St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 14, The Lesson: Blind Guides

Our paragraph topic is:  (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees) Part 4.  
    

Christ had spoken and the Pharisees heard and took offense.  Christ called the people to himself.  He called their attention to what he was to say.  He told them to hear and understand, and his words opened the eyes and the hearts of the people.  For he told them that what goes into the mouth does not defile a man as had been preached by the Pharisees.  He told the people that it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man.  It is what is spoken that indicates that a man is defiled and unclean.  And the Pharisees had taken offense for this was against their teachings.

And the disciples heard the murmurings of the Pharisees.  The disciples listened to the Pharisees and they were upset that the Pharisees were upset.  The disciples were concerned that the Pharisees had taken offense to the words of Christ for they did not know the evil that possessed the Pharisees.  And Christ calmed their minds.  Christ spoke to his disciples and reminded them of the power and majesty of his father who did not plant seeds in the Pharisees.  He reminded them of outcome of those seeds that were planted by evil and what will happen to them in the final days.  They would be rooted up and thrown into the fire to burn.  And finally he spoke to his disciples in a way to let them know that the Pharisees were blind.   Let them alone; they are blind guides of blind men.  But if a blind man guide a blind man, both fall into a pit."

And so it was spoken that the disciples could understand.  And so it is written that we, today, may understand.  Who is blind and who is sighted?  How do we know who we follow?  Are we being led by blind men, the blind guide?  Or are we being lead by the teacher, the Advocate, that Christ promised?  We go to church, we perform our religious duties, we pray, we fast, we do all the things that we are taught to do.  But who is teaching?  Who is leading?  Who is our guide?  Christ has given us instructions.  He has left us his words.  He has provided us a path to follow that we may not be misled.  Hear and understand, he commanded us, that we may know.  Every plant that the heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

Will you continue to follow an uprooted plant?  Will you continue to believe in the words that come from the seed not planted by the Father?  Will you continue to follow the blind guide that will lead you into the pit?  Seek and you shall find the true guide that leads to the Father.  Knock and it shall be opened to you that you may have sight beyond your earthly vision.  Ask and it shall be given to you that you may have the wisdom of heaven to understand that which is given you.   For those who seek will find, those who knock will have doors opened to them.  And those who ask the Father, it will be given to them that they may see.  The true teacher seeks to teach you.  The true guide seeks to lead you.  The true spirit of Christ seeks to dwell within you that you may know your Father in heaven and yield fruit a hundred fold. 

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 39 - 40, The Kngdom of Heaven: The Harvest.

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

The disciples sought to know.  They came to Christ and asked for his knowledge.  They came to Christ and sought his understanding of the parables.  They came to Christ and  desired to know his wisdom.  And Christ fed them.  Christ nurtured them.  Christ gave them truth.  The disciples were filled from the unquenchable cup of Christ.  They were overwhelmed with the knowledge that he gave them that they now would know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  For these things had been hidden since the foundation of the world.  These things were not revealed to those with human knowledge.  These things were not known by the wisdom of the wise.  These things were not found by the prudent.  And the disciples were filled with the truth its presence.

The disciples came and sought, and Christ filled them to satisfaction.  Christ continued to tell of the time of harvest when the wheat would be separated from the weeds.   He said,  But the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burnt with fire, so will it be at the end of the world.

And then the disciples knew.  And then they understood, that, there would be a harvest of souls in the end times.  When the evil one came and sowed weeds in the fields of the kingdom of heaven God allowed them to remain until the end of time.  In that time they will be rooted out and cast into the fire.  And the souls of the just will blossom without the hindrances of the weeds.  Christ told this parable so that those who sought would find.  Those who desired would come to know and those who knew would be prepared in the end times.

The world today does not want us to seek.  This world today does not want us to know.  This world today does not want us to understand.  So, we are entertained.  We are given our rest in the things of the world.  We play in the joys of the world and forget about the kingdom of heaven.  For this is the desire of the weeds that live among us.  They wrap themselves around us and turn us away from the things of heaven.  They provide earthly pleasures that entertain us, that capture our attention, that keep us filled with the things of the earth.  We are blinded by their deceit and we know not the ways of the Lord.  For we do not seek.  We do not desire.  We do not thirst for the wisdom of God. 

We are spoon fed the precepts of the kingdom once a week and accept this as our need for fulfillment.  And then we return to the things of the world which continues to deceive us by its own pleasures.  And we wonder why we cannot find happiness.  We wonder why we cannot find peace.  We wonder why we cannot find permanent joy in this world.  The kingdom of heaven is waiting for you to seek its joys.  The kingdom of heaven is waiting for you to know its happiness.  The kingdom of heaven is waiting for you to find its eternal peace, not tomorrow, not in heaven, but right now, today, if you seek it.  Would you like to know everlasting peace?  Would you like to know eternal joy?  Would you like to know true happiness?  The seed is planted.  Are you good ground?