The One Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear
May 8, 2022 · Parables of the Kingdom
Scripture referenced 7 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Proverbs 1:1-9 read and discussed as Solomon's introduction to wisdom, instruction, righteousness, justice, and integrity, including the command to hear a father's instruction and not ignore a mother's teaching
1 The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:
5 that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:
6 to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
9 for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Matthew 13 (parable of the four soils)
reviewed as the foundational parable preceding the kingdom parables, covering the four types of soil and what happens to seed sown on each
1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.
2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.
3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.
4 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.
6 When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.
7 Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.
14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:
15 for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; and I would heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
17 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.
19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
20 What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”
24 He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
25 but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
26 But when the blade sprang up and produced fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also.
27 The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’
28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
29 “But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
31 He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
33 He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,
35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”
36 Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.”
37 He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.
39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40 As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
44 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,
46 who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw…
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Mark 4:26-29
the kingdom of God compared to a man who casts seed on soil, sleeps and rises, and does not know how it grows until harvest comes
26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.
28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 13 (parable of the wheat and weeds)
the kingdom of heaven compared to a man who sowed good seed while an enemy sowed darnel among the wheat, with explanation that the son of man sows good seed, the field is the world, and the harvest is the end of the age
1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.
2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.
3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.
4 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.
6 When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.
7 Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.
14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:
15 for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; and I would heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
17 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.
19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
20 What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
23 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”
24 He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
25 but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
26 But when the blade sprang up and produced fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also.
27 The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’
28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’
29 “But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
31 He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
33 He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”
34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,
35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”
36 Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.”
37 He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.
39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40 As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
44 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,
46 who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw…
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Daniel 12
quoted as the source of the image that the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father
1 “At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.
2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.
4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river bank on that side.
6 One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be to the end of these wonders?”
7 I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it will be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.
8 I heard, but I didn’t understand. Then I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”
9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.
10 Many will purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked will do wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand; but those who are wise will understand.
11 “From the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days.
12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.
13 “But go you your way until the end; for you will rest, and will stand in your inheritance at the end of the days.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
1 John 1:9
cited in closing to show that confessing sin leads God to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
James 1:5
closing verse: if any of you lacks wisdom, ask God who gives generously without finding fault
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
On Mother's Day 2022, Pastor Ray worked through two parables from the series on the kingdom of God, setting them against a brief reflection on godly instruction passed down through mothers and the wisdom literature of Proverbs. The central concern was how God's word takes root and grows, and what the ultimate separation between genuine and false believers looks like at the end of the age.
What was said
Pastor Ray opened in Proverbs 1, noting that Solomon, whose mother was Bathsheba, begins his great collection of wisdom with the goal of receiving instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity. Those three qualities had been running through the sermon series for weeks, and here they appear at the very foundation of biblical wisdom. The fear of the Lord is where knowledge begins, and a child who listens to a parent's teaching carries that instruction like an ornament. Ray acknowledged that not everyone has had a godly mother, and he prayed that those who did would recognize it, and that those who did not would find grace to forgive and move on.
Before moving into the new parables, Ray briefly revisited the parable of the four soils from the previous week. The soil that receives the seed and bears fruit represents those who hear God's word, understand it, and obediently live it out. The other soils represent a hardened heart, shallow roots, and a life choked by wealth and the concerns of this world. That parable frames everything that follows, because it tells you what kind of ground the rest of the parables are being sown into.
The first new parable, found only in Mark, is the one about a man who scatters seed and then sleeps and rises day after day while the seed sprouts and grows in ways he himself does not understand. Ray connected this directly to Jesus' own statement that he does not know the day or hour of the end, only the Father does. The point is not passivity but faithful, humble action. A believer's job is to tell the story of what God has done. How God brings the increase from that is entirely His domain.
The second parable, unique to Matthew, is the one about wheat and darnel sown together in the same field. Ray took time on the Greek word for weeds, explaining that darnel is a plant that looks nearly identical to wheat through most of its growth, turns black only just before harvest, and is not merely worthless but poisonous. If processed the same way wheat is, it causes delusion and eventually death. The enemy deliberately sows this counterfeit crop among genuine grain while the workers sleep.
When the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable, he identifies the sower of good seed as the Son of Man, the field as the world, the wheat as sons of the kingdom, and the darnel as sons of the evil one. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Ray named universalism as the most popular current heresy, referencing the book "Love Wins" and noting that the idea that God's love will eventually redeem every soul, including the devil, runs against both Testaments at every turn. The parable closes with weeping and gnashing of teeth for those gathered out, and the righteous shining like the sun, a phrase Ray traced to Daniel 12.
Ray closed the sermon proper by connecting the warning back to Ezekiel's image of the watchman. If you warn someone and they reject it, you have been faithful and you will save yourself. If they heed it, you save them too. The hard news has to be delivered honestly. He then looked ahead to the next week's parables, the pearl of great price, as the good news that sits alongside the warning: the kingdom is worth giving everything to obtain.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Pastor Ray opened with Proverbs 1 and the idea that a good parent or teacher says 'do as I say, not as I used to do.' What is the difference between that and hypocrisy, and who in your life has modeled that kind of honest instruction?
- The parable of the growing seed in Mark says the farmer goes to sleep at night and gets up daily, and he himself does not know how the seed grows. What does it look like practically to be faithful in sowing and then trust God with the increase, rather than trying to control the outcome?
and 3 more questions in the guide
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