Matthew 13:1-44 ~ Jesus sat and the crowd stood

Matthew 13:1-44

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.

 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down.

And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”


10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

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


18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”







24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 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?’ 28 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?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 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.”’”







31 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. 32 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.”

33 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.”


34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 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.”

36 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.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.


44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Did you ever consider...

The Seed Parable keeps growing? I always considered ok - seeds explained. If you've heard that enough - you've heard this. And really just like Jesus the Nazarene - Jesus loves to discuss real vineyards and real life. Jesus was even known to the people who wanted to detract from Him - as a drunkard.

And once this Life Loving, People Loving, World Saving - Jesus as God - gets rolling on the ideas of seeds - He takes Matthew's 13th Chapter far from seeds to :

What we should be able to see and hear in life.

That Hell is real.

Healing is real.

Heaven is within and opens arms to many. Because God dwells within us when invited.

Life reveals us.

And this Heaven of Jesus' starts as a seed and continues to crops, flour, yeast, revealing hearts, tree, branch, forests, Angels and the Gates of Heaven. From a seed.

Matthew 13




What are we going to see? If we look to people for our affirmation - we are going to have a limited view. If we look to God - we are going to seeeeeeeeeeeee so far. God has all possibilities. Trust in God.

See God as Good.

If we believe we have a dour God. We just might have a dour god. 

See God as the Goal.

If we believe we need to please people because this is always good. Remember God said to do this. Love God. Do His Will for your life. Love yourself. As a Child of God. Love others. God says put Him first. And in this framework we will find the steadfast reliability of Love, Joy, Peace, Goodness, Strength to have Joy and Encouragement.


See God as the Goodness He is.


How are we going to Pray? I am going to pray for the best. I learned in High School from a friend who is now an Anglican Priest - pray for patience and you will be surrounded with needs for Patience. Do I believe in a tricky God? No, I do not. I believe if I do not want to suffer and I tell God exactly why - God who is GOOD - has believed my honest heart. I have approached Father God in straight forward honesty. Love and Trust.

Wouldn't the Light of the World - be a seed of Light to start?

Love and Trust.


Every 500 years Our Father God moves Mightily.

Consider prayer, answered prayer and the Purposes of God the Almighty who speaks a Word and the Planets, Universe, stars, earth and Sun align.


We will begin this 500 year old parable with a seed.



What is GOD?

GOD IS THE GOOD NEWS that when you feel like you are oppressed, alone, maligned, broke, broken, ugly, and misunderstood to gossiped about.

HE IS God and He is Waiting for

...the world?

Not exactly and yes.

For You. For you are so very, very dear and beloved to our Father and Jesus. Father would run to you.

Draws you to HIM.

Just as the Gospel of Luke starts out - Thee He Adores.

And on those days - when we plainly bite the wind and suck up with a bile personality
God Gives. Those who love you, that He gives you -
we don't offer you up.

In Jesus Christ and His steadfast committed love - we say he has a bad day, please see he is Worthy. Help him, Lord Father our God.


Jesus, God is the destination every day every hour.

HE IS THE GOOD NEWS!!!

Every 500 years Our Father God moves Mightily.

Consider prayer, answered prayer and the Purposes of God the Almighty.Yes Consider Katherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain, Wife to a Prince of Wales, Widow to a Prince of Wales and ...

married to Henry VIII.


Henry was apt to seduce or sleep with any willing woman. Calling himself God's anointed. Destroying the Monasteries feeding the Nation.



This is a living parable about MINISTRY. A life long project. Growing our soul to Father God who would run to you.





Katherine of Aragon was an earnest, lovely, Jesus woman - caught up in a serious political game and then married to two brothers and both the heir apparent to the Throne of England. She earnestly prayed for her young husband, her middle aged husband and old husband -for Henry to raise a son - to be like him ???

God had other plans. Mighty Plans.

No one, no one, no one doubts the history of Henry VIII

God took Katherine's prayers and made a Biblical analogy for today. Katherine dies in anguish of cancer of the heart. Abandoned, without a son heir. Impoverished. Rejoiced over in death.

Henry's court wears yellow to show the problem is dead - JOY.

Henry has taken all the monastery money - his nation - many starve to death. Many is a National average of starvation death of a shocking 1/3. The monasteries fed the people.

Henry is succeeded by his daughter who feared him the most.

Elizabeth I - who prays and writes hymns every day. God has heard the people.


Henry VIII

Historical fact - Henry's body exploded from the coffin and was dropped as gangrene on the Windsor Chapel. And the stench of Henry led people to flee!!! Where people offered up thousands in currency to clean this up. Hours were taken as the court ran from the offer to clean up Henry VIII. The Court returned to find packs of dogs licked up his blood and ate him at the altar. A repeat of King Ahab.


Suffering Katherine of Aragon? She did. Flawed and holy.

God uses her life to show power and evil

Bible fulfilled.





Now consider Anne Boleyn the victim who won
and had revenge
and outrage.
And Justice. And so much so she was called Nan Bully.
Then Death.


Jane Seymour slyly sweep up from a friend
And died. Henry saw their son crumble into death.


Henry then hoped to re-marry Anne.
Anne of Cleves married an old age Henry and lived.
She quickly learned to keep her mouth shut, her words sweet and she lived. To escape.


Anne Howard -
oh boy this is the culture today.
She looked to Anne of Cleves - kept her mouth shut -did alllll she wanted to do
and died for this. She ended badly.


Katherine Parr. Katherine knew when there was evil nearby, do all you can to live in love.
She was afraid of Henry for good reason. She turned him down and he forced her to marry him. He said "You are overcome with the honor I do you. Straighten this face up to joy." He signed her death warrant later. God protected Katherine for her acts of love. Henry relapsed into gout and decided she could nurse him because she usually brought down his blood pressure and that worked.

When Henry was well - Katherine wasn't 20 and Henry knew she was a saint and made him look bad.

How are we going to apply this to today?

This is a seed parable of people encountering themselves and humility and difficulties.

What's in your wallet?





Father God,

Our Beloved Jesus is always willing. Let us go willingly where Your Hope and Future would take us.

After we know our sins and flaws, let us keep our eyes on Jesus. When we look at what is good, noble, pure, willing - we will see life surrounds us with Love. Eyes on Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to broaden our hearts, arms and possibilities. Just in Prayer.

The Adventure of God works all things together for Good - for those who love the Lord Jesus and would work for His Purpose.

Jesus bless those we Love. Those You have Given us. This Nation. The communion of saints praying around the world.

God is our Strength, Love and Joy. Jesus the Lord is so Wonderful. Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 126 ~ The Lord has done great things for us: we are glad.

Psalm 126

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!

5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

6 He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.


We are having an arctic blast in the Houston area. 26 degree low on Saturday. My Christmas net lights have come in handy, praying they protect the Philodendron. And even in the 10 year freeze we have in Houston, I know the spring will come and the flowers will begin again. Just as the streams will fill with snows in the northern parts of our nation, the south will see the blossoms on the trees have beautiful blossoms cover the branches.


The warmth will return and the land rejoice. Jesus in our soul's hearth - will give us Love,Peace and the strength of Jesus will give us the Joy to be encouragers. Bringing the Light of God forth within the thoughts of our hearts, our meditations and the words of our mouths. And in Christ the Lord, we are fully equipped and ready for any good work using the Lord's Gifts to us. Love leading us forward, inspiring us. Let all we do be done for love.


2 Timothy 3

14 You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were,15 and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures -from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be upright.

17 This is how someone who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.



Abba, our Father,

Help us each day to be the people Jesus has chosen. Let our hours and minutes remind us Jesus is alive and gives us the ability to approach Your Throne in Your Kingdom boldly and with confidence.

Trusting You with the answers we do not know. And the Power of the Holy Spirit bringing us forth every day in the plan and path You have chosen as a Hope and a Future.

Giving You all our Gratitude for those we pray with for the Goodness You have given to us. The goodness of knowing those we Love matter so greatly to You.

Thank You Jesus the Lord, for the people we have not even met yet. You have planned to be in our lives. For the great reunion in Heaven. Thanking You for protecting our belongings, homes and even our Nation. Rejoicing in the Communion of Saints praying for all of Your goodness revealed to us daily.

Jesus' Blessing upon us and those we love and pray for. Always the Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Luke 1 ~ He has helped

Time to return to normal days - tomorrow is January 7th - The Wise Men have arrived - then - Regular Life Resumes.


We all have a different regular life. Different viewpoints. Levels of ability. Age. Background. Willingness - willfulness.


Consider Mary and King David.

The Tel Dan Stele is a broken stele using the phrase "House of David" refers to a Davidic dynasty.

David's Palace was found using the Old Testament. Learning David made his palace outside the city gates to prove he relied upon God and had a biblical view.

From the David Palace Excavations

David's Palace was Phoenician architecture as was Temple; The Temple used the cedars of Lebanon and Phoenicians developed a distinct style of stone masonry.


Ivory tools from the Palace.


David was an anointed Shepherd who went far from Bethlehem.

Goliath's hometown, Gath, found a pottery shard, mentioning the fight between King David and Goliath.


Bethlehem was mostly Shepherds and Barns like this:

King David


King David has something few people talk about and the first time I heard this sermon on a radio program I highly doubted this. However, as I believe the Scripture I see this is true.

David was a conqueror. He made Israel the largest this Nation had ever become. David did not spurn trade with wealthy nations. He used their architecture in his palace, located outside of City Walls - choosing instead that God alone had brought him securely and would be his protector. David chose to Shepherd all of Israel and welcomed the people who had always played it safe with money, position and political caution.

David collected all the materials for the Temple.

The Temple required 7-1/2 years to construct and the efforts of about 180,000 laborers, (I Kings 7:13, 5:6, 13, 14; II Chronicles 2:17-18).



The materials assembled for the Tabernacle are d in Exodus 35-38. The total quantity of gold collected was approximately one ton; of silver, 3-3/4 tons; and of bronze, 2-1/2 tons. At approximately $500 per troy ounce, or $6000 per pound, or $12,000,000 per ton. Silver currently is priced around $12 per troy ounce, or $144 per pound, which is $288,000 per ton. Hence, the gold and silver used in the Tabernacle built by Moses would be worth over $13 million today. Exodus 12:35 states Jews were given gold, silver, and ornaments by the Egyptians at the time of the departure from Egypt. The golden lampstand in the tabernacle weighed a talent and would today be worth a half million dollars for its gold alone. A replica of this Menorah is now in the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. (These prices for Gold are old.)


The plans were made, and David amassed the materials (I Chronicles 28:1-19; II Chronicles 2-4; I Kings 6-7). These materials included 100,000 talents (Ref. 3) of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, (I Chron. 29). From his own private fortune David also gave 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of high grade silver. This is an enormous quantity of gold and silver by any standard: 100,000 talents of gold = 3750 tons, value today = $45 billion; 1,000,000 talents of silver = 37,500 tons, value today = $10.8 billion. In round numbers, the wealth of the First Temple was about $56 billion. Or if we take the current Gold Price Per Ounce $1,232.40 = $137,984,000 Billion. (Larger than Presidential hopeful Donald Trump's 4 Billion. We have to credit all to God and some to the God inspired Egyptians.)


Josephus wrote of the hoarding of wealth by the High Priests. The Second Temple was not wealthy although the Temple Tools returned from the Babylonian Exile. The plunder Titus carried to Rome could well have been worth tens of millions of dollars. Cicero wrote of great influxes of gold to Jerusalem. Josephus, Wars of the Jews, has told of Tradition saying the intense flames of the Temple fire melted the gold and silver and it ran between the cracks of the rocks. Roman soldiers then totally dismantled the Temple stone by stone to extract the gold, Matthew 24:1-21.



David spoke of a Nation worshiping God. Still much in evidence of human failings.

Mary, the Mother of God, and King David have different opinions about wealth. 

Mary knows shepherding. She knows Bethlehem. She understands where she is placed in the Kingdom of Israel now Judah. She is raised up by God's Word. Mary is different and the same as David because she would see wealth different in later life from the influence of God.

The Sanhedrin Council roundly denounces Mary, The Mother oF God as poor. In need of work, unable to rise to professionalism pleasing to the gentry of the Temple lawyers and High Priests. They are just plain rude. And acknowledge she is the daughter of Heli. Luke 3 explains Heli.

Mary spoke of puppet state, where the King plays for the Emperor. And the wealthy work the laws of this. The Essenes left the Temple, saying it was empty of the Holiness of God and wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Talmud, the Sanhedrin Council becomes very interested in Jesus. In learning his birth and his parents, in making Jesus look bad. Lying of course to smear him.


What we do learn by the Sanhedrin upheaval are facts and their desire to sabotage Jesus. Joseph has died and Mary is poor, yet her father is Heli. David's Line, the Davidic Line through Heli. Remember Herod paid attention to the Magi - Biblical or Spiritual knowledge. Herod was always intrigued by God. Entirely possibly the Davidic line was removed from Bethlehem, which has so many prophecies written about Bethlehem and placed in obscure Nazareth.

Luke 1

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”


Mary is reporting what Isaiah says in  

Isaiah 7
21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels[j] of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.


Mary knows about what her joyful prayer states. There is a severe inequality of wealth. And the Roman Empire has created another time where a remnant of the faithful are left.

Jesus the Lord, Emmanuel - tells us of a different way to live - our lives in the creation God calls good yesterday, today and tomorrow. Bringing Heaven to earth, as the Lord's Prayer tells us. Saying God rewards those who seek Him.



His (Jesus') mother and His brothers (not sisters mentioned here however) were standing outside, seeking to speak with Him." Matthew 12:46

Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13

Mark 6:3
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.




James the Just writes of being the son of Mary and living this life. A Brother of Jesus. Learning from the Christ of God.


James 2
2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves

James 1:10
But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower

James 1:26
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless

James 2
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

James 5
5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.






There are always what Jesus calls "it rains on the just and the unjust." Parallels to now and the First Century Christians.

Jesus in His Victory had something to say about what He wants. To save the entire world.


James goes on to tell us what he has decided after Jesus becomes the Victorious Risen Messiah.


The Book of James

James 1
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


James 2
2 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.


James 3
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.





Jesus says He gives us a new commandment - The Law to Love.

The Roman Empire was won. And the next 1,000 years the Roman Empire continued in Constantinople. 


Living Parables. His Story.

 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †