"Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
Matthew 13:51-52
I like this selection because it makes it seem like Christ is pausing here to gauge understanding and see if they can handle a little more, like a teacher would. And so this is the extra lesson at the end of the list of parables.
To me this builds upon the previous parables. Christ is talking to his disciples about the parable of the wheat and the tares, and how the end of the world will see a division between the wicked and the righteous, with each group gathered together, and explains the symbolism. Then he progresses to talking about the treasure hid in the field and the pearl of great price, then the net which gathers in all, and gets sorted by the fishermen, and then this one.
So he's talked about treasure and about dividing... symbolically basically saying that the world is full of good and bad, but we need time to develop before we become clearly part of the wheat or the tares. Then that we have a lot of choices in life, and value different things, but when we find the things that matters the most, we let the rest go, and part of that choosing means sorting out in our own lives the good and the bad, keeping the one and getting rid of the other.
I think what this parable adds to the whole is symbolic of scripture and revelation, although of course it could encompass other things as well. Basically, we shouldn't be throwing old things away as bad just because they are old... that's not the way to sort. We already discussed sorting by good and bad. :) So, in other words, let's not assume that a new way or new technology or new anything is better just because it is new... or that the old way of doing things or our old habits are good just because they are "tried and true" or more comfortable. That's still sorting incorrectly. :)
Today, let's work to invite into our lives everything that is good and dismiss the bad... and even the less good if things are getting crowded. Let's choose the Kingdom of Heaven over all else, and never dismiss something good, and from God, just because it is old, or just because it is new. God wants to pile on the treasure (symbolically), and he's got a lot already there for us to find, and much more to come. He'll keep adding to it as long as we don't reject it, and as long as we are willing to choose it above all else... just like King Lamoni's father was willing to give away all his sins to know God. Christ's treasure is totally worth the discarding of everything lesser.
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
Matthew 13:51-52
I like this selection because it makes it seem like Christ is pausing here to gauge understanding and see if they can handle a little more, like a teacher would. And so this is the extra lesson at the end of the list of parables.
To me this builds upon the previous parables. Christ is talking to his disciples about the parable of the wheat and the tares, and how the end of the world will see a division between the wicked and the righteous, with each group gathered together, and explains the symbolism. Then he progresses to talking about the treasure hid in the field and the pearl of great price, then the net which gathers in all, and gets sorted by the fishermen, and then this one.
So he's talked about treasure and about dividing... symbolically basically saying that the world is full of good and bad, but we need time to develop before we become clearly part of the wheat or the tares. Then that we have a lot of choices in life, and value different things, but when we find the things that matters the most, we let the rest go, and part of that choosing means sorting out in our own lives the good and the bad, keeping the one and getting rid of the other.
I think what this parable adds to the whole is symbolic of scripture and revelation, although of course it could encompass other things as well. Basically, we shouldn't be throwing old things away as bad just because they are old... that's not the way to sort. We already discussed sorting by good and bad. :) So, in other words, let's not assume that a new way or new technology or new anything is better just because it is new... or that the old way of doing things or our old habits are good just because they are "tried and true" or more comfortable. That's still sorting incorrectly. :)
Today, let's work to invite into our lives everything that is good and dismiss the bad... and even the less good if things are getting crowded. Let's choose the Kingdom of Heaven over all else, and never dismiss something good, and from God, just because it is old, or just because it is new. God wants to pile on the treasure (symbolically), and he's got a lot already there for us to find, and much more to come. He'll keep adding to it as long as we don't reject it, and as long as we are willing to choose it above all else... just like King Lamoni's father was willing to give away all his sins to know God. Christ's treasure is totally worth the discarding of everything lesser.
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