Matthew 13:43
“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
While explaining the Parable of the Tares, Jesus spoke of the harvest at the end of the age, when all humanity will be gathered together. In Revelation 19, we see this event unfolding. We see all of humanity standing before the throne of God, and the books opened. The first book we might call the ‘book of works’. It contains every sin committed, every idle word spoken, every vile thought we’ve had. The second is the Book of Life. When we receive Christ, not only is our name written in the Book of Life, but all that was in the ‘book of works’ is erased. Paul spoke of “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us has been erased, having been nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Those, whose names are found in the Book of Life, will be escorted into heaven, where they will forever be with the Lord.
What a glorious future awaits the child of God! Jesus goes even further. He tells us, not only will we be in heaven, but we will shine in heaven. This reminds me of the words of Daniel 12:3,
“Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.”
The stars of today are those who act, sing, play sports, or make a great deal of money, but the brightest stars in the kingdom of heaven, are those who lead others to Christ. Pray today about how God might use you this week to win someone to Christ
Pastor Jim
Questions for Chapter 13
1. Because the people did not listen to spiritual truth Jesus spoke to them in parables. Look up the word parable, what does it mean?
2. What does each of the following represent in the story? Don’t guess keep reading and Jesus will tell you.
a. Seed
b. Sower
c. Path
d. Stony ground
e. Weeds
f. Good soil
3. In the parable of the tares, what is a tare? What do they represent?
4. What is the purpose of the story about the tares?5. What is the lesson from the stories of the hidden treasure and the pearl?6. Why was Jesus rejected at Nazareth?
Old Testament:
Genesis 25-When All Else Fails
Genesis 26- Curse Or Choice
Jim Gallagher 