My Online Faith Journal

    The disciples and people of Jesus day were taught that the Messiah would be like a conquering king like Solomon that would free them from the rule of the Romans and establish Israel as a great kingdom.  That is what they were expecting.  I really think that is what attracted Judas Iscariot in the first place.  He was the treasurer of the disciples money in Jesus' day and probably had hopes that he would be put in charge of the entire kingdom's money when Jesus came into power (John 12:6).  He was expecting a conquering king because of some of the Old Testament language that refers to Jesus as a king, but he didn't understand God's timing or plan.      Jesus himself affirmed that he is a king.  In John 18:36 it says that Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."  If you notice how many times

       24  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;   25  but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.   26  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.   27  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’   28  He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’   29  But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.   30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but   gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ” Matthew 13:24-30        The Parable of the tares and wheat are stated by Jesus in Matthew 13:24-30 and then it is explain

3 " Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  “Behold, a sower went out to sow.   4  And as he sowed, some  seed  fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.   5  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.   6  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.   7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.   8  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some   a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.   9  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus tells the story of the sower who went out to sow (the word of God).  The seed falls upon four types of soil,  a. the wayside or path vs.4 b. the rocky ground that did not have much soil vs.5 c. the ground covered in thorns representing the worries and riches of this world vs.7 d. the good soil that bears a good crop.  vs.8