Podcasts about Matthew 13

Sunday am sermon by Pastor Justin Braun 

Sunday am sermon by Pastor Justin Braun 

Sermon By: Pastor Roman Folia (The Gospel of Matthew pt.47)

Todaywe're specifically looking at Ephesians 3:16. Two things we're going to talkabout and that's, “the riches of His glory” and “in the inner man”.As we look at this passage of scripture, we realize that the power of the HolySpirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory”. Christreturned to glory. But remember He said, "If I don't go away, I can'tsend the Holy Spirit. But if I go away, I will send the Comforter, the HolySpirit." (John 14; John 16:7). Christ returned to glory and sent theHoly Spirit from heaven to indwell and to empower His people.  So,it's not necessary for us to work something up. The power of God has been sentdown. Jesus said, "Tarry at Jerusalem till the power of the Holy Spiritis come upon you." (Acts 1:4-8). They did tarry and the HolySpirit, 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon them. The HolySpirit was sent down. The Holy Spirit is the “gift of God” according tothose first passages of Scripture in the book of Acts (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45;11:17). Now the Holy Spirit dwells in us and empowers us.  Goddoesn't give us the Holy Spirit's power out of His riches, but “according toHis riches” and that is a far greater thing. If I'm a billionaire and Igive you $10, I've given you out of my riches. But if I give you a milliondollars, I have given you according to my riches. The first is a portion, butmy friend, the second is a proportion. Oh, God has His riches in heaven thatare immeasurable, unfathomable, endless, eternal. He gives you not out of Hisriches but “according to the riches of His glory”. Nowvery interesting this power is available for “the inner man”.This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and God lives in us. Weread in Romans 8:16; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are the children of God”. The inner man of the lost sinner is dead (Ephesians2:1), but that inner spirit becomes alive when the Holy Spirit of Christ,Christ Himself comes to indwell us. We find that the inner mancan see in Psalm 119:18, "Open mine eyes that I may see wondrous thingsout of your law." The inner man can hear Matthew13:9, Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear."  “Theinner man”has taste in Psalm 34:8; “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. We findwe can feel with the inner man (Acts 17:27). According to 1 Timothy 4:7-8,we find that bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness exercises greatprofit for those who trust and believe in Him. The outward man is perishing.But the inner man, the inner man can be renewed day by day in spite of thephysical outward decay that takes place. I love that passage in 2 Corinthians4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man isperishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.  Whatdoes it mean to have the Holy Spirit empower “the inner man”? Itmeans that our spiritual faculties are controlled by God, and we are exercisingthem and growing in the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14). It is only when we yield to theSpirit and let Him control the inner man that we succeed in living to the gloryof God. This means we are feeding the inner man the Word of God, praying andworshiping, keeping clean, and exercising the senses by loving obedience. MayGod help us to trust Him today to have that strength that only He can give forHis glory and for His ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ withthe world around us.  Godbless!

Sermon by: Pastor Roman Folia (The Gospel of Matthew pt. 46)

CURRENT SERMON SERIES: "Deeply Rooted" In an age when the world's problems can feel overwhelming and immovable, we are called to trust that our small, faithful acts can move mountains over time. In seasons of social turbulence and upheaval, when everything feels unsteady, we need deep roots—an anchor that holds us firmly in faith, community, and courage. Like the mustard seed that grows into the greatest of trees, like the oak whose roots run deep enough to withstand every storm, we are called to be sources of stability and resilience when life churns around us. This series explores how daily commitment to faithful, merciful, and generous living strengthens our inner reserves—ensuring we remain unshaken by life's challenges and fruitful through every season.

Monday, 3 November 2025   Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58   “And through their faithlessness He did not, there, many miracles” (CG).   In the previous verse, it was noted that the people were offended at Jesus. Because of this, He said that a prophet is not without honor except in his fatherland and in his house. With that stated, Matthew next records, “And through their faithlessness He did not, there, many miracles.”   A new word, apistia, faithlessness, is seen. It is derived from the negative particle a and pistos, faithful. Therefore, depending on the context, it means not faithful, unfaithful, unbelief, an unbeliever, faithlessness, etc.   The preposition preceding this, dia, through, signifies that the cause of His not doing many miracles was their unbelief. In the parallel account in Mark 6, this is stated more firmly so that it is understood –   “And He could not do any miracles there, if not a few infirm, having laid the hands, He cured.” Mark 6:5 (CG)   This is similar to what Jesus said to the apostles after the transfiguration –   “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?' 20 So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'” Matthew 17:19-21   In Nazareth, the unbelief of those who resided there kept Jesus from being able to cure them. In the case of the apostles, their faith blocked the healing process. Either way, a lack of faith was a hindrance to what otherwise could have been possible.   Life application: Unfortunately, it is common today for people in charismatic churches, or who carry around the name it and claim it attitude, to accuse those who have health problems, financial problems, etc., of lacking faith.   They strut around like roosters, boasting of the supposed spiritual superiority as if they have access to such things on a whim. This type of attitude laughingly extends to claims of being able to protect homes from tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.   This is neither acceptable nor responsible. We live in a fallen world. People get sick, we have troubles and trials, and people die. Such things are a part of human existence. God is not looking for super spiritual showoffs.   Rather, He is pleased with the simple faith of those who trust in Jesus despite their trials and troubles. Nothing in Scripture ever says that believers will be immune from the woes of this world. In fact, just the opposite is true, both in spiritual and physical matters.   Don't let the arrogant, boastful, and theologically uninformed rob your joy in Christ through such false claims or accusations. Rather, pity them. Because when their times of trial and woe come upon them, and they will, they will have nothing to fall back on.   Be responsible, read your word, and have faith in God and His promises, despite the trials and catastrophes that come your way. In this, God will be pleased with you.   “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.” 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4   Lord God, we know that we are ordained for trials and troubles in this life. Despite this, we thank You for the promises You have given us in Christ Jesus. Whatever happens now, no matter how great and troubling it is, we know it is temporary and just a glitch on our path to eternal glory in Your presence. Thank You for the surety we possess in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Matthew 13   13 And in that day, Jesus, having departed from the house, He sat by the sea. 2 And they gathered to Him, great crowds, so too He, having in-stepped into the boat, sat. And all the crowd, they had stood on the beach. 3 And He spoke to them, many in parables, saying, “You behold! He went out, ‘the sowing to sow.' 4 And in his sowing, some, indeed, it fell near the road, and it came, the birds, and it devoured them. 5 And others, it fell upon the rock-like, where it had not much earth, and immediately it out-rose through not having soil depth. 6 And sun, having risen, it burned, and through not having root, it desiccated. 7 And others, it fell upon the thorns, and they ascended, the thorns, and they choked them. 8 And others, it fell upon the good earth, and it gave fruit. Some, indeed, hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty. 9 The ‘having ears to hear,' he – hear!”   10 And the disciples, having come, they said to Him, “Through what in parables You speak to them?” 11 And having answered, He said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries ‘the kingdom the heavens.' And to them, not it has been given. 12 For whoever he has, it will be given him, and he will superabound. And whoever not he has, and what he has, it will be lifted from him. 13 Through this I speak to them in parables, because seeing, not they see, and hearing, not they hear nor comprehend. 14 And it fulfills upon them Isaiah's prophecy, saying,   ‘News you will hear and no, not you might comprehend, And seeing, you will see and no, not you might see. 15 For it thickened, the heart of this people And their ears, heavily they heard, And their eyes, they shut, Lest not they should behold – their eyes, And they should hear – their ears, And they should comprehend – the heart, And they should return, And I will heal them.'   16 And you, blessed the eyes, because they see, and the ears, because it hears. 17 Amen! For I say to you that many prophets and righteous, they passioned to see what you see, and not they saw, and to hear what you hear, and not they heard.   18 You, therefore, you hear the parable, the ‘having sown.' 19 Everyone hearing the word of the kingdom and not comprehending, the evil, he comes, and he seizes the ‘having been sown in his heart.' This, he is, the ‘having been sown near the path.' 20 And the ‘having been sown upon the rocky places,' this, he is, the ‘the word hearing and immediately with joy receiving it.' 21 And he has no root in himself, but he is temporary. And having come pressure or persecution through the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 And the ‘into the thorns having been sown' this is the ‘the word hearing,' but the care of this age, and the delusion of wealth, it strangles the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the ‘upon the good earth having been sown,' this, it is ‘the word hearing and comprehending' who surely he fruit-bears and it yields – some indeed hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.”   24 Another parable He near-set them, saying, “It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field. 25 And in the ‘sleeps the men,' he came, his enemy, and he sowed darnel in between the wheat, and he went away. 26 And when it sprouted, the grass, and it yielded fruit, then it appeared, also, the darnel. 27 And having come, the servants of the housemaster, they said to him, ‘Lord, not good seed you sowed in your field? Whence, therefore, it has darnel?' 28 And he said to them, ‘Enemy! A man did this!' And the servants, they said to him, ‘You incline, therefore, having gone, we should gather them?' 29 And he said, ‘No! Not lest gathering the darnel, you should uproot with them the wheat. 30 You allow both to co-grow until the harvest. And in the harvest season, I will say to the harvesters, “You gather first the darnel, and you bind them into bundles to incinerate them, and wheat you collect into my barn.”'”   31 Another parable He presented them, saying, “The kingdom of the heavens, it is like a mustard kernel, which a man, having taken, he sowed in his field. 32 Which, indeed, it is least of all seeds. And when it may be grown, it is greater than the tillings, and it becomes a tree, so the birds of the sky come and encamp in its branches.”   33 Another parable He presented them, “The kingdom of the heavens, it is like leaven which a woman, having taken, she concealed in flour – three measures – until it all, it leavened.”   34 All these, He spoke, Jesus, in parables to the crowds, and besides parable, not He spoke to them. 35 So it should be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken through the prophet,' saying,   “I will open My mouth in parables. I will blurt things having been concealed from foundation – world.”   36 Then Jesus, having dismissed the crowds, He went into the house. And His disciples, they came to Him, saying, “Expound to us the parable of the fields' darnel.”   37 And answering, He said, “He, the ‘sowing the good seed,' he is the Son of Man. 38 And the field, it is the world. And the good seed, these, they are the sons of the kingdom. And the weeds, they are the sons of the evil. 39 And the enemy, the ‘having sown them,' he is the Traducer. And harvest – it is the age's consummation. And harvesters – they are messengers. 40 Therefore, just as it is gathered, the darnel, and fire – it consumed, thus it will be in the age's consummation. 41 The Son of Man, He will send His messengers and they will gather from His kingdom all the snares and those doing lawlessness. 42 And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire. There it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth. 43 Then the righteous, they will irradiate as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The ‘having ears,' let him hear!   44 Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field, which a man, having found, he concealed, and from the joy of it, he withdraws and all that he has he sells and he buys that field.   45 Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, having found one highly valued pearl, having departed, he has sold all – as many as he had, and he purchased it. 47 Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a seine having been cast into the sea, and from every kind having been gathered, 48 which, when it was filled, having dragged upon the beach, and having sat, they gathered the good into vessels, and the bad they cast out. 49 Thus it will be in the age's consummation. The messengers, they will go out and they will separate the evil from the righteous' midst. 50 And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire. There, it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.”   51 Jesus, He says to them, “These all, you comprehend?”   They say to Him, “Yes, Lord.”   52 And He said to them, “Through this, every scribe, having been discipled in the ‘kingdom the heavens,' he is like a man, a house-master, who – he ejects from his treasure newbies and oldies.”   53 And it was when He finished, Jesus, these parables, He after-lifted thence. 54 And having come into His fatherland, He taught them in their synagogue, so they are outstruck and say, “Whence this, this wisdom and the miracles? 55 Not this, He is the artificer's Son? Not His mother, her called Mary? And His brothers James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, not they are all with us? Whence then this – these all?” 57 And they stumbled in Him.   And Jesus, He said to them, “Not, he is, a prophet dishonored if not in his fatherland and in his house.” 58 And through their faithlessness He did not, there, many miracles.

My brother Daniel used to work as a manager in the Publix deli. It seemed like a hard job with long hours, demanding customers, and endless sandwiches. Yet when I asked him what it was like, he said he loved it because every day he got to “feed the hungry.”That perspective changed how I think about ordinary work. Daniel could have focused on the frustration, but instead, he found fulfillment in serving others.It made me wonder, how would our view of daily work change if we saw it as a way to serve rather than just something to get through?In Matthew 13:24–43, Jesus shares three parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. The last two show how something small can become something extraordinary in God's Kingdom. We learn that God's kingdom often works quietly and unseen, transforming small acts into meaningful impact.This gives me pause as I consider, what small or hidden ways might God be at work in our lives and community right now?The world may look like an endless line of sandwiches, but in God's kingdom, every act of service becomes part of feeding the hungry and building something eternal.Join us this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. as we study the book of Matthew and reflect on how God's kingdom grows through everyday moments.Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Sunday, 2 November 2025   So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Matthew 13:57   “And they stumbled in Him. And Jesus, He said to them, ‘A prophet, he is not dishonored if not in his fatherland and in his house.'” (CG).   In the previous verse, the questions about Jesus continued as the people asked about His sisters, wondering how He had obtained His wisdom and mighty working abilities. Because of their confusion, it next says, “And they stumbled in Him.”   The meaning is that they were tripped up. Their mental disconnect would not allow them proper understanding of how someone so common and who was a seemingly normal child among them had grown into such a mighty intellect with the ability to accomplish such great things.   Their assumption, though faulty, is not uncommon. To them, humble beginnings equated to a humble existence henceforth. Instead of looking at Jesus as a prodigy, they probably looked to Him more as a charlatan or an underhanded opportunist. However, Matthew records Jesus' response to them, “And Jesus, He said to them, ‘A prophet, he is not dishonored.'”   A new word, atimos, is seen. It is derived from the negative particle a and the word timé, value. Thus, it extends to honor, esteem, dignity, etc. Jesus' beginning words of His response indicate that prophets are normally honored for their prophetic ability.   They stood with kings, were esteemed by the people, and were sought out by all classes of people in times of need. However, there was often a notable exception. Jesus continues with, “if not in his fatherland and in his house.”   A prophet who only became a prophet later in life by the call of the Lord could expect to be ignored by those he grew up with and who once interacted with him regularly. People would not understand how someone they knew and hung around with, just a common Joe, could somehow have a special connection to God.   This is the intent of Jesus' words, which were probably a proverbial expression concerning such things.   Life application: As noted above, the reasoning of the people is commonly faulty. There are innumerable ways people can suddenly excel who seemed to have no special background, potential, or abilities.   For example, from time to time, someone may get bumped on the head and suddenly have the ability to do incredible feats in math, memory, invention, etc. A prophet or preacher may have a sudden calling on his life that changes the entire course of his existence.   In the case of the latter, faith in God demands that people take stock of such a thing and consider it. Of course, the chances are good that a person is making a false claim about such a religious encounter, but the only way to get to the bottom of that would be to test him, observe his conduct, and check with others who may have intimate knowledge of the situation.   However, others may be in on the scam as well. Joseph Smith claimed he had received the Book of Mormon from the angel Moroni. Brigham Young supported him in his false teaching and helped perpetuate and grow Mormonism. So one has to be careful with such things.   There is a great example of the thought presented here right in Scripture –   “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” Acts 9:26, 27   Paul resided in Jerusalem. People there knew of his conduct toward those in the church. After his conversion, his change was a hard sell to those who previously knew him. This is to be expected. However, there is a point when such things need to be accepted as true and valid, like Paul's conversion, or forever rejected, like Joseph Smith's false claims.   The evidence behind the claims should be sufficient to make such a determination. Pay attention to such things as you interact with others. Your initial assessment may be wrong. Likewise, your lurking suspicions may be borne out when a false narrative is exposed. Be wise and discerning, and as John admonishes, “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).   O God, we pray for Your hand of protection to surround us from false teachers. At the same time, we pray for discerning minds that can identify them so that we are not led astray by them. There are so many who claim they know the “mysteries” of how things work by You when in fact, they are just making stuff up. Help us to see the truth and keep far from such people. Amen.  

Saturday, 1 November 2025   And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” Matthew 13:56   “And His sisters, not they are all with us? Whence then this – these all?” (CG).   In the previous verse, the people of Nazareth questioned Jesus about His father, mother, and brothers. Their words continue with, “And His sisters.”   The word translated as “sister” is adelphé. It is the feminine form of adelphos, brother, and carries the same connotation, one of the same womb. As with the previous verse, however, the word can figuratively be extended to a person in a figurative sense –   “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters [adelphé], with all purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1, 2   For this reason, the Roman Catholic Church and others who hold to the perpetual virginity of Mary insist that the words here extend to daughters of Joseph and not daughters of Mary, despite the obvious intent of the words to indicate actual sisters having been born to Mary.   Mary, not some unnamed former wife, is spoken of in the same context as the rest of the family, making her the natural connection to these sisters. As for the number of them, that is to be inferred from the next words, “not they are all with us?”   Although no number is set, it is telling us that there were three or more sisters. Otherwise, it would have said, “isn't she here with us,” or “are not both of them here with us.” Not only was Mary not a perpetual virgin, apart from Jesus, but she had at least seven other children. Having noted Joseph, Mary, and the siblings of Jesus, demonstrating complete familiarity with the family, the people next exclaim, “Whence then this – these all?”   The words are referring to “this wisdom and the miracles” mentioned in verse 54. In other words, everything about Jesus and His family was laid out before the people through years of close interaction.   And yet, somehow, He suddenly appeared to them with incredible abilities that surpassed the normal life He previously lived. They could not understand how Jesus could have gone from a simple Son of an artificer to a great miracle worker and biblical scholar.   Life application: The supposed perpetual virginity of Mary is never taught in Scripture. It is unfathomable that God would present such a doctrine without clear and unambiguous evidence for it. And yet, a normal read through the text would lead anyone with a modicum of honesty to conclude that Jesus was the Son of Mary and the others mentioned here were as well.   The only result to be realized from this aberrant doctrine is to cause Scripture itself to be violated. The words of Hebrews 12:2 implore Christians to fix their eyes on Jesus, not Mary, Paul, David, or Moses. To highlight Mary's role, as has been done by the Roman Catholic Church, destroys this precept.   Be wise, filled with prudence when dealing with doctrinal and theological issues, and consider what God is doing and why. Don't accept people's teachings just because they seem authoritative or because they have some particular trait that makes them seem special.   For example, it is as common as peanuts in peanut brittle in Christian circles today to highlight Bible teachers simply because they are Jewish. It is as if being Jewish elevates people to some supposed level of biblical knowledge that must be listened to and adhered to. It is a ridiculous way to handle one's biblical studies.   Whether someone has a PhD, can read and write Hebrew and/or Greek, or has a large congregation, such things have nothing to do with adherence to Scripture. Evaluate your teachers based on how they teach the word of God. And guess what, this is impossible unless you yourself know the word well enough to do so. Read the Bible!   Glorious God Almighty, help each of us to desire knowing Your word above even the food we eat. May we listen to it, meditate on it, and cherish it in our hearts and minds all the days of our lives. To Your glory. Amen.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal explores Jesus' parable of the leaven from Matthew 13:33, revealing profound insights about the nature of God's kingdom on earth. This short but powerful parable illustrates how the kingdom of heaven operates not through outward glory or conquest, but as a hidden, transformative influence throughout the world. Tony examines how this parable connects thematically with other parables in Matthew 13, showing that believers are called to be like leaven - seemingly small and hidden, yet profoundly impacting the entire "loaf" of society. This teaching offers a refreshing perspective on how Christians can understand their role in the world and how God's redemptive purposes work through His people. Key Takeaways The kingdom of heaven operates not through outward glory but as a hidden, transformative influence in the world Just as leaven permeates an entire batch of dough, Christians are called to influence the whole world around them The parable of leaven shares thematic connections with the parables of the sower and the wheat and tares in Matthew 13 God preserves the world (the "whole loaf") because of His redemptive purposes for those within it The seemingly small presence of believers in the world has a disproportionate impact, similar to how a small amount of leaven affects a large amount of flour Common grace benefits both believers and unbelievers as part of God's redemptive plan The church may not always appear dominant in society, but its influence continues to work invisibly and powerfully Understanding the Parable of Leaven The parable in Matthew 13:33 is deceptively simple: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour till it was all leavened." Tony notes that just as leaven is often the same color as flour but with a different texture, and just as a small amount can affect an entire batch, the kingdom of heaven may seem small and unassuming in the world, yet its influence permeates everything around it. This parable teaches us that God's kingdom doesn't operate through visible conquest or outward glory. Rather, it works quietly from within, transforming the whole of society as believers live out their faith in various contexts - whether at work, with family, or in other relationships. The impact of the kingdom, like leaven, is not always immediately visible but ultimately transforms everything it touches. The Kingdom's Hidden Presence This parable helps us understand that while the church may not always be the dominant visible institution in the world, its influence continues to work powerfully. Tony explains how this connects with the parable of the wheat and tares, where both grow together until the harvest. Similarly, the kingdom of heaven is present within the world, often hidden from plain sight but still exerting tremendous influence. This perspective counters triumphalistic views that expect Christianity to always visibly dominate culture, while also rejecting defeatist attitudes that minimize the church's impact. Instead, it offers a balanced understanding that even when believers are in the minority, they serve as God's means of leavening the whole of society with kingdom values and influence. Memorable Quotes "We should look at this parable and think about how the kingdom of heaven on this earth is not going to be about outward glory. It's not gonna be about outward conquests, accoutrements or accolades." "As we go into our workday, as we interact with our family, whether that's our immediate family, our wives or children, our parents, or it's our extended family, some of whom may not even know Christ, as we interact with our fellow Christians in the church or online, as we interact with unbelievers online, we are to be like leaven that is hidden in the flower and our presence in the flower, our presence in the world actually leavens the whole world." "If it were not for God's intent and desire to save a remnant from fallen humanity, if it was not for the covenant of redemption in which the father, son and the spirit pacted together to redeem a people for their very own, God would've had no reason not to just destroy the whole thing and start over. But because he has seen fit to redeem out of the fallen whole, a portion, he is leavening the whole with that portion." Full Transcript we should look at this parable and think about how the kingdom of heaven on this earth is not going to be about outward glory. It's not gonna be about outward conquests accoutrements or accolades. [00:00:21] Introduction and Experiment Setup Welcome back to episode 467 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Tony and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brothers and sisters, if you are joining us for this second part of, uh, episode 467, any of you have not listened to Jesse's contribution, then you are like me. I also have not listened to Jesse's contribution yet, but, uh, you should go back and listen because, uh, we're doing a fun little experiment this week, Jesse and I. Our schedules didn't quite line up, so we thought we would do something interesting. [00:01:03] Exploring the Parables of Christ Uh, we've been working through the parables of Christ, which has been an absolute joy, and we come to these two sort of little micro parables that, um, commentators and editors often clump together. And Justin and I thought it would be a fun experiment for us each two separately talk about, uh, one of the parables. Uh, and then next week, uh, we're gonna come back together and we will probably talk through all of it after we've had some chances to, uh, process and marinate in it a little bit. We thought it'd be fun to see kind of how the two episodes gel together or don't gel together, uh, when uh, we have not talked about it and did not record together. So I'm gonna go ahead and kick off. I don't know if Jesse did affirmations or denials. I don't know what Jesse did. I, all I know is he recorded an episode and I'm sure that it's amazing. Uh, but I'm just gonna go ahead and kick off right into the, uh, the. Uh, reading here. So we're looking at Matthew chapter 13. Uh, we've spent our entire time in this series so far in Matthew chapter 13, and I'm gonna pick it up at verse 33. It reads here, he told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, that a woman took and hid in three measures of flower till it was all leavened. Now this is a short parable. Uh, it's, it's pretty straightforward. And this episode will be a little bit shorter. I don't know how long Jesse went. I mean, I, I guess I kind of have an idea 'cause I edited the, uh, episode, but I dunno how long you went. So I'm gonna keep this short and sweet and we're gonna talk more about all of this next week. So I just wanna share a few observations with you first. I think it's important for us to sort of recognize that. Matthew as the inspired, uh, writer of this, uh, gospel and in some ways, uh, as an inspired compiler and editor of Christ's public Ministry. Right. He's writing the gospel, but he's also a witness to the events. He is probably, um, ordering things in particular ways to make a theological point. Christ probably also taught this same message multiple times in multiple venues, so there's nothing shady or a historical going on. Um, but Matthew is. Putting together these, uh, counts and particularly these parables, which probably were all given at the same time. Um, Christ probably deliver them all at the same time as well. And there's some good reasons in the text to think that. But these parables all fall within the context of each other. So when we talked about the parable of, uh, the soils, um, or the parable of the sower, we, we recognize, um, that the kingdom of heaven is not as obvious as we would think, right? The sower sows the seed, um, he sows it promiscuously a across various different kinds of soils, fully knowing that some of it will not be receptive. And then of course, we saw the outcome. And then when we looked at the parable of the weed, weed, uh, wheat and the tears, uh, we see that, you know, the, the good sower recognizes that the wheat and the weed will grow up next to each other, and that at the end of all things, he will separate those things and will, you know, destroy the wicked and will reward the righteous. And an interesting feature of this chapter is that Christ often tells a parable, and then there's either some commentary, or in this case today, there's actually additional parables in sort of inserted, and then Christ gives the, uh, interpretation of the parable. So the, the parable of the mustard seed immediately follows in the parable of the 11, kind of considering those together. Immediately follows the parable of, uh, the explanation, or no, sorry, the parable of, um, the weed and the weeds. And so he gives us this parable right in the middle there. Then he gives us a little explanation and a second, you know, explanation of why he speaks in parables. And then he goes on to interpret and. There's a, a technique that was often used in ancient text, in ancient documents called an iuso, where they would start an account. Uh, they would start sort of a literary segment with, um, a phrase or a concept. Then they would explain, you know, they would give all their explanation and then they would close that same section with a similar theme or a similar, um, kind of, um, concept. We see this in Luke, right? We see at the beginning of Luke. There's a statement that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Then we see the, um, the account of Jesus in the temple. And then we see again at the end of that, it says again, he grew in wisdom and stature. And so Luke, there is telling us that we should read that whole section, that whole area as a, a single unit. And the theme of that unit is Jesus growing in, um, wisdom and stature. A similar thing is happening here. So we have the, the parable of the sower. We have some commentary, then we have the interpretation of the parable of sower. Then we have the parable of the wheat and the tears, and then we have this in the middle, the parable of the weed of the, um, mustard seed and the lemon. And then we have the explanation or the interpretation of the parable of the wheat and the tears. So we should see this parable as part of that literary unit. That's, that's what Matthew is doing here. So we have to interpret it in light of that. [00:06:17] The Kingdom of Heaven and Its Implications And so what do we see in the first, uh, parable that we talked about? Well, we see that the kingdom of heaven is, uh, is sort of hidden within the world. We see that God sows or the, the good sower sows his seed. The master of the household sows his good seed into the world. The field is the world and it starts to grow, and then the enemy comes and he sows his seed into the world, and that starts to grow. And until the end of things, um, the good weeds, the good wheat is sort of hidden among the weeds just as the weed is hidden among the good wheat, the, the parable of the mustard seed, um, Jesse, I'm sure explain. We'll find out. Um, explain that the, the mustard seed is small. And so when it's planted into the garden, it becomes kind of hidden and it's an unexpected, um, influence on the, the rest of the garden. Not only does it grow, but it becomes, uh, it becomes a central feature of the garden. Uh, it gives shade to things. It, you know, birds come and live in it. Um. It becomes a central feature in an unexpected way. And the Parable of 11 is, in my opinion, is really just a restatement in some ways of the parable of, uh, the wheat and the tears. It says the kingdom of heaven is like 11 that the woman took and hid. In three measures of flour till it was all lemon. So Jesse could tell you more about baking bread than I could. Uh, he, he probably would've been better to give you this parable and, and if we did any sort of planning at all, we would've thought about that, but. Lemon is often, um, the same color as flour. Um, it's a different texture as flour, but it takes just a very small amount of it in a large portion of flour or bread dough or whatever you're putting into to then permeate and affect the whole thing. So you might have, you might have a pound of flour. Um, or in this case, three measures of flour, which I, I don't know off the top of my head how much that is. Um, my logos Bible software is, is not helping me all that much here. But you may have a, a large quantity of flour, say a pound of flour, you might put just a few, um, a few grams into that flour, and once you've mixed it all up. Even though that lemon, uh, that lemon is, is at a much lower ratio than the flour, it still affects the entire, the entire outcome and the entire loaf of that, uh, bread that you're making. So, in one sense, what Christ is saying is that the kingdom of heaven, uh, it's it's small. It's, it's unassuming. It is hidden in this broader bunch, just like the wheat is in the good field. Um, it's hidden in the good field in that when you first, you first sow it, you don't see it. And as it starts to grow alongside the weeds, it's hidden among the weeds just as the weeds are hidden among the weeds because you can't tell the difference. In this case, the lemon is, is hidden among the measures of flower, and that's what the kingdom of heaven is like. And so we should look at this parable and think about how the kingdom of heaven on this earth is not going to be about outward glory. It's not gonna be about outward conquests or outward, um, accoutrements or accolades. Um, it certainly should be visible, right? Christ also says that, uh, the kingdom of heaven is like a city on a hill, and we'll get to that when we get to that, or we'll talk about that at some point. But it's not as though this parable is saying The kingdom of heaven should be invisible. But it's not, um, it's not going to be the dominant outward force in the world, just as the wheat in the first parable we talk, or in the second parable we talked about is not gonna be outwardly, uh, visible and apparent. Um, but it's still present in the world and it's still. Part of the reason that the master retains the field instead of just burning it over. If, um, if we saw that an entire loaf was ruined, we'd throw it away. But because the leaven is present in the loaf or it's present in the three measures, it, it permeates that. And the second thing that I think that we should think about, uh, and this will be where I close here, is the kingdom of heaven is, um, is not an, an inert force in the world. Even though it's not going to be outwardly dominant, dominant, it's not going to be the primary, uh, visible institution in the world. Um, it, it certainly has been at points if, if you equate the. The visible church with the Kingdom of Heaven, which our tradition certainly does to a certain extent, but regardless of how present or hidden it, it visually appears and how apparent it is, it still is leavening the whole loaf. So when we read passages like God so loved the world, we don't have to do exegetical gymnastics to try to say, well, God so loved part of the world, or the world only means the elect. We can say without, you know, crossing our fingers or talking outta both sides of our mouth, that God loved the world, the whole world, but part of the reason he loved the whole world is because. One, he created it. But his love for the world in that passage and his sending of the sun is a particular love for the whole world. On the account of all of those who would believe so the, the, the parable here, just like the parable of the weeds. Or maybe as an extension of the parable of the wheat and the tears is teaching us that Christians, particularly the sons of the Kingdom, to use the language from the, the parable of the wheat, the sons of the Kingdom of God are hidden among the world. And just as we are commanded to be salt and light earlier in the gospel, here we are to leaven the whole world. So as we go into our workday, honestly, I'm sitting in my office at work recording this episode right now 'cause it's the most quiet place I can get. Um. As we go into our workday, as we interact with our family, whether that's our immediate family, our wives or children, our parents, or it's our extended family, some of whom may not even know Christ as we interact with our, our fellow Christians in the church or on online. As we interact with unbelievers online, we are to be like leaven that is hidden in the flower and our presence in the flower. Our presence in the world actually leavens the whole world if it were not for God's intent and desire to save a remnant from fallen humanity. It was not for the covenant of redemption in which the father, son and the spirit, uh, pacted together to redeem a people for their very own. If it were not for that, God would've had no reason, would have no reason not to just destroy the whole thing and start over. But because he has seen fit to redeem. Out of the fallen hole, a portion he is leavening the hole with that portion. So I'm obviously not arguing for some kind of universal salvation, but the the common grace that the fact that the rain falls on the just and the unjust or the fact that we all have air to breathe and there's food to eat and that. Uh, evil is restrained, uh, to a certain extent and, and that, um, the good things in life are preserved and that even, even the unbelievers can experience good and pleasurable things like marriage and good food and drink and, and other, um, common grace pleasures that God has provided. All of that is on account of, and because of his desire to redeem the whole, to have a kingdom of God on Earth. So I'm gonna leave you there and it'll be an interesting, fun experiment once these, uh, two dueling episodes come out to, to compare notes and to see how close Jesse and I. Are in interpreting these and where we overlap and where we may even disagree. And we will come back next week and see, uh, where we go when we start to discuss the two together. So thank you for bearing with us with this sort of interesting, unorthodox experiment. I hope that you've enjoyed this, and until next time, honor everyone. Love that brotherhood.

Friday, 31 October 2025   Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Matthew 13:55   “Not this, He is the carpenter's Son? Not His mother, her called Mary? And His brothers James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus returned to His fatherland and began teaching in the synagogues. The people were amazed and wondered where He got His wisdom and abilities to perform the miraculous. They next exclaim, “Not this, He is the artificer's Son?”   It is a new word, tektón, an artificer or craftsman. This could be in wood, stone, metal, etc. The general thought and tradition is that Joseph was a woodworker. However, some believe he worked in stone. There is a stone quarry in the area of Nazareth where objects have been found, such as cups, that have been fashioned out of stone.   From the time of Homer down, the word was used to define a woodworker, such as a carpenter, joiner, shipbuilder, etc. To limit Joseph to one specific trade or another may be to limit the application of the word. For all we know, he was a general artificer who worked in wood, stone, etc.  Continuing with the query, the people continue, saying, “Not His mother, her called Mary?”   They are not asking this as if they could be wrong, as in, “We thought He was Mary's Son? No?” Rather, the reason for the question is that they definitely know He is Mary's Son. Thus, they know all about His family line. He is not a mystery to them. Rather, He grew up with them. And more, they next ask, “And His brothers James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?”   The word used is adelphos, coming from the connective particle a and the word delphus, the womb. Thus, it literally means, “of the same womb.” That is the sense that should be considered here. However, for the cult of Mary who insists she was a perpetual virgin, it is argued that the word can be extended to people in close personal relationships, of the same people (such as Jews), etc. It can also be applied to those born to one of two parents, etc.   In other words, in order to justify their stand, the claim by those of the Mary cult is that these are Joseph's sons but not Mary's. The normal and reasonable sense that anyone reading this without a bias or presupposition would agree upon is that this is speaking of Jesus' brothers from Mary, especially when she was just mentioned prior to these words.   The point of the questioning by these people is that their words otherwise form an emphatic proclamation. “We know Jesus! We know His father's trade, and we know His mom and siblings!” With such a knowledge base about Him, they will next reveal why this understanding is important to them.   Life application: In reading the record of Jesus in the gospels, it is inconceivable that someone would suddenly start highlighting Mary as the key figure in the narrative. She is hardly mentioned at all. Her purpose for being mentioned clearly centers on Jesus, and then she is not mentioned other than incidentally at any other time.   To focus on Mary as those in Roman Catholicism do makes as much sense as focusing on Mary Magdalene, who is mentioned way more than Mary, the mother of Jesus. But the devil knows how to misdirect people. He has done it since our first parents in the Garden of Eden.   In getting people to take their eyes off the Lord, he has the ability to rob them of the prize, meaning a right relationship with God and the surety of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If this can be passed down from one generation to the next, the level of veneration will normally increase.   This is certainly the case with the cult of Mary. It has become a global phenomenon that has robbed innumerable souls of properly directed faith in Jesus. Don't be swayed away from what God wants us to focus on when we read Scripture. That is Him and how He has revealed us in the coming of Jesus Christ.   May we hold fast to Him, fixing our eyes on Him, and never being distracted from that goal and focus all the days of our lives –   “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?” Hebrews 2:1-3   Glorious God, the whole world is trying to rob us of our focus on You and what You have done in the giving of Jesus Christ. Leading that attempt is the devil, who is ever striving for us to turn from You and to do things our own way. Give us wisdom, strength, and the fortitude to stand against this and to fix our eyes firmly on Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 30 October 2025   When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Matthew 13:54   “And having come into His fatherland, He taught them in their synagogue, so they are outstruck and say, ‘Whence this, this wisdom and the miracles?'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus was noted to have lifted Himself and purposefully set out from where He was. Matthew next says, “And having come into His fatherland.”   It is a new word, patris, a fatherland, coming from patér, father. It speaks of one's native country. Therefore, more than simple geography is being referred to. Instead, thoughts such as identity, family tradition, family lineage, etc., are being referred to. In Hebrews 11:14, it refers to the hope of the saints who await their true homeland, a heavenly country –   “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland [patris]. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16   Once Jesus arrived in His earthly fatherland, “He taught them in their synagogue.”   Mark adds that this teaching in the synagogue was on the Sabbath, something that is unnecessary in Matthew's gospel, as this would have been understood by the Jewish audience his words are directed to. This teaching by Jesus in the synagogues that He attended is noted elsewhere. In the case of His instruction in Nazareth, it notes, “so they are outstruck.”   Matthew's use of the present verbs brings the reader directly into the room. It is as if they are sitting in front of us having this awe-inspiring conversation. The reason for their astonishment is next stated, “and say, ‘Whence this, this wisdom and the miracles?'”   Another new adverb, pothen, whence, is seen. It is from the same source as posos, how great, how many, how much, etc. The explanation for their questioning will be given in the coming verses. But one can imagine already why it would be so. They had seen Jesus growing up, observed His family, learning, daily habits, etc. None of that could seemingly account for His presentation while teaching.   Life application: How often has it been said of people who have come to faith in Christ that the change in them is inexplicable? Someone went to a particular school, bumbled around like most youth do, spent his time surfing or doing some other activity, and seemingly would be the guy who would spend the rest of his life in a local bar talking about the good old days.   And yet, after meeting the Lord, he returns home eloquent, confident, and ready to challenge the norms of those still living out their lives in the same cliques they were in years earlier. When they see him, they are astonished at the change, question what kind of game he is up to, and offer him a free round of bowling as they try to figure him out.   But even more pronounced is the reaction of his family. They knew all of his secret faults, shortcomings, and personal struggles. How could there be such a vast change in him? But this is the power of Jesus in our lives.   He will transform each believer as they allow Him to. This will never be forced, and yet, for every inch of our past lives we are willing to cede to Him, He will step in and renew us in His image. Jesus wants us to reflect Him, and He will gladly allow us to do so in order to bring Him glory.   Likewise, our conversion may be stunning to others at first, but eventually, they will realize it is true and permanent, or at least as permanent as we stand fast and direct our eyes to Jesus. Once they realize this, we will no longer appear as an aberration, but a source of hopeful change in their own lives when difficulties come their way.   This is what Jesus would have for each of us. Not only should we be conformed to His image and transformed in our minds, but we should also do so to the point that we effect this change in others as well. May it be so with each of us, to the glory of God who saved us in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Lord God, may our lives reflect the goodness of Jesus in all we do. May our actions and words lead others to want the same confident walk with You that we possess. In all ways, may we bring glory and honor to You with every fiber of our being. Amen.

Wednesday, 29 October 2025   Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. Matthew 13:53   “And it was when He finished, Jesus, these parables, He after-lifted thence” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus explained that when a scribe is instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven, he is like a householder who brings out treasure, both newbies and oldies. Matthew next records, “And it was when He finished, Jesus, these parables, He after-lifted thence.”   A new and rare word, metairó, to get up and remove oneself, is seen. It is derived from meta, after-with, and airó, to lift. There is no exact English word, but the idea of a plane taking off is somewhat analogous. There is a purposeful intent of getting up and removing oneself from one place to another. Of this word, the Topical Lexicon provides the following information to consider –    -------------------------- Overview Underlying the verb translated “withdrew” or “left” [...] is the idea of deliberately lifting oneself from a setting in order to proceed elsewhere. It portrays purposeful movement, not aimless wandering, and appears at pivotal junctures in the life of Jesus Christ when a season of public instruction has reached its conclusion.   Occurrences in Matthew's Gospel   Matthew 13:53 – “When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.” Matthew 19:1 – “When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.”   Both texts follow extended teaching sections (the kingdom parables of chapter 13 and the community-life discourse of chapters 18–19). The verb signals a narrative hinge: completed revelation is now matched by fresh movement, preparing the reader for the next stage of ministry.   Literary Function in Matthew   Matthew organizes his Gospel around five large discourse blocks, each ending with a formula, “When Jesus had finished…” (compare Matthew 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). [...metairó] occurs twice within those formulas, highlighting two transitions:   From parable instruction to the rejection at Nazareth (Matthew 13:53-58). From community ethics to the southward journey culminating in the passion (Matthew 19:1).   The choice of this verb underscores that Jesus' withdrawals are neither retreats born of failure nor random relocations but divinely timed steps moving the redemptive plan forward.   Historical and Geographical Background   In the first reference, Jesus moves within Galilee, probably from the lakeside to His hometown region. In the second, He journeys from Galilee to Judea “beyond the Jordan,” the customary pilgrims' route that avoided Samaria. Both settings remind readers that the incarnate Son walked real roads, interacted with real communities, and timed His travels to align with Jewish feast cycles and prophetic destiny (John 7:8-10; Luke 9:51).   Theological Significance   Completion of Mission Segments: Each use follows the clause “when Jesus had finished,” emphasizing that the Lord never departs prematurely. His timing illustrates the principle later echoed in John 17:4, “I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.” Sovereign Direction: The verb underscores Christ's authority over His itinerary (John 10:18). Opposition, crowds, or regional constraints cannot detain Him once the Father's purpose in a location is fulfilled. Pattern for Discipleship: Just as Jesus taught and then withdrew, believers are called to combine proclamation with obedient movement (Acts 8:4-5, 26-40).   -------------------------- Life application: In a single verse that is normally read over without much thought, there is a new and rare word that is purposefully used by Matthew, setting it off from more common words that bear a similar meaning. His choice of wording begs us to stop and consider why the change is made.   What God in Christ did at the coming of Jesus was purposeful. It was meticulously set forth and accomplished by Him. When Jesus successfully trained His disciples in these kingdom parables, and with their acknowledgment that they understood what He was speaking of, He next resolutely lifted Himself up and departed for Nazareth, His hometown.   Upon arrival there, His ability will be questioned based on their having seen Him grow up there. Thus, it will say that they were offended at Him. Jesus purposefully and knowingly went there to contrast the acceptance of His message by the disciples to the disbelieving rejection of His own town.   Have you faced rejection with family or friends because of your acceptance of Christ? Have you noticed a contrast between how those in the church and those you once were so friendly with treat you? Jesus went through this before you did. Be willing to accept what occurs and continue to keep Jesus at the forefront of your attention. He is there with you in your walk.   Lord God, when family and friends have turned away, we know that You are still with us. We will press on from day to day, walking this life with our Lord Jesus. Amen.  

Tuesday, 28 October 2025   Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:52   “And He said to them, ‘Through this, every scribe, having been discipled in the ‘kingdom the heavens,' he is like a man, a house-master, who – he ejects from his treasure newbies and oldies'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus asked His disciples if they understood everything that He had told them as He conveyed to them the parables. They responded that they had. Based on their response, Matthew next records, “And He said to them, ‘Through this, every scribe...'”   The word scribe here is being contrasted to the scribes of the law, who Jesus has already interacted with and who will eventually become some of His most pronounced opponents. Jesus is not equating those He refers to as being scribes like them at all. They had the law, but they studied the law as a means to an end.   The scribes Jesus is referring to are scribes who are, as He says, “having been discipled in the ‘kingdom the heavens.'”   Jesus has set a firm and fixed wall between the law and the kingdom of the heavens. He has mentioned this kingdom in this chapter in verses 11, 18, 24, 31, 33, 37, 41, 43, 44, 45, and 47. In them, He never mentions the law as a vehicle for obtaining righteousness. Rather, His words in verse 11 had already begun to demonstrate and explain the barrier between the two.   If one uses the law as a means to an end, he will never be able to understand what God is doing in the redemptive process in order to restore man to Himself. Think of it! A person studying the law as a means of getting right with God will never understand God, who sees man as treasure hidden in a field, nor a pearl worth selling heaven's riches in order to obtain that pearl.   Rather, what does Paul say the purpose of using the law is? He explained it to Timothy –   “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.” 1 Timothy 1:8-11   Jesus says a person who looks at the law, or any other part of God's word, when looking for Jesus (the one who gave up all of heaven's riches to obtain His treasure), “he is like a man, a house-master.”   Jesus says a scribe of the kingdom of the heavens is like a house-master. Before reading His further explanation, one must ask, “A house-master of what?” What is a scribe's purpose? He is to evaluate Scripture and interpret it. But Scripture, even in the books of Moses, is filled with obscure stories that do not specially point to conduct in life, but life as it has been conducted.   The scribes of the law used the law, including all of these stories, for the purpose of self-exaltation, be it personal righteousness or the exaltation of the national character of Israel. And this, despite the fact that both are revealed to be lacking throughout all of the historical writings.   Rather, there is almost a complete rejection of the Lord on every turn of the page, while the Lord patiently corrects and guides Israel, keeping them as a people in accord with His word. Jesus says that a scribe of the kingdom is like a house-master “who – he ejects from his treasure newbies and oldies.'”   What is this treasure Jesus refers to? The answer to that must be in understanding what a scribe does with Scripture. As noted above, it is to evaluate and interpret it. If a scribe of the law has missed the mark by looking at Scripture as a means of righteousness as well as personal and national exaltation, then what is he to look for? Well, what did Jesus reveal in His parables?   The answer is that He revealed the contrast between those who hear and obey, those who are a part of what God plants and then grows into a giant entity, those who remain in a fallen world but who fix their eyes on the Lord, those who bear what is good, those who God finds of the highest value in the world, and those for whom He came, having given up everything in order to obtain them as His personal and prized possession.   Everything about His parables refers to Him or those who put Him first, bearing fruit of righteousness based on Him, not on self. Therefore, to pull out treasure from His word, newbies and oldies, we are to look for Him. Those writings that existed point to Him. Those writings that were yet to be written explain Him.   When reading a story, such as Joshua taking Israel across the Jordan, it is to be taken as literal history, but it is to be evaluated based on the work of Jesus. If this is so, then it – by default – must have a future application. Jesus would not arrive on the scene for almost 1400 years. But if we are to find Jesus in the story, then it means that the story has been given as a typological and pictorial representation of something He does or the results of what He has done.   This is pulling out of the treasure, the body of Scripture, newbies and oldies. Finding Jesus in Scripture is akin to rightly understanding the kingdom of the heavens.   Life application: If you want to understand Scripture properly, evaluate it through the lens of Jesus. When you read the story of David and Goliath, consider that God has given that story to reveal Jesus, meaning Him, what He has done, or how that will be realized in the people He has come to save. Everything about Scripture tells us about God in Christ.   Therefore, anytime you evaluate Scripture as a tool for self-exaltation, self-aggrandizement, or personal gain, you have failed to properly evaluate what God intends for you to see. This is why those who insert or reinsert the law as a means of righteousness are so abhorrent to God.   It is why those who look to explain Scripture as a tool of divination (such as rapture date setting or finding codes about the future) will never bear good fruit, and why those who teach a prosperity gospel deceive both those they teach and themselves.   Jesus! Jesus is the key to rightly understanding this precious word.   Lord God, forgive us for always trying to make our time in Your word about ourselves. We read it and conclude that we are the center of what You are trying to tell us. Help us to set ourselves aside and to search for Jesus. In doing this, only then can we understand everything else that this precious word conveys to us. Amen.

Quick look at Matthew 13:11 and what Jesus might mean.

Monday, 27 October 2025   Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Matthew 13:51   “Jesus, He says to them, ‘These all, you comprehend?' They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus finished the parable of the seine. With these parables now complete, Matthew next notes, “Jesus, He says to them, ‘These all, you comprehend?'”   The word suniémi has already been seen, first in Matthew 13:13 –   “Through this I speak to them in parables, because seeing, not they see, and hearing, not they hear nor comprehend [suniémi].”   Jesus, asking them this question with this word, is intended to elicit a contrast between His disciples and those who hear the parables but don't comprehend them. He has provided enough information through explanation that they are trained in how to grasp His intended meaning. However, should there be another parable they don't comprehend, they know just what to do –   “And having summoned the crowd, He said to them, ‘You hear and comprehend! 11 Not the ‘entering into the mouth' it profanes the man, but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,' this, it profanes the man.' 12 Then His disciples having coming near, they said to Him, ‘You have known that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, they stumbled.' 13 And having answered, He said, ‘Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father, it will be uprooted. 14 You leave them! They are blind blind-conductors. And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall – into a pit.' 15 And Peter, having answered, he said to Him, ‘You expound to us this parable.'” Matthew 15:10-15 (CG).   Jesus gave a parable concerning what profanes a man. The disciples did not know what He was asking them to comprehend, and so they came to Him asking for its meaning. In the case of the parables just expounded to them in Chapter 13, after Jesus asked them if they comprehended all the parables He gave, it next says, “They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.'”   Their answer confirms that they fully understood the parables, just as He conveyed them. This should alert us to the fact that in the two parables about the concealed treasure in the field (verse 44) and the pearl of great value (verses 45 & 46), the man mentioned in each was referring to Jesus, not those in the church.   He had consistently used the man in the other parables as a description of Him and what He was doing in redemptive history. To change the subject would have confused the disciples, and they would have then responded in the negative here. But they fully understood that the man who found concealed treasure and the man who found the pearl of great value were the same subject.   Life application: When reading Jesus' parables, as with any of the unusual stories scattered throughout the Old Testament, remember that if they don't seem to make sense, it is because we are not thinking about what God is alerting us to, meaning the ongoing process of redemption as it relates to Jesus.   Unfortunately, this is so hard for us to remember that at times, translations will divert to other texts that have amended the meaning, or the translators will purposefully amend the translation because the main text doesn't seem to make sense to them. When they do this, the reader is left with a void in ever being able to understand what is being conveyed.   To overcome this, one should read the footnotes if the Bible has them. There, they will normally give the literal rendering, sometimes accompanied by a short explanation of why they made their change. These are not the commentaries often included in study Bibles, which are normally useless. Rather, the footnotes contain mechanical information about what is going on in the text or alternate texts for the reader to consider.   Try to remember to read these footnotes and mentally catalog what they are saying. If you don't understand, there may be an explanation in the prefix or in the addenda to the Bible telling you how to read and understand those footnotes. You will only get out of your time reading the Bible what you put into it. So be sure to read it and carefully study what is going on in it.   Learning to understand what is being conveyed in Scripture is a lifelong journey. So take steps every day in walking that path. You will be rewarded in your mind and soul, and God will be pleased with your pursuit of His wonderful word.   Lord God, thank You for this precious word You have given us. It is a delight to our minds and a joy to consider. In it, we can find that You are fixed on those who cherish You. We are like a pearl of great value that You have gone to infinite lengths to obtain. We may not understand why it is so, but Your word tells us it is. Thank You for this blessed reassurance. Amen.

❖ Follow along with today's reading: www.esv.org/Matthew8:18;23–27;Mark4:35–41;Luke8:22–25;Matthew8:28–34;Mark5:1–20;Luke8:26–39;Matthew9:18–26;Mark5:21–43;Luke8:40–56;Matthew13:54–58;Mark6:1–6;Matthew9:35–38 ❖ The English Standard Version (ESV) is an 'essentially literal' translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors, the ESV Bible emphasizes 'word-for-word' accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. ❖ To learn more about the ESV and other audio resources, please visit www.ESV.org

Pastor Luke Simmons introduces a compelling new series, "Until", focusing on the strategic values of Ironwood Church.In this first message, Pastor Luke explores what it means to truly treasure Jesus and how this enriches our communal experience as followers. As Ironwood Church embarks on the "Until Initiative" to maximize its impact, Pastor Luke invites you to consider the transformative disruption that the kingdom of heaven brings into our lives.Through the lens of Matthew 13:44, discover the joy and fulfillment found in going all-in with Jesus.Join us for a vibrant Baptism Sunday and witness personal testimonies of faith, as individuals publicly declare their commitment to Christ. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience of enjoying Jesus together.**HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Have you ever been talking with someone and then, with a chill, realized you'd tuned out and had no idea what the person was talking about? Not listening can be frustrating in a conversation; it can be devastating spiritually, when God is trying to communicate and people don't seem to listen.That is going to be the dominant theme of the text we'll be examining this Sunday as we continue our way through the Gospel of Matthew, reading chapter 13:1-23.This is the beginning of what has come to be called the “parables discourse”, where Jesus tells 8 parables in a row. It is very significant that Jesus taught through the use of stories that represented a larger truth. What do you think is significant about his use of parables?When his disciples ask him why he's teaching people through these unexplained riddles, Jesus gives an answer that is as cryptic as the parables themselves, and somewhat disturbing. He indicates that the parables are a means of hiding the arrival of God's kingdom from certain types of people. Who is it that Jesus seems to have in mind in this warning? Why do you think they are unable to hear what it is Jesus is saying, or see what it is that is happening? What lesson can we take from this as the 21st Century American church?Jesus provides an explanation of the parable in this section, and tells us plainly that the seeds represent the news of God's kingdom arriving through Jesus while the soils represent the hearts and lives of people. Some hear and embrace the possibilities of God's rule over life and it produces varying amounts of fruit. Some hear and are interested, but lose interest as everyday life crowds out the importance of what God is doing in their hearts. Others hear and are stoked, but its shallow emotionalism so that when things get difficult or demanding, they bail out. Worst of all, there are those who are like hard-packed dirt on a well-trodden path – who won't allow the news of God's rule get anywhere near their hearts because it doesn't fit with what they've already assumed about life.Think about this: Jesus was talking about people who were pretty religious already. He's not necessarily talking about the pagan Romans, but most likely the pious Jews. How do we evaluate what this story means to us in our journey of faith? Do you think its possible to have all of these types of soil represented in one life? How can we hear with an intent to embrace what God says in his gospel? What can make us more receptive to His word?This will be a challenging study – hope you can join us this Sunday!Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.

Sunday, 26 October 2025   and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:50   “And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire. There, it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus, still explaining the parable of the seine, noted that at the end of the age messengers would come forth and separate the evil from the righteous. He now completes the parable, beginning with, “And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire.”   It was noted in the parable of the darnel that it could not be referring to the church age. This parable is the same. There is nothing recorded in Scripture that says there will be a separation of the good and the bad at the end of the church age as described in this parable.   Rather, there will be a separation of the saints from the unbelieving world. They will be taken in the twinkling of an eye. After that, the tribulation will come upon the world. It is only after the tribulation that those who survive that ordeal will be separated.   This will be done to ensure the millennium begins on a better note, being populated with those who are acceptable. Once the bad have been separated out and chucked into the fiery furnace, Jesus finishes with, “There, it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.”   As before, the words speak of great sadness and agony. Pursuit of the temporary pleasures of this life while neglecting the things of God will be rewarded with what the people deserve. There is nothing arbitrary, unfair, or capricious about this. Man will receive his just due for the things done while in the body.   God has offered a better hope to the people of the world in the giving of His Son. What we do with Jesus will be an eternity-defining decision.   Life application: By placing the conclusion of the parable of the darnel next to the conclusion of this parable, one can see how the two parallel –   “Therefore, just as it is gathered, the darnel, and fire – it consumed, thus it will be in the age's consummation. 41 The Son of Man, He will send His messengers and they will gather from His kingdom all the snares and those doing lawlessness. 42 And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire. There it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.”   “...they gathered the good into vessels, and the bad they cast out. 49 Thus it will be in the age's consummation. The messengers, they will go out and they will separate the evil from the righteous' midst. 50 And they will cast them into the furnace of the fire. There it will be the lamentation and the gnash of the teeth.”   The parables repeat the same essential information. One may ask, “Why would the Lord bother doing this? Wasn't one parable sufficient?” The reason is because He is making a point that we should accept as certain and sure to come to pass.   There isn't one gospel book, but four. And three of them more closely parallel in their presentation while providing new or different aspects of the information presented in the others. This is true with the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles to some extent.   In the case of these two parables, Jesus ensures us that what He says about the end times is not to be taken only as a spiritual teaching, but one that is just how things will be at the end of the age. The separation of the wheat from the darnel and the good fish from the bad does not only apply to Jews who enter the tribulation, but the whole world.   For Israel as a nation, though, the point of the tribulation is to bring them as a nation to realize that they missed the coming of their Messiah the first time. It is to bring restoration to the nation in order to fulfill the promises made to them in the Old Testament.   But the whole world of people, Jew and Gentile, must be separated. Those who are deemed worthy will enter the millennium. Those who are not will be cast into the furnace of fire. This is just how it is going to be. The repetition of the same general information in these parables ensures us that it is so.   Lord God, may we carefully evaluate Your word, holding fast to its truths and thoughtfully consider when You are giving us literal information that is to be accepted as such. May we not spiritualize those things that are intended to be taken literally. Help us to more rightly understand and process this wonderful word so that our thinking is mature and proper. Amen.  

Sermon by Rev. Dr. Barry Male.

❖ Follow along with today's reading: www.esv.org/Matthew13:1–53;Mark4:1–34;Luke8:4–18 ❖ The English Standard Version (ESV) is an 'essentially literal' translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors, the ESV Bible emphasizes 'word-for-word' accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. ❖ To learn more about the ESV and other audio resources, please visit www.ESV.org

Saturday, 25 October 2025   So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, Matthew 13:49   “Thus it will be in the age's consummation. The messengers, they will go out and they will separate the evil from the righteous' midst” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the good fish in the seine would be gathered into vessels, but the bad would be cast out. In explanation of that, He next says, “Thus it will be in the age's consummation.” The thought is similar to that of verse 39, where the same word, sunteleia, consummation, is used –   “Therefore, just as it is gathered, the darnel, and fire – it consumed, thus it will be in the age's consummation.”   The parable teaches a similar truth to that one. There is a time of things continuing on, and then there will be a time when things are brought to their consummation. Like the darnel being separated by the messengers from the wheat and cast into the fire, Jesus next says, “The messengers, they will go out and they will separate the evil from the righteous' midst.”   A new verb, aphorizó, to separate or set off by a boundary, is seen. It is derived from apo, away or from, and horizo, to mark out or bound (as in a horizon). Thus, it signifies a separation of the two by a set boundary.   There will be a separation of the two before things have come to their completion. Considering the end set for the darnel, the end for the bad fish will probably not be so great. What that end is will be seen in the next verse.   As with the parable of the wheat and darnel, the metaphor would have to be so stretched to fit the church age that it would lose much of its intent. There is no separation before the rapture that matches what Jesus is describing here. The people of the world will be going about their lives when, suddenly, and without prior notice, there will be a removal of saved believers.   Only after this will the world enter the tribulation. At the end of the tribulation, a separation will take place before those who are worthy will enter the millennium.   Life application: Jesus' words in John 3:18 should be remembered –   “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”   Paul repeats this thought in Romans 5 –   “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” Romans 5:12-14   Jesus says that people are condemned already. Man doesn't need to do anything to be eternally separated from God. He is conceived and stands condemned. This is not because of committed sin by the person, but because of sin committed by Adam. As all are in Adam, all stand condemned already.   Jesus came to undo this. Despite being born of a woman (He is fully Man), He did not inherit Adam's seed, which is transmitted from father to child. Rather, His Father is God (He is fully God) and received His Father's righteous innocence concerning sin. He cut the line of sin in fallen man, thus fulfilling the sign of circumcision.   In living perfectly after He was born, meaning He had not committed sin, He became a suitable substitute for the sins of the world. By faith in what He has done, man can move from fallen Adam to the innocent risen Christ.   Understanding this, there is nothing cold, uncaring, or malicious in God's judgment of the darnel and bad fish. Rather, there is the perfection of love in the offering of His Son for fallen, corrupt, and already condemned humanity.   No person will be able to come before God and say, “My condemnation is unjust!” Rather, all people will acknowledge the rightness of the situation in relation to the perfect holiness of God. Be sure to get this right. Understanding that God is fully vindicated in His judgment is something people must be taught. Be sure to let those you talk to know that what He does is perfect and beautiful.   Glorious God Almighty, how great You are in Your judgments. We have no right to accuse You of wrongdoing or having an uncaring attitude toward our plight. Rather, what You have done is the height of loving attention to Your wayward creatures. How good and loving You are, O God. Amen.  

In this profound episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb delve deeply into the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), exploring its implications for Christian assurance. Building on their previous discussion, they examine how this parable speaks to the mixed nature of the visible church, the sovereignty of Christ over His kingdom, and most significantly, the doctrine of assurance. Through careful theological reflection, the hosts unpack how true believers can find solid ground for assurance not in their own works or fruit-checking, but in the promises of Christ and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. This episode offers both encouragement for those struggling with doubts and a sobering challenge to those resting in false assurance. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Tares teaches that the visible church will be mixed until the final judgment, containing both true believers (wheat) and false professors (tares) who may appear outwardly similar. True assurance is not based primarily on good works but on the promises of Christ, the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the evidences of grace in our lives. False assurance is a real danger, as many who think they belong to Christ will discover at the final judgment that they never truly knew Him. The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18) provides a helpful framework for understanding biblical assurance as the proper possession of every Christian. Christ's role as the divine Master of the house (the world) and Lord of the angels is subtly yet powerfully affirmed in this parable, grounding our assurance in His sovereignty. Good works are the fruit of assurance, not its cause—when we are secure in our salvation, we are freed to serve Christ joyfully rather than anxiously trying to earn assurance. The final judgment will bring perfect clarity, revealing what was hidden and separating the wheat from the tares with divine precision that humans cannot achieve now. The Doctrine of Assurance: Reformed Understanding The Reformed tradition has always emphasized that believers can and should have assurance of their salvation—a conviction recovered during the Reformation in contrast to Rome's teaching. As Tony noted when reading from the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18), this assurance is "not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation." This assurance rests on three pillars: the promises of God in Scripture, the inward evidence of grace, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit witnessing with our spirit. What makes this understanding particularly comforting is that it shifts the foundation of assurance away from our performance to God's faithfulness. While self-examination has its place, the Reformed understanding recognizes that looking too intensely at our own hearts and works can lead either to despair or to false confidence. Instead, we're directed to look primarily to Christ and His finished work, finding in Him the anchor for our souls. The Problem of False Assurance One of the most sobering aspects of the Parable of the Tares is its implicit warning about false assurance. Just as the tares resemble wheat until maturity reveals their true nature, many professing Christians may outwardly appear to belong to Christ while inwardly remaining unregenerate. As Jesse observed, "The tares typically live under false assurance. They may attend church, confess belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical, it's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual." This echoes Jesus' warning in Matthew 7 that many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord," but will hear the devastating response, "I never knew you." The parable teaches us that this self-deception is not always conscious hypocrisy but often the result of spiritual blindness. As Jesse noted, referencing Romans 1, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 2, the unregenerate are "not merely ignorant, they're blinded... to the spiritual truth by nature and by Satan." This understanding should prompt humble self-examination while simultaneously driving us to depend not on our own discernment but on Christ's perfect knowledge and saving work. Memorable Quotes "Assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions." - Thomas Brooks, quoted by Jesse Schwamb "When we are confessing, repenting, seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ, then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance." - Jesse Schwamb "The sacrifice and the service that a husband performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him, that is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it." - Tony Arsenal on how good works flow from assurance rather than cause it Resources Mentioned Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 7:21-23, Romans 1, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Timothy 3:5 Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter 18 "Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation" Thomas Brooks: "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" YouTube Channel: My Wild Backyard Khan Academy: Educational resource recommended during "Affirmations and Denials" segment Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 466 of the Reform the Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. We're going back to the farm again. Can't stop. Won't stop. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I'm stoked. [00:01:02] Discussion on the Parable of the Tears Tony Arsenal: The last week's discussion was interesting and I think, um, it's gonna be nice to sort of round it out and talk about some things you might not think about, uh, when you first read this parable. So I'm, I'm pretty excited. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, what a tease that is. So if you're wondering what Tony's talking about, we're hanging out. In Matthew 13, we are just really enjoying these teachings of Jesus. And they are shocking and they're challenging, and they're encouraging, and they're awesome, of course. And so we're gonna be finishing out the Parable of the Tears and you need to go back and listen to the previous conversation. This, this is all set up because we have some unfinished business. We didn't talk about the eschatological implications. We have this really big this, this matza ball hanging over us. So to speak, which was the, do the TAs in this parable even know that they are tarry, that they are the TAs? And so in this parable, the disciples learn that the kingdom itself, God's kingdom, the kingdom that Jesus is enumerating and explaining and bringing into being, they are learning that it's gonna be mixed in character. So that's correcting this expectation that the kingdom would be perfectly pure and would have, would evolve righteous rule over all of the unrighteous world. And so it's a little bit shocking that Jesus says, listen, they're gonna be. Tears within the wheats that is in the world, the seed that God himself, the sun has planted and that they're gonna exist side by side for a long time. And so we, they have to wait patiently and give ourselves to building up the wheats as the sons of the kingdom and be careful in their judgment, not to harm those who are believers. We covered a lot of that last week, but left so much unsaid we couldn't even fit it in. This is gonna be jam packed, so I'm gonna stop giving the tees instead start moving us into affirmations and denials. [00:02:45] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: It's of course that time in our conversation where we either affirm with something really like or we think is undervalued or we deny against something that we don't really like or is a little overvalued. So as I usually say to you, Tony, what have you got for us? [00:03:00] YouTube Channel Recommendation: My Wild Backyard Tony Arsenal: I am affirming a YouTube channel. Um, I, I think the algorithm goes through these cycles where it wants me to learn about bugs and things because I get Okay, like videos about bugs. And so I'm, I'm interested. There's been this, uh, channel that's been coming up on my algorithm lately called My Wild Backyard, and it, it's a guy, he's like an entomologist. He seems like a, a like a legit academic, but what he does is he basically goes through and he talks about different bugs, creepy crawlies, looks at like snakes, all that kinds of stuff. It seems like his wheelhouse is the stuff that can kill you or hurt you pretty bad. Nice. But, um, it's interesting and it's. It's good educational content. It's, you know, it's not sensationalized, it's not, uh, it's not dramatized. Um, it's very real. There's occasionally an instance where he, he's not, sometimes he will intentionally get bit or stung by an, uh, by an animal to show you what it does. So he can experience and explain what he's experiencing. And sometimes he just accidentally gets bit or stung. And so those are some of the most interesting ones. So like, for example, just looking at his, his channel, his most recent, um, his most recent video is called The most venomous Desert Creatures in the US ranked the one previous was. The world's most terrifying arachni isn't a spider. And then previous to that was what happens if a giant centipede bites you? So it's interesting stuff. If you are one of those people that likes bugs and likes creepy crawlies and things, um, this is definitely the channel for you if you're not one of those people. I actually think this probably is the channel for you too. 'cause it kind of demystifies a lot of this stuff. Um. You know, for example, he, he will commonly point out that, um, spiders don't wanna bite you and they just wanna leave you alone. And, and as long as you leave them alone, even, even something like a black widow, which people are terrified of, and I think, right, rightfully so. I mean, they can be scary. Those can be scary bites. He'll, he'll handle those, no problem. And as long as he's not like putting downward pressure on them, uh, they have no interest in biting, they really just want to get away. So even seeing that kind of stuff, I think can help demystify and, and sort of, uh, make it a little bit easier. So my Wild Backyard, he can find it on YouTube. Um, he's safe for kids. He's not, he's not cussing even. I mean, I think occasionally when he gets bit on accident, you might, you know, you might have a beep here or there, but, um, he's not, he's not regularly swearing or things like that. And he does a pretty good job of adding that stuff out. Jesse Schwamb: What a great title for that, isn't it? This, yeah. Confluence of your backyard. That space that seems domesticated is also stealing its own. Right. Wild. And there's a be Yeah. Both those things coming together. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It, it's interesting stuff and it's really good. I mean, it's really compelling videography. He does a good job of taking good photos. You'll see insects that you usually won't see, or spiders you usually won't see. Um, so yeah, it's cool. Check it out. [00:05:51] Discussion on Spiders and Creepy Crawlies Jesse Schwamb: What are you, uh, yeah, I myself would like to become more comfortable with the arachni variety. If only be, I mean, I don't know. It's, it's a weird creature, so my instinct is to be like, kill them all. And then if I can't find them and I know they're around, then we just burn everything that we own. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: They just can't sink into the ground fast enough. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. There's something about the way they move, like their, their bodies don't move the way you would anticipate them to. Right. And it freaks, it just weirds out human sensibilities, so. Right. Jesse Schwamb: They're also like, I find them to be very surprising. Often. It's not kind of a, a very like, kind of measured welcome into your life. It's like you just go to get in the shower and there's a giant spider. Yeah. Oh yeah. Although I guess that spider, he's, he or she's probably like, whoa, where'd you come from? You know, like, yeah. He's like, I was just taking a Tony Arsenal: shower. You know what's interesting? Um, I saw another video was on a different channel, um, like common jumping spiders. Yeah. Which there are like hundreds of species of common jumping spiders. Jesse Schwamb: True. Tony Arsenal: Um, but spiders and jumping spiders specifically, actually you can form almost like a pet bond with, so like the, that jumping spider that like lives in your house and sees you every day. He, he probably knows who you are and is like, comfortable with you. And they've done studies that like you can actually domesticate jumping spiders, so they're not as foreign and alien as you might think. Although they certainly do look a little bit strange and weird. And the way their bodies move is almost designed to weird out people like it just the skinness, like the way their legs skitter and move it, it just is, it's, it triggers something very primal in us to That's wild. Be weirded out by it. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: It's wild. I love it. That's a good, a affirmation. I'm definitely gonna check that out. I, any, anything? I really want to know what the, what like the terrifying arachni is. That's not a spider. Tony Arsenal: It's a, well, it's called a camel spider, but it's not really a spider. Oh, Jesse Schwamb: I know what you're talking about. That is kind of terrifying. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. They, they actually don't have any venom. Um, yeah. Check out the video. I mean, it, it was a good video. Um, but yeah, they're freaky looking and, um, but even that, like he was handling it No problem. Yeah. Like it wasn't, it wasn't aggressive with him once Wow. Once it figured out it wasn't, he wasn't trying to hurt him and, and that it couldn't eat him. Um, it, it just sort of like hung out until he let it go. So Jesse Schwamb: yeah, just be careful if you watch it one before bed or while in bed. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Probably not right before bed. Yeah. You'll, you'll get the creepy crawlies all night. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. But there's something somewhat. Like invigorating about that isn't there? Like it's, it's kind of a natural, just like kind of holy respect for the world that God has created, that they're these features that are so different, so wild, so interesting and a little bit frightening, but in the sense that we just draw off from them because they're so different than what we are. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And you know, again, there's places you would be happy to see them, but maybe your bathtub or like shooting out, like, you know, like where you live, the jumping spiders are legit and they will just pop out on you, you know? Yeah. You're just doing your own thing and then all of a sudden they're popping out. I think part of that is just that what, what gets me is like them just, you know, like I remember in my basement here, once one popped out from a rafter and then I was holding, happened to be holding up broom. My instinct just naturally was to hit it. I hit it with the broom and it went across the room and fell on an empty box and sounded like a silver dollar had hit the box. Like it was just a massive, I mean, again, like, it's like fish stories, like it's a massive spider. It was a big spider. Yeah. But you just don't expect to, to see that kind of thing. Or maybe, maybe I should, but anything that moves in that way, and again, like centipedes, man, forget it. We have those too, like in our basement. Like the long ones. Oh yeah. Yeah. That thing will come like squiggling down the wall at you, like eye level and you just wanna run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, you do run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. It's not that you want to, it's that usually you do. I don't mean like you specifically, although probably you specifically. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. There's, yeah, you just react. Well, j Jesse enough freaking out. I mean, we're getting close to Halloween, so I suppose it's appropriate, but, uh, enough of that. What are you affirming or denying today? Jesse Schwamb: Once again, without like any coordination, mine is not unlike yours. I know you and I, we talk about the world in which we live, which God has created, and this lovely command, this ammunition to take dominion over that. And one of the things I appreciate about our conversations is I think you and I often have maybe not like a novel. Kinda perspective on that, but one that I don't hear talked about often and that is this idea of taking dominion over what it is possible to know and to appropriate, and then to apply onto wisdom. [00:10:27] Affirmation: Khan Academy Jesse Schwamb: And so my information is in that realm. It's another form of taking ownership of what's in the wild of knowledge that you can possess. And again, equal parts. What an amazing time to be alive. So I'm affirming with the website, Khan Academy, which I'm sure many are familiar with. And this website offers like. Thousands of hours. Uh, and materials of free instructional videos, practice exercises, quizzes, all these like really bespoke, personalized learning modules you can create for topics like math, science, computing, economics, history, art. I think it goes like even starting at like. Elementary age all the way up into like early college can help you study for things like the SAT, the LSAT AP courses, and I was revisiting it. I have an open account with them that I keep in love and I go back to it from time to time. And I was working on some stuff where I wanted to rehearse some knowledge in like the calculus space, do some things by hand, which I haven't done. And I was just like, I'm blown away at how good this stuff is. And it's all for free. I mean, you should donate if you. You get something from this because it's a nonprofit, but the fact that there are these amazing instructional videos out there that can help us get a better understanding of either things we already know and we can rehearse the knowledge or to learn something brand new essentially for free. But somebody's done all the hard work to curate a pedagogy for you. Honestly, this is incredible. So if you haven't looked at that website in a long time or maybe ever, and you might be thinking, what, what do I really wanna learn? Lemme tell you. There's a lot of interesting stuff there and it's so approachable and it's such a good website for teaching. And if you have children in particular, even if you're looking for help, either helping them with their own coursework or maybe to have like kind of a tutor on the side, this is so good. So I can't say enough good things recently about Khan Academy 'cause it's been so helpful to me and super fun to like just sit and have your own paced study and in the private and comfort of your own home or your desk at work or wherever it is that you need to learn it. To be able to have somebody teach you some things, to do a little practice exercises, and then to go on to the world and to apply the things you've learned. Ah, it's so good. Tony Arsenal: Nice. Yeah, I've, I've never done anything with Khan Academy. I'll have to check it out. There's, um, there's some skills of needing to brush up on, uh, at work that I am probably not gonna be able to find in my normal channels, so I'll have to see if there is anything going on there. Um, but yeah, that's, that's good stuff. And it's free. Love freestyle. It's, and of course, like Jesse Schwamb: things like this are legion. So whatever it is, whatever your discipline or your field of study or work is, there's probably something out there and, uh, might, I humbly maybe encourage you to, if you use something like that and it's funded by donations, it's worth giving, I think, because again, it's just an amazing opportunity to take dominion over the knowledge that God has placed into the world and then to use it for something. I mean, I suppose even if all it is is you just wanna learn more about, like for me, I, I find like the subjects of, of math and science, like just endlessly fascinating and like the computing section I was looking at, I, I don't know much about like programming per se, but there is such a beauty. Like these underlying principles, like the, the organization of the world and the first level principles of like physics for instance, are just like baffling in the most glorious kind of way. How they all come together. So having somebody like teach you at a very like simplistic level, but allow you to grasp those concepts makes you just appreciate it leads me to doxology a lot when I see these things. So in a weird way, it ends up becoming maybe not a weird way and the right way. It becomes worship as often as I'm sitting at my desk and working through like a practice problem on like, you know, partial differential equation or, or derivatives is what I was working on today. And ah, it's just so good. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one. I, it's not be super nerdy, but you, are you ever like at your desk studying something? And it might not be like theological per se, but you just have a moment where you're overcome with some kind of worship. Do you know what I'm talking about? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, this we're the nerdiest people on the planet, but let's Jesse Schwamb: do it. Um, Tony Arsenal: when I find a really fun, interesting. Uh, Excel formula and I can get it to work right. Uh, and it, and then it just like everything unlocks. Like, I feel like I've unlocked all the knowledge in the universe. Um, but yeah, I hear you like the, the Excel thing is, is interesting to me because, like, math is just the description. Like it's just the fabric of reality is just the way we describe reality. But the fact that we can do basically just take math and do all these amazing things with it, uh, in a spreadsheet is really, uh, drives me to praise. Like I said, that's super nerdy, but it is. Oh, you're speaking my language. Jesse Schwamb: I, we have never understood each other better than just this moment right now. We, we had some real talk and, uh, a real moment. Tony Arsenal: Yes. Welcome to the Reformed math cast. Jesse Schwamb: We're so glad that you're here. Tony Arsenal: Yes. We're not gonna do any one plus one plus one equals one kinds of heretical math in, up in here. Jesse Schwamb: No. Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, I have a feeling that, excuse me. Wow. Jesse Schwamb: We don't edit anything out. Listen, I'm choked up too. It's it, listen, love ones just so emotional. The moment Tony and I are having it. We're gonna try our best right now to pivot to go into this text, but it's, it's tough because we were just really having something, something special. You got, you got to see there. But thank you for trying to Tony Arsenal: cover for me for that big cough. Jesse Schwamb: This is like presuppositional editing. You know, we don't actually do anything in post. It's not ex anti editing. It's, it's literally presuppositional. [00:15:52] Theological Discussion on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: But to that end, we are in Matthew 13. This is the main course. This is the reason why we're here. There's lots of reasons to worship, and one of them is to come before and admire and love our God who has given us his specific revelation and this incredible teaching of his son. And that's why we're hanging out in Matthew 13. So let me read, because we have just a couple of really sentences here, this really short parable and that way it'll catch us up and then we can just launch right back into we're, we're basically like, we're already in the rocket. Like we're in the stratosphere. We're, we're taking it all the way now. So this is Matthew chapter 13. Come hang out here. It's in the 24th verse. And this is what we find written for us. This is the word of the Lord. 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 weeds 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 servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no less than gathering the weeds, you root up the weed along with them. Let both grow 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 to gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: That's good stuff. That's good stuff. Um, you know, we, we covered most of. I don't know, what do you wanna call it? The first order reading of the parable last week. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: On one level, the parable, uh, as Christ explains it, uh, a little bit down further in the chapter is extremely straightforward. It's almost out, it's almost an allegory. Each, each element of the parable has a, a, a figure that it's representing. And the main purpose of the story is that the world and specifically the church, um, is going to be a mixed body until the last days, until the end of time. And so there's, there's the Sons of God or the Sons of the Kingdom, uh, and then there's the sons of the evil one. And we talked a lot about how. These two figures in the parable, the, the, the weeds or the tears? Um, tears is a better word because it's a specific kind of, uh, specific kind of weed that looks very much like wheat at its immature stages. Right. And you can't actually discern the difference readily, uh, until the weed and the wheat has grown up next to each other. Um, and so, so part of the parable is that. The, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the enemy, or the sons of the evil one, they don't look all that different in their early stages. And it's not until the sort of end culmination of their lives and the end culmination of things that they're able to be discerned and then therefore, um, the, the sons of the devil are, are reaped and they go off to their eternal judgment and the sons of the kingdom are, uh, are harvested and they go off to their eternal reward. What we wanted to talk about, and part of the reason that we split this into two episodes. Is that we sort of found ourselves spiraling or spiraling around a question about, uh, sort of about assurance, right? And false assurance, true assurance. And there is an eschatological element to this parable that I, I think we probably should at least touch on as we we go through it. Um, but I wanted to just read, um, it's been a little while since we've read the Westminster Confession on the show. So I wanted to read a little bit from the Westminster Confession. Um, this is from chapter 18, which is called of assurance of grace and salvation. This is sort of the answer to Jesse's question. Do the, do the tears know their tears or, or could they possibly think that their wheat? So this is, uh, section one of chapter eight. It says, although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presuppositions or presumptions of being in favor with God in the state of salvation. Which hope of their shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. And so we, in the reform tradition at least, which is where we find ourselves in the reform tradition, um, we would affirm that people can. Deceive themselves into believing that they're in proper relation with God. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Tony Arsenal: And so it's not the case that, uh, that the weeds always know they're weeds or think they're weeds. It's not even the case. And this was part of the parable. It's not even the case that the weeds can be easily distinguished even by themselves from, uh, from the weeds. So there is this call, uh, and this is a biblical call. There's a call to seek out assurance and to lay claim to it. That I think is, is worth talking about. But it's not as straightforward as simple proposition as like, yeah, I'm confident. Like it's not just like, right, it's not just mustering up confidence. There's more to it than that. So that's what I wanted to start with, with this parable is just maybe talking through that assurance. 'cause I, I would hate for us to go through this parable. And sort of leave people with maybe you're a weed and you don't know it. 'cause that's not right. That's not the biblical picture of assurance. Um, that's the, that's the Roman Catholic picture of assurance that like, yeah, there's no such thing as assurance and people might not realize, but assurance of salvation is actually one of the, one of the primary things that was recovered particularly by the Reformed in the Reformation. Um, and so I think we, we often sort of overlook it as maybe a secondary thing. Um, but it really is a significant doctrine, a significant feature of reformed theology. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'm glad you said that because it is a, is a clear reminder. It's a clearing call as the performers put forth that it is. Under like the purview of the Christian to be able to claim the assurance by the blood of Christ in the application of the Holy Spirit in a way that's like fully orbed and fully stopped. So you can contrast that with, and really what was coming outta Catholicism or Rome at the time. And I was just speaking with a dear brother this past week who. Grew up in the Catholic church and he was recounting how his entire religious experience, even his entire relationship, if we can call it that in a kind of colloquial sense with God, was built around this sense of deep-seated guilt and lack of true performance, such that like assurance always seemed like this really vague concept that was never really fully manifested in anything that he did. Even while the church was saying, if you do these things, if you perform this way, if you ensure that you're taking care of your immortal sins and that you're seeking confession for all the venial stuff as well, that somehow you'll be made right, or sufficiently right. But if not, don't worry about it. There's always purgatory, but there'd be some earning that you'd have to accomplish there. Everywhere along the way. He just felt beaten down. So contrasting that with what we have here. I don't believe, as you're saying, Tony, that's Jesus' intention here to somehow beat up the sheep. I, I think it is, to correct something of what's being said about the world in which we live, but it's at the same time to say that there are some that are the TAs is to say there are some that are the children of God, right? That there are some that are fully crisply, clearly identified and securely resting in that identity without any kind of nervous or anxious energy that it might fall out of that state with God that, that in fact their identity is secure. And as I've been thinking about this this week, I, I'm totally with you because I think part of this just falls, the warning here is there's a little bit of the adventures in Romans one here that's waiting for us, that I like what you said about this idea of, of self deception and maybe like a. Subpart to this question would be, are the, are the terrors always nefarious in their lack of understanding? So we might say there's some that are purposely disruptive, that the enemy himself is, is promulgating or trying to bring forward his destruction, his chaos by way of these tears. But are, are there even a subgroup or another group, uh, co-terminus group or, you know, one in the same hierarchy where there's just a lot of self deception? I, I think that's probably where I fall in terms of just trying to explain that. Yes, I think it was present here is a real quantity, a real identity where they're self-deceived. Imagining themselves to be part of God's people, yet lacking that true saving faith. And this just, I'm gonna go in a couple places where I think everybody would expect in the scriptures, if we go to like Ephesians four, they're darkened and they're understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. And one Corinthians, when Paul writes, the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, and he's not able to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. And then the book that follows the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. And of course then like everything in Romans one, so I bring all that up because E, even at the end, we're gonna get there, the Es, this eschatological reality when you know God is separating out the sheep and the goats. Still, we find this kind of same trope happening there. But the unregenerate, what I'm reading from this. Importantly is that the unregenerate, they're not merely ignorant, they're blinded, as we all were on point to the spiritual truth. Yeah. By nature and by Satan. That that is also his jam. He loves to blind, to lie, to kill, steal, and destroy. So thus, even if they're outwardly belonging to the church, they're outwardly belonging to the world. They're outwardly belonging to some kind of profession. They cannot perceive the reality of their lost condition apart from divine illumination. Who can, that might be stating the obvious, but I think that's like what we're getting after here. I I, I don't know if there's like any kind of like conspiracy here. It's simply that that is the natural state of affairs. So why wouldn't we expect that to be reflected again in the world and that side by side, we're gonna find that shoulder to shoulder. We are, there are the children of God, and there are those that remain blind and ignorant to the truth. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and you know, it, again, I, I, um, I don't know why I'm surprised. Uh, I certainly shouldn't be surprised. Um. But Matthew is like a masterful storyteller Yeah. Here, right. He's a masterful, um, editor and narrator. Um, and he's, he's put together here, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Um, and, and there's some good reason to think in the text we're not gonna get too, in the nitty gritty here, there's some good reason to think in the text that Christ actually delivered these parables as a set as well. So it's not just, it's not just Matthew coating these, although it could be. Um, but it, it seems like these were all delivered probably as like a common set of parables. And the reason I say that is because when we start to look at this parable and the one we previously went through, the parable of the soils, um, or the parable of the sower. Um, what we see is the answer to your question of why do some people, you know, why are some people deceived? Well, yes, there is secondary causation. The devil deceives them. They blind themselves. They, you know, suppress the, the, the truth and right unrighteousness. But on a, on a primary causation level, um, God is the one who is identi, is, is identifying who will be the sons of the, you know, devil and the sons of the kingdom. Mm-hmm. This is another, and yet another example of election is that the, the good sower sowed good seed, and the good seed was the elect and the enemy. Although in God's sovereignty, God is the one who determines this. The enemy is the one who sows the reprobate. Right? So all, all men. Star, and this is, I, I guess I didn't really intend to go here, but this is good evidence in my mind for, um, infra laps, Arianism versus super laps. Arianism, right infra laps, arianism or sub lapse. Arianism would say that God decrees, uh, to permit the fall and then he decrees to redeem some out of the fall, right? Logically speaking, not temporally speaking. Super laps. Arianism, which is the minority. It's the smaller portion of, of the historic tradition, although modern times, I think it's a little bit louder and a little bit more vocal, but super relapses. Arianism would argue that God, um, decrees. Sort of the, the decree of election and reprobation is logically prior to the decree of the fall. And so in, in that former or in the super laps area model, the fall becomes a means by which the reprobate are justly condemned. Not, um, not the cause of their condemnation, but a way to sort of justify the fact that they will be separated from God, right? Because of their reprobate. [00:28:36] Exploring the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Tony Arsenal: I know that there's, there's probably some super lab streams that would nuance that differently and some that are probably just screaming straw man, uh, in a coffee shop somewhere and, and people are thinking you're crazy. Um, but by and large, that's actually a rel, a relatively accepted, um, explanation of it. There are certainly potential problems with, uh, sub, sub lapse agonism as well. But in this, in this parable, what we see is the people who are, um, who are elect, are sowed into the field and the people who are reprobate are also sowed into the field. And so God saves the people who are sewed into the field that are, they elect, he saves them out of this now mixed world by waiting and allowing them to grow up next to the reprobate, um, in sort of this mixed world setting. And then he redeems them out of that. Um, and, and, and so we have to sort of remember. Although it is a pretty strict, sort of allegorical type of parable, it's still a parable. So we shouldn't, we shouldn't always draw like direct one-to-one comparisons here. It's making a theological point, but, um, but it's important for us to re remember that, that it is ultimately, it is God who determines who is the elected and who is not. But it's, it's our sin. It's the devil deceiving us. It's the secondary causes that are responsible for the sons of the devil, right? It, the, the men come to the, to the sower and say, who is done this? He says it was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. Tony Arsenal: He doesn't say like, well, actually I put the seed there and so, you know, I'm, I, it's not an equal distribution. He's not sowing good seed and bad seed. He sows the good seed and the devil sows the bad seed. [00:30:24] Theological Implications and Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, and, and that's a, I think that's an important theological point to make. And as far as assurance goes. We, we can't depend on our ability to perceive or sort of like discern election in a raw sense, right? We have to observe certain kinds of realities around us. Um, and, and primarily we have to depend on the mercy and, and saving faith that God gives us. That's right. Um, you know, our, our assurance of faith does not primarily come from fruit checking. Um, we have to do that. It's important, we're commanded to do it, and it serves as an important secondary evidence. But a, a, a person who wants to find assurance. Of salvation should first and foremost look to the promises of Christ and then depend on them. Um, and, and so that's, I think all of that's kind of wrapped up into this parable. It's, it's, it's amazing to me that we're only like two parables in, and we're already, you know, we're already talking about super lapse arianism and sub lapse arianism, and it's, it's amazing. I, I love this. I'm loving this series so far, and we're barely scratching the surface. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's all there. I think you're right to call that out. It strikes me, like, as you were speaking, it really just hit me higher that I think you're right. Really the foundation on this, like the hidden foundation is assurance and it's that assurance which splits the groups, or at least divides them, or it gives us, again, like the distinct, kind, discrete compartments or components of each of them. So. Again, I think it's help saying, 'cause we wanna be encouraging. That's, that's our whole point here is when the Apostle Peter says, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you. That herein we have the scripture saying to us, time and time again, be sure of what God has done in your life. Be confident in that very thing. And so if assurance is, as we're saying, that's the argument hypothesis we're making. That's the critical thing here. [00:32:11] False Assurance and True Faith Jesse Schwamb: Then the division between the children of God and the children of the devil is false versus true assurance. So the tears, I think what we're saying here, basically they typically live under false asserts. They may attend church, confess, belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical. It's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual. And of course, like just a few chapters before this, we hope those famous verses where Jesus himself drops the bomb and says, listen, many of you, he's talking to the people, the, the disciples around him, the crowds that we're gathering and thronging all about. He says, many of you're gonna say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy your name? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. These are not people who knew they were false, they thought they belonged to Christ. Their shock on judgment day is gonna reveal this profound self-deception. And that self-deception is wrapped up in a false type of assurance, a false righteousness. So I think one of the things that we can really come to terms with and grab a hold of is the fact that when we are. Confessing, repenting seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ. Then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally, Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance. [00:33:38] Historical Perspectives on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: You know, I was reading this week from Thomas Brooks and did incidentally come across this, a quote, an assurance and reminded me of this passage, and here's what he writes. You know, of course he's writing in like 16 hundreds, like mid 16 hundreds. It's wild, of course, but we shouldn't be surprised that what you're about to hear sounds like it could have been written today for us. In this conversation, but, uh, he writes, assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions. However, most Christians live between fears and hopes and hang, as it were, between heaven and hell. Sometimes they hope that their state is good. At other times they fear that their state is bad. Now they hope that all is well and that it shall go well. Well with them forever. Then they fear that they shall perish by the hand of such corruption or by the prevalency of such and such temptation. They're like a ship and a storm tossed here and there, and. I think that he's right about that. And I think the challenge there is to get away from that. I love where it starts, where he says, what wonderful turn of phrase assurance is the believer's arc or Noah, like, you know, we're sitting and the commotion, the destructions, the commotion, the confusions of all the world. That's why to get this right, to be encouraged by this passage, to be challenged by it is so critical because we're all looking for that arc. We all want to know that God has in fact arrested us so completely that no matter what befalls us, that everything, as we talked about before, all of our, all of the world, in fact is subservient to our salvation. But that's a real thing that cannot be snatched away from us because God has ordained it and intended it, built it, created it, and brought it to pass. And so I think that's all like in this passage, it's all the thing that's being called us to. So. I, I don't want us to get like too hung up. It's a good question, I think to ask and answer like we were trying to talk about here, but you're right. If we focus too much just on the like, let's gaff for these tears. Who are they? Like let's people's, like Readers Digest in People's magazine these tears. Like who are they? Do we have a list of them? Who do we think they are? How could it be me? Is it really me? Am I, am I anxious about that? Really what we should be saying is following what Peter calls us to do that is to be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and his choosing. So even there like our emphasis and focus, isn't it like you're saying Tony about like, let me do some fruit inventory. I got like a lot of good bananas. I got a lot of ripe pears. Like, look at the tree. This, this is good. Even there, the emphasis is to turn our eyes on Jesus, as it were, and to make certain about his work, his calling and his choosing of us. And I think when we do that, we're falling down in worship and in yielding and submission to him, rightfully acknowledging that the righteousness of Christ is the one that is always in every way alien to us and imputed. And that is what makes us sons and daughters of God, that good seed sown by Jesus himself. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I just wanna read, I wanna um, round out a few more paragraphs here out of the Westminster confession because I do think, you know, when we even talk about assurance, we're not even always all saying the exact same thing. And I think that's important because when we talk about assurance of faith, we need to be understanding that this is the rightful, not only the rightful possession of all Christians, but it's the rightful responsibility of all Christians to seek it. So here's, here's section two of that same chapter. It says, this certainty referring to assurance. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a, a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the spirit of adoption, witnessing with our hearts that we are the children of God, which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. So. One of the, the things that I think is, is important here is people read this and say the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made. They read that and they think that it's referring to like good work and like spiritual renewal, but it's, it's not, it's the inward evidence of those graces unto which of the promises are made. So it's this inner, inner renewal. It's the spirit testifying to our spirit. And then, um, chapter, uh, section three here, it says. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of God. He may without extraordinary revelation there, right there is response to Roman Catholicism in the right use of ordinary means at attain there unto. And therefore, it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence, to make his calling and election. Sure. And thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and in joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to looseness? Right. [00:38:53] The Role of Good Works in Assurance Tony Arsenal: So we often hear and and I, I think there are good, um, there are good reformed Christians that put. The emphasis of assurance on, or they, they put an overemphasis, in my opinion, on how good works function within our assurance. Right. They, they often will ask us to look to our good fruit as sort of, not the grounding, but as a strong evidence. But at least in terms of the confession here, the cheerfulness in the duties of obedience is the fruit of assurance. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Not Tony Arsenal: the cause or grounding of assurance. So rather than, this is what this last line says. It says so far, is it from inclining? Mental looseness assurance should drive us to obedience and fruitfulness in Christ. And so yes, it is in a certain sense an evidence because if that fruitfulness and obedience is absent from our lives, there's a good reason for us to question whether this infallible assurance is present in our lives. But the assurance is what drives us to this obedience. Um. You know, like, I think you could use the analogy of like a married couple. A married couple who is very secure in their relationship and in their, uh, love for one another and their faithfulness to each other is more likely to cheerfully serve and submit to each other and to respect each other and to sacrifice for each other than a couple that's maybe not so sure that the other person has their best interest in mind. That's or maybe isn't so sure that this thing is gonna work out. I think that's the same thing, like the sacrifice and the service that a husband, uh, performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him. That is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it. It's good evidence that that love exists, but it's not caused by it. And assurance here is the same kind of dynamic assurance is not. We can't assure ourselves of our salvation by doing good works. No matter how many good works you do, there are lots and lots of people who are not saved and who will not be saved, who do perfectly good works in appearance. Right. They have the, the outward appearance of godliness, but lack its power. Right, right. Out of right outta Paul, writing to Timothy there. Yes. So that's, that's important for us as we continue to parse all this out, is yes, the fruit is present. Yes. The wheat is to, is discernible from the tears by its final, fruitful status. Right? It grows up to be grain, which is fruitful rather than weeds and tears, which are only good to be burned, but it is not the fruit that causes it to be wheat. It's wheat that causes the fruit to grow. If, if it wasn't wheat, it wouldn't grow fruit, not because the fruit makes it grain, but because it is in fact wheat to start with. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that's right on. So I think like by summation we're kind of saying. At least the answer to this question. You know, do the tears know that they're tears? Yes and no. Some do, some don't. I think, yes, there are some that are gonna be consciously hypocritical, willfully rejecting Christ while pretending for worldly gain. I think that's, that's certainly plain to see. And at the same time, do the tears know the tears? Sometimes? No. There's self deceived under spiritual blindness and they have some kind of false assurance. And this idea of, again, coming in repentance before God and seeking humbly to submit to him is I think one of those signs of that kind of true assurance, not a false assurance. And you already stole where I was thinking of Tony by going to Second Timothy again. Thomas Brooks in precious remedies against Saint's device is one of like the best. Books ever. I know that he's really outspoken. He loves to harp on the fact that one of Satan's most effective snares is to make men and women content with a form of godliness without its power. Yeah. And that's often what we're talking about here, I think, is that Satan loves to fish in the shallow waters a profession. And really that can happen in any kind of church or religious culture, that there is this shallowness where that loves religious appearance, prayer, knowledge fellowship, but not the Christ behind them. And so whether we're looking to somebody like Brooks or Jonathan Edwards and we're trying to parse out what are our true affections, not in a way again, that somehow leans well, I feel enough, then somehow that justifies, not inwardly, but again, definitely trying to understand our conviction for conversion tears. For repentance that. Really what we're after is not like just the blessings of Christ, but Christ himself, which I think really leads us to this eschatological perspective then to round all everything out because you know, we talked about before, there's an old phrase, it's like everywhere. A lot of people talk in heaven. Not everybody's going there. And so this idea of like, people will talk about be so great to be there and it's sometimes this, the heaven that they speak of is like absent Christ, you know, as if like, if Christ wasn't there, at least in their perspective, it still wouldn't be half bad. And so I think that does lead us to understand what is this in gathering? What is this? You know, bringing everything into the barn and burning everything else up. And like you just said, if at the beginning you cannot tell the injurious weed aside from that beautiful kernel of wheat that's coming up, but if in the end you can see what's happening in the end, then that brings us all to consummation. What does it mean in this parable? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:44:19] Eschatological Judgment and Assurance Tony Arsenal: And, and I think this actually sort of forces us to grapple a little bit with, with another sort of persnickety feature of this parable that, that I think, I think personally sometimes gets overlooked is we are very quick to talk about this parable to be about the church. And it is. Right. And, and there's reasons to talk like that. But when Christ explains the parable, he doesn't say the field is the church. He says the field is the world. Right. And so we have to, we have to, we have to do a little bit of, um. We have to do a little bit of hermeneutics to understand that this is also speaking of the church, right? It's not as though the church is some hermetically sealed off body that the dynamics of the world and the, the weed and the tears like that, that doesn't happen in the church. But when we talk about the end of the age here, he says the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom. All causes of sin in all lawbreakers. Right? So, so the, the final eschatological judgment, it's all encompassing. And I dunno, maybe I'm, maybe I'm becoming a little bit post mill with this, um, the, the world is already the Kingdom of Christ. Right? Right. That's right. It, it's not, it's not just the church on earth that is the kingdom of Christ. And so when we talk about this eschatological reaping, um, what we see is, is very straightforward. There are those who are, uh, who belong to Christ, who were sown by him into the world, who were, uh, were tended by him, who were protected by him, who he intended to harvest from the very beginning, right? The good sower sows good seed into the field, and that good seed is and necessarily will be wheat. It's not as though, um, it's not as though, and again, this is one of those ways where like the parables sometimes, uh, are telling a little bit of a different story. Even though they're sharing some themes in the first parable, in the parable of the sower, he sows the same seed into the world. But the seed in that first parable is not the, is not the person receiving the seed. The seed is the one is the word of God. Yes. And so the word of God is sewn promiscuously, even to those who will be hard soil and who will be rocky soil and have thorns. The word of God is, is sewn to all of those people. Across the whole world in this parable. The seed that is the good seed that is sown is and always was going to be weed that was, or wheat, which was going to grow into fruitfulness and be gathered into the barn. Right? That was a foregone conclusion. The, the, when the sower decided to sow seed, all of that said he is the one who did that. He's the one that chose that. He's the one that will bring us to completion, right? And then also the ones that are not of his kingdom, the sons of the devil, they will also be reaped at the end. Actually we'll be reaped before the, you know, they'll be reaped and gathered and, and tossed into the furnace before the sons of the kingdom are gathered together. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: So it, again, this is a parable and even though this is Christ's explanation of the parable, I don't think that Christ was intending to give us like a strict timeline. Right. I don't think he was encouraging us to draw a chart and try to map out where this all happens in order. Um, I do think it's relevant that, that, at least in the explanation of this parable, I mentioned it last week, that, that the rap, the rapture is actually the wicked being raptured. They're the ones that are gathered and taken out of the world and cast into the fiery furnace before the, before the righteous are gathered together and, and brought into Christ Barn. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a great unmasking that's happening here in this final stage. I mean, that's critically the point. I think there's a lot of stuff we could talk about open handedly and kind of hypothesize or theorize what it means. But what is plain, I think, is that there's this unmasking, this unveiling of the reality of the light of Christ's perfect judgment. But that judgment is for both parties Here it is coming and what was hidden beneath outward religion or more, a facade is gonna be revealed with eternal clarity. That's just the reality. It is coming. So in some ways it pairs. I think at least well in this, well purposely of course in this teaching because Jesus is saying, hold on, like we talked about last time. Do this is not for you to judge. You are ill-equipped. You are not skilled enough to discern this. And therefore though, you wanna go in hot and get spicy and try to throw out all the weeds. Wait for the right time. Wait for the one like you're saying, Tony has from all of eternity past intended for it to be this way. Super intending his will over all things in the casting of the seed. And as we say, Philippians, of course, finishing that good work, which was started, he will finish. It is God's two finish again. And so he says, listen, that day is coming. There's gonna be a great unmasking. Uh, get ready for it. And the scriptures bear witness to that in so many other ways. So. There's such a journey in these like handful of verses, isn't there? I mean, it's really wild. The things that not like we come up with or we read into the text, but as we sit in it a little bit, as we just spend even a cursory amount of time letting it pour over us, that we find there's like a conviction in a weight in these things that are beyond just the story and beyond just even like the illustrations themselves. What we find is, again, it's as if Jesus himself in his brilliance, of course, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is illuminating the mind in the spirit to open up our conception, understanding of the kingdom of God by bringing it to us through his perspective in our own terms, of course, which is both our language and like the context of the world in which we live, and that simple example of farming and seed. And again, even just that there are these interest weeds that look like wheat. I went on this like rabbit hole this week and did a lot of research on like tears and Yeah, like especially people in like the Midwest United States who like know a lot more about agriculture than I do have a lot to say about this. It's not just like we shouldn't be surprised like. Isn't it incredible that like there are actually weeds out there that look like, yeah, it's a brilliance of just knowing that this teaching is so finely tuned. Like we can even just talk about that. Like the world is finely tuned. This teaching is so finely tuned to these grant theological principles that we can at one point be children and appropriate them enough and assume them into our own intellectual capacity so that we can trust in them. And yet even as like adults with like, let's say like the greatest gift of intellectual capacity, still find that we cannot get to the bottom of them because they're so deep. They draw us into these really, really grand vistas or really like extremely deep cold theological waters. And I just find. That I am in awe then of what Jesus is saying here because there's a truth for us in assurance that we ought to clinging to. And there's also like stuff that we should come back to. We shouldn't just stop it here and put it out of our minds until the next time we, we want to just be stimulated by something that's interesting or that we want to just grab somebody and shake them cage style, cage two style and say like, look at this great thing that I just learned about this, this particular parable. But instead, there's so much here for us to meditate on. And in that, I think rather than the Christian finding fear in this parable, what they should find is great comfort. We should be Noah alike sitting in the ark saying, it is well with my soul. And our reason for that is because we know God has cast a seed through his son Jesus Christ. And to be a child, a child of God is the greatest thing in all the universe. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that, um, transitions nicely to, uh, I'll make this point quick because we're coming up on time here. Um. [00:52:04] Christ's Divinity and Sovereignty Tony Arsenal: The other little subtle thing that Christ does here in this parable is he, he absolutely asserts his divinity and sovereignty overall creation. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Yep. Tony Arsenal: Right. It, it's almost like a throw. There's a couple little like lines that are almost throwaway lines, right in the, the first, the beginning of the parable here. Um, the parable itself, uh, he says, um, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed into a field. And then he says, um, the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, right? And then when he interprets the parable, he says, well, the, the servants are, the field is the world, right? So he's the master of the world, and the servants are the angels. So he's the master of the angels. And then if, if there was any doubt left in your mind. Says in verse 41, the son of man will send his angels. That's right. And they will gather out of his kingdom, which is the world, all the causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. Right? So we have this, this robust picture that there is election. The the good sower sows good seed into the world, and the good seed will necessarily grow into wheat and will be preserved and protected and ultimately harvest Well, why can we have assurance that that will be the case? Well, because the master of the house is the son of man who is the Lord of the universe and the creator of all things. And his angels do his will. That's right. So, so the whole thing is all wrapped up. Why can we have assurance? Because God is a good God and Christ is a good savior, and the savior of the world is the creator of the universe, right? If any of those facts were not true. Then we couldn't have assurance. If God wasn't good, then maybe he's lying. If Christ wasn't the savior of the world or the God of the universe, the creator of the universe, then he wasn't worthy to be the one who saves. All of this is wrapped up in the parables, and this is what's so exciting about the parables. In most of the instances that we look up, especially of the sort of longer parables, these kinds of dynamics are there where it's not just a simple story making a simple point, it is making one primary point. Usually there's one primary point that a, that a parable is making. But in order to make that primary point, there's all these supporting points and supporting things that have to be the case. If the, if the good sower was not the master of the house and a, a competent, uh, a competent landowner who knew the difference between wheat and weeds, even at the early stage, right? His, his servants go and go, what happened? What's with all of these weeds? They can tell the difference somehow, Jesse Schwamb: right? Tony Arsenal: He's immediately able to go, well, this was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Tony Arsenal: And while they're bumbling around going, should we go rip it all up and start over? He is like, no, no, no, no. Just wait until, wait until it all grows up together. And when that happens, the Reapers will come and they'll take care of it and they'll do it in my direction, right? Because he's competent, he's the savior, he's the creator, he's the good master, he is the good sower. Um, we can be confi

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure of infinite worth. Jesus' parables reveal the supreme value of Christ and His Gospel; He is the treasure who gave up everything to purchase the field (the world) for the sake of His people. When Jesus offers up this priceless treasure, he is rejected in His own hometown, a stark reminder that the saving power of the Gospel is lost where unbelief holds sway.  The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 13:44-58.  The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Friday, 24 October 2025   which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. Matthew 13:48   “Which, when it was filled, having dragged upon the beach, and having sat, they gathered the good into vessels, and the bad they cast out” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that gathers every kind in it. He continues that, saying, “which, when it was filled.”   This is where the skill of the fisherman is realized. There is a set time for letting down the net, and there is a time when the net is to be drawn in. Likewise, God alone will determine the times of the kingdom. There is no point in speculating on what the word does not provide. In fact, it is presumptuous to do so. Once the time has come, Jesus gives the next thought, saying, “having dragged upon the beach.”   A new word found only here is seen, anabibazó, to cause to go up. It is derived from ana, up or upward, and basis, a pace (as in a step). Thus, the sense is drawing up, one arm pull at a time. Once the net is entirely drawn up, it next says, “and having sat, they gathered the good into vessels.”   Another new word is seen, aggeion, a receptacle or vessel. It is derived from aggos, a pail. That in turn is derived from agkos, an arm. The arm is curved and is like our own personal carrying vessel when needed. So the words are believed to connect through that thought. There is the curved arm, the curved pail, and the pail leads to the vessel for the fish.   The net is hauled up, the men sit by it and begin sorting them, and the good ones are placed in the vessel, ready to become dinner for some hungry soul. As for the others, Jesus says, “and the bad they cast out.”   Whatever “bad” means to a fisherman, including being too small, being unclean according to Israel's law, or being dead already, fishermen normally chuck the bad ones back in the water as they perform their own function in God's creation. A different disposition will be seen for these bad fish. The point is that they are rejected by the fishermen, unsuitable for selling to the people.   Life application: It is noted above that the fisherman determines when the net will be drawn in. He is the one to decide the matter. It is his decision alone, and to second-guess him would be to accuse him of doing wrong with his own nets. It is his, and he can make the choice according to his plan.   As is usual, within the past week, the rapture date setters were wrong for the jillionth time since Jesus left. Websites were full of predictions that Jesus was coming to take His church on the 23rd of September. When this didn't happen (again!), those who published their false teaching immediately set out to justify why the Lord didn't follow their carefully set date.   How many times will you listen to such ridiculous people? A review of the top ten videos indicated millions of views. People, like dogs going back to munch on their own vomit, spent their precious time watching worthless information put out by false teachers.   The Bible does not tell us when the rapture will occur. In fact, Jesus explicitly told His disciples when He left that they (meaning them and all who follow) would not know –   “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.'” Acts 1:7   Paul repeats Jesus' words concerning the timing of redemptive events –   “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” 2 Thessalonians 5:1, 2   Do you really suppose that God is going to violate His own word to speak through these false teachers? It will never happen. Stop wasting your time on the sensational. The Bible is not a book of God's errors or misstatements. It is a book of what He is doing in redemptive history.   The time that was wasted on these ridiculous videos, meaning millions of hours of productivity, could have been far better spent actually telling people about Jesus, actually learning what the word says, or even spent with family.   We are accountable for what we do with our time. Let us use it wisely –   “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” Colossians 4:5   Lord God, thank You for Your word. May we not treat it contemptuously, as if it is we who decide what it says. Rather, may we look for what You intend for us to see. Help us to identify false teachers and keep far from them. May our time interacting with You through Your word be a sweet time of learning and growing in You. Amen.  

Jesus describes the hidden, mysterious nature of His Kingdom. It grows from the smallest of beginnings to become a refuge for all, yet the Church on earth will always be a mixed body of believers and hypocrites. Jesus makes clear that the work of separating them belongs to the angels at the end of the age, not to men. These parables comfort the Church, reminding us that the Kingdom's growth and purity are God's work, not ours.  The Rev. Dan Grimmer, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Mitchell, SD, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 13:24-43.  To learn more about Zion Lutheran, visit zionmitchell.org The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thursday, 23 October 2025   “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, Matthew 13:47   “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a seine having been cast into the sea, and from every kind having been gathered.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. Next, He begins another parable, saying, “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a seine.”   A word found only here in Scripture is seen, sagéné. A seine or dragnet. It is a derivative of satto, to equip, “especially a pack-saddle (which in the East is merely a bag of netted rope)” HELPS Word Studies.   Such a net is curtain-like. It would be weighted, thus forming a circle for the fish as it dropped. As it is pulled out, the fish would be captured in it and hauled onto the shore or boat. As several of the disciples were fishermen, and as they probably all went out together while in the Galilee, they would all be aware of what Jesus was referring to.   Of this, Jesus next says, it is “having been cast into the sea.” The sea is where fish are, but Jesus is making a metaphor. So understanding the sea in the Bible will help us understand the intent. The sea has several overall connotations, including chaos or a place of chaotic existence, thus unpredictability. In such a place, there is danger, such as sea monsters.   It also gives the idea of the people groups of the earth, who by nature are generally chaotic, even if there are governments and some sense of order. That is seen, for example, in Revelation 17, where the Great Harlot sits on many waters, meaning in lands throughout the earth. There it says –   “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:15   A similar analogy is seen in Daniel 7:2. One can think of the multitude of languages, cultural ideas, and norms, etc. Thus, there is a sense of the chaotic. The net is thrown into the sea, “and from every kind having been gathered...”   The verse stops in the middle of the thought, but one can see that there is a sense of a gathering from the sea. Without going any further, it cannot help but be seen that this extends beyond Israel. If Israel represented one type of fish, there would be harmony, not chaos. Though there may be various accents, there was one language to unite them, etc.   Life application: It is a chaotic world. Despite this, in modern times, there is the ability to supposedly overcome the chaos in ways never thought of before. In the past, if there were nations with distinct languages, say English and Chinese, there was an absolute need to have people proficient in both languages available in both nations for effective diplomacy to take place.   If there were an interpreter from China only, that interpreter could bias the translation on behalf of her country, thereby gaining an advantage. Only by having two independent translators verify one another could diplomacy truly be considered reliable.   This process required integrity, time, sound education, etc. Today, the world's languages are quickly being digitized, and in real time, languages are able to be interpreted in both languages through the power of computers. Curiously, there is the obvious play on this by the tech giant Google. The place where languages were separated was Babel –   “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:5-9   In an assent to this event, the modern Google translator is called Babbel. It is as if they are attempting to undo what God had done. Obviously, God knew this would occur, but the point is that man's efforts, like at Babel, are being directed to uniting the people of the earth as if to show their primacy and ability to cast off God.   Nothing has changed. Man believes he has the ability to do anything. But there are underlying divisions in the world that would have to be dealt with. An example of this is found in Daniel 2:41-43. Such things must be dealt with, and it will lead to great slaughters of people in an attempt to harmonize the goal of world unity. The problem with that is that no two people think exactly the same. The only way to have absolute unity is to eradicate everyone else. God understands this. Hence, Jesus said –   “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24:21, 22   How desperately man needs God's hand to direct him. Without that, we are all goners. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind.   Gracious and glorious heavenly Father, thank You that we have a hope that extends beyond this tragic, fallen world. Because of our Lord Jesus, there is hope for humanity. Someday, we who believe the gospel will be gathered before You for all eternity. There will be no more war or conflict. Won't that day be wonderful? And so, we pray You speed the coming of it. May it be so. Amen.  

Jesus explains why the Gospel yields such different results through the Parable of the Sower. The focus is not on the quality of the soil (the human heart), but on the life-creating power of the Seed, which is the Word of God. The parable shows how this powerful Word is received or rejected in a fallen world, revealing that where faith takes root, it is the Seed of the Gospel, not the goodness of the ground, that does the saving work.  The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 13:1-23.  To learn more about Our Redeemer, visit ourredeemerstl.org. The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Wednesday, 22 October 2025   who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:46   “who, having found one highly valued pearl, having departed, he has sold all – as many as he had, and he purchased it” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. That continues with the words, “who, having found one highly valued pearl.”   A new word, polutimos, highly valued, is seen. It is derived from polus, much or many, and timé, a value. Thus, this signifies something of great value, a large sum of money, great honors, etc. Continuing, Jesus says, “having departed, he has sold all.”   Another new word is seen, pipraskó, to dispose of as merchandise or into slavery. One can see him taking his wares and selling them so that he has enough to make the purchase of this one pearl. He sold, “as many as he had, and he purchased it.”   The pearl merchant was willing to make this complete exchange to obtain this single pearl, knowing its value was more than what he already possessed. He saw the object, he understood its immense value, and he was willing to give up all else to obtain it.   As with the previous parable, this cannot be speaking merely of salvation during this dispensation, as pretty much every commentary states. If it is, the lesson would have to be stretched to the utmost extreme.   It is Jesus who purchased our salvation for us (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23, Ephesians 1:14, etc.), not the other way around. The parable follows the same pattern as noted in the previous parable –   *Another parable He near-set them, saying, “It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field.” *Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field, which a man, having found, he concealed... * Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a man, a merchant...   Jesus is the merchant. In this case, a pearl merchant. The pearl is the effect of the gospel, meaning those who live by faith, trusting the Lord alone for their salvation. This is why Paul could say that even Abraham was included in the gospel –   “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.' 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:8, 9   It explains why the “gospel” could be preached to Israel even before Jesus completed His work (as in Matthew 4:23, etc.). Jesus was willing to give up all He had to make this purchase –   “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:5-8   It is through this that He made His purchase. This is just what it says, using the same Greek word, in 1 Corinthians 7:23, “You have been purchased [agorazó] at a price” (NAB).   A point about pearls should be considered. They are taken from shellfish, something deemed unclean under the Law of Moses. The point is that in a world full of unclean individuals, either for being condemned apart from the law or those who are condemned because of the law, God is looking for those of faith.   These comprise the pearl that is precious in God's eyes. It is not those who are self-boasting and proud of their deeds under the law that God is pleased with. God has set the parameters, and He has confirmed them in His use of metaphor. Be sure to be a person of faith. This is what God is most pleased with.   Life application: As with the previous parable, this analysis bucks against almost all others. The scholar John Gill (1697-1771) seems to have figured this out, but what he penned is otherwise pretty much ignored.   But it is unthinkable to equate what is offered freely to believers with what is stated here. It is Jesus who does the work. It is we who are prized above all in His eyes. For whatever unimaginable reason, the Bible reveals it is so. Even David struggled with this –   “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:4   We cannot do a change-up switcheroo in the subject of these parables without coming to a faulty conclusion about what is being said. Jesus clearly stated in Matthew 13:37 that the Sower is the Son of Man.   Taking these two parables and changing the subject confuses the lessons. Jesus is the reason for Scripture's presentation. We are the reason Jesus came. Were it not so, He would have no need to depart heaven, giving up all. There would be no point in it.   Instead of trying to earn God's favor through the incorrectly taught explanation of these parables, stop and consider your value to God when you believe the gospel. How can it be that He would find those of faith so precious? And yet, it is so.   When you feel that you are lacking value, all you need to do is remember what Jesus Christ was willing to do to purchase you back from Satan's power. Be assured and be reassured that you, because of your faith in Him, are a part of the pearl of great price.   This perfectly describes why the gates of the New Jerusalem are pearls, as noted in Revelation 21:21. They are a reminder of this fact.   Heavenly Father, we cannot imagine what our value is in relation to what Jesus was willing to give up in order to buy us back to You. Whatever it is, may we be people of ongoing faith, accepting that You have done it and so it must be. Thank You for the care and attention that You have lavished upon us. Amen.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025   Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, Matthew 13:45   “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus gave the parable of the hidden treasure. He next turns to another parable, beginning with, “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a merchant man.”   The word emporos, merchant, is introduced. It will be seen four more times, all in Revelation 18. It is derived from en, in, and poreuomai, to traverse, go, depart, etc. This would be a wholesale merchant who moves trade. Thus, he is an “in-traveler.” In this case, he is “seeking beautiful pearls.”   Being a merchant, he would be the go-between for those in the pearl diving trade and the jewelers who set the stones. This is a person who understands the nature of pearls. There are various aspects of a pearl that increase or decrease its value.   In today's world, there are natural and cultured pearls. The natural ones are more valuable. At the time of Jesus, there were cultured pearls, but this was rare and limited to the area of China. Much later, in the late 1800s and on, they were cultured in Japan.   Natural pearls are prized for various aspects, such as size, luster, shape (perfect spheres being the most valuable), and color. Along with that, surface quality is also evaluated. Like anything that is prized among men, pearls have value based on their rarity. This traveling merchant specialized in pearls. He would have obsessed over every nuance, looking for the finest of them all.   Life application: Our search in life, if we appreciate quality, is to improve our surroundings and possess things that are different and special. It is true that many people are steeped in mediocrity, but even then, they will normally choose the better option of something if given the chance.   Looters, for example, are not the upper crust of society. They may live in rat holes and get a monthly welfare check, but when the power goes out and the getting is good, they will grab the 48” TV before a 36” TV. The fact that it has more value, either for showing off in the house or getting more when pawned to buy drugs, makes it the preferred target.   If we consider our place in this walk of life, we demonstrate wisdom if we are willing to search for that of the absolute highest value. But that will come down to what we think is of value.   Baseball fanatics may search for the rarest baseball card. Auto collectors may sell all they have to own a Stutz Bearcat. But these things, despite being rare, are just things. James speaks of priorities in his epistle –   “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” James 5:1-3   Baseball cards can get stolen, lost, ruined, etc. Cars, no matter how well tended, corrode and require constant care. But they can be destroyed in a moment during an earthquake, fire, etc. In fact, nothing physical has any true lasting value. Time causes things to change, degrade, die, etc.   The wise person will look around himself at all the great things that have been created and say, “If this is so great, God who created it all must be even greater!” In understanding this and then taking it to heart, that person will begin to admire and cherish the Creator for who He is, even if that is all he knows about Him.   But what if the Creator has provided information about Himself that goes beyond the plainly evident world? And what if there are people who have come along and said things about the Creator that make a similar claim? Is there a way to know which is the true information and which is not?   This is the search of those who truly want to know. “How can I know if this information is truly from God or not?” This is a study that will lead to the most blessed joy of all when the truth is found. Why? Because the Creator is greater than everything else.   No longer will the temporary searches for beauty, uniqueness, or cash value matter. When one truly understands who God is and knows that he possesses God intimately, the things of this world no longer bear the importance we thought they did.   How can we know if the information in the Koran, the Sutri texts, or the Bible is correct? The answer is that it will match what must be true about the Creator. This is where we as humans need to use our thinking caps. But if we truly desire God, we will be willing to consider the things of God.   In the end, if you are willing to accept it, the Bible alone contains information that is truly from God. Don't trust this commentary at face value, though. Pick it up and read it! There you will find God because there you will find Jesus. And in finding Jesus, you will find what is most valuable of all.   Heavenly Father, how good You are to us. You have not only created a world filled with wonder and delight, but You have extended our grasp to interact with You, reaching into the infinite realm of Your love, goodness, and wisdom. May we be responsible with our time, seeking You all our days. It is a search that is well worth the time we spend. Amen.  

Monday, 20 October 2025   Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44   “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field, which a man, having found, he concealed, and from the joy of it, he withdraws and all that he has he sells and he buys that field” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus finished the explanation of the parable of the darnel. He next continues, saying, “Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field.” The parable of the darnel began in a similar manner. That was shown to be a parable not specifically intended for the church age, but for those who would or would not enter the millennial kingdom. This parable cannot be speaking of believers in the church.   There is nothing concealed about the gospel. It is something that has been, and continues to be, openly proclaimed throughout the world. Although nobody knows the gospel until it is told to them, it is a message that is proclaimed through preaching, tracts, knocking on doors, etc. Jesus continues His words, saying, “which a man, having found, he concealed.”   Ok, it's true. Too many Christians hear the gospel and never bother telling anyone else. They don't particularly care about evangelizing, handing out tracts, knocking on doors, or otherwise getting out of their safe space. They just hide it away. But that is not what one is supposed to do when hearing the gospel and accepting it.   This person found treasure in a field that doesn't belong to him. He hides it there, quite happy about his secret, “and from the joy of it, he withdraws.”   When someone receives the gospel, believing the message he heard, he is sealed with the Spirit. It is a done deal. There is no “coming back later” to secure the deal when the gospel is heard. It is ours at that moment, or whatever moment we finally decide to believe. As for the parable, Jesus next says, “and all that he has he sells and he buys that field.”   A new word is seen, agorazó, to go to market, but by implication to purchase. Unless you are dealing with false teachers bearing a false gospel, there is no purchasing the gospel. It ain't for sale. Believers do not need to wait. They do not need to sell anything. Nor do they need to buy the gospel. They only need to believe.   The parable is referring not to individuals but to Jesus. It is the same idea as that of the Parable of the Sower –   *Another parable He near-set them, saying, “It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field.” *Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field, which a man, having found, he concealed...   The field is the world (Matthew 13:38). Jesus is the man. The devil holds possession of the world (Matthew 4:9). Jesus was willing to forsake all, giving up everything in order to regain possession of the world.   There can be no kingdom until He accomplishes this task. But in His death, He made the purchase for all humanity possible (1 Corinthians 6:20, etc.). In His completed work, the kingdom is realized. Jesus explained this to Pilate in John 18:33-37. This is why Pilate ensured the words THE KING OF THE JEWS were inscribed on the title above Jesus' head.   Life application: It is true that this interpretation of the parable goes against the standard interpretation given throughout the church age. However, it is the only one that fits the typology of what is being conveyed.   Unfortunately, this parable has been so abused with faulty analyses over the past two thousand years that far too many people actually believe that they have to forsake everything in order to be saved. Even websites that normally provide a competent analysis of Scripture devolve into this.   They have to mix dispensations and take verses out of context in order to explain something to the church that has nothing to do with the church.   To be sure it is understood, let's review the gospel. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 that the gospel he preached and by which, when you believe, you are saved is –   1) Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 2) He was buried, and 3) He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.   That is it. When you believe, you are saved. At that time, Paul says –   In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were   *Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is *The guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession   All of this is “to the praise of His glory.”   You hear the word, you believe, you are saved, and you are sealed. That is it. Be sure to accept the wonderful gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ today!   Lord God, thank You for the saving message of Jesus. Amen.

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Today's sermonette based on Matthew 13:44-58 is given by Rev. Dustin Beck. This is a rebroadcast from October 17, 2017. Hear a guest pastor give a short sermonette based on the day's Daily Lectionary New Testament text during Morning and Evening Prayer. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Matthew 13:1-23 - The Sower and the Seed | Kingdom Come Bible Study Part 24 by Tim Hatch

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Fr. Mike explains the many parables we hear today in Matthew, including the return of the unclean spirit, and the danger of ornate souls. He emphasizes that when God sweeps the sin out of our souls, we must replace it with virtue, otherwise our souls remain empty without a relationship with God. Today's readings are Matthew 11-13 and Proverbs 19:5-8. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.