Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Matthew 13:12 NIV
One of the most unsettling verses that no one knows about is this verse above. It has however leaked into the mindset of many who think that the Christian life is about grabbing as much as they can and those who do not have will lose whatever they think they have. If I have something then I am entitled to more and having lots of stuff or being wealthy is what I am entitled to.
Context determines meaning: But the context is very important to understand this verse and what it is teaching. Jesus just introduced this first parable to the crowds which is commonly understood as the Parable of the Sower. It uses four vignettes to help us understand, in Jesus’ words, to whom it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom and those it has not been granted. In other words there are two groups of people – those who have understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom and those who do not have an understanding of these truths… two groups of people, two outcomes.
Purpose of the Parable: The tricky part is interpreting the actual parable with this in mind. For example in Matthew 13:19 gives us the first vignettes which clearly illustrates the person who “hears the Word and does not understand it.” It is clear that this person does not understand the significance of the truth for their life. The second vignette is not so clear – “this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but it is only temporary…” I believe the question to ask here is this: “Is this a person who hears and understands the word of the kingdom or not?” In one sense it looks like they do hear and understand the word because the text says he receives it with joy. But the text immediately say that regardless of the initial response to the word it is temporary because there is no root for the word and that person falls away when faced with affliction or persecution (v. 21). It is virtually impossible for me to label this as a person who I would say has heard and understood the word; it does not take root, it is temporary and does not last. The third vignette gives another similar scenario, “this is the person who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful” (v. 22). Again we need to interpret this in light of Jesus paradigm – the parable exposes those to whom it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom and those to whom it has not been granted. So the question arises again. If you had to choose between saying this person has heard AND understood the word or not how would you classify this vignette? I know the tension – “they heard it but it just not bear fruit so the issues is not receiving the word but only fruitfulness.
Look at the last vignette – “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understand it; who indeed bears fruit and bring forth some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty.” The very point of this last vignette was to show the evidence of the person who truly hears and understands the word – it is the person who bears fruit, not as a secondary coincidence of receiving the word but the very evidence of hearing and understanding the word of the kingdom.
I understand there are lots of questions and applicational situations that would seem to struggle with this even deeper. If you happen to disagree, the issue you have to address is: how do you give account for Jesus’ paradigm that says there are only two kinds of people – those to whom it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom and there are others to whom it has not been granted. Someone asked me one time “if this is so black and white with Jesus why all these confusing situations that seem some messy and unclear?” From a human perspective our lives are very messy and unclear and awkward and confusing. However, the divine work of change in a person’s heart is never confusing with God.
Food for thought,
Pastor Brad
