Woe on unrepentant cities. Rest for the weary

Matthew 11:20-30
11:20 Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For in the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Siddon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
11:22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Siddon in the day of judgment than for you.
11:23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
11:24 "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."
11:25 At that time Yeshua answered and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wis and prudent and have revealed them to babes."
11:26 "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."
11:27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
11:28 "Come to Me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Vs. 20, 21: Here we have the condemnation of three key cities for their unbelief. They are Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The reason for the condemnation of those three is because the majority of Yeshua's miracles were performed in these three cities. They had the greatest manifestation regarding His claims, and yet, they rejected Him.

Now, we know of miracles He performed in Capernaum and also in Bethsaida. But, we don't know of a single miracle He performed in Chorazin. Not a single miracle is mentioned in the Gospels. And yet, according to these statements, there were more miracles performed in Chroazin than in Jerusalem. So again, this shows the truth of the statement of Yochanan, the Gospel writer. The Gospel writers had to be selective as to what they recorded. Although Chorazin was one of the three primary cities of Yeshua's ministry, we don't have so much as a single record of Him being there, let alone performing miracles there.

Vs. 22-24: Verse 22 is used by some to establish the teaching of degrees of punishment in Hell. They say that while all unbelievers do end up in the Lake of Fire, there will be degrees of punishment there. The degree of punishment will be determined upon the degree of light that one had and then failed to respond to. To this writer it is a mute point since I don't plan on going there. How about you?

Vs. 25: In this verse we have a whole thanksgiving hymn, written in the style of the Essene hymns. "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto the simple ones....." The opening words, "I thank Thee," appears in most of the Thanksgiving Hymns. The idea that the deepest truths are closed to certain people also belongs to the world of the Essenes. Even the word "simple," hinting as it does to opposition towards the intellectualism of "the wide and prudent" comes from the world of the Essenes, and to some extent, from that of the Pious.

Vs. 28: Because of an understanding of the Law, many today think bondage comes from serving God from the Law. The ancients believed that bondage only came from the unlawful use of the Law (Torah). Avot 3:5,56 says, "Whosoever accepts upon himself the yoke of the Torah takes on himself God's Presence and brings rest, and whosoever does not take upon himself the yoke of the Torah will have a time of hard labor." To the Jew in ancient times, and even today, the keeping of the Torah was not bondage, but a time of rejoicing and feasting. The burden of tzedakah was considered light. The burden of a good heart was easy, while the burden of a bad, stingy heart was heavy.

Vs. 30: Hillel, during the first century B.C.E., set as his main principle the bringing of men closer to the Torah. In opposition to Shammai, he consented to the admission of Proselytes, even when they laid down unreasonable standards for admission (Shabbat 31a). It is said that some in the Shammai School considered Gentiles converts a leprosy in Israel. It was this group that Yeshua referred to when He said, "they bind heavy and grievous burdens on others." In contrast, His yoke was so easy and accessible. Hillel, like Yeshua, was in favor of taking the message to all mankind and had 80 personal students (disciples), 30 of which the Shekinah rested upon, 30 of which the sun would stand still for like it did Joshua, and 20 that were average (Sukkoth 28a).

Yeshua anointed by a sinful woman

Luke 7:36-50
7:36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him, and He went to the Pharisees' house, and sat down to eat.
7:37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Yeshua sat at the table in the Pharisees' house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil.
7:38 And stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil.
7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is
touching Him, for she is a sinner." 7:40 And Yeshua answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it."
7:41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty."
7:42 "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
7:43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more," and He said to him "You have rightly judged."
7:44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
7:45 "You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
7:46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil."
7:47 "Therefore I say to you, her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
7:48 And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
7:49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
7:50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."


Vs. 36: Now in this and other subsequent segments we are going to find Pharisees inviting Yeshua to dinner. This isn't because they are being nice to Him. They are looking for opportunities to find fault in Him.

Vs. 37, 38: You will note that the woman had easy access to the home. Entrance was easy because of the custom of wealthy Pharisees to have their doors open during meals. Mishnah Avot 1:5 says, "Rabbi Yosi ben Yochanan of Jerusalem said, 'Let your house be open to the street and let the poor be children of your house.'" So usually wealthy Pharisees had their door open so the poor could come in and get some food to eat.

Now as to the perfume she put on him, there is something to note in Mishnah Berakhoth 6:6: "The blessing is also said for the perfume although it could not be brought in until after the meal." She probably brought in the perfume during the meal, but anointed Him afterwards in keeping with Jewish practice.

The ancients considered alabaster to be the best material in which to preserve their ointments. The Oriental alabaster is a translucent carbonate of lime, found in the floors of limestone caves by the percolation of water. It is usually clouded or banded like agate, hence it is sometimes called onyx marble.

Vs. 39: And so the Pharisee says, if He really is the Messiah, or at least a prophet, He would have had by His prophetic office discerned that she was a prostitute, and would never allow her to do what she is doing. The Pharisee was correct about Yeshua's discerning powers; he just totally missed the whole concept of God's love.

Yeshua first of all shows the Pharisee who is named Simon, that He is who He claims to be because He is able to read his mind and tell Simon what is going on in his head.

Vs. 41: He presents a parable to show why this woman is so lavish with her love.

Vs. 44: What Yeshua is showing in this verse is that the Pharisee had other motives than hospitality for inviting Him to eat. He did not even extend to Yeshua the common courtesy of a host of that day, such as washing His feet, give Him a welcome kiss of greeting, or anoint His head with oil. And yet, this prostitute did all that the Pharisee failed to do.

Vs. 47: Yeshua argued that her actions were extensions of the accepted custom of greeting for an honored guest. She had been forgiven grave wrongdoing. Simon was too religious to recognize the legitimacy of her actions. Simon had been forgiven little and did not have the same understanding of who Yeshua is. He failed to do things that showed that Yeshua was welcome in his house. This forgiven prostitute did do the things that showed that Yeshua was welcome in her heart. The Kingdom principles from the life and teachings of Yeshua demonstrated God's love, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Vs. 50: Now, to make sure there is no misinterpretation that this person is saved because of her works, Yeshua says, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." It was the woman's faith that was the means of her salvation, and the forgiveness of her sins. Her works of wiping the feet of Yeshua was merely the outworking of her faith. It is the principle set forth by James that you show your faith by your works. This is a very common Rabbinic teaching, and always has been.

Yeshua and his disciples

Luke 8:1-3
8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him.
8:2 And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of who had come seven demons,
8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.


Vs. 1: Here we have His second major preaching tour, but this time it is done with the twelve disciples. The first one He did on His own.

Vs. 3: There is a question that is sometimes raided: "How did Yeshua and His disciples finance their ministry work? Even every day living expenses for thirteen people can amount to quite a lot, not to mention ministry work. I'm sure they did receive quite a few donations, but it appears that the steady income needed was from wealthy women, even from Herod's household. Why would they do this? During this time most women were treated as second-class citizens. But, Yeshua treated them differently. A woman such as Mary Magdalene, who was possessed with seven devils, would have been treated as an outcast. But, Yeshua cared. He treated women very differently than they were used to. They were not second-class citizens in His sight. They were valuable human beings that had needs and hurts in their lives. He reached out to them and they responded in kind.

Yeshua and Beelzebub

Mark 3:19-30; Matthew 12:22-37
Mk. 3:19b And they entered into a house.
Mk. 3:20 And the multitude came together, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
Mt. 12:22 Then one was brought in to Him who was demon possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both saw and spoke.
Mk. 3:21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."
Mt. 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
Mt. 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons." (See also Mk. 3:22)
Mk. 3:23 So He called them to Him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"
Mt. 12:25a But Yeshua knew their thoughts, and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation," (See also Mk. 3:24)
Mt. 12:25b "And every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (See also Mk. 3:25)
Mt. 12:26 "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" (See also Mk. 3:26)
Mt. 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges."
Mt. 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you..
Mt. 12:29 "Or else how can one enter a strong an's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house." (See also Mk. 3:27)
Mt. 12:30 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."
Mt. 12:31a "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,
(See also Mk. 3:28)
Mt. 12:31b "But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. (See also Mk. 3:29)
Mt. 12:32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but who ever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or the age to come.
Mk. 3:30 Because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
Mt. 12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit."
Mt. 12:34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
Mt. 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of his treasure brings forth evil things."
Mt. 12:36 "But I say to you that every idle word men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment."
Mt. 12:37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."



Vs. 22: Yeshua healed this man of his blindness, and also his dumbness, or the inability to speak. He did this by casting out the demon which dwelt inside the man. There are two very important occurrences in this segment that we need to look at. The first is the casting out of the demon. This was not all that unusual in the Jewish world of that day. There was a lot of demon activity going on. Even the Pharisees and scribes had the power to cast out demons. What made this the Second Messianic Miracle was the type of demon. There was a Pharisaic formula or ritual fir casting out demons that required three stages. First, the Jewish exorcists had to establish communication with the demon. Second, the exorcists had to find out what the demon's name was. Third, using his name, the exorcists cast the demon out. This formula can be seen in Mark 5:1-16 and Luke 8:26-34, which we will discuss later.

Knowing the Pharisaic methodology, it seems clear that this was a type of demon which the Rabbis were powerless against. It was the type that caused a person to be dumb or mute. Demons spoke using that person's vocal cords. If the person was unable to speak, there was no way to establish communication with the demon or to discover its name. Therefore, the Jewish Rabbis were unable to cast out this type of demon. But, the Rabbis taught that when Messiah came, He would be able to cast out this type of demon by the power of God. That is why this is called a messianic Miracle, a miracle that only Messiah could perform.

Vs. 23: The people of the land (Am haEretz) began asking themselves and the scribes and Pharisees, "Is this not the Son of David?" or "Is this not the Messiah?" All their lives they had been taught that only Messiah could perform certain miracles, and now, Yeshua has performed not one, but two of these. Yeshua never came right out and openly claimed to be Messiah. He didn't have to. He used the teachings of the Rabbis and the Word of God to make His claim. Actions, not words, validated His claim and the common people knew who He was.

Vs. 24: After this Second Messianic Miracle, Yeshua is now being taken seriously by the Sanhedrin. This segment actually covers several days. It takes time for the word of the miracle to get back to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and then more time for the scribes to come back to Him. What is the reason: it is now the beginning of the second stage of His investigation - the Stage of Interrogation. You will notice that up to this point, the scribes and Pharisees that followed Him said nothing. They only pondered things in their minds. Now, the Stage of Interrogation has begun with its questions and accusations.

This last miracle has now posed a problem for the religious leaders. They were faced with two options: accept Yeshua as Messiah and yield their positions and authority to Him, or reject Him. To do this though, they would have to publicly explain how He was capable of performing these miracles that they had taught the people that only the Messiah could perform. Unfortunately, for reasons they could only understand, they chose to reject Him. Let me emphasize something here again. There had already been many who claimed falsely in this era of great Messianic expectation to be Messiah. This two-stage investigation procedure of the Sanhedrin was a very legitimate and necessary one and Yeshua welcomed it. It was badly needed for this time. That is why Yeshua never made any vocal claims of Messiahship, because there had been a lot of men doing that. He validated His claims by strict actions according to the Word of God. If He was ever able to get the leaders of Israel to proclaim Him as Messiah, it had to be proven to them by this investigation. Unfortunately, they did totally reject Him, and this is one of the possible explanations behind Yochanan 1:11, "He came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him." It is not that the common people of Israel did not accept Him as Messiah, but that the leadership would not. It is the leadership that speaks for the people. It is because of misinterpretations of this verse by our church leaders down through the centuries that we have been taught that the Jews rejected Yeshua. That is a lie!

Vs. 25, 26: Yeshua responds to this by saying it could not be true. If He was demon possessed, but still casting out demons, that would mean a division in Satan's kingdom. In other words, why should Satan hurt himself?

Vs. 27: Early records tell us that it was not uncommon for the general miracles such as healing of blindness, deafness, the lame, the dumb, and even casting out of demons to occur. Even Yeshua makes reference to this when He addresses the Pharisees by saying, "If I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?" The "sons" of the Rabbis was another name for their disciples. Sometimes we Christians don't want to accept these things, but when they come straight from the mouth of the Lord, its kind of hard to deny them. This kind of activity was quite common in that day. Yeshua was asking them a very pertinent question: "If your disciples, the young ones that you are training, are doing the same thing that I am, who is behind their actions? If being demon possessed gives Me this power, then so also are you and your disciples demon possessed."

Vs. 28: Yeshua now asks them, "If this miracle is by the Spirit of God, and also, it is a miracle that you have taught that only Messiah could do, then hasn't the Kingdom of God come upon you?" He makes this statement because another thing the Rabbis taught was that when Messiah came, He would usher in the Kingdom of God. This was a direct challenge from Yeshua to the Pharisaic investigation to acknowledge Him as Messiah.

Vs. 29: The strong man here represents Satan. The one entering his house to plunder it is the Messiah. Yeshua binds him by casting out his demons, demonstrating His power over Satan and his followers. Messiah has come to plunder his house. Hallelujah!!

Vs. 30: Here is where Yeshua "draws a line in the sand." There can be no compromise, no gray areas. You are either with Yeshua or you are against Him. It is either Christ or anti-Christ. There is no in between.

Vs. 31, 32: Yeshua has a second response to His rejection and this was a condemnation in the strongest terms against "this generation." This "evil generation" was guilty of the Unpardonable Sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They accused the Ruach haKodesh which empowered the Messiah of being from Satan. This was a "national curse" for the entire nation of Israel. It would fall upon every person of that generation (the generation that physically saw the Messiah in person). The unpardonable sin was not an individual personal sin. There were obviously persons who blasphemed the Ruach haKodesh during this time and later became saved when they accepted Yeshua as Messiah and repented. The Apostle Paul is a very good example of this.

The judgment and condemnation of this "generation" on the nation as a whole came about forty years later in 70 C.E. with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, This was a direct result of the nation as a whole rejecting the Messiahship of Yeshua. It must be stressed that this was not an individual sin because individuals of that day could and did escape the judgment. Nor is it a sin that someone could commit today. The Bible is perfectly clear that the only sin a person can commit and not receive forgiveness for is the one that person does not seek forgiveness for. Any sin today will be forgiven if a person truly repents before God through faith.

Not only did the committing of the unpardonable sin by "this generation" bring judgment that was fulfilled in 70 C.E., but it had another very important implication to it. The offer of the Messianic Kingdom to the nation of Israel would now be rescinded. It would now be offered to the Gentiles.

Vs. 37: Eccl. 5:13 says, "Glory and dishonor come from speaking and a man's tongue is his own downfall." The leadership of Israel had just very vividly demonstrated this saying.

The sign of Jonah

Matthew 12:38-45
12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
12:39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no ign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."
12:40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
12:41 "The men of Ninevah will rise in judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."
12:42 "The queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the whisper of Solomon; and indeed a
greater than Solomon is here." 12:43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none."
12:44 "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order."
12:45 "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."


Vs. 38: Because of being stung by His words of rebuke in the preceding segment, the Pharisees try to take the offensive. They demand yet another sign as if Yeshua had done nothing so far to authenticate His Messiahship. He has performed numerous miracles since the beginning of His ministry, including two miracles the Pharisees themselves had labeled Messianic Miracles. Yet, in spite of the evidence, they reject His claim.

Vs. 39: Because of their rejection, Israel, He says, is to receive no more signs but one: the sign of Jonah, which is the sign of the resurrection.

Yeshua continues to perform miracles even after this time, but His purpose has changed. Up until now, the purpose of His miracles was to serve as signs for the nation, to get the nation to come to a decision regarding Him. But now, they have come to that decision, and the decision is that He is not the Messiah on the grounds of demonic possession. From this point on, His miracles are for the purpose of training the twelve disciples for the work they will have to conduct once He is gone.

Vs. 43: The story of the demon is that it wasn't cast out, but simply left on its own volition, looking for a better place to stay. He searches for a while, but he finds no vacancy. So he returns to the man he indwelt earlier. He finds that person swept and garnished, but at the same time the demon finds him still empty. He is still empty because in the interval the man never took the opportunity to be indwelt by another spirit, be it the Holy Spirit or another demon. The demon re-enters the man, but no longer wanted to live by himself and he invites seven other demons to join him, and the last state has become worse than the first. At the first he was possessed by only one demon, but now he is possessed by eight.

Vs. 45: The point of the story is that even so shall it be unto this generation that began with the preaching of Yochanan the Immerser. By means of the preaching by Yochanan that generation was swept, and that generation was garnished. But now with the rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua that generation also remains empty. The last state will be worse than the first.

Yeshua's mother and brothers

Matthew 12:46-50
12:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him. (See also Mk. 3:31; Lk. 8:19)
12:47 Then one said to Him, "look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to you." (See also Mk. 3:32; Lk. 8:20)
12:48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" (See also Mk. 3:33)
12:49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here anre My mother and My brothers." (See also Mk. 3:34)
12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother, and sister and mother." (See also Mk. 3:35; Lk. 8:21)


Vs. 46: If you will notice the Luke account (8:19, 20) A.T. Robinson again has broken up the order. The events of this segment are in the wrong chronological order. Segments 63 and 64 should actually be reversed. The parables of segment 64 are in two groups: (1) the ones He spoke in public to the multitudes; and (2) the ones that are spoke in private for His disciples in the house. Segment 63 actually occurs between the public and private parables.

In segments 63 through 68 we have a unit concerning the revelation in view of rejection, noting that at this point the Messiah repudiates all earthly ties in favor of spiritual ones, as His relationship to the nation now changes and the whole scope and method of His ministry changes. The first is in the area of signs. His signs are no longer for the nation to authenticate His Messiahship. From this point on His signs are for the purpose of training His disciples for the work they will have to conduct in the light of this rejection. The second area is His miracles. Up to now He had been performing miracles on behalf of the masses for its own sake. But, from this point His miracles are no longer for the masses. Rather they will be in response to a personal need on the basis of faith.

The third area is His message. Up to now He has been proclaiming widely that He is the Messiah, and offering to Israel the Kingdom of God. His disciples were allowed to proclaim His Messiahship. But, from this point on He says, "Don't tell anyone that I am the Messiah." And when Peter gives his great confession, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," Yeshua says to him, "See that no man knows it." When He heals a person He will tell them, "Don't tell anyone about it."

The fourth area is the method of His teaching. Up to now He has been teaching them in clear propositional truth. An example is the Sermon on the Mount. But, from this point He begins to teach in parables and the purpose of His parabolic teaching is to hide the truth from the masses. We have come to a very critical point pivotal point in the life of Yeshua. With the exception of the death and resurrection, His rejections the most important incident in His life.

Vs. 49: This story gives two very possible explanations for the words found in Yochanan 1:11. "He came unto His own, but His own received Him not." The first possibility concerns His immediate family. A lot of scholars believe that these verses indicate that a rift had occurred between Yeshua and the members of His own immediate family, probably because of His Messianic claims. Instead of welcoming them with open arms, they say His words show a clear rejection of them as they possibly did Him. We do know that His half-brother James was not converted until after the resurrection, and then went on to become the leader of the Jerusalem church.

The other possibility was very obvious. It was the rejection by the leadership of Israel on the part of the whole nation His words could very well be understood as to be telling the people they have a choice to make: the national leadership or God. Now, looking from hindsight, that might seem like a pretty simple choice. But, as we shall see in later segments, many, many thousands of people would make the wrong choice. But, to present the teaching that all of Israel rejected Yeshua as the Messiah is simply not true.

Parable of the sower

Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:13-25; Luke 8:16-18
13:1 On the same day Yeshua went out of the house and sat by the sea. (See also Mk. 4:1a)
13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. (See also Mk. 4:1b; Lk. 8:4a)
13:3a Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, (See also Mk. 4:2; Lk. 8:4b)
13:3b "Behold, a sower went out to sow." (See also Mk. 4:3; Lk. 8:5a)
13:4 "And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them." (See also Mk. 4:4; Lk. 8:5b)
13:5 "Some fell on stony places, where they did not have enough earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth." (See also Mk. 4:5; Lk. 8:6a)
13:6 "But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away." (See also Mk. 4:6; Lk. 8:6b)
13:7 "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them."
(See also Mk. 4:7; Lk. 8:7)
13:8 "But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (See also Mk. 4:8; Lk. 8:8a)
13:9 "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (See also Mk. 4:9; Lk. 8:8b)
13:10 And the disciples came said to Him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
(See also Mk. 4:10; Lk. 8:9)
13:11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been give." (See also Mk. 4:11; Lk. 8:10a)
13:12 "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have , even what he has will be taken away."
13:13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."
13:14 "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive;'"
(See also Mk. 4:12a; Lk. 8:10b).
13:15 "For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hears and turn, so that I should heal them."
13:16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear."
13:17 "For assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
4:13 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?"
13:18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower." (See also Lk. 8:11a)
8:11b "The seed is the Word of God."
4:14 "The sower sows the Word."

13:19 "When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart."
(See also Mk. 4:15; Lk. 8:12)
13:20 "But he who received the Word on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy;" (See also Mk. 4:16; Lk. 8:13a)
13:21 "Yet he has no root within himself, but endures only for a little while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles."
(See also Mk. 4:17; Lk. 8:13b)
13:22a "Now he who received the seed among thorns is he who hears the Word,
(See also Mk. 4:18; Lk. 8:14a)
13:22b "And the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful. (See also Mk. 4:19; Lk. 8:14b)
13:23 "But he who received the seed on good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (See also Mk. 4:20; Lk. 8:15)
8:16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those that enter may see the light." (See also Mk. 4:21)
8:17 "For nothing is secret that will, not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light." (See also Mk. 4:22)
4:23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
4:24 And He said to them, "Take heed of what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given." (See also Lk. 8:18a)
4:25 "For whoever has, to him more will be given; but to whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." (See also Lk. 8:18b)



Vs. 13:1 We are told very clearly that this parabolic form of teaching begins on the very same day that the rejection had occurred. In fact, this will be true of the next several segments that are to follow. This is a very important point to remember as it sets the mind set for what happens in the next several segments. This is a very clear instance where the context is so important in understanding what is going on. Without it, getting the full impact of this situation would be completely lost.

Yeshua's parable of the four kinds of soil was told in a volcanic area where everyone knew hat good soil was. Many thorns would appear during the summer months. This shoreline is also the major highway for all north-south travel, making it easy to imagine some seeds falling on the beaten path.

Vs. 13:2 Even with the rejection of the national leadership, many people evidently weren't convinced that their leaders were telling them the truth. While it is true that some might have been just curiosity seekers, this crowd was still following Yeshua wanted more of what He had to offer. You cannot keep teaching people things for years and years, and then expect them to dismiss what they have been taught very quickly.

Vs. 13:3a Now before we go any further, let's basically define what a parable is. A parable is a figure of speech in which a moral or spiritual truth is illustrated from analogies of every day life. For the most part parables have one main point, and it is very often wrong to make very little point of every parable mean something. Parabolic teaching was very common among the Rabbis, although it was for an entirely different purpose. Yeshua told parables to hide the truth, where the Rabbis told them to illustrate it. The Mishnah Sotah 9:15 says, "When Rabbi Meier died, those who taught by parables ceased." So, at a certain point in Rabbinic history there was a cessation of teaching by parables. Why would Yeshua want to hide the truth from the people? Here again we go back to what just happened. Yeshua's Messiahship had just been rejected by the leadership. None of the people stood up to them to question their decision. Silence normally means agreement. Yeshua would presen t the truth to them, but in order to receive it, it would take a change of heart on the part of the individual. Repentance would be the beginning.

Yeshua taught about God's reign in parables. He vividly illustrated through parables the progressive growth of the Kingdom as it si compared to the mysterious power of a mustard seed and the unfathomable fermenting properties of the leaven in the dough. God's Kingdom is not delivered into the hands of selected leaders in order to control the lives of others. It cannot be viewed only as a future event reserved for the day of judgment. The Kingdom is a present reality for those people who chose to obey the teachings of Yeshua, to accept God's redemptive power in their lives, and to exemplify the qualities of discipleship and servanthood in a hurting and needy world. The Kingdom is here!!! It is like a mustard seed that grows into a tree. It is like leaven that permeates the entire loaf.

Vs. 13:3b A tale is told; a moral is pointed. The effect of the parable is to throw the question back to the listener, to provoke a different answer from before. It also throws the readers personal situation into relief, so that every time it is read it can mean something different. There is an important distinction between an allegory and a parable. In an allegory, every element in the story has its own counterpart in real life, such as the allegorical explanation appended to the parable of the sower, each step having its own explanation. More often, a parable makes a single point. Many parables can be given allegorical interpretations, either by modern scholars or sometime the Bible itself. Yet such allegorical interpretations limit the extent to which the prable can influence the reader or the listener. To summarize: a parable uses symbols to restate the premise in new way, in terms of the listener's own experience.

The parable (mashal) was used as a teaching method, of opening the door to understanding a particular point in an argument, or a particular passage of Torah. The parables in Rabbinic literature are generally shorter and simpler than those found in the Gospel narratives: most comparisons are brief, perhaps with one point of comparison, rarely with more, lasting for a few lines.

Vs. 13:10 Yeshua discipled His followers in the fashion of a typical first-century itinerant teacher of Judaism. Not in a synagogue classroom, but on hillsides, in fields, and in remote locations this Galilean carpenter's son clustered many pupils about Him. Yeshua was articulate, and He drew much of His rich teaching material from the Hebrew Scriptures and from Rabbinic traditions familiar to His day. But, He also taught directly on His own authority, which sometimes resulted in the inability of His disciples to understand.

Vs. 13:11, 12 Yeshua makes His feelings very clear in this verse. He will continue to teach and instruct His disciples concerning the Kingdom of God. But, to those who reject Him, He wants nothing further to do with them. This should be a very scary thought to unbelievers. Unbelief does not justify anything. But, it does carry a very heavy cost. For those who believe, it opens to door to the Kingdom of God and all its blessing. Those who do not believe, in the end, will loose even what little they do have.

Vs. 13:13-15 The Word of God proves itself true again. And yet, the people will have only themselves to blame for their consequences. Because if they had stayed close to God and opened their hearts to His Word, the outcome would be completely different. Most of the Jewish nation would pay a very dear price for the hardness of their hearts. Only those who belief and obey will escape.

Vs. 4:13 The point of this statement is that the meaning of this first parable is the key to understanding all the other subsequent parables. That is why He will go into detail explaining the first parable, and little or no detail regarding the subsequent parables.

Vs. 8:11b The Lord tells His disciples the meaning of what the seed is. It is important to apply this same meaning to the seed in all the other parables also.

Vs. 4:14 The sower is Yeshua, the Messiah. It is His teachings that will usher in the Kingdom of God for those who believe.

Vs. 13:19 This age of the Messiah will be characterized by the sowing of the Gospel see. The first response is that of pure unbelief, and the birds of the air are the agents of Satan who will snatch the seed away, and there is no belief at all.

Vs. 13:20 This parable teaches that this age will be marked by different preparations of the soil. There are people who do accept and do believe. But, because they are not rooted in the Gospel's Word, they fail to produce the fruit needed. How much clearer could it be than that we need to study the Word of God as if our lives depend on it. They do.

Vs. 13:22a The age is furthermore marked by opposition that will come from the world, the flesh and the devil. This is a response also of those who believe but their problem is not a lack of opportunity to be rooted in the Word. They allowed themselves to be choked by the cares of the world.

Vs. 13:23 This is the response of those who are rooted in the Word of God, hear His message and respond positively to it. They will receive the blessings of God. The amounts Yeshua gives here are not to be taken literally, as a lot of people do. He is painting a word picture of the different capacities that believers have. Not everyone will produce on the same level, but all will produce.

Vs. 4:22 The word "apocrypha" comes from the Greek word meaning "hidden" or "secret." It was used by the Gnostics even at this early date to speak of their esoteric works which were only available to the initiated. This can be evidenced in the Coptic books of "Jen" and the "Apocrypha of John," which both gave stern warnings against communicating their information to any unauthorized person. It is with this Gnostic idea in mind that Yeshua and Paul mention the term "secret things" in their messages (Col. 3:23). The church, on the other hand, only recognized those writings which were read in public.

This is a good place to say something about some of these denominations and/or organizations that have their secret rituals and teachings. These things are not Biblical. The Word of God is open to all who would receive it. No church, denomination or organization has the right to withhold the Word of God from anyone. Nor are there any secret teachings outside of the Bible that have anything to do with the church. If someone tells you that you cannot participate in their services or teachings without you first joining their church and participating in some secret ritual to first make you worthy, stay away from them. They are heretics. That type of practice was birthed in Gnosticism which was, until recently, the greatest heresy to ever enter the church.

Parable of the growing seed

Mark 4:26-29
4:26 And He said, "The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground."
4:27 "And should sleep by night and rise up by dat, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how."
4:28 "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head."
4:29 "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."


This second parable is a parable of the seed growing of itself. The point of this parable is that the seed sown will spring to life mysteriously, under its own power. It is the mystery of regeneration. The seed we know from the first parable is the Gospel. This is the key to understanding all the others. It is the simple Gospel of Yeshua dying for our sins, being buried, and then rising again. It is the Gospel of Yeshua that has power to change lives all by itself. It needs no help from man, other than we help with the planting. The Lord graciously also allows us to participate in the harvest. But, it is His Word that changes lives and produces the harvest.

Parable of the weeds

Matthew 13:24-30
13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;"
13:25 "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way."
13:26 "But when the grain that had sprouted and produced crop, then the tares also appeared."
13:27 "So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'"
13:28 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this,' The servants said to him, Do you wnat us to go and gather them up?'"
13:29 "But he said to them, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.'"
13:30 "'Let them grow together until the harvest. I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"


Vs. 24: There are at least four points to be made concerning this parable. The first point is that the true sowing is going to be initiated by a false counter sowing. Does this mean that Satan will claim to somehow have died and then raised from the dead? No! But he will first attack the credibility of the resurrection story of Yeshua and then try to replace that story with one of his own. Has he done that yet? Yes, he has. Newsweek Magazine (08/25/97) carried a story of what is probably the greatest heresy ever brought into the church. In an article titled "The Meaning of Mary" it tells how some four million Catholics have signed a petition asking the Pope to declare Mary as "Co-redeemer" with Yeshua. If it was possible, this would completely nullify the work of the cross. In addition, they are asking the Pope to declare that all Catholics must pray only to Mary. She is then supposed to carry their prayers to God and influence their being answered. The big problem is, Ma ry cannot hear the prayers of anyone. In doing this, Satan has figured out a way to completely cut off the prayers of all Catholics around the world.

The second point of this parable is that there will be a side by side development as a result of this sowing. In order for mankind to have a free will, he must be able to freely choose from between two options. The Gospel of Yeshua will flourish and nothing can stop it. But, the false gospel of Satan will thrive also. Don't be surprised by this. The third point is that there is a judgment coming that will separate the two. And fourthly, the essential character of the two will be determining factor. Those who believe and follow the false gospel will pay the consequences and there will be no doubt of their guilt when it is over.

Vs. 25: This verse talks about the "tares," what the Mishnah calls the "zunim." It was allowed to be sown with the wheat and did not fall into the category of "diverse kinds." Mishnah Kiliam 1:1 says, "Wheat and zunim are not in relationship of kiliam, or different kinds, from each other."

Vs. 30: This verse certainly indicates that a Day of Judgment is coming in which the good and evil will be judged. But, it says the tares will be judged first, and then the wheat will be gathered into the barn. We seem to have this a little mixed up. The most popular teaching within Christianity today says that the good will be gathered first, and then the evil will be judged seven years later after a "tribulation period." That is not what this verse teaches. Don't you think we need to accept what the Bible teaches, and not some church doctrine book?