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lesson 11 GOD SEPARATES THE GOOD & THE EVIL Mt 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50, 25:31-46 I. Background
to the Parables 1. Context a.
Jesus was
discussing false expectations about the Messiah and his kingdom with true
listeners and Pharisees, 12:15-24, 38. b.
Jesus taught
in parables in order to separate the good-hearted listeners from the
bad-hearted Pharisees - a separation of understanding,
Mt 13:11-17. c.
Jesus
willingly gave interpretation of the parables to the disciples because they
were truly seeking to understand, 13:10, 18, 36-37. d.
Again, Jesus
spoke at length about genuineness, righteousness, and judgment after debating
with the Sadducees and Pharisees concerning various
points, :15, 23, 34, 23:1. 2. Definitions/Cultural Insights a.
In the
Parable of the Weeds, 13:24-30, Jesus described the kingdom of God as a
field. The weeds were literally Palestinian darnel which closely resembles
wheat in its early stages, but is easily distinguished when grain
sprouts. Darnel cannot be uprooted until harvest for
fear of damaging the wheat crop, 13:28, 29. b.
In the
Parable of the Net, 13:47-50, Jesus described the kingdom of God as a
fisherman’s net. The bad fish were not rotten, but unclean for Jewish
consumption, Lev 11:9-12. c.
In the
Parable of the Sheep/Goats, 25:31-46, Jesus described the judgment of the world.
Goats and sheep graze together and sometimes are
indistinguishable, but goats must be separated for sleeping in a different
place. II.
Understanding the Parables 1. The Parable of the Weeds, Mt 13:24-30, 36-43. a.
The Sower (Jesus)
planted the seed (disciples of the gospel).
The Enemy (Satan) planted evil seed (men of materialism, idolatry, etc.). The two
seeds produced fruit (followers), in the field (the world), 13:24-25, 37-39. b.
When the
grain began to sprout, it became obvious that weeds were among the wheat
because they did not sprout with grain. At this time, it was impossible to
separate the weeds from the wheat, 13:26-29. c.
The Sower let
both weeds and wheat grow together until the harvest, the end of the
world. At that time, the weeds would be burned and the wheat would
be gathered into the barn, 13:30, 39-43. 2. The Parable of the Net, Mt
13:47-50 a.
Fishermen
cast a net (the kingdom of heaven) into the lake (world) and caught many
kinds of fish (people). The full net was brought to the shore,
13:47-48. b.
They
separated the edible good fish (disciples of the gospel) from the unclean bad
fish (disciples of the world). The good were kept and the bad were thrown
away. 3. The Parable of the Sheep/Goats, Mt 25:31-46. a.
Judgment is
portrayed as the nations gathered before the throne of the King. At this time, the Son of Man will separate the sheep (disciples of Christ)
from the goats (disciples of the world),
25:31-32. b.
The sheep
will be placed on the Lord’s right side (a place of favor) and the goats will
be put on his left side (a place of condemnation), 25:33. c.
Judgment is
based upon the way that each has treated his fellow man. A blessed inheritance will be given to those who have fed the hungry, provided for
the thirsty, given hospitality to the stranger, clothed the needy, cared for the needy, and visited the
imprisoned, 25:34-40. d.
In the same
manner, a cursed condemnation will be given to those who did not treat even
the least of their fellow man in this Christ-like fashion, 25:41-45. e.
Eternal
reward (life) will be given to the righteous and eternal condemnation
(punishment) will be given to the ungodly, 25:46. III.
Consideration and Application of the Parables 1. God Will
Separate… eternally All three parables under
consideration make this point very clear.
We will not remain eternally together. Therefore, we must choose the side we want to be on,
the side of good/God or the side of evil/Satan. Which side will you choose, and when will you choose, Josh
24:14-15? 2. Beware…! Be aware that the weeds (the
ungodly) are mixed with the wheat until judgment. The insincere and hypocritical people may appear as godly people for a while, and
we may not know who has truly chosen to serve the Lord until that last
day. Beware 2 Cor 11:13-15! 3. Be Careful… Don’t be hasty to make a judgment about the
genuineness of another’s character.
Are you truly capable of telling a weed from the wheat at every stage of
growth? You may be uprooting
someone’s faith, 1 Ths 5:14.
Remember, the Lord sees the heart, 1 Sam 17:6. In church discipline, do we remove or do
we turn away from, Mt 18; Rom 16; Titus 3…?
What might be the difference between remove and turn
away from? 4. Satan Works… Be not forgetful that Satan is
constantly at work. He is planting the weeds as we sleep. He is the great deceiver and he will try to devour us if we are not putting our
faith in Christ, Rev 12:9; 1 Pet5:8-9. 5. Be A Sheep… That is, be a person who
treats other people like Christ would treat them. Be generous, caring, hospitable, and open-hearted to all, especially to those who may be
considered the least of the human race - the poor, sick, strangers, and prisoners,
25:35-40; Js 2:14-17; Gal 6:10. IV. Memory Verses - Mt 25:31-32 |