the
Babylonian
captivity
and
brought
them
back
to
Jerusalem
he
rebuilt
the
altar
and
laid
again
once
again
the
foundation
of
the
temple
of
God
in
Jerusalem
on
top
of
the
ruins
of
the
former
temple
and
at
that
point
the
altar
and
the
foundation
didn't
seem
like
much
and
of
that
it
says
in
Zechariah
4
2
whoever
has
despised
the
day
of
small
things
shall
rejoice
and
shall
see
the
plum
line
in
the
hand
of
Zerubbabel
that
was
a
day
of
small
things
of
small
humble
beginnings
but
one
day
they
will
rejoice
to
see
the
glorious
temple
of
God
be
built
Jesus
is
echoing
that
exhortation
about
the
kingdom
of
the
itinerant
preachers
dependent
on
other
people's
hospitality
and
they're
proclaiming
the
kingdom
of
heaven
and
they're
doing
this
mind
you
at
the
heyday
of
the
Roman
empire
one
of
the
greatest
civilizations
and
one
of
the
most
enduring
and
influential
empires
in
human
history
and
in
that
day
and
age
when
you
see
Jesus
and
his
ragtag
group
of
disciples
would
you
have
believed
Jesus
claimed
has
come
where
is
it
Jesus
you
mean
this
you
and
your
twelve
disciples
would
you
have
believed
Jesus
then
when
he
told
you
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
would
outgrow
and
outlast
the
Roman
empire
the
last
Roman
emperor
was
deposed
in
476
AD
even
the
Byzantine
empire
the
remnant
the
eastern
remnant
of
the
Roman
empire
destroyed
by
the
Ottomans
500
years
ago
but
the
church
of
Christ
which
is
the
medium
and
the
visible
expression
of
the
kingdom
of
God
is
still
standing
is
it
not
isn't
that
remarkable
similarly
in
Matthew
18
Jesus
gives
the
keys
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
to
his
church
the
people
he
says
whatever
you
that's
you
plural
referring
to
the
church
of
Christ
which
is
the
immediate
antecedent
whatever
you
bind
on
earth
shall
be
bound
in
heaven
whatever
you
lose
on
earth
shall
be
lose
in
heaven
do
you
know
that
God
has
given
that
kind
of
glory
that
kind
of
authority
to
his
people
the
church
does
the
church
of
Christ
seem
weak
and
insignificant
to
you
don't
let
the
mustard
seed
beginning
for
you
this
is
a
mighty
kingdom
against
which
even
the
gates
of
Hades
cannot
prevail
Jesus
said
do
you
know
fellow
Christian
that
you
are
you
are
an
ambassador
and
a
diplomat
for
this
very
kingdom
of
heaven
isn't
it
so
degrading
when
foreign
diplomats
and
heads
of
state
come
from
all
over
the
world
to
the
White
House
and
then
they
grovel
at the
feet
of
our
country's
leaders
flattering
them
and
trying
to
ingratiate
themselves
to
this
powerful
state
don't
live
like
that
in
this
world
for
your
ambassadors
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
don't
cower
in
fear
you
represent
the
king
of
kings
and
the
lord
of
lords
he
is
seated
right
now
our
lord
at
the
right
hand
of
the
father
far
above
all
rule
and
authority
power
and
dominion
above
every
name
that
is
named
not
only
in
this
age
but
also
in
the
age
to
come
so
live
like
that
the
lord
is
my
light
and
my
salvation
whom
shall
I
fear
the
lord
is
a
strong
hold
of
my
life
of
whom
!
shall
I
be
afraid
don't
fixate
on
the
mustard
seed
origin
fix
your
eyes
on
this
seed's
eternal
destiny
look
at
verse
32
the
mustard
seed
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
will
become
eventually
a
tree
so
that
the
birds
of
the
air
come
and
make
nests
in
its
branches
in
the
Old
Testament
the
image
of
a
tree
with
birds
!
nesting
in
them
is
frequently
depict
!
powerful
kingdoms
For
example
Daniel 4
10
of
Babylon
as
a
tall
tree
that
soars
to
the
heaven
and
it
says
that
the
beasts
of
the
field
found
shade
under
it
and
the
birds
of
the
heavens
lived
in
its
branches
and
all
flesh
was
fed
from
it
in
that
metaphor
the
beasts
of
the
birds
that
take
refuge
in
its
shadows
the
birds
that
make
nests
in
it
represent
all
flesh
the
people
who
are
fed
from
it
similarly
Ezekiel
31
verse
6
describes
the
kingdom
of
Assyria
as
a
tall
cedar
tree
and
it
says
that
all
the
birds
of
the
heavens
made
their
nests
in
its
bows
and
under
its
branches
all
the
beasts
of
the
field
gave
birth
to
their
young
and
under
its
shadow
lived
all
great
nations
so
then
these
birds
perching
on
the
tree
represent
the
nations
that
are
fed
and
nourished
by
this
great
empire
that
are
in
its
orbit
and
under
its
influence
so
when
Jesus
says
that
the
birds
of
the
air
come
to
nest
make
nests
in
the
branches
of
the
mustard
tree
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
he's
saying
that
the
nations
of
the
earth
will
come
and
find
refuge
in
it
that's
exactly
what
God
promised
to
do
in
Ezekiel
17
22
23
he
promised
that
he
will
take
a
twig
a
branch
and
then
he
will
plant
it
on
the
hills
on
the
mountain
of
Israel
and
that
it
would
grow
from
it
and
will
grow
into
a
mighty
tree
upon
which
the
nations
will
dwell
under
it
will
dwell
every
kind
of
bird
of
course
the
branch
is
Jesus
he's
called
the
branch
of
the
Lord
in
Isaiah
chapter
4
verse
2
he's
called
the
righteous
branch
from
the root
of
David
that we
just
sang
about
in
Jeremiah
and
indeed
the
tree
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
planted
with
Jesus
the
branch
is
growing
mustard
seeds
don't
grow
overnight
of
course
no
plants
ever
grow
overnight
right
but
isn't
even
our
local
church
a
micro
cosmic
representation
of
this
parable
in
cat's
baptism
last
week
and
in
the
induction
of
new
members
today
do we
not
see
the
ongoing
fulfillment
of
this
parable
our
members
represent
nations
and
tribes
from
all
over
Wales
England
all
kinds
of
European
ancestry
there's
too many
to name
there
from
Nigeria
and
Egypt
Brazil
Mexico
Ecuador
Vietnam
Indonesia
Philippines
China
Korea
Turkey
Kyrgyzstan
Jews
and
Gentiles
from
all
nations
and
tribes
taking
refuge
and
making
their
nests
in
the
tree
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
do we
not
see
that
do we
have
any
doubt
that
we
will
see
in
the
end
the
fulfillment
of
Revelation
7
9
to
10
after
this
I
looked
and
behold
a
great
multitude
that
no
one
could
number
from
every
nation
from
all
tribes
and
peoples
and
languages
standing
before
the
throne
and
before
the
lamb
clothed
in
white
robes
with
palm
branches
in
their
hands
and
crying
out
with
a
loud
voice
salvation
belongs
to
our
God
who
sits
on
the
throne
and
to
the
lamb
this
is
the
heartbeat
and
the
mission
of
our
church
this
is
why
we
share
the
gospel
with
our
neighbors
and
evangelize
this
is
why
we
must
go
to
the
ends
of
the
earth
in
foreign
missions
because
God
said
the
kingdom
of
heaven
will
comprise
an
innumerable
multitude
from
every
nation
from
all
not
some
all
tribes
and
peoples
and
languages
because
the
ancient
of
days
on
the
great
white
throne
and
because
the
lamb
the
slain
lamb
of
God
who
has
risen
seated
at
the
right
hand
of
God
our
father
our
savior
Jesus
Christ
they
deserve
that
worship
deserve
that
allegiance
deserve
that
glory
Jesus
tells
yet
another
short
parable
in
verse
33
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
like
leaven
that
a
woman
took
and
hid
in
three
measures
of
flour
till
it
was
all
leavened
in
this
parable
Jesus
teaches
us
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
hidden
but
nonetheless
present
and
spreading
when
we
hear
the
word
leaven
we
sometimes
think
of
yeast
but
yeast
was
not
readily
available
in
those
days
they
had
a
different
ingenious
way
of
making
dough
rise
and
that
was
to
use
leaven
which
is
a
fermented
dough
from
an
old
batch
that
is
set
aside
and
combined
with
a
new
batch
in
order
to
produce
fermentation
in
the
new
bread
all
you
need
is
the
first
batch
of
dough
that
is
fermented
and
you
can
save
a little
bit
of
it
to
use
with
the
next
batch
and
then
you
save
a little
bit
of
that
for
the
next
batch
and
so
on
I
think
some
of
you
make
sour
dough
right
Erica
Brittany
who
else
you
make
sour
dough
yeah
Shelly
as
well
it's
like
using
sour
dough
starter
the
leaven
is
added
to
three
measures
of
flour
maybe
the
three
has
a
symbolic
significance
referring
to
three
types
of
people
from
a
Jewish
perspective
the
Jews
Samaritans
and
the
Gentiles
I'm
not
sure
but
the
tiny
bit
of
leaven
will
spread
ineluctably
until
the
entire
batch
of
dough
is
leavened
through
in
the
same
way
the
kingdom
of
heaven
though
seemingly
small
and
unnoticeable
at first
will
spread
gradually
until
Christ
returns
and
when
Christ
returns
at
that
final
judgment
as
it
says
in
Romans
chapter
14
verse
11
every
knee
shall
bow
to
the
Lord
and
every
tongue
shall
confess
to
God
and
of
course
Jesus
who said
I am
the bread
of life
in John
6
is the
original
bread
he's the
original
batch
the
original
leaven
we keep
taking from
it
and
once that
process
starts
you can't
undo
that
think about
it
you mix
the leaven
into the
dough
like how
are you
gonna
take
the
leaven
out
you
can't
take
it
out
it's
an
irreversible
process
empires
kings
and tyrants
throughout
history
have all
tried
they have
tried
to expunge
the scriptures
they have
tried
to cut
off the
gospel
they have
tried
to burn
the books
they have
tried
to squash
and persecute
the people
of God
and there's
but there's
no way
of ever
getting rid
of us
the leaven
has already
been added
and has
begun
its
irreversible
process
of spreading
so
take heart
church of
Christ
the kingdom
of heaven
will triumph
in the end
so in that
sense
the meaning
of this
parable
is very
similar
to the
parable
of the
mustard
seed
however
there is
a unique
nuance
and an
emphasis
to this
parable
pay attention
to this
verb
used in
verse
33
it says
that a
woman
took
and hid
the leaven
in three
measures
of flour
that's a
very interesting
word choice
think about it
imagine
a woman
baking
and she's
like
hiding
the leaven
like why
do you
hide
the leaven
you don't
need to
hide
the leaven
why
does it
just say
that she
put the
leaven
in the
three
measures
of
flour
the word
choice
is
intentional
it speaks
of the
hiddenness
of the
kingdom
of heaven
Jesus
prayed in
Matthew
11
25
I
thank
you
father
lord
of
heaven
and
earth
that
you
have
hidden
these
things
from the
wise
and
understanding
and
revealed
them
to
little
children
this is
what
Jesus
called
in
chapter
13
verse
11
the
secrets
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
that
are
revealed
to
these
little
children
those
who
humble
themselves
before
God
in
repentance
and
faith
and
follow
Christ
but
these
are
hidden
from
the
proud
for
Jesus
says
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
like
treasure
hidden
in
a
field
only
some
can
perceive
the
true
worth
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
that's
why
it
is
hidden
that's
why
it's
a
hidden
treasure
the
kingdom
of
heaven
does
not
look
from
the
outside
very
impressive
to
the
sinful
world
didn't
Jesus
say
in
John
18
36
my
kingdom
is
not
of
this
world
if
my
kingdom
were
of
this
world
my
servants
would
have
been
fighting
that
I
might
not
be
delivered
over
to
the
Jews
but
my
kingdom
is
not
from
the
world
Jesus
refused
to
fight
back
when
he
was
unfairly
framed
and
crucified
he
did
not
call
upon
his
disciples
to
bear
the
sword
and
fight
against
the
Romans
he
did
not
call
upon
his
angels
to
fight
against
those
who
were
crucifying
him
because
his
kingdom
is
not
of
this
world
why
then
did
so
many
Christians
throughout
the
world
fight
to
have
authority
and
power
in
this
world
throughout
history
many
Christians
have
been
unable
to
resist
the
siren
call
of
power
because
they
were
mistaken
in
their
understanding
of
this
hidden
nature
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
hidden
the
leaven
spreads
and
transforms
but
it
does
that
imperceptibly
from
the
inside
out
from
one
gospel
conversion
and
transformation
to
the
next
it
is
not
imposed
forcibly
!
externally
on
others
the
visible
power
structures
of
this
world
are
not
what
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
about
I am
interested
I think
like many
of you
here
and like
many
men
interested
and
fascinated
by
politics
and I
think
being
active
informed
voting
citizens
is an
important
way to
love our
neighbors
and submit
to our
governing
authorities
and
if
you
actually
end
up
entering
into
politics
which
I
think
some
of
you
are
planning
on
doing
then
you
must
be
a
faithful
representative
of
Christ
in
it
and
your
politics
will
likely
be
for you
the
single
greatest
way
of
loving
your
neighbor
not
counting
of
course
sharing
the
gospel
with
your
neighbors
which
is
the
most
important
so
all
that
is
caveat
I
don't
want
you
to hear
what
I'm
not
saying
I
don't
think
that
you
should
be
passive
uninformed
inactive
citizens
in this
democratic
republic
but also
I
want
to
ask
you
don't
be
consumed
by
your
politics
why
because
the
kingdoms
of
this
world
come
and
go
and
one
day
if
the
Lord
tarries
the
United
States
too
will
be
no
more
but
the
church
of
Christ
will
continue
to
stand
the
kingdom
of
heaven
will
continue
to
grow
so
don't
think
that
just
because
Christians
are not
in
power
in
Congress
or in
the
Supreme
Court
or in
the
White
House
that
the
kingdom
of
heaven
has
stalled
it
hasn't
it's
growing
you
might
not
see
it
it's
growing
no
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
growing
and
it's
spreading
and the
leaven
of the
kingdom
of heaven
is
inexorable
unavoidable
Jesus
said in
Luke
17
20
to
21
the
kingdom
of
God
is
not
coming
in
ways
that
can
be
observed
nor
will
they
say
look
here
it
is
or
there
for
behold
the
kingdom
of
God
is
in
the
midst
of
you
the
kingdom
of
God
is
in
the
midst
of
us
or
as
most
scholars
think
to
translate
a
different
way
it
is
within
you
it
is
not
visible
or
observable
like
the
kingdoms
of
this
world
but
why
do
so
many
seek
to
find
and
establish
the
kingdom
of
God
in
this
world
in
the
way
that
it
can
be
observed
we
are
so
easily
beguiled
by
grandeurs
of
power
but
the
kingdom
of
heaven
does
not
look
like
the
United
States
capital
in
Washington
D.C.
with
the
iconic
neoclassical
dome
and
the
National
Mall
the
kingdom
of
heaven
does
not
look
like
the
palace
of
Westminster
the
gothic
revival
masterpiece
that
houses
the
parliament
in
London
the
kingdom
of
heaven
does
not
look
like
the
palace
of
Versailles
in
France
or
the
grand
Kremlin
palace
in
Moscow
or
the
massive
great
hall
of
the
people
in
Beijing
the
kingdom
of
heaven
does
not
look
like
even
the
Vatican
city
or
its
impressive
Sistine
chapel
and
the
Saint
Peter's
Basilica
no
the
kingdom
of
heaven
resides
in
little
children
like
you
and
me
little
children
who have
submitted
to the
lordship
of
Christ
that's
where
the
rule
of
Christ
is
that's
the
seat
the
power
the
authority
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
that's
why
I
counted
my
greatest
privilege
to
belong
to
God
and
to
be
counted
among
the
saints
the
greatest
the
cream
of
the
crop
the
most
powerful
elites
of
this
world
have
nothing
on
the
weakest
saints
of
God
you
are
the
people
of
God
kingdom
of
heaven
manifested
but
if
you
are
not
yet
here's
this
final
exhortation
if
you
are
not
yet
part
of
this
kingdom
of
heaven
the
final
point
the
kingdom
of
heaven
is
new
but
old
it
says
in
verse
34
to
35
all
these
things
Jesus
said
to
the
crowds
in
parables
indeed
he
said
nothing
to
them
without
a
parable
this
was
to
fulfill
what
was
spoken
by
the
prophet
I
will
open
my
mouth
in
parables
I
will
utter
what
has
been
hidden
since
the
foundation
of
the
world
Jesus
quoting
from
Psalm
78
verse
2
he's
saying
I
am
the
fulfillment
of
that
prophecy
I
am
the
one
uttering
parables
things
in
Jesus
Christ
1
Peter
1
verse
20
tells
us
he
Jesus
was
foreknown
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
but
was
made
manifest
in
the
last
times
for
the
sake
of
you
who
through
him
are
believers
in
God
Jesus
is
that
hidden
treasure
his
gospel
is
that
hidden
treasure
his
gospel
is
that
good
seed
that
spreading
and
growing
like
leaven
all
throughout
the
world
and
so
how
can
you
make
sure
that
you
have
ears
to
hear
how
can
you
make
sure
that
you
can
be
counted
among
the
people
of
God
and
members
and
citizens
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
it
has
everything
to do
with
what
you
make
of
Jesus
Christ
to
enter
the
kingdom
of
heaven
you
must
receive
the
son
of
heaven
do
you
receive
him
as
your
king
do
you
believe
that
he
has
died
on
the
cross
to
pay
the
penalty
for
your
sins
and
he
was
raised
from
the
dead
so
that
he
could
remove
you
and
take
you
from
the
dominion
of
darkness
and
bring
you
into
the
kingdom
of
light
there's
only
two
spiritual
camps
in the
world
you're
either
in
the
kingdom
of
darkness
or
you're
in
the
kingdom
of
light
you're
either
sons
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven
or
you're
sons
of
the
evil
one
the
devil
and
if
you
choose
to
follow
Christ
the
king
you
will
never
regret
it
you
will
never
regret
it
so
pray
together
father
thank you
for sending
your
son
the
son
of
heaven
to
be
our
king
lord
we
were
hopeless
and
lost
enslaved
by
the
tyrant
of
this
world
the
evil
one
the
prince
of
the
power
of
the
air
but
you
have
delivered
us
you
have
delivered
us
and
we
belong
to
you
oh
so
lord
with
that
great
hope
help
us
to
endure
patiently
as
we
await
the
consummation
of
that
kingdom
of
heaven
help
us
be
faithful
ambassadors
of
that
kingdom
of
heaven
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen