Andy Graham

‘What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them…’ (Matthew 15:10-20)

Many may not think of this as being a parable as such as it doesn’t appear to take the same format as the others and yet this was possibly one of the most disturbing things Jesus could have said to the Pharisees at the time. If we look through Leviticus we see many commandments associated with food and cleanliness, all of which were part of the various rituals and ceremonies that they adhered to in their obedience to the Torah. Yet what Jesus appeared to be saying here was that following the Torah to the letter was not enough and not pleasing to God. Imagine how they must have reacted to this. But what do we take from this parable?

If our faith was simply all about simply following a laid down set of instructions then it would too easy and in effect be meaningless, because at the end of the day anyone can go through the motions of following a ‘tick list’ without any really thought or emotion as to why they were doing so. However, if we think back to the Beatitudes – Blessed are the pure in heart… – that’s where our faith should begin and that is what Jesus is highlighting here. It’s not so much how we act and how we behave – but rather why we do so. We cannot call anyone one good just because they follow a set on instructions, but we can call them good if their hearts belong to good and it is this that guides them.

‘Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net which was cast into the sea…’ (Matthew 13:47-50)

If you ask any fisherman, even today, they will tell you that once you cast your net into the water and then haul it in, there is no telling what you might find in it.  You of course hope there will be fish, but there will almost certainly be other things in there too – a whole mixture of things as the parable suggests. What does this say to us today?

Over the years many have thought of the Church as being only for good people and those who are fully committed to Christ. Yet whilst we hope that all might seek to commit their lives fully to Christ, to look on the Church in this way suggests an exclusivity which should not exist and also suggests an element of being judgemental. The New Testament view of the Church is that it is completely inclusive – it is for all people – and what this parable teaches us is that if there is any judging to be done, it will be done by God at the end of time.

‘Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant who was seeking goodly pearls…’ (Matthew 13:45-46)

As was the case with the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, so this parable follows on nicely after the parable of the hidden treasure and in a sense augments that whilst adding another perspective.

In the ancient world pearls were highly sought after and prized, not just for their monetary value, but also for their sheer beauty and merchants would often travel and go to great lengths to acquire them. For many pearls were the most beautiful and loveliest thing that one could possess. Therefore, to compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a pearl is to effectively say that God’s Kingdom is the most beautiful thing that any of us could know. There may be other ‘pearls’ that we might come across as we journey through life – but none can compare to the Kingdom of Heaven. So much so that, as we saw in the previous parable, when the man found it he went off and sold everything he had so that he might possess it.

The difference here, of course, is that this man was actively searching for this pearl and the lesson for us is clear. Whether we discover the joy of God in our lives during our everyday lives or through actively seeking for something that we are aware is missing in our lives, the result is the same. There is nothing can compare to knowing the Lord in our life and taking our place in His Kingdom.

‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure…’ (Matthew 13:44)

At first glance this parable might seem strange to us and indeed that the man’s behaviour displayed traits of selfishness and greed. However, Jewish law at that time clearly stated that should a person find scattered produce or money then these would become the property of that person. A bit like finders keepers…

However, that aside, perhaps the real lesson for us here is that we have a man who, in his joy at what he had found, was willing to give up everything else in his possession to ensure that he could hold on to this new treasure. So the question we need to ask ourselves is this. What are we willing to give up, what sacrifices are we prepared to make, in order to ensure our place in the Kingdom of God? Or put another way; is there anything that we would find difficult to give up, any sacrifice that we would be unwilling to make?

However, there is also one other thing to consider here. When we look at this parable again it seems to suggest that the man found this treasure as he was going about his day to day business. He wasn’t look for it as such, he simply came upon it as he was going about his everyday life. So too God can be found as we go about our everyday lives. As we have seen in the last two short parables, His Spirit is at work at all times – and it can work in mysterious ways, leading people to the Kingdom in the most unexpected of ways at the most unexpected of times.

‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast…’ (Matthew 13:33-34)

This short parable follows on nicely from the one on the mustard seed and, indeed, many look at them together and think of them as one kind of extended parable, which is understandable. When we look at it initially the lesson seems obvious. In the same way that the introduction of yeast into the loaf mixture causes the dough to change significantly so the introduction of the Kingdom of God into our lives causes them to change in no less a significant way. However, there is more to it as the parable appears to offer different views on the nature of that transformation.

From one perspective the parable perhaps teaches us that all too often the work of the Kingdom is unseen. In the same way that we are unable to see the yeast at work in the dough, we know that it is there at work and that ultimately it will transform the bread. Likewise we are not always able to see the Kingdom at work in the world around us, but we know that it is at work drawing people closer to God. So when we consider the parable in this way if offers us some encouragement. At first glance and in the short term we might see no evidence of the Kingdom at work, but later on when we look back and reflect we can clearly see how the Holy Spirit has indeed been at work.

However there is also another view on this parable, that being, in the same way that the work of the yeast is clear to see, so too is the work of the Kingdom and, if only we would open our hearts as well as our eyes to all that is happening around us we would be aware of that just as clearly. So what then are we to take from this parable and does it matter which perspective ‘speaks’ most to us?

To answer the latter question first – no, it doesn’t matter because both perspectives are indeed true. What this parable teaches us is that there will always be times and individuals in history where it is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is working in a mighty way to build up the Kingdom of God. However, it also teaches us that the Holy Spirit is always with us and is always at work, transforming lives and leading people to God that they may take their place in His Kingdom.

‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed…’ (Matthew 13:31-32)

The lesson from this parable seems to be very clear indeed. The Kingdom of Heaven starts from very small and very humble beginnings, but there is no knowing how much it will grow and where it will end. However, this is also one of the most personal parables ever spoken by Jesus, because it does seem to speak to each and every one of us as individuals.

A witness, and ultimately a reformation of sorts, begins with one individual – and that individual can be us – indeed as Christians it should be us. As followers of Christ we are all called to be witnesses to His name and to His love and to share with all the joy of the Gospel message. Yet like Jesus Disciples back then, there may be times when we become discouraged by all we see and hear around us. But there should be no discouragement. If we all continue to witness in our own small way and hand it over to the Lord, the Kingdom will grow and more people will come into it – as long as we believe, hold on to our faith and be that witness, the Kingdom will grow.

‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field…’ (Matthew 13:24)

Following on from the parable of the sower we have the parable of the weeds, possibly one of the most valuable and practical lessons that Jesus ever told. It is believed that the weeds or tares spoken of in this parable are bearded darnel which in their early stages of growth look so much like wheat that it is impossible to tell them apart and by the time it became clear that this is what they were, they had become so entwined with the wheat that it would be impossible to weed them out without destroying so much wheat also. Hence the farmer had to wait until harvest time and then sort through them. But what does this parable teach us.

Before we began this series of reflections on the parables we thought of the passage in Ephesians about the armour of God and about the need for such armour in the face of spiritual warfare that faces us all as Christians. This parable reminds us that there are hostile forces in the world today that do seek to act against all that is good and we must be on our guard against them. However, it also teaches us that we need to be wary too.

This parable teaches us clearly that it can be very difficult at times to tell the difference between those who are in God’s Kingdom and those who are not. That we might be amongst those whom we believe to be Christians but who are not – and vice versa. Therefore, as well as being wary, we should never be too quick to judge as it is possible to make a grave mistake. No-one who is only aware of part of a person’s life can judge them on all of their life.

Ultimately, it is only God who can judge – and He will, whether that be in our human lifetime or in our eternal lifetime. Only God can truly discern between good and bad. So in the end we need to be wary and on our guard as we live out our lives of faith but hand over any concerns or fears to the Lord – place them into His hands and let Him be the judge.

‘A man went out to sow his seed…’ (Matthew 13:3)

Matthew 13 represents a pivotal time in Jesus ministry, or at least in Matthew’s account of it. Up until this point a lot of Jesus teaching has been in Synagogues, but from this point forward we find that more and more it is out in the open, like here by the seashore and, perhaps in light of that, we see that Jesus parables become slightly more fuller in what Jesus says. Matthew 13 contains a number of parables but the parable of the sower is perhaps the most vivid of all the parables Jesus told in that its descriptive language really invites us to be part of that story for ourselves.

We all know this parable so well, but read it again – verses 1-9 and then consider it from two perspectives. First of all as someone who hears the Word of God. Reflect on the different types of ground that the seed fell on and the subsequent outcome as a result of that and then ask yourselves, which type of ground am I most like? A difficult question, perhaps, but also one that we have maybe considered before. However, I wonder if we have considered that we might be a different type of ground at different times in our lives. Think again now about that and then ask yourselves why that might have been the case – and how can we be more like the good ground more of the time.

Notwithstanding the above, there is also something in this parable which is relevant to those who spread or share the Word of God. For the reality is that as we seek to sow the Word of God, we do not know for certain what kind of ground it is falling upon in terms of those listening to us, nor do we know for certain what effect our seed is having. Yet sometimes we expect quick and instant results to our witness and may get disheartened and discouraged when we fail to see any sign of that. This parable offers us some encouragement in that. Whether or not we see immediate results, there will always be a harvest. It may take time – but there will always be a harvest. And the more we allow God’s Word to permeate our hearts and souls, and the more we share it with others, ultimately, the greater that harvest will be.

‘No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment…’ (Matthew 9:16-17)

The Pharisees saw themselves as the guardians and teachers of the law. For them the law was the final word and nothing could be added to or taken away from it. It had to be followed rigorously as it was written in line with the rituals and ceremonies prescribed within it. When Jesus began His teaching in a manner that was not prescribed in the Torah – using parables, analogies and allegories with every day things the people were familiar with – naturally the authorities were upset by this, and Jesus was aware of that, hence this short story. However, this still applies to us today.

How often, I wonder, over the years, have we heard expressions like, we never did that before or the old ways were better (often spoken after a sharp intake of breath!) whenever a new idea has been mentioned or when some form of change is suggested in our church life. Yet change, in all of life, is inevitable – so why not in our church life?

It doesn’t mean we have to abandon our traditions or the essence of our faith, nor indeed the Gospel message that we bear witness to. But are there not times when we might need to think on how we can do so in a way that might reach more people and does that not mean that we might have to allow our minds and our imaginations to ‘stretch’ a little as the Holy Spirit prompts and guides us?

If we believe that God’s Holy Spirit is alive within us and transforming us daily, does that not mean change is inevitable and if we continue to resist that change, will our cloth not tear and our wineskins not burst?