| February 13, 2000 |
Vol. II, No. 42
|
The apostle Matthew, in chapter 13 of his writing, records Jesus’ parable of the sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the leaven hidden in meal, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price and the dragnet. Mark’s parallel account supplies the parable of the hidden light and that of the seed growing by itself. Then Mark states, “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it” (Mark 4:33).
As Jesus concluded this session in which so many of His parables were introduced, Matthew tells us that “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old’” (Matt. 13:51-52).
In this final parable of this session, Jesus indicates that His disciples, those instructed concerning His kingdom, would be like a householder. When company comes and the need arises, the householder goes to the pantry and brings out things recently purchased, and things preserved from earlier harvests, that his guests may be properly served. Even so, Jesus’ disciples, as the need arose, would reach into their spiritual/mental storehouse and make use of truths and illustrations, some of which would be as old as the books of Genesis and Job, and some so new that the Holy Spirit was just in the act of revealing them as the apostles were relating them to others.
Let us note two things in particular in verses 51-52. First, Jesus asked them if they had understood His parables. They did. Two of them, they had understood only after Jesus had given further explanation. See verses 18-23 and 36-43. But by the time Jesus asked if they understood His parables, they were able to answer, “Yes, Lord.” It was of utmost importance that they understand. No man can teach what he himself does not know. They were to know and teach the things concerning the kingdom of heaven.
Secondly, those who had set at His feet and learned the things concerning His kingdom were to reach back into their experiences and studies and make use of things they had known since childhood along with knowledge newly acquired, to help others also understand the nature and the blessings of Christ’s reign.
These men, guided by the Holy Spirit, led the early Christians into a fuller knowledge of the mind of God by explaining and giving further enlightenment on the truths revealed by Moses and the Old Testament prophets, and by receiving direct revelations from Jesus of truths never before made known. Little by little, as needed, these truths were revealed and recorded in the New Testament Scriptures and placed together with the Old Testament to serve as an infallible guide in all matters pertaining to life and godliness.
--CRJ