in the sermon sects this morning. It's Matthew 13. We'll begin our reading in v. 53. Read through v. 12. Excuse me just a moment. People of God have just spoken with Linda O'Brien. You'll notice that Jackie Shaw and Aziel are leaving as well as I don't see Jesse here either John O'Brien is not doing well So we're gonna take a little bit of time to pray for him to pray for his family and then Get to the sermon this morning, so let's pray again Our Heavenly Father As we have already prayed this morning, every day we are reminded of the reality that sin still exists, and it still has its devastating effect. Father, we do pray that you would be with John O'Brien this morning. Father, that if it be your will, that you might heal him, that you might raise him up, that you might make your power known in lifting him up from his sickbed and joining him with those who would praise your name. Father, we also pray for his family as they struggle with the grief of his health and the condition that he is in today, this morning. Father, we pray that you would be the God of peace and comfort to them, that you would lift them up and strengthen them. while that even in the midst of their grief and sorrow, they might not grieve like those who do not know you grieve, but rather they might recognize, they might know and be comforted by the fact that whatever your will may be, it is for their good. It is for John's good. And what awaits him is glory. What awaits him is perfect peace, free from pain, if indeed you should choose to take him. Father, whatever your will may be, may your name be glorified. May your people be edified and lifted up and strengthened and caused to trust upon you and to rest in your love as you've called us to do. We ask in Jesus name, Amen. Let's begin our reading then in Matthew chapter 13. Verse 53. People of God, this is the word of the living God. So you are called, you are commanded to give heed and to hear the word of the living God. Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables that he departed from there. When he had come to his own country, He taught them in their synagogue. So they were astonished and said, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things? So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house. Now he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. At that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, this is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead and therefore these powers are at work in him. For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him. and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had said to him, it is not lawful for you to have her. And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore, he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she might ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, give me John the Baptist's head on a platter. And the king was sorry. Nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it be given to her. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it and went and told Jesus. And thus far, the reading of God's word this morning. May he be pleased to add his power and his blessing to his word as it is read and as it is preached. Well, as we come to our text this morning, I'll be coming to it without my notes. So we'll see how this works. But as we come to the text this morning, we are finishing up Matthew chapter 13 and this section of parables, the segment of parables that Jesus has been using to teach about the nature of the kingdom of God, about How it will grow and how it will triumph. About how the intermixture of the people of God and the tares will coincide together until the time that comes that the Son of Man will separate out the wheat from the tares, the good fish from the bad fish. About the exceeding value of the kingdom and how we are to lay hold of that exceeding value. And as we transition then to a new segment, a new focus in the book of Matthew here at the end of chapter 13 and into chapter 14, we have a brief moment in which we see the truth of Jesus's words as he began teaching the parables all the way back in Matthew chapter 12 with that idea of those having eyes to see and ears to hear but yet not seeing and not hearing and so I speak in parables through the parables now we get to see the truth of the words that Jesus uttered all the way in Matthew 12 and all the way through chapter 13 concerning eyes that see and ears that hear concerning wheat and tares good fish and bad fish those who value the kingdom and those who don't and In other words, at the end of Matthew chapter 13 and into chapter 14, we see, and by way of a negative example, the truth of Jesus' words. In Matthew 14, the first 12 verses sort of are a transition, both from Matthew 13, but into the next segment of what Matthew is going to speak. So we'll actually get to deal with that twice, this time and the next time we are in the book of Matthew. But both of them demonstrating the reality that unless God gives eyes to see and ears to hear, then we will reject Jesus Christ as our King. And so the call is to all of us who would be disciples of Christ, who profess the name of Christ, is to be those who pray to God that indeed he would grant us eyes to see and ears to hear that we might be obedient to the word of his son in faith. And we'll do that along the following lines this morning. First, we'll look at the prophet in his hometown. And then secondly, we'll look at the king in his palace. The prophet in his hometown and the king in his palace. Turning then to that first segment of our text in verses 53 through 58, we're told that after Jesus had finished speaking his parables, he now begins a journey to his home country. Luke 4 lets us know not just his home country that the whole region will be where he ministers but in particular he'll come to his hometown of Nazareth and once he gets there he does as according to his custom he goes to the local synagogue and there begins to proclaim who he is as the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the the coming of the Messiah, and the message of the king and his kingdom, that message of peace, that message of liberation from slavery to sin, from what real oppression actually is. And as he comes to his hometown, he receives a particular reaction. We find that in verse 54. When he had come to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue. So they were astonished and said, where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brother James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and his sisters? Are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And as we first look at the questions that they are asked there, as we first look at the idea that they're astonished, it may seem that perhaps this is a good astonishment. That they hear that he has this great wisdom. This great wisdom that he speaks with, this authority, if you remember the end of Matthew chapter 7, that the people wondered at him because he spoke with such authority as he taught them there from the mount. And that he has performed all of these mighty works. And perhaps they're asking, how can it be that this one who was raised, who was born, not born here, but who was raised among us, whose mother is still here whose brothers and sisters are still yet among how can it be that that this man would have such wisdom how can he perform such mighty works in a in a way that would seek to have an answer to the question and perhaps to praise God but yet we're told that that's not exactly what's going through their minds here in verse 57 that these questions, far from a sincere desire to wonder at the wisdom and majesty of God as expressed through one who's among their own, is not an astonishment and amazement in a good sense, but rather in a skeptical sense, in a sense in which they doubt who He is and what He is. And verse 57 tells us that they ultimately were offended at him and Luke 4 gives us even more information that their offense rises to the point that indeed they sought to kill him though they failed. So how is it that Jesus comes to his hometown having performed all of those wonders and works that he's been performing as we've marched our way through the Gospel of Matthew? How is it that he could come to his own and sit there in the synagogue and speak those same words that he's been preaching and speaking since the gospel began? And yet these people, rather than professing faith in him, finding him as the fulfillment of prophecy that he is, would be offended at him and rather seek to kill him as opposed to bow the knee. And the answer comes in the questions that they ask and what it is that makes them wonder. And that is that they thought that they knew Jesus, right? Isn't that the thrust of what they're saying here? We know this man. We know his father. Isn't this the carpenter's son? Has his father not worked among us and most likely Jesus Himself alongside his father before his public ministry began? Is Mary not his mother? Has she not been with us for all of these years? Now Jesus in his thirties, all of these years that Jesus has grown up, aren't his brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas. We know his brothers, aren't his sisters still here with us? We know who this man is. He was raised among us. His family is here. And as He declares to them that He is the fulfillment of God's redemptive promise to send His King, His Messiah, who would proclaim liberty to the captive, freedom to the oppressed, the one who would say, come to me, all you who weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, that Jesus, as He says to them today, this has been fulfilled in your hearing, To them, such a claim was audacious. Who is this boy that we know so well? who spent all of these years among us, who spent all of this time with us, whose family we know so well. Who is he that he would make such a bold claim? Who is he that he would presume to preach to us, who would presume to teach us? And Luke 4 lets us know, who is he to point out our cold, hard hearts? That's ultimately what he says that offends them in Luke 4, isn't it, when he tells them a prophet not received in his hometown and reminds them of all the times that the Israelites stoned the prophets, that rather than receiving the message of God's Word, they would reject it. And so we find those outside of the covenant people of God, outside the kingdom of Israel to whom the prophets go and are sent, the widow at Zarephath. Naaman, the Syrian, healed from his leprosy. Mighty works of God in the Old Testament performed on those outside the covenant, as it were, outside of the kingdom of God. And why? Because those inside the kingdom refused to receive the word of God through his prophet. And they, being offended at that, seek then to kill him. Who is this One raised among us who would dare tell us to hear the words of God? That's the problem here in these first few verses of our text this morning. The people of God in Jesus' hometown have hard hearts. They have blind eyes and deaf ears because they think they know Jesus. And whoever Jesus is, he certainly can't be who he's claimed himself to be. And then in verses 14 through 12, we have another example and illustration of this same idea of eyes and ears that cannot see and cannot hear in the way that Herod treats the forerunner, the forerunner of the kingdom, John himself. We're told in verses 1 through 3 that Herod hears about Jesus. Herod hears about all of the mighty works that Jesus is doing, and there's a fear that then resides in Herod, as he says, that surely this is John the Baptist raised from the dead, and that's why all of these mighty works are being performed through Jesus. It's not that he's happy. that these works are being performed but his conscious is pricked and then we're we're told exactly why he would wonder these things in the next few verses so here it hears of the of the miraculous ministry of jesus christ and the powerful wonders of god being performed through god's king is the kingdom is inaugurated fears and and wonders if indeed this is john the baptist raised from the dead why well because Because Herod has killed John the Baptist. But it's the way in which he kills John the Baptist and the reason for which he kills John the Baptist that is intended to grab the attention. Because just as Jesus has come as a prophet there to his hometown of Nazareth to read the scripture, to proclaim himself the fulfillment of that prophecy, so Herod has had a prophet appearing before him and in a different way declaring the word of God to him. He put John in prison because in verse 4, John had been telling Herod that his wife Herodias was unlawful for him to have. The language there in verse 4 is not the idea that John had only said this one time. It's that John had been repeatedly saying to Herod, it is unlawful what you have done here. It is unlawful to have Herodias for your wife. Reason being, because he had divorced his current wife in order to marry Herodias. Likewise, Philip is his brother. In Jewish law, if you know that, unless it's for the purpose of raising up seed to a dead brother's name, you're not to marry your brother's wife. So in a two-fold way, here Herod is guilty. And John is calling him to repentance, which shouldn't surprise us, because what is John's mission as that forerunner prophet declaring the coming of the kingdom? Repent and make straight the way of the Lord, right? And so he's doing his job, declaring to even the king himself, the Tetrarch himself, that he is to repent, to make his way straight, to prepare himself for the fact that the king is here and the king is coming. And Herod, in response, rather than repenting, instead throws John in prison. It's got very eerie similarities to David and Bathsheba, doesn't it? David and his wife Bathsheba are together for sinful reasons, aren't they? And there's David, right? And he's there with Bathsheba, unrepentant, recalcitrant in his sin and his murder of Uriah. And then God's prophet comes. And God's prophet points out to him his sin and calls him to repentance. But contrary to Herod, what does David do? David repents of his sin. And thus, we have the psalm that is dedicated to that idea of repentance and seeking forgiveness from God and the covering of iniquity. That's the difference between God's king, David, and Herod here, the not-born king of the Jews, if you remember all the way back at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. No, Herod, rather than accepting the message of John, humbling himself, repenting, making his way straight in order that he might be part of that kingdom of God and following after its king, has John thrown into prison and ultimately beheaded. Herod really would have wanted John dead. Prison was about as much as he was willing to do, not because he didn't want John dead, but because he was afraid of the people. Because they counted him as what he was, a prophet. We're told that in verse 5. He wanted to put him to death. He didn't want this man speaking anymore. He was tired of the call to repentance. And so he would see him dead. But he was afraid of what the people would do. But his wife, who I would imagine was not any more pleased with the message of John, sets up this wonderful little scheme, this ingenious little scheme, in which her daughter dances for Herod. He's pleased by that, and he says he'll give her anything that she wants for a birthday gift. And she says, give me John the Baptist's head on a platter. Herod's in a bit of a catch-22. He fears the people. He really wants John dead, and he's made a promise. Ultimately his desire for John to be dead and the promise that he'd made and because of the people that he'd made in front in front of he has John brought out he hasn't beheaded and John the Baptist is no more in this world We'll see that this event will cause Jesus to retreat The idea of being here in that transition that not only will Herod be contrasted to Jesus in terms of the way in which he provides for the people under him, and when we get into 14, the feeding of the 5,000, but also he's another illustration of this principle here expressed negatively. Of the hard hearts, the eyes that won't see, the ears that won't hear. And we'll see positive examples of that as we work our way through the Gospels. We'll see those indeed, those we don't expect to see, to see, and those we don't expect to hear, to hear, and those that we would wish would see and hear who don't. But the principle remains the same. That unless God opens eyes to see, unless God opens ears to hear, rather than responding in faith to the word of God and to his prophets. People, whether they be that old covenant people of God or whether they be pretenders to the throne like Herod, will not receive that word, will not submit to that king, and they will not seek to live in the kingdom of God according to its principles laid before us in Matthew chapter 5 and 6 and 7 and illustrated and demonstrated in the very teaching ministry and the wonders worked by Christ himself. And thus, then, we are at the end of these parables that tell us about the nature of the kingdom, called to our own self-examination, called to learn the lesson that the people in Nazareth did not learn, to call to see the error in Herod's response to John the Baptist. And first and foremost, it's in the gospel of Jesus Christ himself. Especially when it comes to verses 53 through 58 that interaction with Jesus and those in his hometown Covenant children you ought to pay attention Why would they not receive Jesus words because Jesus was so familiar to them? because they knew Jesus because they had been raised with Jesus and Yet because they were so familiar, they did not listen. They did not hear. They did not heed. They did not value what he had to say. Covenant children, Jesus is placed before you all the time. Don't let your familiarity with Jesus keep you from putting your trust and your faith in his name or coming to him for forgiveness of sins and freedom to live life according to God's will and purpose. People of God, the call to us is the same. That even after we've made that initial profession of faith, and by God's grace, he's opened our eyes to see and our ears to hear who Jesus is and lay hold of him in faith by his spirit. Yet, as we've already learned, the Christian life is all about continuing in that process of seeing and hearing as God speaks to us in his word. And the same is true with the gospel. But there's a danger for us as well, saints. That we ourselves, because we think we know Jesus, because we think we know our king, and we think we know what his kingdom is, and we think we know what his will is, to ourselves become dull of hearing and nearsighted. Because we think we know what the kingdom is when Jesus puts it before us in a way that we've never thought about or never understood, reveals to us the ways in which we don't know the kingdom, the way we think we know the kingdom. What's our response going to be? Is it going to be offense? Or is it going to be faithful submission? That's a question that's going to be before each one of you who be here on a regular basis as we continue our progression through the Gospel of Matthew. As God, as he interacts with all of those people, as he'll begin his road to Jerusalem, to the cross itself. And he will constantly put before people the kingdom of God, its nature, what it means, the sacrifice necessary in order to enter in and to follow hard after Jesus Christ. And people will either be offended or people will embrace. People will either reject the Word of Christ because of what it requires of them, or people will embrace the Word of Christ and what it requires of them. Saints the life of sanctification the life of discipleship is an Ongoing process of having the words of Christ put before us constantly revealing to us who we are revealing to us what it means to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven what it requires of in terms of the way that we are to live our attitudes our thoughts our dispositions the things that we value and what are we going to do with jesus saints are we going to have him teach us who he is and teach us what his kingdom is and what it means to be a citizen of it and what it means and looks like to follow after christ as his disciple Because as we march forward, hard truths are going to be put before each and every one of us, our failures and our faults laid bare and with intention. Because we are to learn the lesson that it's not the perfection of our works that somehow gains us access to the kingdom and keeps us in it, but rather the perfect sacrifice of Christ which will close off this gospel. before that commission to proclaim His name to the world is given. And the point of those faults and failures being put before you is not in order that you might become hopeless in despair, but in order that you might learn to let go of everything and find in Christ everything. that you would not seek to justify your failures and your faults, but rather understand that Christ has come to provide forgiveness for those very things, and to provide the strength to overcome and to follow hard after Him. But when he reveals those faults, those sins, those flaws, especially the ones that we hold so close and so dear, those with eyes to see and ears to hear, are the ones who open the hands. Let them go. And rather than finding offense at the Word of Christ, find every reason to trust that letting go is what grants peace and joy and rest. So saints, as we walk our way through the remainder of Matthew, and as we've been learning from chapter one all the way now through chapter 13 into chapter 14, what will you do with Jesus? In particular, what will you do with the words of Jesus? My closing application is you consider that for yourself. What will you do with Jesus? What have you done with Jesus? To then ask and to seek that God would grant the eyes to see, the ears to hear. Because the whole thing isn't about the mental understanding. The people at Nazareth heard Jesus. They heard what he said. They understood what he said. It wasn't in understanding in the intellect. It was whether or not it had made its way into the heart and gripped and seized them. The answer, of course, is not, because they sought to kill him. Why did they seek to kill him? They knew what he was saying. They just hated him for it. The same with Herod. It's not like he didn't understand John the Baptist's message to him. He knew what John was saying. He just hated him for it. And so hearing and seeing isn't about mentally understanding. It's about understanding and then doing, responding appropriately in humility and faith, followed then by its natural outflow, obedience. So we ought to be praying that God, by His Spirit, would be at work in our hearts, in our minds, to grant us both that understanding, but beyond that, to take the understanding from the mind and to the heart, that it might drive itself out through the hands. That we might really see. That we might really hear. and so lay hold of Christ, and rather than take offense at him, to humbly submit ourselves to him and find the blessedness that it is to be a disciple of the great King. Let's pray together this morning. Our Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that in your grace you do indeed, through the work of your Spirit, Grant those who are deaf and blind the ability to hear and to see. Indeed, Father, for if that wasn't the case, then all of us would forever remain deaf and blind because we hate you in ourselves. Father, because we don't want to hear your word. We don't want to submit ourselves to you. We don't want to acknowledge your wisdom. We don't want to acknowledge that your way reflects your love and thus is really for our good. And it is in our best interest to submit to your will instead of trying to follow hard after our own. In your grace, you do grant eyes to see and ears to hear. And we ask that indeed you would do just that for each and every one here. That whether it be the initial laying hold of your son in faith, those who have yet to do so, you may grant them eyes to see and ears to hear, that they might put their trust in Christ. And for all of those of whom you have already worked your spirit within and regenerated and brought to life, that you would continue to grant us eyes to see and ears to hear, that we might continue in faith to submit to the word of your Son, our great King, to order our lives then according to His commands, knowing that they are the commands of love, and that in them is life and blessedness. Father, we do ask that you would send your gospel forth in power, and that through your gospel your kingdom would come, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven, that all the world over you would grant eyes to see and ears to hear. Father, we also ask that as we are about the work of Your Kingdom through Your power, as those who are ambassadors and proclaimers of Your Gospel, the Gospel of Your Son and our King, we ask that You would provide those things which are necessary to living life in this still mortal frame, in these bodies of yet-corrupted flesh, that You would give us this day our daily bread, that You would put Your hand of protection upon us Father, we think especially of those, even worldwide, who are now suffering under the heavy hand of oppression. Those who proclaim your name and are seeking after your kingdom, but find themselves in want and need and afflicted. We ask that you might watch over and protect our brothers and sisters who are truly suffering. Father, we think of our brothers and sisters in China, in the Middle East, in Africa, in all of these places in which we know that they are being slaughtered for the name of Christ. Father, we think of our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine and the suffering that they are experiencing now and the uncertainty that lies before them. And though it may not be for their proclamation of the name Jesus Christ, yet at the same time, it's a very real and present danger to them. Father, above all, we ask that you would grant them the strength to, in the face of death, proclaim the only cure, the only solution to the discord and the conflict that exists in this world, why it is that men seek to oppress other men, that they might be witnesses to this gospel, the gospel of peace that teaches us to leave off our way of oppression, to submit ourselves under the hand of our loving King, May you grant them opportunity, as you protect them, to declare the kingdom of God. And may, with power, your gospel go forth, and may the world see it. Father, we ask that you would forgive us of our sins. Forgive us, Father, for how often we are deaf and we are blind when those things that we hold so close but would keep us from following hard after you are put under the light of your word. For how often we see ourselves in the mirror of your word. but we go away and we forget it and continue to be blind and deaf. Father, open our eyes and our ears. Yet at the same time, remind us and assure us of the pardon that is ours in Jesus Christ, that for all of our deafness and blindness, yet the blood of Christ still heals and still cleanses and always will. And so assure us of our pardon in him. Father, we ask that as we leave this place and go into the world, that you would lead us not into temptation, but you would deliver us from evil. We ask these things of you, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. We ask them in the name of your Son and our King, Jesus Christ. Amen.