The Parables of Christ

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CHAPTER NINE
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The Parables of Christ

When Jesus spoke of the parable of the four soils, He said to His disciples, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13). It is essential that we understand this parable if we are to correctly interpret many of the parables of Christ. A misinterpretation of this parable can prove as costly as that of a man’s soul, giving us a faulty view of the Christian life. Many have interpreted the seed sown among thorns, which is choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life, bringing no fruit to maturity, as a worldly or "carnal" Christian. This is a serious twisting of the text. It may comfort the flesh, but it is devastating to the soul. Preceding the parable of the four soils, in Matt. 13:15, Jesus quotes Isaiah saying,

"...For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, lest they should UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEARTS and turn, so that I shall heal them (emphasis added)." We find that of the four soils, the seed sown on good soil is the only one that "hears the word and understands it," and in Luke they hear the word with their heart (v.15).

Jesus makes clear in the preceding passages that it is only those that hear and understand with their hearts that will repent and be healed. There can be no doubt then, that only the seed sown on the good ground results in salvation. These are the only ones that bear fruit worthy of repentance (Matt. 3:8). Jesus further explains this parable by another parable — the parable of the wheat and the tares. Again, the good seed is sown, but there are tares sown among the wheat. The tares outwardly are, in their beginning stages, barely discernible from the wheat. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered (Easton’s). However, unlike wheat, tares bring no fruit to maturity. Likewise, in the Church, the tares are difficult to discern because early on there is little fruit to discern. Even as Judas, they are not outwardly sinful. They would appear to be faithful followers of Christ. The difference between the two is a matter of the heart which man cannot see with his eyes. The tares, not being born of the Spirit, are incapable of bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:21). They may appear to do many "good deeds" but they have none of these fruits in their innermost being. Wheat does not become wheat by producing wheat, but rather it produces wheat because it is wheat. In other words, we do not become Christians by doing good works, but rather we do good works because we are Christians. Those who are in Christ bear the fruit of Christ. If the heart is made good, so then is that which it bears. And it is only by God’s grace that a man’s heart is made good. If God sows the seed it is rooted and grounded in love, bearing the fruit of love. However, if it is a seed sown by the enemy, a counterfeit, it will bear nothing more than thorns and thistles. Appearing to be good outwardly, but inwardly corrupt in the sight of God.

We conclude from these parables that the faith that saves is a fruit bearing faith. All other professions of faith are erroneous. The parable teaches us that there will be many in the visible church who profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him (Titus 1:16). Their works are not done in love, in Spirit and truth, but with fleshly and selfish motives. However those born of the Spirit spring up as a new creation, sprouting spiritual eyes, spiritual ears, spiritual feet and hands. Born of His seed: His character traits: His Spirit: bearing spiritual fruit.

"But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life" (Rom. 6:22) (italics added).

Jesus illustrates this same principal in many of His parables. John 15:1, 2 states,

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away" (Matt. 15:2).

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:1, 2, 6) (italics added).

Many have interpreted this passage with the thought that "abiding in Christ" is somehow optional. Here again we have the teaching that speaks of two types of Christians. One who abides and bears fruit, and one who does not abide, bears no fruit, and yet remains a believer. Spurgeon said,

"The vine is constantly used in Scripture as a picture of the nominal Church of Christ; so, like the vine, we must either bring forth fruit or we shall be counted good for nothing...We must bear fruit, or we shall certainly perish."(1)

Again what does Scripture say? "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God [every believer], God abides in him, and he in God (1 John 4:15) (text in brackets added). Jesus says in John 6:53, 54, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats of My flesh and drinks of My blood has eternal life." As previously expressed, Christ explains the meaning of this eating and drinking in verse 56 when he states, "He who eats of My flesh and drinks of My blood abides in Me, and I in Him." The original Greek points out that the "abiding" here is a continuous action. We find then that only those who continuously eat of His flesh and drink of His blood have eternal life. To abide in Him is to be grafted in the vine (Rom. 11:19, John 15:1). It is to be in Christ. To believe in Christ is to abide in Christ, to abide in Christ is to live in Christ. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:26). The NIDNTT states:

"Such an abiding in Christ makes a man Christ’s property right down to the depths of his being. It is not confined to spiritual relationship or agreement, but means present experience of salvation and hence life (John 6:57). Therefore ‘He who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked’ (1 John 2:6). The indwelling Christ, or life through the word of Christ, demands and forms a life conforming to His Spirit and nature and will and brings about sanctification. ‘He who does the will of God abides forever’ (1 John 2:17). Abiding in Christ is the same as bearing fruit (John 15:5). If there is no fruit, it is a sign that fellowship has already been interrupted (John 15:6, 1 John 3:6). Where this is true, the wrath of God rests upon the unbeliever (John 3:36). The relationship of man to God is finally determined by the way in which he is related to the words of Jesus."(2)

The branch in the vine that bears no fruit is "cast out as a branch." It is a branch the Father has not grafted into the vine, for Jesus says in John 6:37

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (italics added).

Then in Matthew 15:13,

"Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted" (Matt. 15:13).

When a branch is grafted into a vine, by all outward appearances it would seem to be a part of the vine, but it is not until the branch becomes one with the vine with the life of the vine flowing through the branch that the branch truly becomes part of the vine. The branch that takes root will inevitably bear fruit. It is not because of the ability of the branch itself to produce fruit, but because it is attached to the vine that pours its life into the branch. The branch that does not take root is worthless and good for nothing but to be taken away and burned. The life of God is in the vine, the branch that does not live in, or abide in the vine, does not have the life of the vine living or abiding in it. However, the branch that abides in the vine has the life of God working in it, causing it to bear fruit. When fruit appears on the branch, it is to the glory of the vine, not the branch. Therefore, Jesus says in John 15:8, "by this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so then you will be My disciples." If the branch brings no fruit to maturity, it is a sure sign that the life of the vine is not in the branch. In Matthew 13:34 it says of the tares,

"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ‘and they will be cast into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

In Matt. 7:19,

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

"In John 15:6,

"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch ...and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned" (italics added).

It seems rather clear that the "they" that gather in John 15:6, is the same as the "they" that gather in Matthew 13:34. The "them" in John 15:6 is certainly not referring to fruit that will be burned, as some have taught, because there was no fruit on the branch. The "them" is referring to the "anyone" that does not abide. We understand then, that as the branch appeared to be attached to the vine it bore no fruit — the tree that appeared to be good bore no fruit — the only distinction between the wheat and the tares is that the tares bear no fruit — the seed that fell on the first three of the soils bore no fruit. The teaching in these passages is unmistakable. The branch, the tare, the tree, and the seed, which bear no fruit will be gathered up and thrown into the fire of eternal judgment. If the fire that burns the tares and the bad tree is eternal judgment, so it is with the branch. The tares were said to be in the kingdom — the bad tree is said to be a false teacher in sheep’s clothing — the branch is said to be in the vine — the seed is said to be sown in the soil. In each of these illustrations we have the outward profession of faith with no inward change of character. As faith without works is dead, even so the branch, the tree, the tare, and the seed without fruit is dead. We find this same teaching in the parable of the "the dragnet" (Matt. 13:47). The net being the gospel cast into the sea of humanity gathering some of every kind, "which when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away" (Matt. 13:48). Again we have the "they," which are the angels of God gathering and throwing the "bad" into the fire of eternal judgment (Matt. 13:50). The "bad" were in the net but they were not truly in the kingdom.

We understand then what Jesus said to his disciples about the necessity of understanding the parable of the four soils, for those who misinterpret the parable of the four soils, misinterpret much of what the New Testament teaches on what it is to be a Christian, giving many a false assurance of their salvation. If we have even the slightest concern for the souls of men, we cannot simply agree to disagree about these false teachings, no matter how well respected the man who teaches them. For it not only perverts the gospel, but the very nature and character of God. Jesus said, "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed the tares among the wheat." As we continue to sleep, the enemy’s seed of false teaching continues to be sown, and as we see in the modern day Church, we indeed have reaped a great harvest of false professors. We find that those who twist these Scriptures, must twist the rest of the Scriptures as well (2 Pet. 3:16). The parable of the rock and the sand become two types of Christians (Matt. 7:24), those who walk "according to the Spirit," and those who walk "according to the flesh," become two types of Christians, etc. Such faulty exegesis is nothing less than heresy and tremendously damaging. For now there is no longer two ways, but three. There is no longer a "broad" gate and a "narrow" gate, but an "upper level narrow" gate as well. The gospel message then becomes, enter at the narrow gate and then by our own human effort we may sometime down the road, if we so please, enter at the "upper level" gate, a gate of which Scripture is silent. Now there must be a distinction, as some theologians teach, that "inheriting" the kingdom of God and "entering" the kingdom of God are isolated terms. We pray for the revival of those uncommitted, when in fact it is salvation they need. We have the "spiritual" Christians with pride looking down on the "carnal" Christians. Their righteousness does not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees but is identical to that of the Scribes and Pharisees. "I thank my God I am not like these other men." They are "puffed up" thinking that they excel more than others as a result of their own efforts. They forget that the Scriptures tell us that all of salvation is of God, because,

"...of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’ (1 Cor. 1:30, 31)

"For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7).

In other words, "If all we receive in salvation is a gift, how is it that you boast as if it were not a gift? What makes you differ from another? Do you not know that it is all by God’s grace?"

We have preachers laboring with the "tares" at the expense of the "wheat." While the sheep are hungering after the deep things of God, we have the shepherds spoon feeding the goats, when in fact they are not hungry at all. We have a salvation that is not of ourselves, but a sanctification that is all of ourselves. We have the Chief Shepherd that is too weak to lead His flock — a King that is too feeble to rule His subjects — a Master of the house that allows His slaves to serve themselves — a Holy Father which is not capable of bringing his children into submission, which according to 1 Tim. 3:5, renders Him unworthy to be a deacon let alone Lord of lords. In short, we deny the power of God in salvation. As David Wells rightly says, "A God with whom we are on such easy terms, is not the God of Abraham, He is not the God of Jacob, and he is not the God of the true Christian."(3)

"But I said the prayer; I went forward and was saved when I was a young man then turned away from God to a life of sin." My friend, His seed was not in you. Let no one deceive you with empty words, the prodigal son was lost! He was a sheep without a shepherd. We read in 1 Peter 2:25, "For you were like sheep going astray, but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Although Peter is speaking of the Jews, in a sense, we were all like the prodigal son; we had all turned away from the Father. We all like sheep have gone astray, but now, our present condition is, we have returned. This is not speaking of the believer that continues to stray and returns again and again, but they have returned once and for all to the overseer of their souls. It is not talking about a shepherd who sleeps; He is not slack in His duties. He is the good shepherd, rather the Shepherd of shepherds, and He will keep His sheep from going astray.

I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. (Ezek 34:15-16)

It is only those kept from continuing to stray that can say with any assurance, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” The sheep are prone to wander, but thank God the Good Shepherd is prone to keep them.

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Footnotes

1. Charles Hadden Spurgeon, Qouting Spurgeon (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), p.63

2. New International Dictionary of N.T. Theology, Edited by Colin Brown ( Zondervan: 1986

3. David Wells, source unknown

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