ASSEMBLY YOUTH

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Christ's parables
Kingdom Parables
 
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Last month
December 2003
 
Christ's parables
Kingdom parables 1		by A. Wood

Matthew 13v24-43 also Mark 4v26-32, Luke 13v18-21

Last month we looked at the first Kingdom parable from Matthew 13, there are a total of 7 Kingdom parables in this chapter alone. We are going to look at three of them this week. It was mentioned to me recently, by a friend that in the parable of the tares (weeds) we have the seperation of the Kingdom, in the parable of the mustard seed we have its reach and in the parable of the leaven we have its size.

Parable of the tares (weeds)

This is the only parable of the three that our Lord expounds on. Our Lord explains this parable in verses 37 to 43 and rather than me write out His explanation I'll leave it to you to look up. However, I would like to put forward one comment. Many a person has asked why evil men are allowed in this world and here in this parable I believe we have an answer. In verse 29 the sower, having been asked by his servants if they should gather up the tares (weeds), responds negatively. His explanation can be applied to the original question as well. In the process of gathering up all the wicked people in this world, it may be that children of the Kingdom are also uprooted and so the Lord leaves that gathering until the great harvest day.

Parable of the mustard seed

Here the Lord is showing to us the size of the kingdom. How though it starts of small, one can think of those few gathered on the day of Pentecost, it would grow up to be the largest of them all. The Kingdom is still growing now and will not be fully-grown until the Lord returns.

Parable of the leaven

Here the Lord shows us how the kingdom will reach out. Just as the leaven started out as a few measures amongst the meal so the Kingdom starts of just a few believers in Jerusalem. And just as the leaven reaches out throughout the meal, so will the Kingdom reach throughout the world.

  
Click here to read Febuary's article in this series on Christ's parables. It is on the latter 3 Kingdom parables in this chapter		 
Spending time with
believers
  		  Devotional
The Lord's presence
 
  
Click here to read December's article in this series on Christ's parables. It is on the sower.		 

All quotes are from the King James version of the Bible unless otherwise specified.