St Matthew, Chapter 16, verse: 11, The Leaven: The Understanding

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 4.   

And there they were, standing among themselves, after having been in a heated argument, listening to Christ chastise them.  They did not yet understand.  They had lost all memory of what had happened with the five loaves and five thousand men.  Their minds were focused upon a simple, what they believed, a failure on some one's part, to bring bread that they would not go hungry.  Yet before them stood the creator of bread and wine.  Before them stood the creator of all things that would provide and protect them.  The leaven had crepted in and was infecting their minds and bodies and spirits.

Christ was appalled.  He could not believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing, and what he felt in his heart for those that he cared so much for and loved.  These were his future candidates.  These were the ones who were to carry the gospel throughout the world.  And here they were arguing among themselves about a material thing called bread.   Why Satan himself must have stood amongst them and laughed at how easily they could be persuaded to loose the one thing that gave them life, love for one another.  Christ had to bring understanding.  He had to call forth order.  He had to bring back their memories of the things that had come before them that they would know and see the pettiness of their behavior.  He said to them:   "Why do you not understand that it was not of bread I said to you, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees'?"
 
It was not of physical but of spiritual.  It was not of bread but of leaven.  It was not of death but of life that he spoke to them that they would know the truth.  Yet they were still in the flesh.  They were still in the body.  They were still not in the spirit that Christ wanted to make them aware of who they were.  For the flesh was of death.  The spirit is of life.  The flesh commands attention but the spirit awaits the truth.  The body says I am.  But the spirit knows I am.  The flesh says now.  But the spirit says eternity.

Why do you not understand that it is not of paper and dots and dashes that I write?  Why do you not remember who brought you to this place, this blog, this moment in time that you would be able to read what is written?  Is it just words?  Is it just nonsense?  Or is it the awakening of something more in you that desires life, that desires love, that desires peace?  For your inheritance has been given.  Your light is seeking to be seen.  Your joy is waiting for your embrace that you may know the truth of who you are in Christ.  Created in his image and likeness, your light will shine throughout the world that many may see and know that you are a child of your father and creator.  Come, walk the path that is before you.  Open your heart to the love that awaits you.  Know the truth of who you are and your life starts anew.  Christ 
awaits you.  The Spirit seeks you.  God, your father, loves you. 

Read the signs of the times!  Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ.  Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself.  Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding.  Read it for knowledge.  Read it for faith.  Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.  The Holy Spirit awaits you.  Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in!

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 36 - 39, The Kingdom of Heaven: The symbols of the weeds explained.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the weeds explained) Part 1. 

Things have been spoken.  Understanding has been lacking.  Knowledge is missing.  And the people do not know.  Christ has talked about the kingdom of heaven and given several examples of what the kingdom is like.  He talked about the good seed.  He talked about the mustard seed and how it grows and he talked about the leaven and how it spreads to all parts.  Do the people understand?  Do the disciples understand?  Is knowledge given to them that they may know the mysteries of the kingdom?  Christ has finished his preaching and retires to the house.

The disciples follow and inquire of him the meaning of the parable of the weeds.   And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."  So answering them he said, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world; the good seed, the sons of the kingdom; the weeds, the sons of the wicked one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil."  

The disciples wanted to know his words.  They wanted to understand clearly.  They wanted the knowledge of Christ.  There minds sought him.  Their hearts desired his fruit.  So they came and inquired of his wisdom.  And he fed them with rich fruit that they may be satisfied.  He fed them with riches that they may know within their hearts the truth of the kingdom and they were blessed.  Christ loved his disciples.  He was patient with them.  He was loving of them.  He was understanding of their needs.  And he gave bountifully of his heart that theirs would be full.

We live in a world that we know not.  We are consumed by its constant flow, by its constant drive, by its constant movement.  Nothing remains the same.  Everything is changing and we are caught up in the change.  And that is our dilemma, we must keep up or be swept away.  We must constantly know the latest news.  We must constantly see the latest shows.  We must constantly have the latest gadgets.  We must constantly be in a state of change at all times that we may be in the world.  To stop being in the world means to be left behind.  To stop being in the world means not knowing the latest.  To stop being in the world means to fall out of the crowd.  And Christ said, beware the wide path that leads to destruction.  Do not follow the crowd!  Follow the narrow path that leads to life.  Open your heart, open your mind and let Christ feed you, as he did the disciples.  His love is fulfilling.  His knowledge is all knowing.  His understanding is permanent.  And his truth is from the Father of all truth.  Fall out of the world and fall into Christ and he will keep you forever.

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 34 - 35, The Kingdom of Heaven: Things Hidden

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the leaven) Part 2. 

The kingdom of heaven is like.  Christ has compared it to the good seed planted by the sower.  He has compared it to the mustard seed which, when planted, grows to be the tallest herb in the garden.  He has compared the kingdom of heaven to leaven, which, when placed with three parts flour, combines to mix with all parts until  all is leavened.  All speak of growth.  Growth of the seed, growth of the mustard seed, growth of the leaven.  The kingdom of heaven seeks growth.  It seeks to expand.  It seeks to become the tallest, highest, greatest thing in the garden, in God's garden.  

All parables.  All mysteries.  All unclear.  What do these parables mean?  What is Christ telling us about the place that we seek to live out eternity?  The disciples listen to the parables.  The people listen to the parables.  All are bewildered.  All do not understand why he speaks of these things in such a manner that does not allow for clear understanding.   And it was said,  All these
things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without parables he did not speak to them; that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled,  "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world."  


Since the foundation of the world these things have been.  Since the foundation of the world these truths have been.  Since the foundation of the world this knowledge has been hidden from the wise and the prudent but only revealed to the little ones.  He who has ears let him hear.  He seeks knowledge let him know that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit all things will be revealed.  He who desires understanding let him meditate on the things that are spoken of since the foundation of the world and more will be revealed.  For it is though the awakening of the spirit and the planting of the seeds of wisdom that one understands.  Human knowledge will not open the doors of understanding.  Human knowledge will not enlighten one to the message of the kingdom.  Through faith in Christ, one begins to know the truths of the Father of all truth.

Christ has given us today a taste of what lies before us.  He has given us in these parables a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.  All reveal growth.  All parables speak of plantings.  We are planted in the world that we live in and so also are the weeds.  Do we grow in the spirit?  Or do we grow in the earth?  Spiritual growth produces fruit.  Spiritual growth affects others as does leaven.  Spiritual growth increases until it becomes the tallest plant in the garden.  And the angels come to dwell in its branches.  Do you have the life of Christ within you?  Or do you have the life of the world in you?  The life of Christ is inclined towards eternal life.  The life of the world is inclined towards death.  There is no middle ground.  Where do you stand?  Where are you planted?