Who am I? The Gospel According to Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew

Matthew 13:1-23

INTRODUCTION: At the end of chapter 12, Matthew tells of Jesus' mother and brothers trying to get to him.  He was so surrounded by people that no one could get to him.  We pick up in chapter 13 where we find him headed down to the lake to sit.  He has just left the questioning of the Pharisees, the threats of death.  He has just finished calling the Pharisees at pit of vipers. It sounds to me like He needed some quiet time by the lake.  He needed to take a moment to regroup. Talk to God.

But, no such luck.  The crowds followed.  However he switches gears and after getting in the boat switches gears.  He tells stories. Yet in the stories He tells you can still hear His thoughts about what has just taken place.  He loves the "pit of vipers" yet no matter what he says, they don't hear him. They don't see Him.  This next parable is an explanation of what has just happened. 

READ: Matthew 13:1-2

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 

Have you ever needed or felt like you just needed a breather?  Do you needed a break? 
You needed to get away from the crowds?  OK maybe not a literal crowd.  
What is your crowd? 

So He doesn't succeed  in getting away so He at least gets in the boat to give himself space to breath. Then I'm sure with the previous conversation with Pharisees still on His mind, and tired, he starts talking in a simple story.  

Let's READ: Matthew 13:3-17

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]

Can't you hear the sadness in His voice?  I can imagine He is still thinking of the Pharisees. 

Have you ever completely missed the Lord in your life? 
Have you ever noticed after the fact... later down the road, that He was with you all along?
Have you ever missed Jesus? 

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”