Reflective Bible Study

To wrap up a section of parables, Matthew draws our attention onto three short parables Jesus shares. While these parables are often broken apart, with the first two separated from the third, it is only when we place them together that we see a bigger picture of what God wants to share with us.

While Matthew 13 starts with a parable designed to help us understand the other parables Jesus shared better, I think these last parables in this long set help us understand another key point behind many of Jesus’ other parables.

This concluding set of parables has the Kingdom of heaven being represented by a treasure hidden in a field that a man finds, by a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls, and by a fishing net that catches fish of all kinds. These parables are all connected by saying “Also” and they all describe a characteristic of one thing: The Kingdom of heaven.

But one parable is different from the others.

Part of the reason I believe these parables have been broken into two sections is because the third parable (unlike the first two) contains the explanation, and it isn’t a very pleasant conclusion for those who are not saved.

When we cut off the third parable and focus in on only the first two, we get the impression we must be constantly on the lookout for treasure and pearls, and that we must sell everything we have in order to acquire the treasure we find. There is an element of truth to this interpretation of the first two parables, but it stops us short of a powerful truth that the third parable brings.

If we focus in on the third parable in this set (the one focused on the fishing net), and we specifically look at how Jesus explains it, we see a parable that is shared from God’s perspective not ours.

This has the power to completely change how we look at any parable Jesus shared because if Jesus opens it by saying it’s about the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God, you can be sure God will show up – and the parable probably is given from His perspective and not ours.

This means that the first two parables can also be applicable from His perspective. God is working in a field and He finds a treasure. He sells everything He has to get that treasure. God is continually searching for valuable pearls, and when He finds one, He sells everything He has to get that pearl. God was willing to purchase all of humanity back through the death of His Son so that He could sort and save all who have chosen Him. Buying us back from sin cost God everything – and He would do it again because that is how much He values each of us!

In one of the more popular parables Jesus shared, we can find reassurance in a very surprising place. While sharing the parable of the ten bridesmaids, when we look closer at what Jesus shared, a key detail of the parable might surprise you.

The parable opens by describing ten bridesmaids and it then divides these bridesmaids into two groups. One group consisted of 5 wise bridesmaids, and the other group consisted of 5 foolish bridesmaids.

Normally we would focus in on what separates the wise from the foolish, and in many ways, this is Jesus’ key point of the parable. But if we focus on how these two groups are similar, we begin to see a powerful truth.

The first similarity is a unified purpose. The parable opens in verse 1 by saying, “Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.” All ten bridesmaids had the same purpose; all the bridesmaids wanted to meet the groom.

We then learn about some differences before hitting another similarity, which is found in the second portion of verse 5, which says, “So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep.” All ten bridesmaids fell asleep when they were supposed to be awake and watching.

The next similarity comes after the call comes in the night about the bridegroom. Verse 7 tells us, “Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.” When they had woken up, they all needed to prepare their lamps because they all had ignored their lamps while sleeping. Some flames may have gone out, while others may have been very faint.

This is where the similarities end. The foolish bridesmaids leave to get oil, and while they were gone, the bridegroom came and the door was shut.

Too often, we think of the wise follower of Jesus being the person who is always on fire for God and who always remains alert and awake. It is the person who has great habits and who always seems to have a vibrant spiritual walk.

With that picture in mind, we are left struggling to attain that idea, or we give up and admit that we must be among the foolish group since we don’t measure up to those we see around us.

But this picture of perfection is false. All ten bridesmaids fell asleep and all ten had their lamps either fade or go out. This tells me that every follower of Jesus will have a period of time where they fall asleep. If even those who are wise fall asleep, then sleeping is not sinning.

Nothing negative is said about the wise bridesmaids who fell asleep or about their flickering lamps. The focus seemed to be placed on the before sleep and the after sleep – and not on the period of sleep itself.

Knowing there will be times in our lives that we don’t feel close to God and times when we have let our spiritual habits slide, know that everyone faces these times. You are not wise or foolish for falling asleep. Instead, when you realize you have fallen asleep and are woken up, the decisions you make are what determine whether you are in the group of the wise or the group of the foolish.

When looking at the weekend of the crucifixion and specifically at the moment right after Jesus’ death, I was surprised to learn that one of the key individuals leading up to Jesus’ death was surprised when he learned the news.

Only Mark’s gospel includes this detail when he writes, “Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long.” (v. 44)

Typically crucifixions lasted longer than what Jesus experienced, and this detail is significant to us. Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, John’s gospel tells us that Jesus said, “No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.” (John 10:18)

These two details placed together help us understand one key reality: The cross did not kill Jesus; Jesus gave up His own life while hanging on the cross.

Following the conversation with the men hanging on the crosses next to Him and arranging for John (the disciple) to take care of His mother, Jesus knew He had fulfilled everything that God had asked Him to do. So He committed His Spirit into His Father’s hands and gave up His life.

This truth is powerful for us to remember. Jesus chose the death He received, and it happened to include a cross. But the cross was only a final location. The cross was always intended to be a symbol, but it was not the cause of Jesus’ death. The thing that led Jesus to give up His life was His love for you and me!

Pilate’s surprise is completely valid in this verse because crucifixion was a method that maximized the duration of pain a person was in while hanging on the cross. The goal behind this was to set a clear example for everyone who passed by about what would happen if they angered the Romans. The Jewish leaders attached themselves onto this death because they were the ones who initiated the series of events that lead Jesus to the cross.

However, the cross did not kill Jesus. Jesus gave up His own life while hanging on the cross – and Jesus chose this path for you and for me.

While reading the gospels, occasionally I’ll run across an event where I could see myself responding in a similar way as one of the people present. As this event in Mark’s gospel opens, John brings an issue to Jesus that he thinks needs to be addressed. John describes to Jesus what he discovered by saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” (v. 38)

In this event, John believes the right thing to do was stopping this other individual. After all, this other person was not a disciple or even a follower. Perhaps, they were someone who saw one of the disciples casting out demons using Jesus’ name and they realized that God wasn’t exclusively sharing this power with only Jesus. In many ways, I understand John’s perspective: If anyone and everyone knew that all they needed to do was use Jesus’ name and they would be given power, then there could be chaos.

However, to John’s surprise, Jesus responds by saying, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.” (v. 39-41)

In this response, Jesus shares a very profound line: “For he who is not against us is for us.” (v. 40)

Many times, we believe and/or think that it is the opposite way. We may have the impression that Jesus really meant to say that “the person who is not for us is against us”, but that is not the wording Jesus’ uses.

This distinction matters because there is a broad middle ground. Are we to understand that those who are in the middle ground (neither for, nor against Jesus) included with those who are for Jesus, or are they excluded with those who are against Jesus? While the answer is not as simple as drawing a line through the middle ground, or simply saying that everyone who hasn’t given their allegiance to Satan is safe, it is statements like these that prompt me to believe God (through Jesus) is more inclusive rather than exclusive.

This means that instead of looking for ways to keep us out of heaven (which is what many people believe), God is actively looking for ways and reasons for bringing us into Heaven. If God wanted to keep someone out of heaven, there would be ample evidence to do so for every single person who has ever lived – except Jesus.

Instead, God sent Jesus to make a way available to bring us back to Him. Jesus’ human existence proves God wants us with Him in heaven. God then looks for reasons to include us, starting with belief in His Son, before then looking for examples of kindness and sharing the gospel message with others.