What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Today's Bible Reading: Matthew 13-15 - The Parables of the Sower, Mustard Seed, and Weeds, and Jesus' Journey to Magadan
Can a simple story about seeds change the way you perceive life's greatest mysteries? Join us on "What Do I Know" as we immerse ourselves in the profound teachings of Matthew 13. Jesus’ Parable of the Sower reveals how the condition of our hearts determines the impact of spiritual truths on our lives. We unravel the purpose behind Jesus’ storytelling techniques and their deeper, prophetic meanings. Exploring further, we'll uncover the Parable of the Weeds, where we learn about the complex coexistence of good and evil, and how it all comes to a head during the final harvest. We'll also ponder the kingdom of heaven's immeasurable worth through the parables of the mustard seed, hidden treasure, and the dragnet.
As our journey continues, we follow Jesus to the region of Magadan, setting the stage for our upcoming discussion on Matthew 16. We wrap up this episode with heartfelt blessings and warm wishes for all our listeners. Tune in for an enlightening exploration of these biblical passages and find inspiration and deeper understanding in the words of Jesus. God bless you, and until next time, farewell.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know. Alright, in today's Bible reading we're going to be picking back up in Matthew 13. If you're ready, let us begin. On that day, jesus had gone out of the house and he was sitting by the sea and a large crowd had gathered to him. So he got into a boat and he sat down and the whole crowd was standing on the beach and he told them many things in parables, saying Behold, a sower went out to sow and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road and the birds came and they ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky places where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up immediately because they had no depth of soil. But after the sun rose they were all scorched and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns and the thorns came up and choked them out. But others fell on good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty and some thirty times as much.
Speaker 1:The one who has an ear to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came up and said to him why do you speak to them in parables? And Jesus answered them To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given and he will have an abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because while they are seeing, they do not see, and while they are hearing they do not see, and while they are hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says you shall keep on listening but you shall not understand. You shall keep on looking but you shall not perceive. For the hearts of this people has become dull and with their ears they scarcely hear. For the hearts of this people has become dull and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and return, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. For truly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and did not see it, and hear what you hear and did not hear it.
Speaker 1:Listen then to 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 the one sown with the seed beside the road. The one sown with seed on the rocky places this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no firm root in himself, but only is temporary. And when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one who's sown with the seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke out the word and it becomes unfruitful. But the one who sown with the seed of the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundred, some sixty and some thirty times as much.
Speaker 1:Jesus presented another parable to them, saying the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sown good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came along and sowed weeds among his wheat and left. And when the wheat sprouted up and produced grain. Then the weeds also became evident and the slaves of the landowner came and said to him Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does this have weeds? And he said to them An enemy has done this. The slaves said to him Do you want us then to go and gather them up? And he said no, while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and at that time, the harvest, I will say to the reapers First gather up the weeds and bind them and bundle them and burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.
Speaker 1:He presented another parable to them, saying the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. He spoke another parable to them. All these things, jesus spoke to the crowds in parables and he did not speak anything to them without a parable. This was so that what was spoken to the prophet would be fulfilled. I will open my mouth in parables and I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world. Then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him and said Explain to us the parable of the weeds in.
Speaker 1:And the disciples came to him and said and he said and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age. So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of man will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their fathers, the one who has Verse 1. Went and sold everything that he had and he bought it Again. The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind, and when it was filled they pulled it up onto the beach and they sat down and they gathered the good fish into the containers, but the bad one they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angel will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Speaker 1:Have you understood all these things? They said to him, yes, and Jesus said to them Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old. When Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there and he came to his own hometown and began teaching them in the synagogues. With the result? They were astonished and said when did this man acquire wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is his mother not called Mary? And his brothers, james and Joseph and Simon and Judas and his sisters? Are they not with us? Where, then, did this man acquire all these things? And they took offense at him, but Jesus said to them A prophet is not dishonored except in his own hometown and in his own household, and he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. Matthew 14.
Speaker 1:At that time, herod the Tetrarch heard the news about Jesus and he said to his servants this is John the Baptist. He himself has been raised from the dead, and that's why the miraculous powers are at work in him. For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother, philip, for John had been saying to him it is not lawful for you to have her. Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd because they regarded John as a prophet. When Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod's birthday came. The daughter of Aridus danced before them and pleased Herod, so much so that he promised, with an oath, that he would give her whatever she asked. And after being prompted by her mother, she said Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter. And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oath and his dinner guest. He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl and she brought it to her mother. John's disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and they went away and reported it to Jesus.
Speaker 1:Now, when Jesus heard about John, he withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by himself, and when the people heard about this, they followed him on foot from the cities. When they came ashore, he saw a large crowd and he felt compassion to them. They do not need to go, you give them something to eat. They said to him we have nothing here except five loaves and two fish. And he said Bring them here to me. And, ordering the crowd to sit down on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish and he looked up to heaven. He blessed the food and broke the loaves, he gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the crowd and they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.
Speaker 1:Immediately afterward he compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side while he sent the crowds away. After he had sent the crowds away, he went up on the mountainside by himself to pray and when it was evening he was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land battered by the waves, for the wind was contrary, and the fourth watch of the night he came to them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and they said it is a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying Take courage, it is, I do not be afraid. Peter responded and said to him lord, if it is you, command me to come out to you on the water. And he said come. And peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and he came towards jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened and when he began to sink he cried out saying lord, save me. Immediately jesus reached out with his hand and took hold of him and he said to him you have little faith. Why did you doubt?
Speaker 1:When they got into the boat, the wind stopped and those who were on the boat worshiped him, saying you truly are the son of God. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Jedeseret and when the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding region and brought to him all that were sick and they pleaded with him Matthew 15. When they eat bread. And he answered and said to them why do you yourselves also break the commandments of God for the sake of your traditions? For God said Honor your father and your mother, and the one who speaks evil of his father or mother is to be put to death. But you say Whoever says to his father or mother Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God. He is not to honor his father and mother and by this you have invalidated the word of God. For the sake of your tradition, you hypocrites rightly did Isaiah prophecy about you by saying these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, and in vain. They do worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. And after Jesus called the crowd to him, he said to them Hear and understand. It is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth. This is what defiles a person. But what comes out of the mouth, this is what defiles a person. Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement? But he answered and said Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone. They are blind guides of blind people, and if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit. Peter said to him.
Speaker 1:Jesus went away from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon, and a Canaanite woman from the region came out and began to cry out, saying a Canaanite woman from the region came out and began to cry out, saying have mercy on me, lord, son of David, my daughter is severely demon-possessed. But he did not answer her with even a word. And his disciples came and urged him saying Send her away because she keeps shouting at us. But he answered and said I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and began to bow down before him, saying Lord, help me. It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. And she said yes, lord, but please help, for even the dogs' feet on the crumbs that fall from the master's table. Then Jesus said to her O woman, your faith is great, it shall be done for you as you have desired. And her daughter was healed at once.
Speaker 1:Departing from there, jesus went along to the Sea of Galilee and after going up to the mountain, he was sitting there and a large crowd came to him, bringing with them those who were limping and had impaired limbs, were blind or were unable to speak, and many others, and they laid them down at his feet and he healed them all. So the crowd was astonished and they saw that those who were unable to speak talked, those who were impaired, limbs restored and those who were limping walking around and those who were blind seen, and they glorified God of Israel. Now Jesus called his disciples to him and said I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with me now these three days and have nothing to eat and I do not want to send them away hungry for they might faint on the way. The disciples said to him when will we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd? And Jesus said to them how many loaves do you have? And they said Seven and a few small fish. And he directed the people to sit down on the ground and he took the seven loaves and the fish and, after giving thanks, he broke them and started giving them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the crowds and they all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces seven large baskets full, and those who ate were 4,000 men besides women and children.
Speaker 1:And sending away the crowds, jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan. All right, that's all the time we have for today. Tomorrow we'll pick back up in Matthew 16. Until then, have a blessed day. God bless you and goodbye.