And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,
but to the rest it is in parables…” Luke 8:10
From the time that the world began, God the Creator has had a prophetic plan for the consummation of all things. As we read through His Word, we discover more and more details of this end time plan. Jesus called it “the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:10) and admonished us to not just hear it but to understand it with our hearts. The apostle Paul called servants of Christ to be trustworthy “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2), therefore we are wise to study and apply these “things hidden since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35).
Tares of the Field
And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable
of the tares of the field.” Matthew 13:36
In Matthew 13, Jesus shares a parable of the harvest at the end of the age. It begins with the Son of Man sowing good wheat seed (representing sons of His kingdom) in the field which stands for this world. Unfortunately the enemy (Satan) sows his own seed in the same field, mixing in weeds (called tares, representing the sons of the evil one) with the good seed and that resemble the wheat. At the end of the age, the harvest comes.
As the One in charge of the end time harvest, Jesus then separates the wheat from the weeds. Both have an eternal destiny, determined by whom they served while in the world, with the righteous given eternal life and the evil ones given eternal damnation. “His winnowing fork is in His hand…and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). It also says “the Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matthew 13:41-43).
We gain a few more details of “the mysteries of the kingdom of God”, later in Jesus’ ministry, from Matthew 24:29-31:
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
As long as we reside in this world, there will always be lawless ones among us. We are called to be good seed who bear “kingdom fruit” with perseverance until the coming of our Lord and Savior.
Parable of the Sower
“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word
in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” Luke 8:15
In Luke 8 we read another parable where Jesus describes four types of people who hear the Word of God. First, there are those who hear the Word but Satan snatches away the truth and they never accept Christ’s salvation message. Secondly, there are those who hear the Word but it never takes root. Their faith falls away when affliction or persecution comes. Third, there are those who hear the Word but never produce mature fruit for the kingdom. The worries of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the pleasures of this life stop them from living with an eternal perspective.
Then, Jesus tells about those who hear the Word, understand it, and bear fruit with perseverance. These believers become steadfast in their faith, strategically producing a yield thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold for the kingdom.
One of the mysteries of the kingdom is when God’s children stand apart while living in a wicked culture that is destined for destruction. We do this with our devotion to the Word of God and wholehearted obedience to His commands. We shine forth in the darkness through the purity of our conduct and by displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit. And we keep our focus on heaven, not wrapped up with the futile things of this earth, cultivating an eager anticipation of our Savior’s return.
“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11-13)
What kind of fruit are you bearing for the kingdom? Are you ready for His return?
All Scripture taken from New American Standard Bible, 1995 version. Emphasis added by the author. Photo credits: Mission Media, Lightstock.com.
