The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a
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# 7 The Scribes Preserve the Law - Matthew 13:52-58
Matthew 13:51–52 (NKJV) 51
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these
things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to
them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the
kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things
new and old.”
Work of the Scribes |
They must be scribes
who discover the truth. The scribes began as a noble group under the leadership of Ezra. Their
purpose was to preserve the Law, study it, and apply its truths to daily life.
Over the years, their noble cause degenerated into a routine task of preserving
traditions and man-made interpretations, and adding burdens to the lives of the
people (Luke 11:46–52). They were so wrapped up in the past that they ignored
the present! Instead of sharing living truth from God’s Word, they merchandised
dead doctrines and “embalmed” traditions that could not help the people.
As believers, we do not
search after truth, because we have
truth in God’s Son (John 14:6) and God’s Word (John 17:17). We are taught by
the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) who is truth (1 John 5:6). We search into truth that we might discover more
truth. We are scribes—students—who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His
words. One joy of the Christian life is the privilege of learning God’s truth
from God’s Word. But we must not stop there.
They must be disciples
who do the truth.
“Therefore every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven” is a
more accurate translation of Matthew 13:52. The scribe emphasizes learning, but the disciple emphasizes living. Disciples are doers of the Word
(James 1:22ff), and they learn by doing.
It is difficult to keep
our lives balanced. We often emphasize learning at the expense of living. Or,
we may get so busy serving God that we do not take time to listen to His Word.
Every scribe must be a disciple, and every disciple must be a scribe.
They must be stewards
who dispense the truth. The scribes preserved the Law but did not invest it in the lives of the
people. The treasure of the Law was encrusted by man’s traditions. The seed was
not planted so it could bear fruit. The “spiritual gold and silver” was not put
to work so it could produce dividends. As Christians we should be conservative but not preservative.
The steward guards the
treasure, but he also dispenses it as it is needed. He dispenses both the old
and the new. New principles and insights are based on old truths. The new
cannot contradict the old because the old comes out of the new (Lev. 26:10).
The new without the old is mere novelty and will not last. But the old does no
good unless it is given new applications in life today. We need both.
When Jesus finished
these parables, He went across the sea in a storm and delivered the demoniacs
in the country of the Gadarenes. Matthew recorded this in 8:28–34. It was then
that Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth, and this event Matthew recorded in
13:53–58.
Two things amazed the
people of Nazareth: the Lord’s words and His works. However, they did not trust
in Him, and this limited His ministry. What caused the people to doubt Him?
They were too familiar with Him in a human way, for He had grown up in their
midst. It was a case of knowing Him after the flesh (see 2 Cor. 5:16) and not
having the spiritual discernment that God gives to those who will yield to Him Matthew 11:25-30 (NKJV) 25 At that time Jesus answered and
said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden
these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even
so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.27 All things
have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the
Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the
Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My
yoke is easy and My burden is light." These people walked
by sight and not by faith.
But, if His own friends
and family did not trust Him, what hope was there that the nation would believe
on Him? Early in His ministry, Jesus had preached at Nazareth (Luke 4:16–31)
and had been rejected; and now He was rejected again. This was His final visit
to Nazareth; those villagers had no more opportunities. Jesus would be known as
“Jesus of Nazareth,” and His followers would be called “Nazarenes,” but
Nazareth would not receive Him. Matthew chose this event as a fitting close to
the section “Rebellion against the King.”
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