Parables about the Church

In a previous BLOG, it was established that the Gospel references to Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are references to the church.

Since this identification has been established we can turn and look at the things Jesus said about the Kingdom to help better understand the Church. Much of this information comes from parables.

What are Parables?

Jesus spoke using parables which were plain language stories to illustrate greater truths.

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Why Did Jesus Use Parables?

Matthew 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The Revolutionay Part of This

There's an aspect to the church which was revolutionary. Jesus was gathering a people together for Himself and that people were part of the Hebrew religion at the time. Identifying with the church would bring division within the existing Hebrew community as some of the Hebrews would follow Christ and others would reject Him. Christ spoke of this division:

Luke 12:53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Christ made following Him an absolute. Blood ties are the closest of human ties, but one could not choose even family over Christ.

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Parable of the Sower and the Seed

This is the parable of the Sower and the Seed. It would have been fully understood at the time Jesus spoke it since it was a very familiar sight.

Luke 8:4-8 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus explained the meaning of the parable to His Disciples.

Luke 8:11-15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The parable is about how people react to the good news of the Kingdom of God. Some choose the things of the world over following God. They don't produce fruit. Jesus summarized this in a short saying.

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

No Secret Kingdom

Almost every parable of the Kingdom describes a visible kingdom. For example:

Matthew 13:31-32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

This parable is repeated here.

Luke 13:18-19 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

This isn't some secret hidden tree. Everyone can see it. It is also a single tree, not many trees. It started with the ministry of the God-Man, Jesus Christ and grew to fill the whole world.

A similar illustration is:

Luke 13:20-21 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 A small amount of leaven makes a whole loaf of bread rise.

Is this Passage about a Secret Kingdom?

With this background, we can tackle the "harder" passages which are frequently appealed to as a secret kingdom.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Within the Hebrew people themselves, there were those who had come to constitute the Church of Christ. The Church itself had not yet been formed, since Pentecost had not yet happened. Yet the Church was already present in those who followed Christ.

Palm Sunday is the day where some of the people of Israel recognized Jesus as thei8r King.

John 12:12-16 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.