|
October 15, 2024
Key verse 40: “And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? Don’t you have faith yet?”
In this section Jesus tells us various parables and the calming of the stormy sea. We can view these stories as a continuation of the Parable of the Sower.
The main theme of these stories is the kingdom of God, in other words “faith in Jesus Christ and His word”.
So today we want to learn about faith in Jesus Christ through these stories so that we can be good believers in Jesus Christ and be preciously used by God.
1. The light on the lamp stand (21-25)
Jesus said to those who were with him, “Do you bring a lamp and put it under a bucket or under the bed? On the contrary! A lighted lamp is placed on the lamp stand to light up the whole room” (verse 21).
By the lamp, Jesus meant Jesus Christ or the gospel as Psalm 27:1 says:
“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
According to the Oxford Languages Internet Dictionary, the word “salvation” means “salvation from sins and eternal bliss.”
Jesus is the true light because he frees us from the darkness of sin and the power of death and gives us eternal life and great joy of life. It is joyful news that Jesus is the true light who removes all the darkness in our lives and makes us truly joyful.
Jesus continued: “Everything that is now hidden will one day come to light, and what is now a mystery everyone will understand” (22).
With this word Jesus said that the gospel of Jesus Christ cannot remain hidden.
Jesus is the Savior and Son of God; He saves all people who believe in him from the darkness of death and gives them happy, eternal life. This gospel should be known widely in order to give people eternal, happy life.
When I was about 19 years old, I studied day and night to prepare for the university entrance exam. Then I thought a few times about the fact that I would eventually die. Then I lost interest in studying diligently for the entrance exam because my life would end in death anyway. But I suppressed that thought and continued learning.
After I passed the university entrance exam, I was invited to a student church so that I came to faith in Jesus Christ. Then the dark thought about death disappeared, and I felt as much joy as if I were walking in paradise.
In verse 24, Jesus uses the parable of the right measure to teach that we should not judge other people.
And in verse 25, Jesus teaches us that we should share God's blessings with others. So we will receive even more blessings. If we do not share the blessing with others, we cannot fully enjoy the blessing we have received.
2. The growth of the seed (26-34)
Jesus tells us the parable of the growth of seeds: “God's kingdom can be compared to a farmer who has sown seeds in his field. After he has sown them, he sleeps and stands, day in and day out. Meanwhile, the seeds grow without his intervention. Meanwhile, the seeds grow independently, and the farmer doesn't know how. The earth itself bears fruit, first the stalk, then the ears, then the whole wheat in the ear. But as soon as the fruit is ripe, he puts on the sickle; for the time of harvest is here” (26-29). After a farmer has sown seeds on the land, the seeds grow independently because the seeds have the power to sprout, grow and bear fruit. With this confidence, the farmer can sleep peacefully at night and wait for the harvest time. We cannot do anything with our human strength and wisdom for a person's spiritual birth or spiritual fruit. What we can do is sow God's Word into people's hearts and pray for them. As people receive God's Word, they will grow and bear fruit as God's children. Then the Lord Jesus comes and gathers them into his kingdom. We remember the word of Jesus that he will come again with great power and glory and will gather all of God's children from the four winds and receive them into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 24:30,31).
In verses 31-32 Jesus tells another parable about the kingdom of God:“The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. This is the smallest of all the seeds that are sown in the ground. But when it is sown, it springs up and becomes larger than all other plants and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
The mustard seed has a diameter of approximately 1 mm and is considered the smallest seed in Israel. This tiny grain grows into an annual mustard tree about 2-3 m tall. The grown mustard tree offers the birds its grains as food, its leaves and branches as a bed and as a place to relax from the sunshine.
This parable tells us what happens when someone accepts God's Word into their heart. When you receive God's Word into your heart, the Word will do something wonderful. He will receive eternal life and the kingdom of heaven, so that his joy, love, and hope can be multiplied by millions and his joy, love, and hope can be shared with many other people. From this a great people of God will arise and enter the kingdom of heaven. This is the work of the Word of God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should rejoice that Jesus Christ has saved us and is using us as sowers of his word.
When I was a child, Jesus Christ first planted the seeds of the gospel in the heart of my third sister. She was the first in my family to accept the gospel. About 40 family members and relatives have now become Christians. This shows an example of the power of the gospel. We rejoice that we have become children of God and have received God's kingdom.
3. Stilling the Storm (35-41)
Jesus had been teaching God's Word to the crowds all day and explaining to his disciples the meaning of his parables. Only in the evening did he finish his teaching and say to his disciples, “Let us cross over.”The disciples sent the crowd away and rowed the boat in which Jesus was sitting out onto the lake. Some other boats followed them.
Then a huge storm broke out. High waves hit the boat, it filled with water and threatened to sink. But Jesus was sleeping on a pillow in the back of the boat. The disciples were in a panic. They initially tried to master the situation with their own strength, but soon their skills ran out. Then they shook Jesus and cried out in fear, “Teacher, do you not see that we are perishing?”
Then Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and called out to the raging lake, “Be still and be silent!”Then the storm subsided and there was a great silence.
And Jesus rebuked the disciples, “Why are you so fearful? Don’t you have faith yet?”
This stillness shows us, first, that Jesus is the Lord of all creation.When Jesus commanded the sea, “Be still and be silent!”, the sea obeyed. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Creator God. Therefore, the wind and the sea obeyed him. This Jesus was with the disciples, even though Jesus was initially sleeping in the boat.
By calming the raging sea, Jesus Christ revealed that he is the Lord of all creation. What does this story teach us?
First, this story teaches that Jesus Christ is the Creator and our Savior.
Therefore, we should love him with all our hearts and give him glory as our God and our Savior.
Second, this incident teaches us that we are absolutely secure in Jesus. After calming the storm, Jesus said to his disciples: “Why were you so afraid? Don’t you have faith yet?” (40).
Even though the disciples encountered a violent storm and were in great danger of losing their lives, did Jesus say to them? “Why were you so scared?”
They should have peace despite the violent storm because Jesus was and is with them. Jesus is the Lord over death and hell. When Jesus is with them, they are completely safe despite all circumstances.
Because Jesus is the Lord of the universe and the Savior. Jesus is God incarnate. If we believe in this Jesus Christ, we can have peace of heart and assurance of victory in all circumstances. Jesus is our Immanuel God. This Jesus has forgiven us all our sins, is always with us and leads us safely to his kingdom of heaven.
This Jesus said in John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but is of death penetrated to life.”
Apostle Paul also said in Romans 8:28: “But we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who have been called according to his purpose.”
Third, this incident teaches us the power of Jesus' word.
When Jesus said to the raging sea, “Be silent and be silent,” the sea immediately obeyed, creating a great silence.
Jesus' word is God's word. Therefore, The see obeyed the word of Jesus. Jesus' word has divine authority. It is the truth to eternal life.
That's why John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
And John 1:14 says: “And the Word became man and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
If we believe in the word of Jesus, we have victory over sin and death and have eternal life and the kingdom of heaven.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
|