Matthew 13:33

Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Leaven, as a fermenting substance, is figurative of sin, Apostle Paul said (1 Corinthians 5: 6-8) “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast– as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” Similarly Apostle Paul warned the Galatians of the doctrine of the cult of the circumcision when he said, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” Galatians 5:9.

Leaven also represents all false doctrines, Jesus warned against the doctrines of the Pharisees and the Sadducees in Matthew 16: 6-12 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In summary, Yeast” or “Leaven” always has a negative connotation in the Bible.

We can learn from this parable most importantly, that the kingdom of heaven teachings together with the program of God in this age may be corrupted by false doctrines and unbiblical programs. False teachings and professed Christian lives always seek to hide behind God’s word. Apostle Paul gave instructions to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:1-8  “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”

2 Timothy 3:5“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them”

2 Timothy 4:3-5 “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry”

Apostle Peter also said in his epistle ( 2 Peter 3:3-5) “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water”

We must be very watchful in these last days, so many false teachings and false brethren are circulating our community. They just want to enslave us, don’t give them a chance. (Galatians 2: 4) “This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves”.

You must seek after the truth, it could be harsh initially, but the end is joy. Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”

Prayer: Lord Jesus help me to be watchful of every false doctrine, give me strength to seek after the truth all the days of my life.

Matthew 13:31-32

³¹He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³²Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds in that area. Black mustard seed, at that time was grown for its production of oil. This seed may grow up to about fifteen feet with a thick main stem with strong branches, that can support the weight of a bird. One time Jesus used the mustard seed in one of His parables for its little size.  Luke 17:6  He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

One important lesson from this parable of mustard seed is that we must not despise a small beginning, because greater is a small beginning if God is in it. Also, we must not get too comfortable if our church or our organization becomes large. For things which are large and famous are much more expose to birds and their debasing influence.  Church grows from small size to large, we should not make judgment of growth based mainly on the size of the organization. We should not make too much of the size or popularity of an organization to certify it. For there are organizations that are popular, but wrong. There are some which are unpopular , but correct.

We all know that birds are not part of the tree, but aliens to it. Jesus speaks of birds in His parable of the sower as the devil who takes away the word which is sown along the path. In Paul farewell speech to the Ephesians elders, Paul warns:“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” (Acts 20:29). Birds may also represent false ideas being introduced into church. There are churches that think that there is safety in numbers. There isn’t, safety is only found in God. There are some popular ideas which are often contrary to the Biblical truth. Some philosophies have resulted in a great deal of corruption in the church. We must be very watchful. Such contrary ideas or beliefs not found in the bible should not be allowed in the church.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to build my faith in You and in Your righteousness. Help me to trust you always, Father, take glory in all that I do and let the blessings be mine. Give me the understanding and courage to continue in life and to know that greater is a small beginning if God is in it.  Give me the power to allow You in all that I do in life.

Read Matthew 13:24-31

²⁴Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.²⁶When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

²⁷“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

²⁸” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

²⁹” ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house.
His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
He answered and said unto them (read Matthew 13: 37-43):

   “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

   The field is the world;

   And the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom;

   And the tares are the children of the evil one.

   The enemy who sowed them is the devil.

   The harvest is the end of the world,

   And the reapers are angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire;
so will it be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels,
and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling,
and those who do iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  

We must not be deceived to presume that all the members of the church are children of God (the church is like an hospital, we have sick people and healthy people together). We must also understand that it is not so easy to identify or distinguish between children of God and children of the devil when they are still in infancy. It becomes easier to distinguish them when they grow to maturity and bring forth fruits. Matthew 7: 20 says “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Here Christ is teaching that people should not think that if one is a member of a church, such a person must be a child of God. Christ is not the only one sowing seed, the Devil, or the Spirits of Darkness, are always present with man, watching and laboring to destroy the good seed of the kingdom. While Christ sows the living word of God, the devil sows lies. If you respond properly to the Word of God, you become a son of God. But if you respond to the devil instead, you become a son of the devil. These are the two classes of people in the church, these kinds are distinct. No half weed, or half wheat, hybrids, the bible says in 1John 5:12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” You are either one or the other.

Apostle Paul, disturbed at the behavior of Corinthians, even questioned them:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you– unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2Cor 13:5

And how do you test or examine yourself ? By examining the outworking of your faith. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”1John 3:9,10

Although, the distinctions may be subtle now, they will be clear in the judgment. A weed may be growing next to a stalk of wheat and think it has a common destiny with the wheat. But its end is destruction in hell fire. The weed is also harmful to the wheat, its roots trying to starve the wheat from its source. False brethren can even become leaders or ordained ministers and bring much harm to the maturity of the believers. In his final farewell, Paul speaks to the elders of the church at Ephesus. In Acts 20: 29-30 he said: “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”

So let us not be too deceived about assuming who is saved. But then again let us not be too skeptical about others, and pass judgment as to who is not saved.

Prayer: God help me to always examine the outworking of my faith, to ensure I am always in You and that the Holy Spirit dwells in me all the time. Help me to love the brethren. Give me strength to obey Your Words and accept Your counsels, so that I will be justified at the end of my days.

Matt. 13:3-10.

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

How can we understand this parable, first let us understand who represents what in this parable: The Sower is Jesus Christ, in His Divine Humanity. He is called the Sower, because the seed sown is the Eternal Truth, the Word of God, and all Truth, is from Jesus Christ, who on that account calls Himself the Truth(John 1: 1-5 and John 14:6). The emphasis in the story is on the results of the sowing, in this illustration the farmer had four kinds of results.

We should understand that a parable like an illustration, brings a comparison between a known truth or fact and an unknown truth or fact, it throws them alongside each other. When the disciples noticed that Jesus was speaking this way they asked him the reason behind this. Jesus Christ gave three reasons for speaking in parables or using illustrations in His speech. 1) To enable Him continue to reveal truth to His disciples (Matt. 13: 11-12a). He was making known to them the secrets (mysteries) of the kingdom of heaven. 2) To hide the truth from unbelievers, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven would be given to the disciples, but hidden from the religious leaders who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 13: 11b). The knowledge they(the religious leaders who rejected Christ)have before would no longer be clear to them (Matt. 13: 12). 3) To fulfill Isaiah 6: 9-10, when Isaiah started his ministry, he was told by God that people would not comprehend his message. Jesus experienced what Isaiah experienced. He preached the word of God to them, many of them saw but they did not truly perceive; they heard Him but did not understand (Matt. 13: 13-15).

By sowing, when spoken of Jesus Christ, is to understand the implantation of His Word, in the understandings and lives of men; this is effected by man’s hearing, or reading, the Word of God, and by meditating on what he hears or reads, but, above all, by applying what he hears, or reads daily, to the purpose of reforming his life. The immediate benefits among other things, will be separating from him all evil ends and purposes, and by loving, thinking, and doing those good things which the Word of God teaches to be good and perfect. In order to be justified at the end of his life.

Mankind, then, differ in the way of receiving and admitting the Eternal Truth, which is the word of God, and this difference is described in this parable(the four kinds of soil and results):

1)  Some seed falling by the way-side;

2)  Some falling upon stony places, where they have not much earth;

3)  Some falling among thorns; and, lastly,

4)  Some falling into good ground.

The first distinction, described by some seed falling by the way-side, includes all those who receive the Word of God, the Eternal Truth, with no affection.

Anyone who receives the Word of God without affection, he is the one who hears it, and reads it, and yet is not interested in what he hears and reads, having his affections immersed merely in the things of time and of mere sense, without any elevation to the great things of Eternity.

The second distinction, described by the seeds which fell upon stony places, where they have not much earth, includes all those who hear, or read, the Word of God, and imbibe its truth, yet not from a genuine affection for that truth, but from some external affection which regards only the gain and glory of this world: thus they love the truth, not for its own sake, but for the sake of their own temporal interests, which they think to advance and secure by means of the knowledge of truth.

The third distinction, described by the seeds which fell among thorns, includes all those who hear, or read, the Word of God, without any desire to remove the cravings of evil and dangerous lifestyle, and who thus are desirous to become intelligent in heavenly knowledge, but not for the purpose of purifying and reforming their own hearts and lives in the sight of God.

The last distinction, described by the seeds which fell into good ground, includes all those who receive the Word of God, and its Eternal Truths, with a genuine and devout affection, at the same time applying them to the purposes for which they are given, namely, the purification, reformation, and regeneration of their hearts and lives in the sight of God.

Let us now consider the effects of these different receptions of the Word of God in the minds of men.

The first effect is described in these words. The birds came and devoured them up.

By the birds, in this passage, are to be understood all false persuasions of doctrine and of life, which always occupy the minds of those who are destitute of affection for the Eternal Truth; and by devouring up the seeds of truth is to be understood, that where the Word of God is received without affection it cannot produce its proper fruits, because it is liable to be perverted and destroyed by false persuasions, which occupy the natural mind of every man before he admits with affection the light of the Eternal Word of God.

The next effect of a wrong reception of the Word of God is described in these words, Forthwith they sprung up, because they had no depth of earth; and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

This is to denote, that where the Eternal Truth is received from an affection not genuine, that is to say, from an affection grounded in worldly gain or glory, in that mind an appearance is presented of the growth of truth, but then it is a growth in the memory and understanding only, and not in the will, or love; therefore, it is said, because they have no depth of earth, for the earth, in this case, relates to the will, or love, and its depth has relation to the inmost principle of each.

By the seeds being scorched, then, is to understand, that where the truth is not received with a genuine affection, in that mind it is withered and destroyed by the influence of self-love, which will not allow it to take its proper root, and bear its proper fruits; therefore, it is added, because they had no root, they withered away, let us understand this, that where self-love is predominant it is impossible that the Eternal Truth should gain a place in the natural mind of man, so as to produce all its blessed and saving effects.

The third effect of a wrong reception of the Word of God is described in these words. The thorns sprung up and choked them.

Thorns here could mean the cravings of evil and dangerous lifestyles, which Jesus Christ, in his explanation of the parable, calls the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, by which are meant, all those anxieties, concerns, and affections of the merely external man, who prevail over the better desires of the internal man; and by choking the seed of truth, means; all that suffocation of the pure knowledge of God, and of His Holy Word, which must of necessity take place in that mind, where the appetites of the body, and the cravings of life, are suffered to exalt themselves above the higher interests to man’s spiritual and eternal life; hence, it is added, by Jesus Christ, that such a mind becomes unfruitful, because the fruitfulness of heavenly truth can only be found in its effects upon the natural man, by purifying his ends of life, and forming him to every good thought, word, and work. In any case, therefore, where the operation of heavenly truth is resisted by the natural mind, it is impossible to have any fruitfulness of truth in the natural man.

The fourth effect resulting from the reception of the Eternal Truth is described in these words, It brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

By fruit is to be understood, all the good of love and charity, that is to say, of love towards God, and charity towards our neighbor; and by bringing forth this fruit is to understand, that this good of love and charity manifests itself in the natural man in all good thoughts, words, and works, of a holy and useful life, agreeably to those words of Jesus Christ, where He says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven”: (Matt. 5:16). and in John gospel,” If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:17). It is, therefore, said in the parable, that other seed fell into good ground, to denote that the reception of truth, in this case, was an interior reception, or, a reception in the inner man; that is to say, in the will, or love, as well as in the understanding and memory. Hence, Jesus Christ, in explaining this reception of the Eternal Truth, says, He that receives seed into good ground is he that hears the Word and understands it, to instruct us, that a right and profitable reception of the Eternal Truth is a reception both in the will, signified by hearing, and in the intellect, signified by understanding.

The distinctions expressed in the parable by hundred-fold, sixty-fold, and thirty-fold, are intended to express the different degrees of fruitfulness of the Eternal Truth in human minds, which will ever depend upon the degree in which good and truth are united, or in which the will and understanding are conjointly affected. As, therefore, in some cases, this conjunction may be less perfect than in others, in like manner we should know, that the fruitfulness will vary, and this is in agreement with the distinctions mentioned here of an hundred-fold, sixty-fold, and thirty-fold.

Jesus Christ concludes this parable by saying, He that has ears to hear, let him hear; teaching us by these words, that He intended his instruction only for those who were in a disposition to receive it, and not for those who were in no disposition. For by those who have ears to hear He meant to describe all sincere and upright minds, which are desirous, both’ to receive and profit by the lessons of the Eternal Wisdom and counsel, therefore He says of these, let them hear, in other words, let them understand and receive, because to them it is given, to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, inasmuch as they are in a right state of mind to profit, by those mysteries: whereas, to others it is not given, since others are not in a state to profit by them, and, therefore, if such mysteries were made known to them, they would but profane and defile them, and thus increase their condemnation, in agreement to those words of Jesus Christ, in John gospel “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Finally, the general lesson from this parable is, that men ought to be very careful in hearing, or reading, the Word of God, and take notice of the affection from which they hear and read, and to see that this affection be pure and genuine, resulting from the love of truth, for its own sake, and not for any earthly ends of temporal gain and glory that will profit nothing. We learn, further, from this parable, that the Eternal Truth can never produce its full fruitfulness in the mind and life of man until it operates conjointly on his will and understanding, that is to say, on his love and thought realm; by virtue whereof he has eternal conjunction with Jesus Christ and His kingdom, and through that conjunction is formed to every good thought, word, and work in this life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, let your words and counsel fall on a good ground in my heart, and yield some bountiful crops in my life. Help me Lord to do all those things I learnt in your words, so that I will ever be happy according to your word in John 13: 17 “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them”

Matt. 11:16-17.

“But with what can I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, and calling to their fellows, and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children”

Based on this letter, the expression, this generation, means the people who lived at that time in Judea; but according to its spiritual sense, it means the state of the church among that people, in regard to their reception of the eternal truth and eternal counsel.

These children, are represented as sitting in the markets, because by the markets are figured natural minds, or the common states of the life of natural men, which are therefore called markets, because all the goods and truths contained in the Word of God are there presented for purchase, and every one, who is so disposed, may there become a purchaser, and thus acquire the eternal possession of those heavenly blessings(a great battle going on in the mind of man to accept or reject the counsel of God). It is on this account that mention is again made of a market-place in the parable of the householder(Matthew 20: 1-16) who hired laborers into his vineyard, where it is written, that he saw others standing idle in the market-place, for by standing idle in the market-place, is signified, that they neglected to cultivate the natural mind, by preparing it for the insemination and growth of the Eternal Truth and Counsel from the word of God. In the present, parable (the parable of children sitting in the markets), however, it is not said that the children were standing idle in the markets, but that they were sitting there; because, the term sitting, may be expressed as a state of the will, as the term standing is uniformly applied to express a state of the understanding or thought.

It is further written of these children, that they were calling to their fellows (companions) and saying, we have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented. It was a serious state of unbelief.

Jesus Christ explains the nature and quality of this kind of truth in his illustration of this parable, where he says. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he has a devil. For John, as a teacher of truth, represented the Holy Word, but then he represented it as to a lower or more external order of truth than what was afterward taught by the Incarnate God (Jesus Christ); on which account he bears this witness concerning himself, I indeed baptize you with water to repentance; but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matt. 3:11). For it deserves well to be noted, that the written Word of God contains truth of several orders and degrees, adapted to different minds, and to different states of the same mind, answering to the several instruments in husbandry, by which also those orders and degrees are expressed in the Sacred Records, such as the plough, the harrow, the sickle, the threshing instrument, the fan; all of them useful in their several places, because all of them serviceable for the production of heavenly love, and its incorporation in human minds. John the Baptist was a representative figure of one of these orders of truth, namely, the lowest, or most external, adapted to the state of natural minds, to convince them of sin, and lead them to repentance, but not fitted to communicate any heavenly good with interior truth; on which account it is said of John that he came neither eating nor drinking, to denote that by this order of truth, no interior good of heavenly love, with its attendant truth, could be appropriated. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, opened a new order of interior truth, which, being more closely connected with heavenly love and charity, gained more interior admission into human minds, and communicated to them a measure of the heavenly Spirit in which it originated; on which account it is said of Him, that He came eating and drinking, to denote that both the good and its truth might be incorporated into the life of man.

It is written, that of John they say. He has a devil, and of Jesus Christ they say. Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

These words are another proof how difficult it is to adapt heavenly truth to the general reception of mankind, and how prone men are to frame excuses against admitting it, by vilifying or slandering both it and its teachers. Thus, in the present instance, the apparent severity of the truths taught by John the Baptist, is imputed to a diabolical agency, while the more consolatory and cheering doctrines delivered by the Great Savior Jesus Christ, are reprobated as allowing too many indulgences, and giving too much liberty to offenders against its sanctities. Nevertheless, the Divine remark which closes this parable, that Wisdom is justified of her children, must for ever remain true; because the children of wisdom are all those who are born of wisdom, not according to a figure of speech only, but in the greatest truth and reality, inasmuch as they are born of God, or of what the Apostle calls incorruptible seed, by the word of God which lives and abides for ever (1 Peter 1:23). These children, therefore, are taught by their Divine Parent to see that truth is of several orders and degrees, which may, in general, be distinguished into two, namely, truth of judgment, and truth of comfort, or, to express it otherwise, truth opposed to, and combating, evil, and truth cherishing and communicating good; the former being apparently harsh and severe, thus apparently separated from good, while the latter is soft and consolatory, and thus apparently closer to good. Accordingly, as in the building of a house, there are variety of workmen or craft men, and an equal variety of tools or implements of workmanship employed; so in the building of that most magnificent of all houses, the House of God, or His Church here on earth, a like variety of spiritual artificers are employed, and likewise of spiritual tools and implements of building, agreeably to what is written in the Prophet, So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and him that smoothes with the hammer him that beat the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering. He fastened it with nails that it should not be moved (Isaiah 41:7). The children of wisdom, therefore, justify their Divine Parent in this application of a variety of tools to effect her own blessed purposes, and especially in her adapting the two distinct dispensations of truth above referred to in this parable of children sitting in the markets, namely, the piping and the mourning; the one figurative of the consolatory doctrine delivered by the Great Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord; and the other, of the apparently more severe and austere doctrine taught by His forerunner.

In summary this parable taught us, that God applies a variety of instruments to carry out His saving purposes, and that the bible is accordingly stored with a variety of heavenly truths, suited to different persons, and to the same person at different times. We learn, further, that this variety may be distinguished, in general, into two orders of truth and fact; one is attended with the love and joy in which it originates (piping), and which it is calculated to inspire; while the other appears harsh, austere, and, so far from promoting joy, is productive rather of sorrow and severe suffering(mourning). In the Church generally speaking, both these orders of truth are unattended to and rendered ineffectual, but that by the children of wisdom they are seen to be alike profitable, because proceeding from the same divine mercy, and productive of the same divine effects. The children of wisdom seized the opportunity and make use of it and spiritually benefit in it. Let us decide, therefore, to attend carefully to these two distinct orders of truth (piping and mourning), and to keep our ears ever open to their heavenly sound, whether it be that of piping or of mourning, that so, in the one case, we may be found dancing for obedience, and in the other lamenting for disobedience. Thus will each order of truth become a friend and benefactor, while by the piping we receive consolation and support, and by the mourning are led to a more vigorous repentance and sorrow for our sins and unbelief: and thus, finally, may we hope to rank among those pure and obedient ones, of whom it is written, Wisdom is justified of her children.

Prayer: Help us Lord Jesus  to belief in your word and accept your counsel. Open our understanding that we may decide to attend to the two distinct orders of truth in this parable of the children sitting in the markets. Father, give us the strength to accept your counsel. Amen.

Matt. 9:16-18.

“No man puts a piece of new cloth upon an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved”

In summary, we learn from this parable that the truths of the Jewish church, which related principally to sacrifices and external ordinances, do not agree with the truths of the Christian church, in this dispensation of grace, which instill principally the law of love (Please read Matthew 22: 37-40), and thus the observance of internal worship, and that, as a result, the former are not to be mixed with the latter. If we mix them together, there will be problem.

We learn, in the second place, that the truths of the Christian church, being all of them from Heaven, are internal, spiritual, pure, and holy truths, and therefore require that the persuasions, sentiments, and ruling maxims of mankind should be in some sort of agreement with them, otherwise they will be dissipated, tainted, and destroyed. Let us resolve, and agree, therefore, from now on, to form our whole minds and lives according to the wisdom contained in the above parable, and at the same time, as we esteem the law of the Jewish rituals, as being a law of divine revelation, and the best accommodated to the temper of the Jewish people, for whose use it was given; we need not conceive ourselves bound to observe it according to its letter, now that we are favored with the interior spiritual law of the Christian dispensation (the dispensation of grace). Let us determine further, now that we have begun to put on the new garment, and to drink the new wine of Gospel truth, to lay aside the old garment, and discard the old bottles of our former mere natural ideas, sentiments, and persuasions, so that no rent may be made in the new garment, and the new wine may not run out.

Prayer: We pray that the Eternal Wisdom will obtain a safe and undefiled welcome in our hearts, and, connecting itself with persuasions which are in agreement with itself, will conduct us to all that security and joy announced by the Great Redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord, when He says. They put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Give us power Lord to believe you, understand you and obey you. Amen.

THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH BUILDER.

Text: Matthew chapter 5 to chapter 7.

Matthew. 7:24-28.

“Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it “.

Jesus here at the end of the Sermon on the Mount which He started from Matthew chapter 5 to Matthew chapter 7, gave a parable of two kinds of people: Wise and Foolish. It is my prayer that you will be a wise builder. Let us consider what we can learn at least from this parable in today devotion. From this parable, we learn, in the first place, the distinguishing marks and characters of wisdom and folly, and what it is which properly constitutes the element of each.

According to this passage the proper mark and character of wisdom, is both to hear and to do the sayings of Jesus Christ, whereas the proper mark and character of folly is, to hear only, and not to do. A man therefore cannot properly be called wise, simply because he has much knowledge of the bible, but he becomes wise in proportion as he applies such knowledge into his daily living, to elevate his love and affections to the things of God, and to be a good example to others in righteous and Christian living.

He cannot be properly called foolish on account of any defect in knowledge, but he becomes foolish by the possession of knowledge unpracticed or unused, in consequence of not applying it to convert him from the love of evil to the love of good, and thus to influence his life and others. We are instructed yet further by this parable of wise and foolish builder, that in building our spiritual house, we ought both to hear and to do the words of Jesus Christ, and thus to lay the foundations on a rock; in other words, we ought to believe in God, and to form our life opinion in obedience to his heavenly precepts of love and charity, in which case our house can never fall, because it will ever be kept in connection with the Eternal purpose of God. Whereas, if we only hear, and do not, we shall then build our house on the sand (For sand, we know, is a strong substance, without coherence and consistency) and when trial or temptation assaults us, it will fall, and its fall will be the greater, because we knew our duty and did not carry it out.  Let us therefore, from now on, learn what our Heavenly Father requires of us, and also to practice it, then, when the hour of trial and temptation comes, we may stand steadfast and unmovable, for it was founded on a rock.

Prayer: God help me to build my house upon a rock as a wise builder. The power to hear your word and practice it let it be mine in Jesus name. Help me Lord so that I may be justified at the end of my life.