LESSON 63
TOPIC: THE PRE-EMINENCE OF SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIPS (The family of Jesus)
TEXT: MATT 12:46-50
“While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.” Matt12:46.
behold, his mother and his brethren. WHO ARE THESE FAMILY MEMBERS? These were the children of Joseph and Mary, and the brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus according to the flesh and not of the spirit? John3:6. They were the physical family members of our Lord Jesus.
Matt13:55, Mark 6:3; Mark15:40. John19:25.
stood without, desiring to speak with him, they were standing outside when they should have been standing within, desiring to hear Him. They had the advantage of His daily conversations in private, and perhaps were less mindful to attend His public preaching.it is often said that those who are nearest to the means of knowledge and grace, are most negligent. Familiarity and easiness of access breed some degree of contempt. We often think that the access we have today, we may have it any day, forgetting that it is only the present time we can be sure of, tomorrow is none of ours. There is truth in that common proverb that says, “The nearer the church, the further from God.”
“Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.” Matt12:47
desiring to speak with thee. This message was an interruption and an interference. He felt this to be an unseasonable interruption, it assumed that their business with Him was more urgent than His business with the people. Christ was so intent on His work, that no natural or other duty took Him from it. This does not mean that, we should under the pretence of Christianity, be disrespectful to parents, or unkind to relations; but the lesser duty must stand by, while the greater is done. Let us cease from men, and cleave to Christ; let us look upon every Christian, in whatever condition of life, as the brother, sister, or mother of the Lord of glory; let us love, respect, and be kind to them, for His sake, and after His example.
“But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?” Matt12:48.
This question was asked merely to fix the attention of the hearers, it was designed to awaken attention, and to usefully communicate instruction to His followers.
“And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!” Matt12:49. In other words, also look at those who have spiritual relationship with me. None are more near unto us than they that are of the household of faith. Jesus loved His mother and brothers, but they were not to interfere in His Messianic work. The real spiritual family of Jesus included :(1) All who follow Him. Matt23:8. (2) All who are heirs with Christ. Rom8:17, Rom9:26, Rom16:13, 1Cor4:17. (3) All who are sanctified and recognised by Christ.Heb2:11. (4) All who are united in Christ on earth and in heaven. Eph2:19, Eph3:15. But it was hard for Mary to go back to Nazareth and leave Jesus with the excited crowd so great that He was not even stopping to eat. Mark 3:20.
“For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Matt12:50. Those who are united to Him by spiritual ties, and who have become one with Him by the indwelling of His Spirit are those He best acknowledged as His relatives. No affection between earthly friends, equals that which exists between Christ and those who do the will of His Father. The pre-eminence of spiritual relationship to earthly relationships is based on doing the will of God. Doing the will of God is obeying God. Acts5:29,2John1:6, Jere42:6, Matt7:21 Doing the will of God establishes divine relationship. Matt12:50. Doing the will of God begins with submission to the divine will. Matt26:42, John5:30, Acts21:14. Doing the will of God tends to spiritual knowledge. John7:17, Rom12:2. Doing the will of God must be from the whole heart. Eph6:6. Doing the will of God must be the rule of everyday life. James4:15.1John2:17. None are so near to Jesus Christ as those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke8:19-21, James1:22. The union between Him and those who do the will of God, will live when all other ties are broken, and will grow more intimate and delightful for ever. No one is a child of God because of human parentage. John 1:13. Family ties are at best temporal; spiritual ties are eternal. Hearing and doing are vital to spiritual relationship with Christ. Matt 7:24; Luke 6:47. Doing is a test of friendship for Jesus John 15:14This reveals the love of Christ for His followers, Much as He loved His mother, yet He loved His disciples more. He still loves them. He will always love them. His heart is full of affection for them. Though they may be poor, and despised, and unknown to the rich and mighty, yet to Jesus they are still nearer than mother, and sisters, and brothers. Gal 5:6; Gal6:15; Col 3:11; Heb 2:11.
LESSONS
- That Our Lord Jesus loved both spiritual and physical family members. John19:26.
- That the holy virgin herself was not wholly free from failings and infirmities; for here she does untimely and unseasonably interrupt our Saviour when preaching to the people, and going about his Father’s business. John2:3.
- That Christ did not neglect His holy mother, nor disregard His near relations; only showed that He preferred His Father’s service before them.
- That believers are so dear to Jesus Christ; He prefers His spiritual kindred before His natural. Alliance in faith, and spiritual relation to Christ, is much nearer and dearer than alliance by blood: to bear Christ in the heart is much better than to bear Him in the womb.
- Blessed be God, that we are not denied this great privilege right now, though we cannot see Christ, yet we can love Him; though His bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, but we are not denied of His spiritual presence. Though Christ may not be physically present in our house, in our arms, yet we can have Him in our heart, in faith, in love, in service, and so He can become ours.
CONCLUSION: Verily, spiritual regeneration brings men into a more honourable relation to Christ than natural generation ever did. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, he is my brother, and sister, and mother says the Lord. Ask the Lord now: Lord, teach me to do your will and lead me in the path of righteousness in the name of Jesus.Ps143:10.
LESSON 64
TOPIC: THE SOWER AND THE SEED
TEXT: MATT 13:1-9
“The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side”. Matt13:1, Mark 4:1.
The same day. Our Lord Jesus scarcely takes any rest. He is continuous in His labour, instant in season and out of season. This sermon was made the same day with that in chapter 12:1. This is the example that He left for all, that they should follow His steps, because anyone who wishes to save souls will find no time to rest. This is a good pattern for the preachers of the gospel to follow. How shameful it is for us to preach once a week, when our Lord preached twice a day. As Satan is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, the messenger of God should imitate his diligence, that he may counter the work of Satan.
“And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.” Matt13:2, Luke 5:3; Luke8:4.
This is an example of the Church, which consists of the people united to their pastor. Even though He was exposed to violent tossing’s and storms in the ship, they continued at ease on the shore with Him.
“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;” Matt13:3, Luke 8:5.
Parables. The parables of Christ were descriptions of natural things, for the purpose of illustrating spiritual things. The seven parables recorded in this chapter all relate to the kingdom of heaven among men. They are both illustrations of its nature and prophecies of its progress. The first FOUR of them were spoken to the mixed multitude, while the remaining THREE were spoken to the Twelve in private. That of the Sower is an Introduction to all of them.
Sower. One who sows or scatters seed. A farmer.
went forth to sow. Jesus expects us to see the man as he stepped forth to begin scattering with his hand. Every farmer had to go out to sow. This parable is to show us three things:
- That there are four sorts of hearers of the word.
- That only one sort that hears to a saving advantage.
- And, to shew us the cause of the different success of the word preached.
“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:” Matt13:4.
Some seeds fell by the way side. That is the hard beaten path, where no cultivation had taken place on the ground. where there was no opportunity for it to sink into the earth. Careless hearers receive no benefit from the word of truth, though it is faithfully preached to them.
and the fowls came and devoured them up. A vast majority of those who hear the word of God, receive the seed as by the way side. The first danger is, that the birds will devour the seed, because the grains were not covered.
“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:” Matt13:5
Stony places, where they had not much earth. That is, where there was little earth, where it was hard and rocky; so that the roots could not go down into the earth for sufficient moisture to support the plant. Zec 7:12, Ezk 11:19; Ezk36:26, They sprang up the sooner because there was little earth to cover them.
“And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.” Matt13:6.
The roots could not go down deep enough to obtain the moisture needed for their growth. It was not rooted in that deep, moist soil which would have enabled it to resist the scorching heat of the sun. Matt 7:26-27; Luke8:13; Eph 3:17; Col 1:23; Col2:7.
“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:” Matt13:7
Among thorns. That is, in a part of the field where the thorns and shrubs had not been properly cleared away, and not destroyed. They grew with the grain, over shadowed it, as to prevent the grain from yielding increase. Total devotion to this world, by a man’s feelings and conduct in other respects, will prevent all saving power of the gospel; and if it is continued, will exclude the love of God from the soul. 1John 2:15, Jere 4:3- 4.
“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Matt13:8.
Good ground. The fertile and rich soil, where the earth was deep, the field well cultivated, and the brambles and weeds all removed. Soft, not like that by the highway side; deep, not like the stony ground; purged, not full of thorns.
An hundredfold, etc. That is, a hundred, sixty, or thirty grains, for each one that was sowed. This is by no means an uncommon increase. Gen 26:12; John 15:8; Gal 5:22-23; Phil 1:11
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt13:9, Matt 11:15; Mark 4:9.
Who hath ears to hear. That is, let every person who feels the necessity of being instructed in the things which concern the welfare his soul pay attention to what is spoken, and he shall become wise unto salvation. it is every man’s duty to pay attention to what was spoken. Rev2:7&11&17.
Let him hear. That is, give heed and seek to understand. Rev13:9.
LESSONS:
- The Sowers, Christ, and His apostles, He is the prime and principal Sower, they are the secondary and subordinate seedsmen. Christ sows His own field, His ministers sow his field; He sows His own seed, they sow His seed. Woe unto us, if we sow our own seed and not Christ’s.
- The seed sown, the word of God. Famous and unwritten traditions, which the seedsmen of the church sow, are not seed, but chaff; or their own seed, not Christ’s. Our Lord’s field must be sown with His own seed, not with mixed grain.
- That the word of God preached is like seed sown in the furrows of the field. As seed has a fruitful virtue in it, by which it increases and brings forth more of its own kind; so, has the word of God a quickening power, to regenerate and make alive dead souls.
- That the seed of the word, doth not thrive in all grounds alike, so neither doth the word bring forth fruit alike in the hearts of men. There is a difference both from the nature of the soil, and from the influence of the Spirit.
- That the cause of the word’s unfruitfulness is very different, and not the same in all: in some it is the policy of Satan, that bird of prey, which follows God’s plough, and steals away the precious seed.
- In others, it is a hard heart of unbelief; in others, the cares of the world, like thorns, choke the word, overgrow the good seed, draw away the moisture of the earth, and the heart of the soul, and hinder the influences of the sun. The far greater part of hearers are fruitless and unprofitable hearers.
- That the best ground doth not bring forth fruit alike; some good ground brings forth more, and some less; some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold.
- In like manner a person may be a profitable hearer of the word, although he doth not bring forth so great a proportion of fruit as others, provided he brings forth as much as he can.
CONCLUSION: Good Ground; rich soil, and well prepared. Notice the gradation in respect to these four kinds of soil. In the first, the seed perishes without even springing up; in the second, it springs up, but withers away; in the third, it springs up and bears fruit, but not to perfection; in the fourth, it yields a harvest of perfect grain. Ask the Lord now: Lord, make my heart a good ground for your word so that I can be fruitful in the name of Jesus.