Bible ReadingMark 1:14-15 [29:39] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 9:9-13 [35:03] As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 13:1-52 [33:35] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
“Hear then the parable of the sower: 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 what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Observation questions- In Mark 1:14-15, what three things does Jesus announce after declaring that the kingdom of God has come near?
- What does Matthew do immediately after Jesus tells him, “Follow me,” and what does he do next in his home? [35:22]
- What contrast does Jesus make between the Pharisees’ concern about sacrifice and His desire for mercy in Matthew 9:9-13? [37:04]
- In Matthew 13, what different pictures does Jesus use to describe the kingdom, and what details stand out in the pictures of the soils, weeds, mustard seed, yeast, treasure, pearl, and net? [40:22]
Interpretation questions- Jesus says, “Repent and believe,” because the kingdom has come near. How does repentance as a changed mind differ from simply feeling sorry or trying harder to earn God’s attention? [31:26]
- Matthew was known publicly as a traitor and a sinner, yet Jesus called him and ate at his table. What does this reveal about the kind of people Jesus welcomes into His kingdom? [38:36]
- The mustard seed and yeast both begin small and work over time. What might these parables say to believers who are discouraged because their faithfulness seems ordinary or unnoticed? [43:45]
- Jesus says the field contains both wheat and weeds until the harvest. How can this help a group remain honest about the brokenness in the world and church without becoming cynical or harsh toward people? [45:50]
Application questions- What is one area of life where God may be inviting a change of mind—about success, control, holiness, a difficult person, or personal worth? What could it look like to see that area through the lens of King Jesus this week? [31:47]
- Matthew saw Jesus see him differently, and that changed the direction of his life. Is there a shame-filled label from the past that still tries to define you? How might Jesus’ call to Matthew challenge that label? [39:54]
- Jesus chose mercy over religious distance when He sat at Matthew’s table. Who is someone in your everyday world—a neighbor, coworker, family member, or person others avoid—who may need practical mercy and genuine presence from you?
- Small acts of kindness, prayer, courage, and attention can become openings for the kingdom. What small act might feel insignificant right now, but could be a faithful next step? [01:03:46]
- The kingdom of God can show up in a classroom, fire station, coffee shop, workplace, home, or neighborhood. Where do you already spend regular time, and what might it look like to carry God’s heart and authority there? [49:45]
- Mike’s story reminds us that no life is of zero value. Are there people or groups you are tempted to view mainly through their failures, addictions, politics, status, or usefulness? What would it look like to ask Jesus to help you see them with His eyes? [01:03:22]
- Jesus asks His disciples whether they understand the kingdom pictures, then invites them to notice what the kingdom is like. What “kingdom of God is like” story might God already be writing in your life or around you? [01:04:17]
