Parable of the Householder

I'm gonna teach from verse 52, the parable there, and I'm gonna trust that you have already done some study as far as the chapter of chapter 13 of Matthew. 

I trust you've studied through, that you've kind of gotten a feel of the parables and what he's teaching, whether it's the hope, eschatological hope, or the awareness of our utter dependence on God, or the need for us to fix our affections in a proper place.

• Whatever the case is, you've kind of warped your way through that chapter, seeing the seven parables that describe the kingdom of heaven.
• And we've talked about it before, that the kingdom of heaven for Matthew is synonymous with Luke and Mark's term, the kingdom of God.
• So we're just gonna dive in here because this really is the conclusion.

If you notice in Matthew 13, verse 52 is our text, but verse 53 says:

"and it came about when he had finished these parables, he departed from there."

So this really is the end, this is the exclamation point.

• In fact, verse 52 begins by him saying, therefore, if you've looked through Matthew chapter 13, you've seen that he hasn't used this term.
  • Well, he used it one time in verse 13, explaining why he was using parables, but he never used that word again in any of his parables or in the application of his parables.
• Now, he comes to the very end, the summary of all of these things that he's been teaching, and he has a, therefore, for us.

But before we get to verse 52, and we read the parable, let's begin in verse 51 and see what he says to begin with.

He says in verse 51, Matthew 13:

MATT. 13:51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.”

• What things? 
• What all the parables and everything he's taught about the kingdom of heaven?
• He said, have you understood all these things?

And then do you see what the disciples say to Jesus?

MATT. 13:52 And he said to them, therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.

• Now, there's a lot of good stuff in here, but it starts in verse 51.
  • The meat of verse 51, the understanding of what he's been teaching, and the understanding of what he's going to tell us starts in verse 51.
  • And you can tell by verse 51, this really starts way back before that because he's talking about something that he's been teaching, and he asked them, do you understand what I've taught you?

Now, whenever we see their response, oh yeah, we got it.

• We think, oh man, they probably should have said no. Right? 
• But let's think back through this 13th chapter of Matthew.

What has Jesus done?

• Jesus has taught in pretty good detail with pretty clear illustrations by parables,
• explaining aspects of the kingdom.
• And, not only did he do that, but he explained the parables to them.
• Not only did he do that, but he also invited questions and then explained the answers to the questions that they gave.

And so, if we think about all of that, we might ought to give them the benefit of the doubt that perhaps they, they did have some kind of understanding of what he said.

But there's even more to this.

• If you go back all the way to the beginning of chapter 13:
• As he's beginning to talk about these parables, he says something fascinating in verse 11.

MATT. 13:1111 And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

So it sounds like whenever we put all of those things together, it sounds like the appropriate answer for the disciples was, yes, we understand it.

• And I believe that's why Jesus asked the question.
• It was a chance for Jesus, first of all, to give them an opportunity to ask any other questions that they may have, but more so, it was a time for him to affirm to them,
  • You've got this, you understand this, this has been a gift given to you.
• You understand the kingdom of God; it's been granted to you.

Now, he goes from that to the word, therefore, and this isn't an English lesson, but the word, therefore, that connector word. 

• It's a demonstrative pronoun, but it's a connector word.
  • It's taking verse 51 and what he's established in verse 51 and he's giving us a point of action, a conclusion, a call to action based on what we saw in verse 51.

Verse 51 says, I've taught you, do you understand?

• They say yes. He says, you're right.
• You've been granted understanding.
• You've been given the instruction.
• You've been given training.
• You've been given an understanding of the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, it's really important that we keep this flow, this connection, because he's about to take us someplace that is really strange. It's really surprising.

• Do you notice what he says in verse 13?
• Therefore, you see it every what?

Every scribe. Now, it's interesting.

• Jesus never refers to the disciples as scribes, or he hasn't up to this point.
• And none of the scribes that were in Israel were clamoring after Jesus.
  • They weren't his followers.

So what's he saying here?

• Why does he identify scribes who become disciples of the kingdom of heaven?
• What's he saying? 

Well, I'm gonna contend that Jesus is calling the disciples scribes here.

What is a scribe? 

• In fact, if you have an NIV, your translation does not say scribe.
• Your translation likely says, a teacher of the law. 

That's the official title of the teachers of the law in Israel were scribes.

• They were teachers in Israel.
• Who were the official teachers of the law of God.

I think Jesus is pressing the disciples to understand something that is a bit of a stretch.

• Here's a pretty motley crew. 
• These are fishermen.
• And Jesus is saying, you are learned, prepared teachers of God's truth.

If I were gonna title this, the title of this, this parable would be from fishermen to scribe.

• That in my mind is a metamorphosis that God accomplishes, and he is accomplishing it in these guys right here.

Therefore, every scribe, and by the way, Jesus does not refer to them as scribes up to this point,

In Matthew 23:34, he does:

MATT. 23:34 “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,

• Jesus says, he's talking to the, elders of Israel, the Pharisees and the scribes.
• And he says to them, I'm gonna send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes.
  • Further, he says, what you are gonna do is you are gonna kill them and crucify them and scourge them and persecute them.
  • That's what you're gonna do to them. 

Who's he talking about?

• What are these scribes and wise men that he's gonna send?
• It's people that he's prepared with a knowledge of God's truth, his knowledge of the kingdom of heaven, that they're gonna communicate to other people.

That's who a scribe is.

• A scribe is someone who is prepared and teaches others.

And by the way, if you studied Ezra lately, and if you haven't, you might.

• But Ezra chapter seven, verse 10 gives us a little peek at what a scribe does.

EZRA 7:10 For Ezra had firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

It's describing Ezra, and it says that Ezra set his heart to study God's law or God's word, and to practice it and to teach it.

• That's what a scribe does.

I don't know if you have read Daniel lately, but we just finished Daniel here at our church, and in chapter nine of Daniel, we see a similar thing with Daniel.

• Daniel set his heart to understand what God had said in chapter nine.

And you know what happened? 

• Whenever he was given, whenever he set his heart to understand what God had taught, God revealed it to him.
• God gave him understanding. Just like he grants understanding here and that granting of understanding from studying his word and his spirit, teaching us his truth, he prepares us.

I just spent seven minutes, eight minutes, just establishing what a scribe here is: the disciples.

• Why would someone spend so much time on that?
  • I think it's that important that I point this out about these men, because this applies to us.

You say, now, wait a minute.

• Uh, they had a chance to ask Jesus all of these questions and have answers given to them, and they could push back and he could answer.
• I don't understand it as well as the disciples must have.
• And you know where we're going with this.

John 16:13 says that we have the Spirit of truth in us.

JOHN 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

And you know what His role is in us? 

• To guide us in all the truth that Jesus taught.
• We've got an internal spirit.
• We've got an internal witness that affirms and helps us to understand exactly what Jesus has taught.

And then you look at one Corinthians two 14, the spirit of God at work in us is the one who reveals that truth to us:

1COR. 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

• He shows us what naturally we could never come to on our own.
• So we really do have the benefit that the disciples had.

In fact, Jesus says our situation's even better because we have that internal witness.

• We have the truth. 
• We've been granted an understanding.
• We've been given the truth.

And so as we study it, we come to understand it, and then we're called to be the scribe.

• So whenever he gets to verse 52, and he establishes that, okay, so you've been given this instruction.
• You've been granted understanding, and so now your job title has changed.
• You went from being a fisherman to now being a scribe.

But listen to how he describes this.

MATT. 13:52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe [who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven] is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

That's what we're after.

• We wanna know the king; therefore, we wanna know about his kingdom.
• In fact, we pray for his kingdom to come.
  • We pray about this.

This is a thought that captures our attention.

• We are the disciples of the kingdom here.
• But listen to the picture that he paints.

Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of household or is like a householder.

• That's a very specific term.

Jesus could have used another term, a term that meant manager or steward.

• But instead, he used this word.
  • This is two words, put together, house and despot.
  • This is the owner of the house and the master of the house.

Jesus is making a correlation between the student of the kingdom, the disciple of the kingdom.

• He's making a correlation between that person and one who is the owner of the household.

Now, think about this.  

I know little alarms are gonna go off in your head, but yeah.. what about this? 

• But stay with me on this and think about this, because we've been given some things that we are to own, some truths that God has taught us.
• Truths that should be ours. 

That we should own.

• I mean, for one, we've been given the Holy Spirit.
• Not only have we been given the Holy Spirit, but we've also been given an understanding that we've been granted God in us, right?

Ephesians 1:13, we've been sealed in the Spirit.

EPH. 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Romans 8:9 if you don't have the Holy Spirit within you, you don't belong to God.

ROM. 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

• We've been given God in us, and we understand that truth.
  • It's still a bit of a mystery, but we are understanding that truth.

There's another truth that we've been given along with the Holy Spirit.

• We've been made aware, fully convicted of the reality that we've received Sonship. 

Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6

ROM. 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

GAL. 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

• It's through the spirit of God at work in us helping us to understand that truth fully, that we can say Abba, father, that's another gift that we've been given, that we own.
• We've been given peace. 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

• Jesus said, my peace I leave with you.
• He has given us his peace.
  • And it's more than just a feeling. 
  • There's a reality.

We see that in Romans 5:1 we've been given peace with God.

ROM. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

• Romans 5:5 we've been given peace in circumstances.

ROM. 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

• Philippians 4, we have a peace that passes all understanding.

PHIL. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• These are more than just feelings that we've been given.
• These are gifts that through scripture, we come to thoroughly understand the gravity of what this is.

Jesus said in John 15:11 that through his word, he's given us joy.

JOHN 15:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

• I mean, think about 2 Corinthians 4:6

2COR. 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

• He said, God, who said, light shall shine out of darkness.

Who, what God is that, that God, the God that began in Genesis 1:1, the God that we were reintroduced to in John 1:1.

• Now the God who said, light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shown in our hearts that we might have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
• That's what we've been given!

By the way, the next verse says, we have this treasure in our earth and vessels.

2COR. 4:7 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

• So we've gotten this treasure, we've gotten all of these gifts, all of these gifts have been given to us, and they become ours.
• We are in that sense, owners of this household.

Now, I know the little alarm bells that are going off that say, wait, wait, wait, wait.

We're not really owners. Aren't we stewards? 

• We are.
• But we ought to be owning these things.

These things are gifts that have been given, and we need to own them.

• But in a real sense, I know what verse keeps echoing in your mind 1 Corinthians 4:1:

1COR 4:1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

• Moreover, it is required of a steward that he be found faithful.
• I mean, we recognized, yes, I am an owner of this gift, owner of all of these wonderful gifts that God has given, but I'm also a steward.
  • I am also responsible for what I'm supposed to do with it.

What am I supposed to do with it?

• Remember, there's a hint that we've already received your scribes, but let's keep going.

So he says, as therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, one who owns it, what does he do with it?

And before we read the answer, what do you do with your treasures?

• Well, we hide them.
• We lock them away, and we enjoy them in privacy and seclusion, right?
• So that's what we're supposed to do. No, no!

Listen to what he says:

MATT. 13: 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, [who brings out of his treasure] things new and old.”

• He's like a head of a household who brings forth.

You know what the word for bring forth is? 

• It's used most frequently to describe in the New Testament to describe casting out a demon.
• It's to throw something out.
• It's like throwing bread on the water. It's used that way.
• It is to take what I've got and to throw it - to cast it away.

What he's describing here is that we are to do our dead level best not to hide these treasures, but we're to do our dead level best to get them in the hands of other people.

But it's important to see what reservoir this comes from.

• He says, you're like a head of a household who brings forth out of his treasure, out of his treasure.

Well, what is your treasure?

• We've seen it. We've seen that term already in the parables here in Matthew 13.
• Well, what's your treasure?
  • It's supposed to be this right here, this truth, the truth that he has given us.

You remember what Psalm 119:11 says?

PSALM 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You. 

• That means whenever I treasure God's word, it's transformational, it transforms my thinking.

That's Romans 12:1-2:

ROM. 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 
ROM. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

• Matthew 12:35 says that whenever I'm loving his word, it transforms my speech.

MATT 12:35 The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 

• Colossians 3:16 says, when God's word richly dwells in me, then it overflows to the benefit of those around me.

COL. 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

The point is, I'm to treasure this book!

And by the way, I want you to think about this:

• You can do webinars, you can read books, and you can go to church.
• I hope you do all those things.
  • But if God's not speaking, then it's not a treasure.
  • You don't treasure it.

But when God speaks to your heart, it is a fabulous treasure.

• I can go through my Bible and there's little notes on the side of my Bible whenever I'm studying through a passage and all of a sudden.. and you know, maybe I've studied it for a while, maybe I'm really familiar with it, and then all of a sudden the Lord just says something to me through it, man, I'm making a note of that.
• In fact, when I'm reading a Bible that I don't have those notes in, and I come across one of those texts, my mind goes right back to that moment whenever he spoke it to me.
• You know why? Because it's a treasure.

That's what happens when we recognize that God is the one who is speaking to me, his truth, he is a treasure.

• And whenever I treasure it, it transforms me.
• And by the way, when it transforms me, there is a passion and an urgency to pass that along to other people.

That's what we're supposed to be doing.

• We treasure this word. 
• We treasure this revelation.
• We treasure God speaking to our hearts, and then we urgently and passionately communicate it to other people.

So out of their treasure, they brought forth what they bring forth things new and old.

MATT. 13:52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure [things new and old.”]

We ought to take a pause right here.

• I'm just saying, we ought to think about this because I want to say every pastor, I want to say every teacher, but I really don't know that's true.
• I don't know that it's anybody but me.

But I do know for me, I love to find the little new things.

• And unfortunately, that's not what he's talking about, not here.
  • What that is in me has way more to do with pride and arrogance and the desire to impress others.
  • That desire for myself to know something new, that desire is evil.
    • It's arrogance, it's sin that I need to recognize and acknowledge and kill every day.

That's not what he's talking about here.

• Whenever we read and it talks about something old and new, he's talking about something a whole lot better than that.
• He's talking about the truth of the old being enlightened or explained or made clear by the new.

If you want an example of this, you could go to the book of Hebrews.

• The whole book is a catalog of Old Testament types being enlightened or fulfilled by New Testament anti-types.
• Chapter 9 is a perfect example of just this one little thing:

HEB. 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 
HEB 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 
HEB. 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 
HEB 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

• It's the comparison of the blood of bulls and goats as the picture and the blood of Christ, which is the fulfillment of that.
• And, you know that verse, the blood of bulls and goats can't cleanse our conscience, but the blood of Christ cleanses our conscience from dead works so that we can serve the living God.
• That's the wonder of what God does in us.

But the picture is, these old things are being explained by the new things.

• We see the same thing in 1 John 4:7-8 love one, another 

1JOHN 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 
1JOHN 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 2:7-8 is similar:

1JOHN 2:7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 
1JOHN 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.

• Verse seven says, there's an old commandment.
• And then verse eight says, but on the other hand, it is a new commandment.

What? How can it be both?

• Well, the old commandment is love one another.

What's the new commandment?

• The new commandment is love one another, as I have loved you.

Jesus is the fulfillment.

• He shines a light on the old, the old law, the old truth, the old thing is made alive by the new thing.
• And so it takes both things to help us understand what God is teaching us clearly.

We often say "That's something I don't think I can do."

• Welcome aboard, welcome aboard. I can't either.

That's exactly what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4: 

1COR. 4:1 This is the way any person is to regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 
1COR. 4:2 In this case, moreover, it is required [a]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 
1COR. 4:3 But to me it is an insignificant matter that I would be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 
1COR. 4:4 For I am not aware of anything against myself; however I am not vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord. 
1COR. 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before [d]the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.

1COR. 4:6 Now these things, brothers and sisters, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos on your account, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. 
1COR. 4:7 For who considers you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

We can't do this either. I mean, we're in good company.

• We can't do it.
• Paul couldn't do it, but Paul said, our adequacy comes from God.

Makes me think about, 2 Timothy 3:16, God's word is inspired and profitable for teaching.

2TIM. 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 
2TIM. 3:17 so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.

• That the man of God may be super right, that the man of God may be fabulous. WRONG
• It's that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Do you know what we ought to be saying right now?

• Lord, I just want to be what you want me to be.
• I want to be adequate.

I know that seems like we're setting our bar pretty low.

• But listen, God's calling us to do stuff we can't do.
• Only he can do it.

The way we're adequate is we sink ourselves into this book.

• This book is what prepares us in the spirit of God, it's what enables us.
• And then we teach and see, that takes us right back to where this started.

Whenever you become a believer, when you become his, you give your life to him.

• You know what he does?
  • He plants in you a hunger for his word, which is an indispensable miracle in salvation.
  • He saves you. He makes you alive.

Ephesians 2:1-5: 

EPH. 2:1  And you were dead in your offenses and sins, 
EPH. 2:2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 
EPH. 2:3 Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. 
EPH. 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 
EPH. 2:5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
you were dead in your sins, and he made you alive.

• But the next gift he gives is a voracious hunger for his word.
• And as you study his word, it becomes a treasure.
  • And whenever God's word becomes a treasure, then you get passionate about sharing it with others because it's transformed you.

That's a little glimpse at the metamorphosis, the miracle that takes place.

• The miracle is the fishermen becomes a scribe.
  • Remember, we're the fishermen in this picture.

That's the miracle that he's doing in you.

• He's given you his word.
• He's given you his spirit.
• He's given you his promises, and he's called you to be a student of this.

I mean, the key thought here is every scribe who has become a disciple, every scribe who has become a learner, every scribe who has devoted his heart to study God's word, the wonder of that is everyone who has devoted their heart to study God's word, God accomplishes that in them.

• And whenever God starts turning on the light, my goodness, they're treasures.
• You can't let 'em go.
  • And as that happens, the metamorphosis takes place.

You, the fishermen, become scribes.

Well, that is how I would see the parable of the householder.