The sons of the kingdom

The sons of the kingdom

Scripture:

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:36-43

Observation:

In this passage, we see the Lord explain the parable of the weeds in great depth to His disciples. He first explains that He is the Sower, the one who sows the good seed, and the field is the world. The good seed are the sons of the kingdom while the bad seed, or the seeds of the weeds are the sons of the evil one, for the enemy who sowed them is the devil. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire at harvest, spiritually, there will also be a great harvest, when angels will reap the “weeds” and gather them, ready to be burned with fire in the fiery furnace.

What are the characteristics of the good seed? Firstly, they are called the sons of the kingdom. We who follow Christ are no longer sons of this world but sons and daughters of the kingdom to come, the heavenly kingdom of God. We are reminded here again that we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, with a far greater home destined for us. Therefore, we are not to get overly attached to the things and affairs of this world which are only temporary and fleeting. Secondly they are called the righteous. How are we righteous? On our own strength and effort, Scripture has said there is no one righteous, not even one, and all have fallen short of the glory of God. Yet for those who believe, it is our Lord Jesus’ righteousness that has been credited to us so that we might be declared righteous not by works, but by faith in Him who saved us.

  

Finally, by default, the sons of the kingdom are not called lawbreakers, the term used to describe the bad seed. Having been declared righteous in Jesus Christ, is it ok, to go back and break the law? Of course not! However, what law is it that we need to adhere to anyway? It is certainly not the Torah, the 613 laws given to the Jews. That law was placed as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, to show us that we could not achieve God’s righteous requirements on our own. It was to show us that we needed a Savior, and God in His perfect timing brought that Savior into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ, we are no longer under the law of sin and death, but under the law of liberty, which is the law of the Spirit. Therefore, we who follow Christ, live not to fulfill our old sinful desires, but instead live by the Spirit, seeking to live lives that please God.  And the Spirit will never lead us to break the righteous requirements of the law which is basically summed up in two things: loving God and loving our neighbor.

The imagery of the righteous shining like the sun brings to remembrance the Lord’s words in the sermon of the Mount where he said that just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, we are to let our light shine before men so that they will praise our Father in Heaven for our good deeds.

In this passage, we are also reminded of the reality of Judgment Day when all causes of sin and all law-breakers will be gathered out of the kingdom and thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The picture of the fiery furnace show us that hell is tremendously hot and burning. The imagery of weeping and gnashing of teeth speaks of hopelessness, regret, and deep sadness.

Application:

Remember that we are sons of a different kingdom. We must remind ourselves that we do not belong to this world, but in the world to come when our Lord Jesus returns. Praise the Lord that we have His righteousness, not by our own works, but because of our faith in Him who saved us. Yet, we are not to be lawbreakers again, but instead seek to live by the Spirit, who will lead us to serve God in righteousness. Pray that the Lord may help us let our light shine before men that they may praise our Father in Heaven. Remember the reality of Judgment Day and the weeping and gnashing of teeth in store for those who do not follow Jesus. Let us pray for our loved ones who do not know Him with renewed urgency.

Prayer:

We praise thee, precious Lord, for You have called us to be sons and daughters in Your coming kingdom. Sustain us O Lord and keep us safe even as we look forward to Your precious coming. We praise You, Lord Jesus, that You are our righteousness. You are our Salvation. In You only do we have hope! Lead us, precious Holy Spirit, let us live lives of righteousness even as we follow Your leading. O Lord, have mercy on the many who do not know You. Cause their hearts to turn to You O Lord. Spare them O Lord from the horror of the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. May Your name be praised forever precious Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.