Matthew 13-14

[wolfpurplemoon]

The disciples question Jesus' constant use of parables, he seems to say he uses them because the people he's talking to won't understand anyway so they can't be saved. He repeats a similar passage from Isaiah, which I'm sure referred to the contemporaries of Isaiah who were past listening to warnings from prophets so it didn't matter what he told them.

Jesus says that he sows good seed (people of the kingdom) in the field (world) but the devil will come and sow weeds (evil people) which will grow together with the good seed until the harvest (end times) when the angels will pick out the weeds (sins and lawbreakers) and burn them and then free the good people - he doesn't mind explaining his parables to the disciples.

The people in Jesus' home town just see him as that little carpenter's son from down the road, they know his parents and his brothers and sisters so don't really believe that he's become a messiah (he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy) so he doesn't do many miracles there.

Herod has John the Baptist beheaded because his niece dances for him and he offers her anything she wants. Because John had insulted her mother she asked for John's head on a platter.

So Jesus makes five loaves and two fishes feed five thousand, but for some reason this doesn't count the women and children in the crowd, he then goes for a stroll on the water, Peter has a go at this trick as well but nearly drowns because he suddenly realises he's walking on water (reminds me of the cartoon trope of characters running off a cliff and only falling when they realise).

Comments

And it's happening again...

[(Anonymous)]

And, ironically, it's happening right here too. God speaks and those who really don't want to hear the truth will not get it. The crowds were there for a show not instruction. It's kind of like the movie Matrix. We are all part of a huge game...a contest between God and the enemy and our very soul is the game piece being won or lost. The only real 'rule' of the game being played is that the game piece has 'free will'. So....if we were all on a life sized chess board...and were all set up according to our positions...then the 'king' from one side or the other could try to persuade us to move our chess piece to a different square, but would not move the piece by force for us. Jesus can't help but know, ahead of time, who will respond to Him and consequently concentrates on that person who does or will someday cooperate with his plan. Jesus has already won the game....it's just a matter of which game pieces will be lost because they didn't listen to His nudging and instruction. And...since this is like the Matrix...this isn't even being lived out in reality.....everyone 'game piece' thinks they are living a life that they are 'enjoying' when it's just an illusion that will inevitably be gone. So....at the end of the game......everyone will take their turn standing before the One who won the game....and the sad thing is that everyone 'game piece' will have to admit that they actually were told that it was a game and they were given a chance to exercise their free will and ask for help from the game master....but they ignored it and the consequences are not good. Eventually the game ends. Jesus came so that any game piece that really wanted to be on the winning side would have that option.