Life Recovery Bible - Flipbook - Page 32
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34
Jesus always used stories and illustrations
like these when speaking to the crowds. In
fact, he never spoke to them without using
such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had
spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since
the creation of the world.*”
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained
36
Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus
went into the house. His disciples said,
“Please explain to us the story of the weeds
in the field.”
37
Jesus replied, “The Son of Man* is the
farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field
is the world, and the good seed represents
the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are
the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The
enemy who planted the weeds among the
wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of
the world,* and the harvesters are the angels.
40
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and
burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of
the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom
everything that causes sin and all who do
evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into
the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s
Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should
listen and understand!
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure
that a man discovered hidden in a field.
In his excitement, he hid it again and sold
everything he owned to get enough money
to buy the field.
45
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
46
When he discovered a pearl of great value,
he sold everything he owned and bought it!
Parable of the Fishing Net
47
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
fishing net that was thrown into the water
and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the
net was full, they dragged it up onto the
shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish
into crates, but threw the bad ones away.
49
That is the way it will be at the end of the
world. The angels will come and separate the
wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51
Do you understand all these things?”
“Yes,” they said, “we do.”
52
Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the
Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner
who brings from his storeroom new gems of
truth as well as old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53
When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of
the country. 54 He returned to Nazareth, his
hometown. When he taught there in the
synagogue, everyone was amazed and said,
“Where does he get this wisdom and the
power to do miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed,
“He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know
Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James,
Joseph,* Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters
live right here among us. Where did he learn
all these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is hon-
13:35 Some manuscripts do not include of the world. Ps 78:2. 13:37 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
13:39 Or the age; also in 13:40, 49. 13:55 Other manuscripts read Joses; still others read John.
13:53-58 We must always fight the preconceived notions that others have of us. We might leave
our dysfunctional families or groups of friends and enter a successful recovery program. But when
we return, we shouldn’t be surprised when others ignore our message of recovery, saying that we
are just so-and-so or just the kid they went to school with. They won’t listen to us because they
are too close to who we were and cannot see who we have become through God’s grace. As we
share our recovery story with those who know our past, it may take time to convince them of our
sincerity and the new life we have experienced.
14:15-21 Jesus fed thousands of hungry people on more than one occasion (see also 15:32-39).
Jesus is not only able to do the impossible, but he is also concerned with our pressing human
needs. He is committed to meeting our most basic physical needs, but how much more is he
committed to meeting our emotional needs related to recovery! Jesus did not do everything
himself; his disciples helped meet the people’s needs. Jesus often meets our needs through human
instruments. God may be working our recovery through concerned friends or others who are
hurting like us. We should never refuse help from godly friends. As we have opportunities to
encourage others in recovery, we can be thankful that God has chosen to use us.
