Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

  ⁴⁷  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;

 ⁴⁸  and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.

 ⁴⁹  “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

 ⁵⁰  and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 ⁵¹  “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.”

 ⁵²  And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”  Matthew 13:44-52.

Here we have the Kingdom of Heaven Treasures:  hidden in the field, displayed in the marketplace, dragged in from the sea, and revealed by the saints.  What a contrast!

Let us look at Scripture which may give us further insights into the kingdom of heaven for each of these descriptions.

There is a sense that the kingdom of hidden is like a hidden treasure.  Proverbs 2:3-5 states:  
   ^“3  For if you cry for discernment,
         Lift your voice for understanding;
    ⁴  If you seek her as silver
         And search for her as for hidden treasures;
    ⁵  Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
         And discover the knowledge of God.”  Proverbs 2:3-5.  (Emphasis added.)

There is a sense that the kingdom of heaven is like a pearl displayed in the marketplace.  Everyone saw the pearl.  Everyone had the chance to buy the pearl.  But, few paid the price to get the pearl.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”  Romans 1:20-21.  We see creation everywhere which displays the glorious attributes of God.  We also have churches in every marketplace which also display the glorious attributes of God.  But, few truly pay the price necessary to obtain Him. 

There is a sense that the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet.  There are the good fish, and there are the bad fish.  There is the wheat, and there are the tares.  There are the sheep, and there are the goats.  God is sovereign and will separate the good from the bad, and God will throw the bad into hell and bring the good into heaven.  “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Matthew 13:49-50. 

There is a sense that the kingdom of heaven is revealed by the saints out of the treasure within their hearts as is stated above in Matthew 13:52:  “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”  “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.”  Matthew 7:17.  “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”  Matthew 12:35. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;”   2 Corinthians 4:7

 ³³  He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

 ³⁴  All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.

 ³⁵  This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
         “I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES;
         I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”  Matthew 13:31-35.  (Emphasis added.)  

 ³  And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;

 ⁴  and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

 ⁵  “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

 ⁶  “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

 ⁷  “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

 ⁸  “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

 ⁹  “He who has ears, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:1-9. 

  ¹⁸  “Hear then the parable of the sower.

 ¹⁹  “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

 ²⁰  “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

 ²¹  yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

 ²²  “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

 ²³  “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”  Matthew 13:18-23.  

Although this is perhaps the best known parable, it gives me the greatest pause on what to write.  One could focus on the four different places where the seed (the Word) was sown. 

But, I am struck by one overall and simple message.  We should sow God’s Word liberally and broadly.  You will notice that the sower did not seem to sow carefully in one place.  The sower liberally and broadly sowed the seed.  We too should preach and teach God’s Word liberally and broadly.  

“⁶  Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

 ⁷  Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 ⁸  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

 ⁹  as it is written,
         “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
         HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

 ¹⁰  Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

 ¹¹you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

 ¹²  For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

 ¹³  Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

 ¹⁴  while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

 ¹⁵  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  2 Corinthians 9:6-15. 

Let us not try to figure out who are the Elect and only preach and teach them God’s Word.  Let us not try to figure out who would be most receptive to God’s Word and only preach and teach them God’s Word.  But, rather let us sow God’s Word liberally and broadly (“bountifully”).  Let us trust God, as promised above in 2 Corinthians 9:10, that He will give us more seed and increase our harvest.

 ⁴⁸  But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

 ⁴⁹  And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!

 ⁵⁰  “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:46-50.  

Here are some quotes (not contiguous) from Calvin’s Commentary on these verses:

“our Lord teaches a very useful doctrine;  for he admits all his disciples and all believers to the same honorable rank, as if they were his nearest relatives, or rather he places them in the room of his mother and brethren

He tells us also, that there is no tie of relationship more sacred than spiritual relationship, because we ought not to think of him according to the flesh, but according to the power of his Spirit which he has received from the Father to renew men, so that those who are by nature the polluted and accursed seed of Abraham begin to be by grace the holy and heavenly sons of God.

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven.  When he says that they do the will of his Father, he does not mean that they fulfill, in a perfect manner, the whole righteousness of the law;  for in that sense the name brother, which is here given by him to his disciples, would not apply to any man.  But his design is, to bestow the highest commendation on faith, which is the source and origin of holy obedience, and at the same time covers the defects and sins of the flesh, that they may not be imputed.

Although these words seem to imply that Christ has no regard to the ties of blood, yet we know that in reality he paid the strictest attention to human order, and discharged his lawful duties towards relatives;  but points out that, in comparison of spiritual relationship, no regard, or very little, is due to the relationship of the flesh.  Let us therefore attend to this comparison, so as to perform all that nature can justly claim, and, at the same time, not to be too strongly attached to flesh and blood.  Again, as Christ bestows on the disciples of his Gospel the inestimable honor of being reckoned as his brethren, we must be held guilty of the basest ingratitude, if we do not disregard all the desires of the flesh, and direct every effort towards this object.”

Here is the link to the full Commentary by Calvin on these verses –

^“33  “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

 ³⁴  “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good?  For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

 ³⁵  “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

 ³⁶  “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” 

 ³⁷  “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:33-37.    

The scribes and Pharisees talked so sweetly.  Their language was so polite, well-mannered, even charming.  Yet, Jesus admonished them:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.  “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”  Matthew 23:25-27. 

Before we get too critical on the scribes and Pharisees, we must consider that this condition was our condition too.  As natural men, before God began the work in us of the regeneration and sanctification of our inner condition, we were “totally depraved” too.  This total depravity is as rotten, even dead, as any content of a tomb.

“And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”  James 3:6.  Who can tame the tongue?

We look to wisdom from above to tame the tongue.  “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”  James 3:17.  How can we get this wisdom from above?  ^“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.  (Emphasis added.).  Out of this wisdom from above, good words will flow.  

We look to Jesus who said:  “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”  John 7:38 .  Out of this living water, good words will flow.

We look to the Spirit to bear fruit within us of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”  Galatians 5:22-23.  Out of this good fruit, good words will flow.

^{Yesterday’s devotion was Matthew 12:28-29.  I came back to these verses, thinking that I should write about them.} 

^“28  “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

 ²⁹  “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.”

Here are some quotes (not contiguous) from Calvin’s Commentary on these verses:

“Christ is pursuing the subject, on which he had lately touched, about the kingdom of God, and declares it to be necessary that Satan be violently driven out, in order that God may establish his kingdom among men.

He maintains that a strong and powerful tyrant cannot be deprived of his dominion, till he is stripped of his armor;  for if he is not met by a force superior to his own, he will never yield of his own accord.

First, we know that the devil is everywhere called the prince of the world.  Now the tyranny which he exercises is defended on every side by strong ramparts. His snares for entrapping men are beyond all calculation; nay, men are already his slaves, and so firmly bound by a variety of fetters, that they rather cherish the slavery, to which they are devoted, than make any aspirations after freedom. There are also innumerable evils which he inflicts upon them, by which he holds them in wretched oppression under his feet. In short, there is nothing to prevent him from tyrannizing over the world without control.

men are subjected to his tyranny, yet he remains in quiet possession of his kingdom, and may insult us at his pleasure, till a stronger than he shall rise up against him.  But this stronger person is not to be found on earth, for men have not sufficient power to relieve themselves; and therefor it was promised that a Redeemer would come from heaven.  Now this kind of redemption Christ shows to be necessary, in order to wrench from the devil, by main force, what he will never quit till he is compelled.  By these words he informs us, that it is in vain for men to expect deliverance, till Satan has been subdued by a violent struggle.

he rescues us, by the powerful and victorious arm of Christ, from that wretched and accursed bondage.”

Bill’s Comments:

These verses and Commentary remind me of Isaiah 59:16-20:

¹⁶  And He saw that there was no man,
         And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
         Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
         And His righteousness upheld Him.
    ¹⁷  He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
         And a helmet of salvation on His head;
         And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
         And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
    ¹⁸  According to their deeds, so He will repay,
         Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
         To the coastlands He will make recompense.
    ¹⁹  So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west
         And His glory from the rising of the sun,
         For He will come like a rushing stream
         Which the wind of the LORD drives.
    ²⁰  “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
         And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD.”  Isaiah 59:16-20. 

In conclusion, and to put it in a nutshell and in a song of praise, “O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”  Psalm 98:1