If this is the first page you clicked on check back to the first day of the ninety-two day chronological reading plan of the New Testament. "DAY ONE" If you want the whole plan day by day and not wait find it here at Shalom in the wilderness.
Day Fourteen: Matthew 13, Luke 8
These chapters are full of parables which are the teachings to the gentiles and those who were not the disciples. It is kind of like listening to a message which paints a picture but not really understanding unless you hear and understand the purpose of the teaching. Jesus shares the reason why he speaks in parables but reveals to his disciples differently. The first parable is one of sowing and reaping harvest. This is one of the few parables that is explained with the meaning/interpretation behind it. Most of the parables taught we are hearing and called to seek in discernment to reveal what we should know from it. With seeking comes understanding and peace in learning the kingdom of heaven. I thought it was necessary to point out the reason he shares with speaking in parables and the meaning behind the sower. When we accept Jesus in our hearts we must drop everything and take up our cross, when we do that we read and listen to his words which were given by the father to speak. When we are in ignorance and still being disobedient to repent we immediately in the danger of the enemy stealing what was growing in faith. If you would like to read the parables which I have not used verses from you can click the heading of the paragraph with the parable names to read them through again.
We also get to witness that even the demons confess who he is and throw themselves pleading not to harm them. As merciful as Jesus is we can see that there is compassion on the man with the Legion (many spirits, assumed to be evil) who he expels out by his request to a herd of swine. People witnessed and became fearful, requesting that Jesus leave their town.
Day Fourteen: Matthew 13, Luke 8
These chapters are full of parables which are the teachings to the gentiles and those who were not the disciples. It is kind of like listening to a message which paints a picture but not really understanding unless you hear and understand the purpose of the teaching. Jesus shares the reason why he speaks in parables but reveals to his disciples differently. The first parable is one of sowing and reaping harvest. This is one of the few parables that is explained with the meaning/interpretation behind it. Most of the parables taught we are hearing and called to seek in discernment to reveal what we should know from it. With seeking comes understanding and peace in learning the kingdom of heaven. I thought it was necessary to point out the reason he shares with speaking in parables and the meaning behind the sower. When we accept Jesus in our hearts we must drop everything and take up our cross, when we do that we read and listen to his words which were given by the father to speak. When we are in ignorance and still being disobedient to repent we immediately in the danger of the enemy stealing what was growing in faith. If you would like to read the parables which I have not used verses from you can click the heading of the paragraph with the parable names to read them through again.
The Parable of the Sower
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 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men 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 his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
The enemy does not want us to be righteous, he does not want us to seek after good and he doesn't want to see us succeed. This is what I think of when I think of the parable of the weeds. No matter how well and prepared we are he will always find a way to attack us. In our weakness, and in our strength he is there peaking around the corner waiting for the opportunity to sow a weed. This parable is another one that Jesus explains. Here we are preparing and hopefully seeking after God's desires for our heart in order that our faith grows and the seeds that we sow reap a plentiful harvest. This parable does a good job illustrating the harvest at the end of the age, as Jesus explains:
37 He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where 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.
We see another reference to prophesy fulfillment in this section, we learn about how little a seed can be yet with growth it can become a towering tree which provides a homes to the living creatures. You only need a little to go a long way, just like you only need a little yeast to be needed into flour in order for it to show results and produce more of what you started with, in hopes that it is producing good fruit for the labor of the works. Note prophesy is fulfilled from Psalm 78:2 by Jesus speaking in parables.
35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
This parable shows that if you see something of value and desire it with all your heart then you are willing to sell everything to obtain it. This shows that what is sold to obtain the treasures is nothing compared to what will be provided from them. The same goes for heaven and the promises of the Kingdom of God. Knowing that we are promised eternal bliss through salvation of Jesus Christ is enough for those who are willing to drop everything and follow him because they know there is a value from doing so. These two references to the Kingdom of heaven remind me of being the disciples of Jesus. If we want to follow Jesus we must be willing to drop everything, including deny ourselves in order to follow him since we know through his promises that great is our reward in heaven for trusting in him and doing his father's will.
The Parable of the Net
The last parable for the chapter depicts the relationship to fishing and not always getting "good" fish, but none the less it is the fisherman's job to drop the net and gather, and in the end what is good will be separated from what is bad. Later he shares the symbolism showing that it will be this way when the harvest is ripe in the end of age, the angels will come and gather all but will separate and throw away the wickedness and keep what is not. Since we all have something sinful about us because we are human we have wickedness but we are saved through the sacrifice Jesus made. It reminds me that even thought our spirit is willing to obey God's will, our flesh is weak and often we, as humans, give into our flesh's desires. Therefore, what ever is left wicked within us will be striped away. Imagine that, knowing that we are harvest-able, and can not bear good and bad fruit so whatever is not good within us or around us, is thrown to the pit. I like how this parable ends and the disciples are understanding what he is saying, maybe because they know they are fisher's of men? We are given the gift of understanding when instructed of the kingdom heaven therefore we are as a home owner in heaven, and as a home owner we have the choice to gather to prepare for it, would you not want to gather up treasures that were eternal and not perishable?
52 He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."In closing of Matthew 13, Jesus is scoffed at and made fun of because he is basically from a small town and everyone knows his parents. What gets me here is that people should know the miracle of his birth, yet act oblivious to all the events that happened when he was, such as for example, the massacre of all the children by the hand of Herod. Jesus did not preform many miracles in this town and carried on to the next because they showed no faith, and humbly he knows that he is without honor there because it is his home town. Why is that do you think? I am also from a small town which I am sure many are but why would it be so that you would be with out honor there when people know you and know that you are a child of God? I guess that may be the point, everyone "knows" you so they know of you and how you grew up and are judging you the whole lot of the way, thinking that they actually know who you are.
Luke 8
Since most of the parables were covered in the previous chapter of the reading there is one final one that is listed in Luke 8. This last one to note on reminds me of Matthew 5, shining the light for the whole city to see so that people may give God praise for the works that give him glory.Everything is meant to be exposed and placed in the light. Obviously it is a good thing that everything is out in the open and honest in order to take from those who have not worked for anything and have been thieves to the kingdom of God, and give to those who have in order to reward them for all that they have done to prepare. All I know is that I pray that my talents have multiplied over the years in order to show that what I was given, I have invested in and received interest on by creating new talents.
A Lamp on a Stand
The rest of the reading from here is more about healing and we even get to see the story where he calms the storm, and the same disciples that know him and love him still question when they see that his authority goes beyond earth, he commands the sky and seas. It is pretty mind boggling sometimes reading the reactions but I guess on the outside looking in it is hard to judge how I would have been in those times. But it still getting my mind reeling when you have these men following him because they believe in him yet are asking where he gets his authority that he may clear the store.16 "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
We also get to witness that even the demons confess who he is and throw themselves pleading not to harm them. As merciful as Jesus is we can see that there is compassion on the man with the Legion (many spirits, assumed to be evil) who he expels out by his request to a herd of swine. People witnessed and became fearful, requesting that Jesus leave their town.
35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.The last two stories shows acts of great faith by a man with a dying daughter and an unclean women. The sick women who could not be healed had been bleeding for 12 years straight and when she saw him coming she had faith just by touching him she would be free from this uncleanness. Her faith was so strong that Jesus felt power leave him when she was able to reach for his clothing. All by faith she is healed!!
46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." 47Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."When Jesus finds the little girl of the ruler of the synagogue she is already dead, but Jesus calls her out of the sleep of death and she breathed life again, This is one of the miracle accounts that Jeus kept on the down low and asked the family to do likewise. The overseers laughed and scoffed at him but who is laughing now?
52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
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