Teacher

For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:17 (ESV)

Who is the best teacher you've ever had? What about the worst? Why? What are some of the characteristics of a great teacher? One of the most used titles for Jesus in the Gospels was Teacher. Those who encountered Jesus found a new kind of Rabbi, taught with a new type of authority they hadn't seen before. This week, we will discover Jesus the Teacher by examining the method He used to teach people about Himself and His Kingdom.

When you hear the word "Parable," what comes to mind? You may be immediately transformed back to your early Sunday school days. You recall your dedicated teacher telling you stories that were called parables. You remember the "famous" stories of those stores that Christ shared. You can recall the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) or the Lost Sheep (Matt 18:10-14). You can recall the story because they were told with intensity, understanding, and clarity. A parable is a story with a deeper spiritual meaning. In much of His teaching, Jesus used parables for several reasons. First of all, using stories in teaching is an effective way to communicate truth memorably. Many of Jesus' parables remain a lasting testimony to how great He was as a teacher. The other reason Jesus used parables in His teaching was to discern the kind of people listening to Him. A parable was used to grab one's attention and to teach the truth about Christ and God's Kingdom.

Leading up to the teachings in Matthew 13, Christ has been recorded as sharing several parables. In Matthew 13, He used the teaching of 7 interrelated parables and an 8 one to share about the "mystery" of the faith.

Today, our question should be the same as that of the disciples; "Why did Christ speak in parables?" Read in Matthew 13:10-11; "Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 1And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.' For this particular teaching moment, Jesus was revealing the truth to those who were believing the mysteries of the faith. Two He was canceling truth from those who were denying the obvious. Jesus was teaching a lesson that was to be remembered and embraced.

Friends, as we gather on Sunday, we will reflect on the teachings of Christ in Matthew 13 while reading The Parable of the Sower. In His parable, Jesus described four types of soil, with the soil representing people who hear His teaching. The first three refer to people who are not saved but have varying responses to the seed of the Word of God. Then Jesus contrasted those types of people with people whose hearts are good ground. The same good seed fell on all four types of soil, but only this last example refers to a person who has been born again. As is customary with the presentation of this parable during worship, the question will be left of you; "Which type of soil are you?" "What is your heart condition?"

Thank God for graciously giving us His Word as you prepare to attend worship on Sunday. Pray that God would provide us with eyes to see and ears to hear the glorious truth of the gospel. Pray that God's Word would take deep root in our hearts such that it produces faithful obedience and visible fruit.