Seeds for the Kingdom Matthew 10-13 Matthew is my favorite book of the Bible.
A disciple is a person who follows and studies under a teacher.
The Sending of the Disciples
Mt. 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Mt. 10 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
Matthew 10 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Who are the “lost sheep of Israel”? The task would be a difficult. John the Baptist had come ahead of Jesus…but people not really turned from their ways. The miracles should have proved who Jesus was.
Matthew 11 2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
The miracles were intended to show his divine power and call the people to change the way they lived. Even though people saw the miracles, they didn’t understand. Their hearts were not changed.
The Lord of the Sabbath Mt. 12:1-12
The Pharisees condemned Jesus for his actions on the Sabbath. Some of the “lost sheep” were religious leaders – they didn’t even know they were lost!
Mercy and love rather than legalism. Jesus wanted the people to do the right thing, not simply the lawful thing. Mercy and love rather than legalism.
The Parable of the Sower A parable is a short story used to tell a truth.
Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower Mt. 13 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Nurture the seeds that have been planted…. the children, ourselves and others.
…a mustard seed …treasure hidden in a field …yeast …treasures old and new …fine pearls …a net full of fish
The rewards of following Jesus are not delayed until the next life. They begin here on earth because we live in a different way. The ultimate reward will be in heaven.
Putting it all together: We are all his disciples – we are first called and then sent. We are called to righteousness, not legalism. We are to nurture ourselves and others to grow spiritually. Desire the things of heaven here on earth…and strive to live in that way.