Matthew 13:34-35

Mathews 13:34-35

Jesus only spoke to the multitudes with parables

This was fulfilling a prophecy in Psalm 78:3 I will open my mouth in parables and utter dark sayings of old

Jesus is uttering things kept secret from the foundation of the world

I want to focus personal application on a few more verses in psalm 78.  I will list them below for personal application to me:

Give ear to Jesus' Word, to His law.  

Incline my ear to the words of His mouth.

Do not hide these things from my children.  

Tell my children, part of the generation to come of His praises and His strength and wonderful work that He has done.  

I need to praise what He has done.  And tell my children of that.  Maybe even speak in parables of those things to them.  Like the Ava princess story.  

Your daughter always

Kari

Matthew 13:33

Matthew 13:33

Kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid meal until it was all leavened

Leaven typically represents sin in the bible.  I am guessing this refers to how fast sin can expand in the kingdom?  Some people may interpret it to refer to how quick God's kingdom can expand... 

I'm not sure.  

But personal application:  

Be ware of how quick sin can expand in His kingdom.  Be watchful of things that are not of truth and be diligent to guard my home from leaven.  

I have seen this happen in our family.  And it's hard to get leaven out once it has been in our home.  I have been spending the last few months sorting out truth vs what was falsehoods that I had blindly taken as truth to keep the peace.  I so wish I had been more clear on things in the beginning but now God is taking me through a time to sort out all the leaven and replace it with truth. It takes time but is well worth it.  

Matthew 13:31-32

Matthew 13:31-32

Kingdom of heaven: mustard seed

Man took and sowed the seed in his field.  

It is a seed that it is the least of all seeds but grows into something greater than the herbs and becomes a tree

The birds will nest in its branches.

Application :

Sometimes I feel so small or so unable to do things.  I think of how Jesus goes to those of insignificance and takes those tiny seeds and grow them into big trees.  We can't underestimate what God is doing in people's lives.  He is so much bigger than we can imagine with the things He wants to do with His church.  He makes beautiful things out of the dust.

Matthew 13:24-30

Matthew 13:24-30

Kingdom of heaven:  a man sowed good seed in His field

When He was sleeping his enemy came on tossed a bunch of weeds in amongst the good seed.  

Servant offers to go in and pull them out but the Master says no because He doesn't want to pull out any of the good seed.  He says have them grow together and then when it's harvest time separate them out.  

The weeds are going to gathered together to be burner and the good seed will be gathered in the barn.  

Application: I must pray for those around me more.  My heart aches and longs for them.  Please Lord Jesus do Your work in our neighborhood.  Sometimes I feel so inadequate or such a bad representation of You.  I feel like such a horrible mother.  

And yet You chose me.  I don't know why?  I wouldn't want me to be my mother :(. Please help me show more graciousness to my children.  It's Your kindness that leads to repentance and I desperately need that today.  I love You Lord.  

Matthew 13:18-23

Matthew 13:18-23

Parable of the sower explained:

Birds eat the seeds:  when someone hears the Word but does not understand it - the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart

Stony places: hears the Word and receives it with joy, but has no root inside - when persecutions and tribulations come they immediately stumble 

Thorns: hears the Word, cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the Word - result is unfruitfulness

Good ground: hears the Word and understands it - bears fruit and produces hundredfull sixty full thirty full

Applications:  

I need to strengthen my root.  Get it deep in the good soil so I can begone producing well again.  And I need to come from these tribulations of last year and arise and rejoice and not keep stumbling from the hurts and be ready to be available to grow from it and use it for His glory.  And from being very blessed I need to make sure my focus does not revolve around riches, but on Jesus.  And asking of Him what He wants me to do with today :). 

Matthew 13:10-17

Matthew 13:10-17

Jesus speaks to people in parables: 

The parables are for those whom have been given the ability to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  

To those who know the mysteries more will be given.  

Those that don't have more will be taken away. 

People's hearts have grown dull

They have closed their eyes they don't listen with their ears.  

If they did see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understood with their hearts Jesus would heal them.  

Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what His disciples were seeing in person.  They were blessed because they got to see Jesus first hand.  

I think it comes down to the heart.  If the heart doesn't want to learn or desire to understand, then it's not going to see or hear the truth either.  It's like I could tell my child 10 times to do something, and if their heart isn't in it and chooses to ignore they aren't going to see or hear to do it. 

That's what those that came to Jesus with a heart against them.  They weren't going to hear the truth or see the signs because their hearts didn't want to.  

There is a few verses on the heart:  

Guard your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick who can understand it? 

Jeremiah 17:9

Our heart's our sick.  We need to guard them.  When we turn our hearts toward learning the truth and seeing Jesus He gives more to our hearts.  But when we turn away from the truth we get further and further away.  

We need to be careful to listen and see.  And keep our hearts turned toward Jesus. 

Lord please guard my heart. 

Matthew 13:1-9

Matthew 13:1-9

Seeds fall when the sower sow's

1. By the wayside:birds ate them 

2. Stony places:grew up to quickly without depth and got scorched on the the rocks

3. Among the thorns:got choked by them

4. Good ground:yielded a crop of some hundredfold some sixty some thirty

Ending:  those with ears should hear

Application:  first I need to make sure where I am planted is in good rich soil.  What is in my foundation that is growing me?  Tend that soil and help it be well cared for to help me thrive in this world.  Because I need that and the sun and water to help me grow and live when I face the world's elements

Second I need to work at cultivating the soil my children are planted in.  Make sure it has all the nutrients it needs to help my children thrive and produce in this land

Third be ready to share the Word and my testimony with those around me that will here.  

More explanation on this parable to be explained later in this chapter.  

Lord please continue to be a deep rich soil to grow myself and my family in.  I am lacking some nutrients in my soil, please help me pinpoint those so I can thrive in my home and show Your love to my family.