THE PARABLE OF THE
HOUSEHOLDER
Matthew 13:51, 52
I. INTRODUCTION
A. For the last ten weeks, we
have been looking at the series of parables in Matthew 13 which describe for us
what God is doing in this present age from the first advent to the second
advent. These parables give us the
mystery of history in which we Christians are given a glimpse of history from
the divine viewpoint.
B. The Parable of the
Sower explained the four different responses to the gospel when it is
preached. The Parable of the Wheat
and the Tares told us about the counterfeits to true Christianity. The Parable of the Mustard Seed spoke
of the abnormal growth of the gospel in the professing church. The Parable of the Leaven explained how
sin gets into the true church and destroys vital Christian fellowship. The Parable of the Hid Treasure showed
us GodÕs plan for the nation of Israel which will become a reality down towards
the end of this age. The Parable
of the Pearl told us of GodÕs purpose for the church in which He is calling
both Jew and Gentile to be one in Christ.
And lastly the Parable of the Dragnet which explained that God is in
control of all evil and evil men and they will one day be judged at the second
advent of Christ.
C. The last parable in
Matthew 13 - The Parable of the Householder - does not deal with the mysteries
of the kingdom but it is a postscript or epilogue which Christ added to teach
Christians the necessity of putting these truths of the kingdom to work in their
lives. True believers have a
responsibility to use the truths of Christ and His present spiritual kingdom in
their experience. Head knowledge
is not enough. There must be
changed lives as men encounter the truth.
Without The Parable of the Householder, our understanding of the other
parables in Matthew 13 would be incomplete.
II. THE
UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISCIPLES 13:51
A. The Lord Jesus asked a
direct question to His disciples - ÒHave ye understood all these things?Ó The Lord wanted to know whether they
had grasped these truths about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
B. The most amazing
thing happened. The disciples
answered, ÒYes.Ó They claimed they
understood all that Christ was telling them. There seems to be no reservation on their part and
intellectually they probably felt that they understood what Christ was
teaching. NOTE: The
disciples were not being dishonest.
They had intellectual comprehension of the words, concepts and symbols
of the parable but these things had not yet become an experiential
reality. The disciples were
probably not any different than many of you who have heard these messages on
Matthew 13. You say, ÒYes, we
understand them,Ó but have these truths been assimilated into your lives so
that you know them experientially?
Obviously, as one follows the lives of the Twelve Disciples through the
Gospels, it becomes apparent that they really did not understand these truths
fully in their experience. Their
actions only showed a shallow and limited understanding because truth must be
applied to oneÕs experience. NOTE:
Truth must first be mentally attained but truth must get into the life or it is
not effective. We as Christians
are told to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ (II Peter 3:18) but this is Òexperiential
knowledge;Ó it is truth applied to the life; it is doctrine applied to the life
by faith-obedience.
II
Peter 3:18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
III. THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DISCIPLES 13:52
A. As soon as the disciples
said they understood the truth of these parables, our Lord hits them with the
responsibility to act on the truth that they claim to know. With light comes responsibility!
B. The first thing of
significance here is that the disciples ware compared to scribes. Scribes were teachers and preachers of
the Law in the Old Testament. They
were the teachers of the kingdom.
They were the authoritative interpreters of the Word of God. Their task was to interpret the Bible
for the Jews and apply the Bible to life.
NOTE: Christ said that the disciples are compared to the
scribes. Disciples of Christ are
trained, discipled or instructed in or for the kingdom. This applies to all true disciples of
Christ, not just to the original Twelve.
Disciples are to be interpreters of the Bible. They are trained for the kingdom in that they are men and
women who instruct others about the kingdom. They are to know the Word and apply it to life. Disciples can speak authoritatively
from the Bible and explain to men how God is working behind the scenes of
history and how God works in the affairs of men. All disciples of Christ are to interpret truth to apply it
to their lives and the lives of others.
NOTE: It is the business of Christians to understand life. They are being trained to look at life
from a divine viewpoint and see what God is doing in history. It is the business of Christians to
learn how to live and to handle life rightly. ILLUSTRATION: Wrong View Of Life.
ILLUSTRATION: The world needs Christians
who can speak authoritatively about Christ and His kingdom. People seem to get all upset over
politics whether national or foreign.
We find men arguing at the top of their voices about the pros and cons
of this war or that war. Yet, God
continues to allow war because it is ultimately working out His purposes which
will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Men are beginning to panic about the
energy crisis and this is going to be a very real thing, but this is all part
of GodÕs plan to bring this present age to a close. We must not ignore nor let the world ignore the Christian
viewpoint of life. A Christian can
relax and know that whatever happens is part of GodÕs will for this world.
C. Our Lord then
described a Christian who is being taught or schooled in the things of the
kingdom as a householder. A
householder was usually a privileged and trusted slave who was the house
steward entrusted with the management of the household of his master. NOTE: How does a householder compare
to a true believer? Christians
have been made stewards of GodÕs spiritual kingdom while Christ and His earthly
kingdom are absent from earth.
Each Christian has the responsibility to keep ChristÕs house in order
while Christ is gone. True
Christians are deeply involved in ChristÕs present kingdom program and must do
all they can to further ChristÕs kingdom in a spiritual way before He sets up
His earthly kingdom at the second advent.
ILLUSTRATION: Stedman.
ILLUSTRATION: Christians are to be
involved in ChristÕs kingdom program.
That is why the scriptures always stress the fact that understanding
Christianity consists of far more than merely believing a set of doctrines or creeds
– it is demonstrating a life.
Anything short of that is an abortive and distorted picture of the
Christian life. Ray Stedman says,
I
like to stress this because I find so many people who think becoming a
Christian is just a way to get to heaven when you die. Thank God, it does include that. That is a kind of fringe benefit you
receive as a Christian, and there is a great future ahead for believers. But that is not why God has called you
now to be a Christian. Or if it
is, that is not why he has left you here, anyhow. He has left you to learn how to live, to learn how to be
healed, to have the same struggles and the same problems as men and women who
are not Christians but to learn how to solve them. When non-Christians look at our lives they ought to be able
to see the problems increasingly being solved. That is what gives them the confidence to believe that the
message we preach is a genuine message, a message of reality and truth.
If
on the other hand, as has been happening so much in the last decade,
non-Christians looking at Christians see nothing but the same miserable set of
problems that they themselves are struggling with, if they see Christian homes
torn with strife and bickering and quarreling and fighting, see marriages split
right down the middle and see Christians getting divorces, if they see sexual
immorality prevailing in Christian lives as much as in non-Christians, if they
see all the evils and all the struggles and all the heartaches and the longings
and loneliness prevailing in our lives as much as in everyone elseÕs, then they
say to us, ÒWhat is your message for?
What does it do? Why should
we be interested? YouÕre not doing
any better than we are.Ó
D. The householder brings
things out of his treasure, things new and old. The householder would have charge over the storehouse, and
he would bring out of the storehouse food, money, provisions and all things
needed for running a household.
The householder is obviously a true Christian, but what about the Òtreasure?Ó The treasure probably refers to all the
spiritual truths concerning the kingdom which are ours now because we
are children of the kingdom. The
Christian has a storehouse of knowledge that a non-Christian can never have
because the Christian has spiritual understanding of life. NOTE: The whole kingdom program
centers around Christ, and while Christ is not physically present in this world
now, He is present in the hearts and lives of all true believers. The secrets of the kingdom revolve
around Christ and Christ is spiritually present in every true believer (II Cor.
4:7). Christians have the Christ
of the gospel indwelling their earthly bodies and He alone is our hope of glory
(Col. 1:27). But Christ also gives
us the power to live, and in Christ we are given all wisdom and knowledge (Col.
2:3). NOTE: Christians have
Christ who is wisdom and knowledge, and the more committed we are to Him and
the more we exercise deeper faith, the more we will learn of things in the
spiritual realm and the more we shall view life from a divine viewpoint. NOTE: Christ is our power to
become good scribes of His kingdom (Phil. 4:13). Without the power of Christ, we cannot effectively teach
others of His kingdom. Without the
power of Christ we cannot speak authoritatively about God. Without the power of Christ, we cannot
effectively cope with life and apply the truths of ChristÕs kingdom to our
lives.
II
Cor. 4:7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of
the power may be of God, and not of us.
Col.
1:27: . . . Christ in you, the
hope of glory.
Col.
2:3: In whom (Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Phil.
4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
E. Our Lord says that
the householder Òbrings forth out of this treasure things new and old.Ó
1. What are the things
new and old? I do not know for
sure, but it certainly must refer to the truths concerning Christ and His
kingdom in the New Testament and the Old Testament. Christians have the benefit of both testaments to interpret
the kingdom truths.
2. ÒThings old and newÓ
may also refer to life, for the truths of the kingdom must be applied to
life. The things that are new are
the constantly changing experiences of our lives. Each one of us is always coming each day into new and fresh
experiences, for each day Christ, our treasure, is exposing us to new truths
and experiences. NOTE:
Right now I am experiencing new things that I never experienced because I have
never been 38 in November 1973 before.
I am learning new things about life, about myself, about people, about
the ministry, about being a husband and about being a father. I am running into experiences as a
father which I have never encountered before, because I have never before been
a father this old with children the current ages of my children. NOTE: You, too, are running into
new experiences. Some of you are
experiencing falling in love; some of you are just starting with the new
experience of marriage; some of you are just entering the experience of parenthood;
still others of you are experiencing sickness or crisis, and some are staring
death in the face. You have never
done this before and it is all fresh and new to you; no matter how many
millions have gone through these things before you, you are experiencing it for
the first time. In each of these
experiences we must draw upon Christ for His power, wisdom and knowledge to
cope with these new experiences.
3. What are the old
things? They are the abiding
things, the eternal, unalterable principles, the unchanging relationships which
never vary but remain the same forever.
The unchanging truths are found in the Bible. The Bible contains truths of God and man that never change. We can always count on these truths
because God and His laws and promises never change. NOTE: One of the great lies being pushed off on this
generation is that there is nothing which never changes; everything is
changing; everything is always different.
Situation ethics, the new morality, process theology, the abandoning of
all absolutes is a great Satanic lie, for ultimately this human philosophy says
God changes, but we know that He is the same yesterday, today and forever! NOTE: May I suggest to you that
the key to understanding and coping with life is a blending of the new and the
old. The secret to life is to
apply the unchanging, eternal principles of God found in Christ to the constant
changing experiences of life. Only
the Bible, God and Christ can stabilize us, for life is changing and unstable.
IV. CONCLUSION
A. Perhaps there is someone
here today who is frustrated and groping for the answer to life. Perhaps you have tried everything to
fill the spiritual vacuum in your heart.
Perhaps you have bought the Satanic lie that all things are changing
– God changes, His laws change, right and wrong is changing – but
you have not been able in all your ventures in life to find the key to still
your inward frustration. Only
Jesus Christ can fill this void.
B. This spiritual void
in your life is due to sin and sin separates you from a holy God. You must change your mind about God,
Christ and sin and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior if you ever
hope to be saved. You must abandon
any hope of saving yourself by good works and trust Christ to save you by His
grace.
C. God never changes
and the promises of Christ never change (John 5:24; 11:25, 26). If you will trust Christ as your
Savior, He will never fail you.
You shall be saved!
John
5:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;
but is passed from death unto life.
John
11:25, 26: . . . . I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die.