The reason for Mistaken Identity...

Matthew 14:1-2 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 
To be sure, one of the reasons Herod Antipas mistook stories about Jesus as being John resurrected was the guilt that haunted his own soul.  He was living in fear, having executed John wrongfully.  But what else was there that made him think Jesus was John?  The similarity of the message they gave: to repent and receive the Kingdom of God at hand.  It was such a strong common thread, that Herod had only heard before from John, so he presumed this must be John.  If we are to be mistaken for someone else, may it be Christ - that we would speak in a way He would and live in the way He did.

Don't turn away... Keep listening and learning

Matthew 13:57-58 And they took offense at him.But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. 
Jesus' own hometown failed to grasp Who He really was. Rather than continue to investigate, they blew Him off as "not worth the time", and in fact, even worse, someone to kick out of the way.  They viewed Him as a scandal to be ashamed of rather than a Savior to cling to.  Jesus knew familiarity breeds contempt.  They thought they knew Him; they really did not.  May we never come to the place that we think we fully know Jesus, that we have nothing more to learn of Him.  We have so much more to learn; He is so much more.

How well do you know Jesus??? How well do you show Jesus???

Matthew 13:55-56 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 
The people of Jesus' hometown thought they knew who He really was - not based upon Himself, what He said, or what He did, but upon his family of origin.  They observed the rest of them and did not see any significant difference; therefore, He must not be anything special either.  So they rejected Him and His message.  Two questions come to mind: First, do we really know Jesus as well as we think we do, or it is only second-hand stories?  We really need to get to know Him, like His disicples did - living life day-to-day with Him.  The second question is this:  "How do people evaluate Jesus by looking at me?"  Do they look at our lives, like they did His human family, and decide that He must not be anything special???

Keeping Jesus at a distance...

Matthew 13:53-54 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 
Jesus came home after a long time away doing ministry.  His first visit back, right after His temptation in the wilderness, was not a very pleasant one (they tried to drive Him off a cliff...), but this one seems a little more hospitable.  But not very positive or intimate.  They had heard all the rumors about what He did and said, and were amazed after hearing Him speak several times (last time His sermon was rather short...). What sticks out is how they refer to Him:  "Where did THIS MAN," (a rather disdainful term) get his wisdom and power?"  They did not call Him by name, or indicate in any way that they knew Him or wanted anything to do with Him.  They were not willing to embrace Him or welcome Him.  How about you?

What do you Treasure???

Matthew 13:44-52 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.“Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” 
The Kingdom of Heaven - God's rule and reign in our hearts and lives - is where we want to be.  But how do we get there? What is the road?  First, it is by choosing to respond to the seed He puts in our lives.  Beyond that, Jesus gives three fast parables to tell us we are to be willing to give all it takes; we must be willing to make His Kingdom our highest treasure.  It is not always easy. sometimes we will have to wait - like waiting till harvest to separate the weeds from the grain, or waiting till we get to "that fair shore" to separate the good fist from the bad. But it, and He, are worth it all.

What kind of blaze are you???

Matthew 13:37-43 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. 
As Jesus explains the parable of the seeds and the weeds, each one is described not only in their lives here and now, but also in their ultimate state, after the judgment.  The weeds will blaze in eternal fire, suffering eternal separation from God, while the seed, those who live for the King, will blaze in a shining light that brings glory to God.  May our light shine here as well, so others will shine with us.

Opening the Hidden Treasure...

Matthew 13:34-35 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:“I will open my mouth in parables,I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” 
When Christ came to earth, He did not come empty-handed.  He brought with Him hidden treasure.  His words brought truths long hidden, not fully comprehended.  He is, after all, the Word who spoke at creation, and Who reveals the heart of God to Man.  Many of the things He came to share most people could not handle.  He had to speak to us in terms of the thing of this world, giving comparisons to what things are "like" that we can comprehend.  Then, when the light of faith comes on, and the Holy Spirit goes to work, we can see, and believe, and treasure these things in our hearts.