The secrets of the kingdom of heaven & the parable of the sower

The parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-9 is one of the most well-known parables in the Bible. A farmer went out to sow the seed. Some seed fell along the path and was eaten up by the birds. Some seed fell on rocky places, where, without roots, the plants could not withstand the scorching sun. Some seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Yet some other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop -- a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. After Jesus told this parable, His disciples came to Him and asked why He spoke to people in parables. Jesus replied that the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have not been given to them. As Isaiah prophesied, people's heart has been calloused, so that they will be hearing, but not understanding, and they will be seeing, but not perceiving. "Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (Matthew 13:15, cf. Isaiah 6:9-10).

What is not as well-known about this parable is that it was spoken on the same day that the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus for a miraculous sign -- a sign that would show that Jesus was indeed the Messiah or the Prophet (Matthew 12:38 ff). This little-known fact is significant because Jesus was in a way responding to the Pharisees and telling how God chooses to reveal the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, as well as how God chooses not to reveal the secrets.

First, even though the Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign, it is not by a sign that one gets to partake in the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Indeed Jesus performed many miraculous signs in the presence of many people. He gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, made the lame walk, cured the lepers, and even raised the dead back to life. He commanded a storm and calmed it down with His word. He walked on water. He did things that no one else had done or could have done. Yet people did not believe. In fact, in Bethsaida and in Korazin, where He performed most of His miracles, people did not repent. He said, "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." (Matthew 11:21).

Rather, to those who do not believe and do not repent, the signs are like a snare that will accuse and convict them on the judgment day. Jesus said of them, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin... If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and the Father." (John 15:22,24). The fact that the signs were given will be used as evidence of their sin and guilt.

At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up to condemn the wicked and adulterous generation that did not repent and believe in Jesus, despite the fact that One greater than Jonah came to them. The Queen of the South will likewise condemn the wicked generation that did not repent and believe in Jesus, despite the fact that One greater than Solomon was there.

Faith is itself evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). It does not need another sign as evidence. But to those who have faith, signs can help to further confirm what they already believe in. To those who do not have faith, no amount of signs will help them get the faith.

Second, as evident in the parable of the sower, the secrets of the kingdom of heaven are not for all who simply hear the word of God.

In Romans 10:14, Paul writes, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" To have faith in the Lord, one must have heard of Him. This is certainly true.

Hearing about the word of God is necessary, but not sufficient. As Jesus tells in the parable of the sower, only the seed that fell on the good soil produced a crop. Other seeds that fell along the path, in rocky places and among thorns did not produce a crop. Simply hearing the word of God is not enough. Just like the crowd in Jesus' days, people may hear, but not understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Familiarity with the word is not enough. Rather it may actually turn out to be a hindrance. The people of Nazareth were amazed at Jesus' teachings, but their response was one of incredulity and disbelief (Matthew 13:53-58). They knew about Jesus' brothers and sisters and knew of Him as the carpenter's son, but nothing more. Jesus spoke of the people of Nazareth, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor" (Matthew 13:57). Having seen Jesus many times and hearing Him speak many times did not help the people of Nazareth learn the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

What about people of today? There are many who may be considered church-goers, who attend the worship service and listen attentively to the sermons. One Sunday after another, they listen to the word. However, how many have become simply accustomed to the word and not really get anything out of hearing the word? Aren't we like the path, rocky places, or thorns, among which the seed cannot grow to produce a crop? Do we lose the word to the evil one as soon as we hear it? Do we receive the word with joy, but fall away from it when trouble or persecution comes because of it? Or, do we let the worries of this life or the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful in our lives? Simply hearing the word and becoming familiar with it is not enough to understanding the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

How then does God share the secrets of the kingdom of heaven?

As it turns out, the right question is not how God shares the secrets, but rather with whom God shares the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

Throughout the ages, God has been very selective as to whom He shares His secrets with.

God called Abraham "My friend" (Isaiah 41:8). Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" (Genesis 18:17) He was pleased to share with Abraham what He was about to do.

Likewise Jesus told His disciples: "You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:14-15). Jesus called them His friends and shared intimate knowledge with them. Jesus said to them, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you" (Matthew 13:11).

Notice that these are the same disciples, whom Jesus pointed to and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:49-50). The disciples were considered friends of Jesus and members of Jesus' family, because they not only heard Him speak, but also did what He commanded and did the will of Heavenly Father. Thus they could share in the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

The key to knowing the secrets of the kingdom of heaven is that when hearing the word of God, one receives it with faith and obeys it to do the will of God.

In Hebrews 4:2, it says, "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." In some translations, this verse is translated to read, "the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share in the faith of those who obeyed."

What God wants from us is simple obedience to His word, because then the word is beneficial to us and lets us be fruitful. We should certainly love hearing, reading, and meditating on the word of God. But even more, we should strive to obey the word.

My prayer is that we will receive the word of God, the way the boy Samuel received, saying, "speak, for your servant is listening" (I Samuel 3:10), and the way Simon Peter received, saying, "because you say so, I will" (Luke 5:5). Then the word will be a blessing to us.