Grow Guide | Feb 12, 2023

The Great Teacher 

Matthew 13:24-35

Connecting Questions

Do you have a favorite story, either real or fictional? What stories have been passed down through your family and/or friends?

If you are familiar with the parables of Jesus, do you have a favorite?

Context

We’re in the sixth week of our worship series called “The Great Teacher.” Each week we will focus on what we learn from Jesus through stories in the book of Matthew. We’re also in the liturgical season of Epiphany, which emphasizes how Jesus is revealed to us as the Messiah through scripture. The color of Epiphany is green, which symbolizes life and growth. How does this connect to Easter Lutheran Church’s mission statement, “To grow in faith and carry on the work of Jesus Christ?” What does Easter need to do as a community to keep learning, growing, serving, and living as our Teacher shows us?  

We focused on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) for the past three weeks, but this week we jump ahead to Matthew chapter 13, which includes several parables of Jesus. Jesus’ parables are succinct stories meant to illustrate a point about the kingdom of God and his ministry. The parables are another example of Jesus’ masterful teaching ability; instead of giving clear-cut answers about faith, he uses familiar imagery in ways that continue to puzzle us and capture our imagination. Many of Jesus’ parables encourage continual reflection and challenge us throughout our lives.     

Look at the Book

Feel free to mix and match the questions for each parable as you study and discuss these parables on your own and/or with others.

• Read Matthew 13:24-30. What stands out to you in this parable today?

  • What questions does this parable bring up for you?   

  • Jesus’ parables often make a single point about his ministry and the kingdom of heaven (rather than summarizing his entire ministry and message). If you had to name a single point of the parable of “the weeds among the wheat,” what would it be?

  • Does this parable comfort or challenge you? Why?

  • What does this parable tell us about God’s judgment?

• Read Matthew 13:31-32. This parable is only two verses but is one of Jesus’ most well-known and loved parables. Why do you think that is?

  • What delights you about this parable? What challenges you?

  • If you had to name a single point of this parable, what would it be?

  • What does this parable tell us about the kingdom of heaven?

  • Does this parable stir up any memories or stories from your own life?

• Read Matthew 13:33.

  • If you had to name a single point of this parable, what would it be?

  • Sometimes the parables say to us, “God is not like you thought.” How might this parable, which depicts a woman doing a domestic task as an agent of God’s kingdom, challenge our assumptions about God?

  • Three measures of flour is roughly equal to 144 cups, enough to make 52 loaves of bread. How does this absurd amount of flour help illustrate the point of the parable?

• What common threads do you see connecting all three parables?

Taking it Home

Explore more parables of Jesus in Matthew chapter 13. Compare and contrast them. What intrigues you about them? What do they tell you about the kingdom of heaven?

Jesus used familiar, everyday imagery that connected with his listeners to teach them about God. Reflect on your everyday tasks this week. How do they connect to your faith? What can they teach you?