It's hard to answer this question by just talking about one of the parables. As I read these parables there were a couple observations I made in general. As a whole, the parables paint a picture of God as generous, good and intentional. They also talk about an enemy who continuously steals and destroys life. They share about people who serve God and people who reject or ignore God. They talk about the contagious life flowing from the gospel. And they talk about the judgment that will take place at the end of time. We get glimpses into the direct meaning of some of the parables, which helps us to infer some meaning from the others. Overall this is one of the most comprehensive sections teaching us about the kingdom of God - almost like a "behind the scenes" look at God's plans and purpose.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
The parable of the net and the parable of the weeds are very similar in nature. Both describe a harvest, a sorting, and judgment. There are a couple other passages that come to mind as I think about this. One is later in Matthew, chapter 25, when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. He used the words righteous and unrighteous there too. Another passage is Revelation 20 where we read about the judgment of Satan and demons, followed by a "sorting" of those whose names were written in the Book of Life versus those who weren't. All of these verses also remind me of Romans 3:20-26 which remind us that we are not righteous because of our works but through faith in Jesus Christ.
3. What does this mean for my life?
I think it would be easy, like the servants in the parable of the weeds, to want to be the ones to judge the good and the bad. But God tells us that he will judge. We are to obey him, and keep nurturing and tending the crop. That's a good reminder to me.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
I have lots of questions, mostly about the parables and their meaning. Like what's the meaning of the treasure or pearl? Is yeast a bad thing? What does it signify? I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions too.
In Christ,
Dan
image from https://uecollegeconnect.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/kingdomofgod.jpg
I think the parable of the yeast is like God's unstoppable kingdom. While yeast is very small and you don't use much in baking bread, left unattended, your loaf would be gigantic if the yeast had time to do its thing. It is cool to know that God's Kingdom permeates anything!
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