Mattoax and Pine Grove Presbyterian Churches, Amelia, Virginia

Mattoax and Pine Grove Presbyterian Churches, Amelia, Virginia Mattoax Pine Grove Presbyterian Church Mattoax and Pine Grove have shared worship services. Currently we are meeting every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

at Mattoax Presbyterian Church, 14600 Chula Road, Amelia, Virginia 23002.

06/15/2026

Have You Understood All These Things?

Daniel 12:1–13, Psalm 119:129–136, Matthew 13:44–58 (ESV)
June 14, 2026

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45–46).

Proclamation: Treasure to Be Had!

Jesus tells his very few, closest disciples these wonderful, extravagant parables about the mysterious kingdom of heaven that is not a faraway never-never land but is instead as close as a field or a market. Matthew preserves these private teachings for us, and he allows us to overhear them today, bringing even us into this small group of hearers whom Jesus himself addresses personally and directly. So it is that God pours out his grace upon us, bringing us into the hearing of the gospel in real time, today, right now.
There is treasure in this old world, despite the common misperception that the world is godforsaken. There is treasure for the finding for those who look for it. There is treasure that imparts deep, abiding, and exuberant joy. In fact, there is treasure that is worth everything else that we have and even everything that we are.
Again, in the midst of all that glitters and captures our attention, there is one pearl in the world, one single pearl of great value, available for the finding for those who look for it. There is one pearl that is worth everything else that we have and even everything that we are.
This treasure, which Jesus invites us to seek and to find, and this one pearl, for which Jesus urges us to search and so to find, is none other than the king of the kingdom of heaven come to earth, as Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9, 10). There is a treasure for us in this old world, there is one pearl of great value for us, and his name is Jesus. That is what these two, tiny, little parables tell us. There is a treasure for us, there is one pearl of great value for us, and his name is Jesus. The kingdom of heaven in present to us in the person of Jesus. The person of Jesus is present to us in the words and teaching of Jesus. The words and teaching of Jesus are present to us in the reading of his Scripture and in the preaching and hearing of his Gospel. Jesus himself is truly among us today, at this very moment, treasure available for us to find, great value ready for us to recognize and appreciate.
No wonder that the ones who find this treasure are filled with joy! Jesus is the one source of deep, abiding, and exuberant joy. Everything else in the world pales by comparison. If we are sad, lonely, lost, or confused, looking, looking, looking for something which we might not be able to name or even to describe, he is the treasure for whom we were created, for whom we are intended, and in whom alone we can truly live. He alone gives the very joy for which life itself is meant. This is the joy for which our hearts ache. This joy heals our deepest wounds and cures our worst diseases. This is the joy for which we yearn. To find Jesus, our treasure, is like the joy of falling in love.
No wonder that the ones who find this treasure realize that he is worthy of our full and complete devotion, which we gladly yield as a result of our overwhelming joy. Without hesitation, the man who finds the treasure in the field sells all that he has and buys the field. Without hesitation, the merchant who finds the one pearl of great value sells all that he has buys it. Jesus calls for our highest, our best, our all, our whole being. We cannot worship God and worship ourselves, our money, our race, our nation, or anything else that is ours. The God and Father of Jesus, present with us now in the person and words of Jesus, calls for our complete devotion. There are many false gods that compete for our attention, our time, our energy, our devotion, our commitment, and our money. We need to know that all those other contenders are barren fields. They are pearls of little value or perhaps no pearls at all, of no value at all. These two little parables show us two very fine, perceptive, smart, and wise people. They know what is of highest value in life, and they dispose of all else to obtain it. May God give us the ears with which to hear his gospel! May God give us the eyes with which to see his treasure! May God give us the perception and wisdom with which to receive his son Jesus! May God give us the faith and understanding with which to devote ourselves to Jesus!

Explication: Gathering and Sorting

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad” (Matthew 13:47–48). There is a shift of emphasis here from our own finding or not finding the treasure or the pearl of great value, from our own rejoicing or not rejoicing in the kingdom of heaven, and from our own devoting or not devoting ourselves entirely to Jesus—there is a shift of emphasis here to our all being caught like fish in the sea, to our all being gathered in a giant net, fish of every kind, even good and bad. This image depicts the life and work of the church of Jesus during our own life here on earth. We have been gathered into the church. Precisely as the church, we continue to gather other people into the church, people of every kind, casting the net as far and as wide as we can. There will be a time of sorting. That comes later. But now is not the time of sorting. Now is the time of gathering, gathering all the people we can to worship God, to hear the gospel, and to meet Jesus.
The sorting is reserved for later, when the net is full. Indeed, that fullness is pointing ahead to the end of time. Thus, the sorting is beyond the earthly life and work of the church, and as such it is not done by the church. Instead, it is a judgment exercised upon the church, carried out by others. So, this sorting is not an occasion for us to celebrate our own supposed goodness over and against those who are outside the church. Instead, this awareness of a sorting yet to come is an occasion for us to pray to God Almighty that we be found and counted among the good who are to be kept.
The parables of the treasure and the one pearl tell us that Jesus is worthy of our complete devotion. The parable of the division between good and evil urges us toward that complete devotion. There may be room for lesser loyalties if they are kept in their place. But there is always the danger that lesser loyalties become greater loyalties. The property we own may come to own us. The money we mean to use may use us. The aspirations we mean to guide us may distract us from our true goal. The hurts we meant to remember only for self-protection may twist and warp us into their image. The guilt we carry will crush us. The point of the parables is not so much “Who are we?” as “Whose are we?” To whom do we belong? Do we belong to this old, dying world or to the eternal kingdom of heaven? Do we belong to the evil one or to Jesus? These parables are invitations to his kingdom.
If we are not to do the sorting between ourselves and others, let us at least try to purge from within ourselves whatever evil we can. Where shall we be at the end of the day? Have we been renewed by the gospel, even a little? Or are we completely stuck in our rotten old ways? Have we been forgiven by Jesus? Or do we reveal our rejection of forgiveness by the way we continue to refuse to forgive others? Have we given up our self-importance to be centered on God’s importance? Or do we continue to promote our own cause above all others? Have we been filled with love so we can love others? Or do we continue to love self more than anyone else? Do we acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and through him worship the one true God? Or do we worship money, success, glory, nation, race, or even simple survival? Do we have saving faith? Or do we continue to believe in ourselves, to trust our own little minds, to rely on our own puny strength, and to glory in our own supposed goodness?
That the sorting depicted in this parable is reserved for later is confirmed as Jesus himself applies it to the day of judgment with this solemn declaration: “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:49–50). The time of gathering will have come to an end. The time of separating will replace it. Surely the notion of universalism, the belief that everyone is saved and is going to heaven, on one of the great heresies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is clearly disputed and refuted by these very words of Jesus. How people think they know better than he, I do not know. This parable assures us that despite the ambiguities of our day to day existence, there is a real and final distinction between good and evil. In the end, God will overthrow evil and establish good forever. Thanks be to God!

Application: Faith and Understanding

Following these parables, Jesus asked his disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes” (Matthew 13:51). And Jesus affirmed their faith and understanding, their training and their readiness for ministry, as he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Matthew 13:52). The word “scribe” points ahead to every Bible scholar, teacher, and preacher who has learned from these parables of the kingdom to present from the treasure of the Scripture both the new Gospel of Jesus and also the ancient Law and Prophets which had anticipated him. Maybe this is even a little biographical reference to Matthew, who knew the Old Testament as well as anyone else in his day. And again, it is an invitation to us to seek faith and understanding.
By way of contrast, Matthew warns us against unbelief and misunderstanding by a disheartening account of what happened to Jesus at Nazareth: “And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’ And they took offense at him” (Matthew 13:53–57). Jesus went to worship, as was his custom and practice. That he taught suggests that someone invited him to do so. But very quickly this turned bad. The residents of Nazareth questioned the source of Jesus’s wisdom by which he taught and the source of his power by which he healed. They had no knowledge of any college, university, or seminary training. They knew his working family all too well and questioned how anyone good could come from them. And, to get things completely backward, they took offense at him. Lord, help us never to look down on Jesus! And help us, as Jesus’ new earthly family now, never be the reason for anyone else to take offense at Jesus!
But finally, “Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’ And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:57–58). While the disciples give us a positive example of faith and understanding, the very people of Jesus’ hometown, the ones who should have known him best, give us a terrible negative example of, and so a somber warning against, unbelief and willful refusal to understand.
Why are we told this sad story yet today? It is not just for a history lesson. We have nothing to gain by looking down on them. No, we are told about their rejecting Jesus because it is a warning to us that there is a very real chance of our failing to hear the gospel. There is a very real chance of our failing to honor Jesus. There is a very real chance of our refusing the invitation that is so graciously extended to us. What they did or failed to do then is not, as such, important to us. But what we do or fail to do now is entirely important to us. Shall we hear, believe, and obey? Shall we honor Jesus as the Son of God and as our Lord and Savior? Or shall we dishonor him through neglect or rejection? Shall we acknowledge Jesus with overwhelming joy or with indifference? Shall we respond to the gospel with wholehearted faith, or with half-hearted agreement? Shall we worship God faithfully in Spirit and in truth, or shall we neglect this high privilege? Shall we study God’s word at every opportunity, at Sunday School and church as well as at home? Or shall we allow our Bibles to gather dust? Shall we share the good news with others by word and by deed, or shall we keep quiet and still about it? Shall we believe and trust and obey, or shall we turn away? Shall we give gladly as stewards of all we have, or shall we begrudge Jesus’ church our smallest offerings? Shall we support and participate in the mission of the church until all the world has heard the good news, or shall we withdraw into our private lives? Shall we love God and neighbor so convincingly that all will know that God is good, or shall we hide God under our petty hatreds?
Despite the ambiguities of our day to day existence, there is a real and final distinction between good and evil. In the end, God will overthrow evil and establish good forever. “So it will be at the end of the age.” In the meantime, the question for us is: “Have you understood all these things?”

To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

© Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Covenant Pastor
Mattoax Pine Grove Presbyterian Church
14600 Chula Road, Amelia, VA 23002
15650 Genito Road, Amelia, VA 23002

06/14/2026

Prayer for Illumination

Blessed are you, O LORD our God,
eternal Father of your Son Jesus,
eternal Son of your heavenly Father,
eternal Spirit of them both.
Bless us today, we pray,
in the reading of your holy Scripture
and in the preaching and hearing of your precious gospel,
that we may hear your word to us,
that we may understand your invitation into your kingdom,
that we may find the treasure that you alone have for us,
that we may be filled with exuberant joy and devotion,
indeed, that we may meet in person your Son,
our Lord and Savior Jesus,
and believe in him
in whose name and for whose sake alone
we are made bold to ask this of you. Amen.

(Daniel 12, Psalm 119, Matthew 13)

06/14/2026

Prayer of Invocation

O LORD our God,
LORD who lives forever,
Lord of the hosts of all your angels,
God of your holy people,
Father of your Son Jesus:
To you be all praise, honor, and glory!
To you be all faith, understanding, and obedience!
Grant us grace to worship you today
in faithfulness and joy,
with love and devotion.
Accept our songs and prayers
and affirmation and offerings, we ask of you,
and so gather us to yourself as your very own.
Glory be to you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever. Amen.

(Daniel 12, Psalm 119, Matthew 13)

06/08/2026

The One Who Sows the Good Seed

2 Samuel 7:18–29, Psalm 78:1–8, 67–72, Matthew 13:24–43 (ESV)
June 7, 2026

Jesus put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field” (Matthew 13:24). To a conquered people suffering under the cruel heel of the Roman Empire, such teaching of “the kingdom of heaven,” indeed, the very kingdom of God, the kingdom of the Lord God Almighty, both Creator of the world and also Ruler of the world, at whose word kings and even emperors rose and fell—to a conquered people, such teaching of “the kingdom of heaven” must have been like water poured on a thirsty land (Isaiah 43:3), like a balm in Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22), even good tidings of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2:10). Jesus had previously taught them to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . . Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9, 10). Now he was telling them, in real time, what that kingdom was like.
Maybe even to us, also, who struggle to live in this war weary world, who have had enough of disease, decay, and decline, who are witnessing the fall and demise of western civilization, and who wish to be rid of sin, death, and evil—maybe even to us, also, “the kingdom of heaven” is good news, long awaited, gladly received. Thanks be to God!

Proclamation

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” It seems a humble comparison and yet a strangely gratifying one. It is somehow comforting, reassuring, and encouraging that the king of the kingdom of heaven may be helpfully compared to a good and honest farmer with enough sense and commitment and integrity to use good and pure seed in the best field he had. This seems good, honest, and real. This seems like the way we want the world to be, even if we do not have enough control over the world or over our own lives to make it so. These are words of good comfort and well-deserved hope that the unbearable burdens of this old world are already being lifted off of us.
Of course, even “the kingdom of heaven” is not without challenges. “A man . . . sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed w**ds among the wheat and went away” (Matthew 13:24–25). Well, that did not take long! I suppose that is not surprising, but the enemy here seems very strange. What kind of enemy would take all the expense and make all the effort to go into another farmer’s field of good seed only to sow w**ds among the wheat and then to disappear? I have heard of a man who burned a neighbor’s field to get his attention (2 Samuel 14:30). I have heard of invading armies burning farms and destroying crops in order to devastate the land and to terrorize the people (Sherman in Georgia). But planting w**ds among the wheat seems singularly perverse.
“So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the w**ds appeared also” (Matthew 13:26). Well, of course. Jesus told the crowds and us about the enemy who came during the night, but the people in the parable did not find out about it until much later, when the plants from the good seed began to form good, edible, life-giving grain, but the w**ds began to form only more inedible w**d seed. Sometimes the results of evil are obvious immediately. On other occasions, the evil may remain long hidden, but eventually the truth will out (Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice,” Act 2, Scene 2).
“And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have w**ds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this’ (Matthew 13:27–28). The master of the house, the king of the kingdom, realized immediately what had happened. He had not sown w**ds along with his good seed. His good and faithful men had not sown w**ds among the wheat. This was clearly the work of an outside enemy.
“So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the w**ds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the w**ds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:28–30). This gets stranger and stranger. The eagerness of the servants to root out all the evil, literally, is refused. The master says, instead, to leave it alone and that he will take care of it later, at the end. I do not know whether that is good agricultural practice. I do not know whether that is even possible. But I do know that the master of house affirms that he will get his good and full harvest, that the w**ds among his wheat will not upset what he is doing, that he will tell the reapers—who seem to be different from the servants to whom he is speaking—that he will tell the reapers to gather the w**ds first and to bind them to be burned—which seems appropriate, destroying their seed—but then to gather the good wheat from the good seed into his good barn for his safekeeping, as he had intended all along. And even while not all the details are clear, this reassurance of a good harvest is strangely calming and satisfying.
Jesus put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:31–32). A dear man in the first church I served gave me a packet of mustard seeds so that I could see how tiny they are. I kept that packet in my desk drawer for many years, but I do not know whether it has survived our last move. But surely the point of this parable is that even though the good and wonderful things of heaven may enter this hard, old world appearing to be tiny, weak, and insignificant, they are going to grow and grow and grow larger than anything else in this world and are going to give rest to the weary, comfort to the beleaguered, a home to the homeless, and a safe haven to those who need it. This seems miraculous, because it is. I find myself yearning for its full growth.
Jesus told them yet another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened” (Matthew 13:33). It is not lost on us that the character in this parable is female. I take it that particles of leaven, such as yeast, are even tinier than mustard seed. But when leaven is mixed into even a large amount of dough, lost in it, invisible in it, working mysteriously, that dough rises into even larger, good, and delicious bread, putting that wheat from the earlier parable to good use. There is an assurance that, in the fullness of time, ample bread will be provided.

Explication

“All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

‘I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.’”
(Matthew 13:34–35, quoting Psalm 78:2)

These are the fourth, fifth, and sixth times, in quick succession, of the total of seven times that the word “parable” is used in today’s reading. On the one hand, parables tell us good and wonderful things. On the other hand, especially if we are paying attention, they leave us wondering what they mean. The point here is that Jesus is the very one uniquely qualified and authorized to teach with parables. The author of the Psalms had written centuries earlier that such a one would come. He even taught that way himself, to a certain extent. According to Matthew, Jesus takes this teaching to a whole other level. Jesus is the one, and the only one, qualified and authorized to teach us about God’s good kingdom of heaven in parables that both communicate but also mystify, that both comfort and yet also challenge.

Application

Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the w**ds of the field” (Matthew 13:16). Even his disciples ask for an explanation of the parable of the w**ds. The ones who had been closest to him all along in his ministry to date ask for an explanation. This tells us that good disciples listen closely. Good disciples ask for explanation. Good disciples know enough to realize that they need to know more.
Jesus answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.” (Matthew 13:37). Here is the bombshell. Here is the key to the parable of the w**ds. Here is the key to all the rest of the parables. Here is the key to the whole gospel of Jesus Christ. The parable of the w**ds was told in such a way that the man who exemplified the kingdom of heaven by sowing the good seed seemed to be none other than God himself, the king of the kingdom, growing his own good harvest. But every time that Jesus mentions “the Son of Man,” he is referring to himself. So, when he tells his disciples, and when Matthew lets us overhear him telling his disciples, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,” what Jesus is saying is that he is the king of the kingdom of heaven, that he is God of the kingdom of God, come to live among us as one of us, and when he tells us that he is the one who sows the good seed and that he is the one who is going to gather his good harvest from his own good seed, come what may, we can take it to the bank. And Jesus’ identification of himself as God gets reinforced as we go along here.
Jesus also says, “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:38). The whole world belongs not just to God but specifically to Jesus, the sower of the good seed, to do with as he pleases, to sow as he sees fit, to harvest when he is ready. And the good seed which he sees fit to sow, the people whom he chooses to plant here, those from whom he expects to receive a full harvest, are here designated with the very elevated status of being the very sons of the kingdom of heaven, sons of the kingdom of God, sons of the king of that kingdom. We have moved way beyond agriculture here. We have moved way beyond personal enmities. And we have moved way beyond the kingdoms of this world. Here we have begun to talk about eternity, about life and death, about good and evil, and about ugliness and beauty. No wonder the disciples asked for an explanation! No wonder that we continue to wonder about who this is that can and does say all this to us and then, of course, about what it all means for us.
Jesus continues, “The w**ds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil” (Matthew 13:38–39). This is devastating. There is no crossover from one kind to the other. The good does not become evil. The evil does not become good. The die is cast from before the beginning. Just as the good seeds are the sons of the king of the kingdom of God so are the evil w**ds unalterably the sons of their evil father, the enemy of God, the enemy of God’s Son Jesus Christ, the father of lies (John 8:44), indeed, the very devil himself. Jesus knows who his enemy is. It is not just the religious leaders of the day who oppose him. It is not just the governors and kings of the world in which he lives, or even the emperor of the Roman Empire. His enemy is the devil. And Jesus knows by name who the sons of the devil are, the evil w**ds infesting this old world, consuming precious resources but yielding no good harvest.
Jesus is starting to wrap things up now. “The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels” (Matthew 13:39). This old world is hurtling to its end. Jesus will gather his harvest when and where he chooses. And the reapers are not of this world but are instead God’s very angels from heaven. And these are not the sweet little angels that we see in old paintings. These are dread warriors. It is written in the Old Testament that when Sennacherib king of Assyria gathered his armies to destroy Jerusalem, the city of the people of God, he made the mistake of mocking the living God. “That night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (2 Kings 19:35, Isaiah 37:36). One night, one angel, 185,000 enemy soldiers killed. I keep wondering what would have happened if the Lord had sent two of his angels! The point is, there will be no resisting them at the end of the age. They will carry out the will of God.
“Just as the w**ds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels”—now it is revealed that God’s good angels from heaven belong to Jesus, the one who sows the good seed, and that they do as he commands!—“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom”—the kingdom of heaven belongs to Jesus, and the reapers will remove even from within it all on earth who do not belong to him!—“they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40–42). Jesus does not say more here about that place. Suffice it to say that we do not want to learn more about that place.
By way of contrast, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). The end of it all is that the good seed whom the sower sowed have not only grown to worship and serve God but also have been adopted as the children of God, who here is identified not only as the Father of Jesus, and not only as the King of the kingdom of God, but also and especially as “their Father.” Can we dare to believe that Matthew is letting us overhear this so that we can know that Jesus is saying this to us, too? That “their Father” is also “Our Father,” just as he taught us to pray?
Jesus concludes with a solemn warning that is also a most gracious invitation: “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43). May the good Lord of heaven and earth and his Son who sows his good seed in the world give us ears to hear his gospel and so include us among his very own!

To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

© Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Covenant Pastor
Mattoax Pine Grove Presbyterian Church
14600 Chula Road, Amelia, VA 23002
15650 Genito Road, Amelia, VA 23002

05/31/2026

To You It Has Been Given

Isaiah 6:1–13, Psalm 65:1–13, Matthew 13:1–23 (ESV)
May 31, 2026

"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach” (Matthew 13:1–2). After an already long day of conflict at the synagogue, of countless healings, of pointed responses to the Bible scholars of the day for their repeated verbal attacks on him, and of blessing his inner circle of believing disciples by declaring them to be his own family, even while his mother and brothers were actually refusing to listen to him—after an already long day, Jesus went outside, down to the beach, sat in full view of any who would see, just as previously he had sat down to preach the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1), and such great crowds again gathered around him that he got into a little boat and sat in it while the crowd stood on the beach waiting for his every word. And our dear friend, Matthew, once again allows us to join that very crowd, places us within that eager congregation, and lets us hear the very words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as fresh to us yet today as they were first to his hearers then. Thanks be to God!

Proclamation: A Good Harvest

“And he [Jesus] told them many things in parables”—we shall come back to that in a moment. It is enough for now to realize that this is the first of seven parables in this chapter. “And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower’”—just one, apparently, trying to feed his family, as were many in the crowd, not conducting a large scale operation—“‘A sower went out to sow’”—the crowd may have nodded knowingly—“‘And as he sowed,’”—probably by hand—“‘And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them’” (Matthew 13:3–4). Our one sower was not the only player on the field. There were already multiple enemies at work. He had barely gotten started, and the birds had come and eaten at least some of his precious seeds. I do not know whether there was anything to have been done about that. I do know that he was already behind. Perhaps we, too, need to be aware that the enemy is afoot.
“‘Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away’” (Matthew 13:5–6). Well, at least these seeds got to germinate. Still, it does not seem that it did them much good. They, too, were lost to adverse circumstances. I am reminded of planting grass in my yard in Richmond. I knew I was supposed to plant in the fall, and I did. But for the first several years I thought I would plant in the spring, too. So I tried it And the grass would come up, and it would look great for a little while. But when the heat came, the spring grass would die every year, because it had not had enough time to grow roots deep enough to live. It takes deep roots to survive the challenges of life.
“‘Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them’” (Matthew 13:7). Well, this is going from bad to worse. First it was the birds, then it was the shallow soil, and now it is the w**ds. These seeds germinated, also. These young plants actually grew up. But the aggressive thorns grew up even more vigorously, consuming the nutrients and water, dominating the apparently weaker grain. Is all to be lost, under this triple attack?
Jesus calmly continued, “‘Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty’” (Matthew 13:8). There is some disagreement among students of such things about how much harvest farmers then would have expected, but this sounds like an awfully good harvest to me. They may not have had highly developed grain. They may not have had fertilizer. They may not have had irrigation. If they had any scarecrows, those must not have worked very well. They certainly did not have tractors and plows, and no mention is made here even of oxen. They apparently did not have w**dkiller. And yet, despite the threefold losses—not necessarily three-fourths of what the sower sowed but still a significant portion—despite the threefold losses of many of the seeds, the remaining seeds that fell on good, deep, rich soil more than made up for the losses with hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold yields. This is, at the very least, remarkable. This would seem to be curious. This could be puzzling, if we are paying attention. And it might even be an occasion for great rejoicing.
Then Jesus concluded, strangely, “‘He who has ears, let him hear’” (Matthew 13:9). This is a very short sentence. and yet it is very important for the whole parable. Jesus is telling us that we need to listen to him very carefully. Jesus is also telling us that something is going on here that is far more than a little story about seeds, difficulties, and a good or even great harvest. And Jesus is telling us that not everyone wants to hear him, that not everyone cares to listen to him, and that not everyone is even capable of hearing him. Hearing, believing, and obeying Jesus all require the prior capability to hear him. Where are we to receive the ears with which to hear him?

Explication: To You It Has Been Given

We are not the first to ask such a question. “Then the disciples came and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’” (Matthew 13:10). It was strange even to them. Parables are not simply easy-to-understand stories. Parables are not to teach children morals or manners. Parables typically draw us in with something familiar and then, to the extent that we are paying attention at all, leave us wondering what is being said.
“And he [Jesus] answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given’” (Matthew 3:11). I have come to think that this verse is the key not only to this parable and not only to all the parables but the key also to the entire book of Matthew and perhaps to the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to his inner circle of at least partially believing if not yet fully understanding disciples, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” And Matthew has been so kind as to let us overhear this, precisely so as to include even us among those to whom it has been given to hear and to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Thanks be to God! By the way, Matthew frequently though not always uses the expression “the kingdom of heaven” where Mark, Luke, and John write “the kingdom of God,” perhaps to avoid overusing the word “God.” The two expressions mean the same thing. And neither means only something far away at the end of time. Quite the opposite, the kingdom of God has already drawn very near to us precisely in the person and ministry of Jesus. And though it shall yet culminate in something grand beyond our imagination, it has already begun to grow quietly among us, by the teachings of Jesus, despite all the opposition to him.
“To you [my disciples] it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them”—the unhearing and unbelieving—“it has not been given.” Very often in the Bible, this roundabout way of speaking, “To you it has been given,” is used to mean what could be said more directly, “God has given it to you,” again so as to avoid overusing the word “God.” And so it means here that all the disciples of Jesus can hear Jesus because and only because God had given them ears to hear, can believe Jesus because and only because God had given them hearts to believe, can understand Jesus because and only because God has given them minds to understand, and can obey Jesus because and only because God has given them wills to obey. Thanks be to God! without these gifts from God, none of this would be at all possible. But with these gifts from God, all of this is possible and actual and good and true and real. The gospel is not at all about how good and smart we are. The gospel is entirely about how great and wonderful God is, especially in and through his Son, Jesus.
Somewhere, deep in the heart and mind of God, beyond our knowing, sometime long, long ago, before the beginning of time, God chose us to be his very own, gave us what we needed to be able to hear that good news from him, and sent Jesus to make it all happen. This is not because we are good listeners. We are not. This is not because we are so loveable. We are not. This is not because we are so obedient. We are not. It is because God said so. That is all. And that is enough. And the very fact that we are gathered here today, listening as though our lives depended upon it, which they do, suggests that God has given even us, also, these good and wonderful gifts. Otherwise, we would not be here trying to listen. We would not be concerned about these at all.
Jesus continued, “‘For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’” (Matthew 13:12). That is to say, to those to whom God has already given hearing, he shall continue to give more and more blessings. And those who are not capable of hearing are not capable of overcoming their deafness on their own.

“This [Jesus said,] is why I speak to them [the great but unhearing crowds] in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.’
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.”
(Matthew 13:13–15)

The mystery of Jesus’ teaching in parables was all in fulfillment of ancient prophecy of God’s punishment of his people for their faithlessness and disobedience. And so this is a constant reminder to us not to think that the threat of deafness has only to do with those somehow outside the church but instead stands always as a warning to us within the church always to be diligent in seeking to hear and in striving to obey.
And then, Jesus blesses his disciples with reassuring words of grace and comfort: “‘But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see [Jesus himself], and did not see it [him], and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it [his teachings]’” (Matthew 13:16–17). And Matthew wrote this down then for you and me to see it yet today, to read it yet today, to hear it yet today, and so to believe for ourselves it yet today.

Application: Hear the Word of God

On the basis of God’s always prior choice of his own people, on the basis of God’s good gift of hearing to his own people, and on the basis of Jesus’ own blessing of his own disciples’ ears, he gives them and so us a gracious invitation that is at the same time a command and also a promise: “‘Hear then the parable of the sower’” (Matthew 13:18). This Jesus’s own retelling of his parable, his own explanation, for his disciples’ benefit then and for ours now. This is wonderful. Perhaps most importantly, he has taken out every occurrence of the word “seeds” and replaced it with the word “word.” This is no longer a story about farming. This is a parable about his preaching of the gospel. And he has taken out every occurrence of the word “fell,” having to do with the seeds, and replaced it with the word “hears,” having to do with his good word. Again, this is no longer about farming. This is about our hearing his gospel.
“‘Hear then the parable of the sower [now, obviously, Jesus himself!]: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path’” (Matthew 13:18–19). Let us note carefully that this does have to do with someone who “hears the word.” Again, this is not a condemnation of those outside the church but a warning to those of us within the church. It is not enough for us to hear the word but then turn away. It is not enough for us to hear the word but then to ignore it. It is not enough for us to hear the gospel but then not to believe it. Instead, Jesus calls us both to hear his gospel and also to “understand” it, which clearly means to believe it.
“‘As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away’” (Matthew 13:20–21). In both the first and the second telling of this parable, this second section is the longest. It is not enough for those of us who hear the gospel to respond with great joy if we only fall away later. It takes deep roots, built up by ongoing exposure to the word of God over extended periods of time—by reading, studying, praying over, preaching, hearing, absorbing, and believing the Bible—it takes deep roots to withstand the terrible challenges that inevitably come upon us. Let us beware, and let us hear and listen faithfully and deeply.
“‘As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful’” (Matthew 13:22). Oh, there are so many diversions and distractions, even for those of us who hear the word, cares and worries that build up over the course of a lifetime! Let us realize, know, and remember that the very word of God to us, spoken to us in and by Jesus, is infinitely more important than anything the world has to say to us.
“‘As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty’” (Matthew 13:23). The goal of the gospel of Jesus is to give us God’s good gift of hearing that leads also to our understanding, our believing, our receiving what God is giving us. And that very hearing and understanding only then lead to obeying and doing, our living out the faith in all the various ways we have been called to do, which then bears fruit in God’s good and wonderful harvest of more hearers and believers, of more worshipping and preaching churches, of more feeding of the hungry, of more clothing of the naked, of more housing of the homeless, of more healing of the sick, of more loving of the unloved and even the unlovable, and on and on and on.
Lest we despair of the good gifts of God or grow weary along the way, let us all hear again, and carry with us always, what Jesus says to each of us yet today: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. . . . Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”

To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

© Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Covenant Pastor
Mattoax Pine Grove Presbyterian Church
14600 Chula Road, Amelia, VA 23002
15650 Genito Road, Amelia, VA 23002

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