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Sons of The Kingdom Introduction: Questions often arises as we study the Bible. There are certain rules of interpretation that will help us answer our questions. One is to let the Bible explain itself and the other is to keep everything in its context. For instance John 3.16 is often contrasted with 1 John 2.15. However, the word world is referring to the people in John 3.16 whereas the word world is defined in 1 John 2.16-17 as those worldly things opposed to the will of God. Another example is the word "all." It sometimes means everything or everyone without limitation, Matthew 28.18. In other passages it refers to everyone in a particular group, Acts 4.34, as those who possessed land and houses. The question arose concerning the phrase "sons of the kingdom" and to whom it refers in two different passages. I) Matthew 8.5-13 A) Jesus spent most of His ministry dealing with the Jews 1. He even used the term "the lost house of Israel" in Matthew 15.22-24 when a woman of Canaan (a gentile) approached Him. 2. Remember the "limited commission" in Matthew 10.5-6 B) Our text 1. A centurion, a Roman soldier, approaches Jesus in verse 5. This man was much like Cornelius in Acts 10 in that he appeared to be a good man. 2. The centurion's servant was paralyzed and tormented, v. 6 3. Jesus offers to go to this man's house to heal the servant, v 7 4. The centurion shows his faith in verses 8-9 a. No need for Jesus to personally go to the house, just by His word, the servant would be healed. b. Jesus had the authority, power, ability, to heal the servant. c. The authority of Jesus is taught in a number of passages, John 2.5 "Whatever He says to you, do it." C) A series of comparisons in our text 1. This man's faith vs. Israel or the Jews and their lack of faith. v. 10 2. Those from the east and west that would come (gentiles) and would sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the Patriarchs, the fathers of the Jews), v. 11 3. "Sons of the kingdom" or "children of the kingdom" . Who is Jesus speaking of? a. Many if not most of the children of Israel would not be a part of Jesus' kingdom, Matthew 3.7-12 b. Only those who believe as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be a part of the kingdom of heaven, v. 12. c. See this point made in John 8.37-40. 4. "Sons of the kingdom" is not referring to the kingdom of Christ but the Jewish kingdom. II) Matthew 13:38 A) The Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13.24-30 1. There is one landowner. He has the right to control his field, to plant, water, and harvest. 2. There is the field. The place of action, seed is planted, grows, and is harvested. 3. There are two kinds of seeds. a. That which produces wheat, brings forth the desired harvest. b. Tares or "darnel." Darnel looks a lot like wheat, hard to tell the difference in early growth period. Its fruit is poisonous, has to be separated at the harvest. 4. The one planting the tares is the enemy of the land owner. 5.Three questions a. Did you not sow good seed in your field? b. How then does it have tares? The answer is in verse 28, the enemy has done this. c. Do you want us then to gather them up? Answer in verse 29-30 is to let them alone and they will be separated at the harvest. B) The spiritual lesson and explanation, vv. 36-43 1. The field is the world, v. 38 a. The place of action is not inside the church but in the world b. This is not an excuse to allow false teachers or sin in the church c. Jesus has all authority over all the world, Matthew 28.18-20 2. The good seed is the Son of God; and the seeds or offspring are the sons of the kingdom a. Jesus came to seek and save the lost b. The Gospel is the word of God and able to save; to make us children of God, Galatians 3.26 3. The bad seed is from the wicked one, v. 38 a. The devil is seen as active from the point of view of spreading his doctrine, 1 Timothy 4.1-3; 1 Peter 5.8, etc. b. Who are the tares? The immoral, liars, idolaters, murders, just plain sinners; much like the hard soil, the wayside soil, and the rocky soil in the parable of the sower. 4. What shall be done? a. At first leave them alone, the good will co-exist with the bad, the just with the unjust. b. V. 41 the angels will gather those who cause offenses, Matthew 18.6-7; those who practice lawlessness, Matthew 7.22-23 c. There will be a time of harvest, the Day of Judgment, 2 Corinthians 5.10 5.The good seed in this parable are those that obeyed the word of God, they are the "sons of the Kingdom." This is not to be confused with its usage in Matthew 8.13. Conclusion: Two important lessons. The first is that even those of us "in the church" have to have an obedient faith. Our children have to have the faith of the centurion if they are going to be a part of Jesus' kingdom. The second, is that God allows the sinner and the saint to live now. There will be a time of separation, and judgment. We should not think that just because God is not killing or punishing the sinner now means that God is turning a blind eye to them. He is giving them time to hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized into Christ.
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