Matthew 13:24 Another parable put {Jesus} forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened …

Since I was saved at the age of 17 in a little community Church, the Church of God of Prophecy, I have often wondered what Heaven would be like. I suppose every Christian would love to know exactly what Heaven is like. We know a few things about Heaven, based upon what the Scripture has told us. Heaven is God’s Throne, and earth God’s footstool:

Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool …

This means that Heaven is the place where God’s primary presence is. Though He is on earth, earth is but His footstool (Acts 7:49). Heaven is God’s Home, and though He is on the earth it is in Heaven that He is seen face to face. Though God is high and lifted up His people who will dwell with Him are humble and attentive to His rule.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite {דַּכָּא dakkâʼ, dak-kaw’, BROKEN or CRUSHED} and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite {דַּכָּא dakkâʼ, dak-kaw’, BROKEN or CRUSHED} ones.

Those who will be with God in Heaven are not “high and lifted up”, but those who are broken, humble, desperately wanting to follow the lead of their Savior and Lord. Heaven is not for the arrogant, but for the repentant. Heaven is a place where:

Revelation 21:3 … the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

God was with man in the beginning of creation. When God created the earth, He put a branch of Heaven on the earth called “Eden”.

Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

The name “EDEN” is the Hebrew עֵדֶן ʻêden, (pronounced ay’-den), which means “delight, pleasure, luxury”). Eden – like Heaven – had a simple order. God ruled, humanity obeyed. When Adam disobeyed God and brought sin into the Garden of Eden, he lost Eden, and the world lost the blessedness of peace with God. Because of sin wars, pain, suffering, thorns, death, disease, everything that is horrid and anti-Heaven came into the world. Yet for God’s people we are told that one day we shall be in Heaven with our Lord.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Jesus Explains Heaven In A Series Of Parables

When Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16) came to this earth, He came to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. The Creator put Heaven on earth in Eden.

Jesus came from Heaven to earth, not just to one day bring His followers to Heaven, but in order that He could bring some of Heaven to this present earth.

Today Jesus is going to establish some truths about Heaven that He wants His children by faith to understand. As we established last week, a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The intent of the parable is to teach the Child of God, born again by faith in Christ, the deeper truths of God. After Jesus finishes the parables on Heaven we read:

Matthew 13:51-52 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

The scribes were the teachers of the Law, scholars of the Old Testament scriptures. Those who are believers in Christ are to teach others these truths about Heaven. The householder is the master of the home. In the Old Testament God commanded the householder to not just hear His Word, but:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Jesus’ teachings on Heaven are to be periscopes by which you view the world around you. These words are to cling to you wherever you go, and be on your hands and ever before your eyes. These words are supposed to be so profound that they mark your home like graffiti, and infiltrate your business dealings.

The business of the believer in Christ is the Kingdom of Heaven! We do what we do to bring others into the Kingdom of Heaven NOW, for there will be no bringing of souls into Heaven THEN!

The Parable Of The Tares Of The Field
And The Battle For The Population Of Heaven

Let’s look at the first parable Jesus speaks on the Kingdom of Heaven:

Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

This is the longest parable that Jesus speaks on the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ disciples understood the simpler parables, but we read:

Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the TARES of the field.

Word Study Before I go any further, let us examine what a “TARE” is. This is the Greek ζιζάνιον zizánion, {pronounced dziz-an’-ee-on}, and refers to a false grain, often called a darnel or a wild wheat. The tare resembles wheat, but it has a purplish head that turns black as it ripens, whereas true wheat turns brown. If you are a country boy, you’ve probably had thew stem end of a tare in your mouth! I often pluck the long grass from it’s foundation and pop it in my mouth like a toothpick. That end of the tare is not dangerous. But the HEAD – To eat much of the HEAD of the tare can cause a drunken nausea, or even to death. One scholar named Sarah Laskow writes:

“Darnel …(is) definitely not good for us. When people eat its seeds, they get dizzy, off-balance and nauseous, and its official name, L. temulentum, comes from a Latin word for “drunk.” Darnel is a “mimic weed,” neither entirely tame or quite wild, that looks and behaves so much like wheat that it can’t live without human assistance. Darnel seeds are stowaways: the plant’s survival strategy requires its seeds to be harvested along with those of domesticated grasses, stored and replanted next season.”

Farmers have always been aware of Tares, especially in Jesus’ day. We have equipment now that separates the wheat from the tares, but in Jesus’s day it was a painstaking process done by hand. The disciples were familiar with tares.

(they asked Jesus)Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Matthew 13:37-43 {Jesus}… said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Word Study The sower in this case is Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. Jesus used the title “Son of Man” of Himself. The title “Son of Man” was used in prophecy to foretell the coming of the Messiah (see Daniel 7:13). Jesus used the phrase “Son of man” to refer to Himself some 80 times in the Gospels. One that leaps to my mind is a favorite text:

Luke 19:10 … For the SON OF MAN is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus Christ is the Sower of the good seed.

Matthew 13:38 … the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom

If you are born again by faith in Christ, you are “good seed”. Jesus Christ saved you from your sins, and occupies you by His Holy Spirit. Jesus sowed you into the world not to be infected by the world, but to bear fruit for Him in this field we call the world. But Jesus is not the only One sowing. Jesus said:

Matthew 13:38-39 … the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the TARES ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE; 39 the enemy that sowed them is the devil…

There is a battle for the “field” going on all the time. Jesus Christ is sowing “seed”. He, through His Church, is bringing many to salvation by faith in Him.

It is the LORD Who adds to His Church.
(Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:18)

Satan also sows his seed. Satan sowed Judas Iscariot in Jesus’ ministry, Alexander the Coppersmith and Hymenæus in Paul’s ministry, and has sowed and continues to sow tares in opposition to God’s Kingdom. Satan’s seed – like tares – looks genuine. But the fruit of the tare is poisonous. It sickens, weakens, and destroys. In the early Church tares called “Pharisees” crept in, causing much discord. Today tares creep in called “Progressivism”, relabeling that which the Bible defines as sin, ignoring the warnings of God Who said:

Isaiah 5:20-24 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

The Tare co-mingles and hides in among the wheat. The tare has perverted many of the denominations of Christendom, introducing the forbidden into the light of day. Jesus continues:

Matthew 13:39-43 … the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The Church of Christ is called to bear fruit for Christ, and to trust our Lord, who will separate the wheat from the tares. We who love Jesus are to heed the King of Kings and His Word, upholding His Scripture and doing as He says. You will be fruitful unto God your Savior. We stay in the word and in the world, but do not follow the world. The Christian is to do good toward our enemies, love one another, and tell others about our Lord and Savior. We leave the harvesting to the Master.

Matthew 13:26-30 … when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

My job and your job, dear Christ follower, is to bear fruit for Christ, not to harvest and judge. We are not to condone sin, but to commend every person to the Savior. We obey our Jesus, waiting for the harvest. We are to be ever mindful of the Scripture:

1 John 2:15-17 … Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Two Parables On The Seed Of The Kingdom,
The Gospel Of Christ

Matthew 13:31-32 Another parable put {Jesus} forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: [32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

The first two parables, The Parable of the Sower which we studied last week (Matthew 13:3-23), and The Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) which we have just discussed, these parables Jesus explained them to His disciples. But Jesus does not explain these next two parables. Why? Jesus has given us the KEYS to these parables in the first two parables.

The Kingdom of Heaven is a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. The Sower of this tiny seed is first of all Jesus Christ, but also His Children, members of His Spiritual family by faith. The field is the world, this present earth.

The Gospel message that we sow is a very small, inconsequential thing according to the world. People say, “How can I fix my life? How can I have purpose and joy, a better life?” For the Christ follower the answer is simple:

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, both you and your household! (Acts 16:31)

What! Just believe? “Yes! Repent. Turn from the gods you have been following, and turn to the Messiah, believing He died for your sins.” The world hears this and is OFFENDED. But Jesus said,

Matthew 11:6 … blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not entered into by all people, but only by those who have confessed with their mouths that Jesus is LORD, and believed in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).

Heaven is not for the gods among men, but for the Children of God. Heaven is not for the arrogant and prideful, but for those who know their Creator, and are submitted to HIS Will!

Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Word Study The mustard seed is the Gospel. What are the characteristics of a mustard seed? A mustard seed is both TINY and OFFENSIVE.

Illustrate When I was a little boy a country remedy for sickness was the mustard plaster. It was a gooey mixture of water and mustard that was put on your chest to get rid of coughs, colds, and sickness. Within five minutes of application it began to irritate you. You began to squirm, and were very uncomfortable until your parent took it off of you.

The Gospel message is offensive. It makes people squirm.

We think we are good people, that we deserve Heaven. Beloved, the Bible condemns all as sinners. All. Not just the Hitlers and the Stalins, but the David Buffaloes, and whatever your name is.

Matthew 13:32 … {the mustard seed} indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

What is interesting about this parable is that Jesus said the mustard seed of the Gospel of the Kingdom is the greatest of all herbs (which is true), and becomes a tree (which is unnatural). If you plant a mustard seed it will be the biggest herb in your garden, but will NOT become a tree. Why did Jesus speak of this seed in this parable becoming a tree? Because He speaks of a supernatural event. The Kingdom of Christ is growing, that tiny seed planted so long ago, and has spread all over the world. The Kingdom of Heaven is being populated now, by those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Kingdom will continue to grow until the end of time. It will grow supernaturally large enough to where “the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof”. The Kingdom of Heaven is

Revelation 7:9-10 …a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

The Kingdom of Heaven is populated
by the spread of the SUPERNATURAL Gospel

Matthew 13:33 … The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Leaven, or yeast, is a very small fungal, single cell organism works to make bread rise. Leaven cannot effect “three measures of meal”. Leaven needs water and sugar to effect the flour. Yeast can be seen floating in water, but has no means of propulsion on it’s own. The Holy Spirit is the Living Water (John 7:37-39). When we receive Christ as Savior, then He sends His Spirit – the Living Water of God – to live within us. There is power in the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Though Insignificant And Ignored By The World,
The Gospel Is The Greatest Treasure
Ever Given To This World

Matthew 13:44-45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The greatest thing that can happen to you is the Gospel. The Gospel declares we are all sinners in need of a Savior. The Gospel declares Jesus Christ is that one and only Savior. The Gospel calls us to:

Repent of our current lifestyle, and
Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Rest in truths of God’s Word, while
Residing obediently in the Presence of God.

Jesus is calling you to His side this very day. Will you come? He is casting the Gospel net outward, drawing others into His Family. Will you come?

Matthew 13:47-50 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Receive Jesus as He is, and He will receive you as you are. Trust in Him. Lean into Jesus Christ. Do not delay. Jesus came to save you from your sins, to adopt you into His Kingdom. Will you come? May God open your eyes to receive Him as both Lord and Savior, and thus be entered into His Kingdom this very day. May God’s Word and His Spirit draw you. Amen and Amen!