The last half of Matthew 13 contains six more of Jesus’ parables. Two of the parables gives us an eternal perspective on what happens to people at “the end of the age”, and groups all people into two categories: the sons of the kingdom, and the sons of the devil. Two other parables tell us of the importance of choosing to be sons of the kingdom over all else. Finally, two more parables tells us how just a few people with a little faith can spread throughout the world and expand the kingdom of heaven. The table below groups the parables by their topic.
| Eternal Perspective | Faith and Growing the Kingdom | The Kingdom’s Upmost Importance |
|---|---|---|
| The Parable of the Weeds (verses 24-29 and 36-43) | The Parable of the Mustard Seed (verses 31-32) | Parable of the Hidden Treasure (verse 44) |
| The Parable of the Net (verses 47-50) | The Parable of Yeast (verse 33) | Parable of the Pearl (verses 45-46) |
The main focus on all of these parables is the kingdom of heaven. So what is this kingdom of heaven and why does Jesus talk about it so much. The kingdom of heaven is the eternal state of fellowship with God and God’s people. Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah who will defeat all evil and bring about this kingdom. At this point in Matthew, it seems most of his followers were expecting Jesus to bring about his kingdom in power and overthrow Roman rule. However, Jesus’ first coming to earth was to free people from sin and send his followers out to grow the eternal kingdom of heaven. The physical fulfillment of Christ coming in power to defeat his enemies will happen in the future, and can be read about in Revelation 19-22.
In the Parable of the Weeds and the Parable of the Net, Jesus makes it clear that those who are not saved through faith in him have a terrible alternative.
Verses 40-42:
As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Verses 49-50:
This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Many people try to say that Jesus is not the only means of salvation, but at the same time say that Jesus was a good teacher or a prophet. But Jesus’ own words do not leave any room for many paths to salvation. Jesus is not just a good teacher, he is Lord God in the flesh. If there are many paths to God, this makes Jesus a liar. If there are many ways to God, then Jesus, claiming to be God in the flesh would be lying to us when he says that there is no other way but through him.
Mankind’s sinful nature and willful choices to do wicked things has made us justly deserve the punishment that Jesus mentioned in the verses quoted above. God is completely just and will not let sin go unpunished. But God is also completely loving and has offered his Son to take our punishment. All we need do is believe this and turn from being a slave to sin, to a servant of Christ. God is good and has a wonderful kingdom in store for those who follow him.