Matthew 13:47 - 58
As we come to the final parable, it is full of the same rich imagery. Yet might I suggest it does not take as much imagination to understand.
I noted in the parable of the wheat and the tares that Jesus indicated that evil would be dealt with at the end of times. The parable of the fish and the net lays out clearly that the righteous will be separated from those that are evil. Again Jesus says those that are wicked will be thrown into the fiery furnace.
He asks the disciples if they understand. They do! To which he notes that now they have a responsibility to bring out this message to all.
We know, that apart from Jesus, we cannot be righteous in the eyes of God. For all of us fall short (Romans 3:23). But through Jesus we can be righteous, “21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Being with Jesus, being in Jesus, is the key. Matthew drives home that point as immediately the scene shifts to Jesus’ hometown – where he is rejected. His hometown cronies are amazed by his teaching, indeed amazed with him. Yet, they cannot accept him as their Messiah, their Savior. In fact they are offended by him!
Remarkably this is often the same result today. Consider this often-noted situation: There are people who do not like Christians. You might say that Christians offend them. Yet they will also say they like Jesus.
Great, they like Jesus! What does that mean? Their like of Jesus is often the result of a general sort of view in our modern Western world that Jesus was a nice guy and good teacher. Some might even think that (if they know), that his crucifixion was unfair.
Their like of Jesus stops short of being overjoyed with him. The stop short of:
· Accepting all his teaching, including his clear call to repent and to follow him.
· Acknowledging the latent sinfulness in every human heart.
· Awareness that human effort alone cannot / will not result in lives full of right living.
· Agreeing that those pesky laws of the Bible, even when not fully understood, are the best path of life.
· Admitting that the only hope for every human on the planet is to receive him as Savior and Lord.
As chapter thirteen draws to a close, Jesus has made clear who he is, and what is at stake. As we move into chapter fourteen, the audience will shift very much to the disciples, and what it means to follow him. Which means the audience is for folks who are not offended by him.
Are you offended by Jesus? Do you have friends that are offended my him (or by the church)?
What response might you give to those who are offended? (I will give my answer in the next installment.)