Bringing Out the Old and New

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus was using parables to teach those “with eyes to see and ears to hear.” He spoke to the multitudes the following parables:

• The Parable of the Sower;
• The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares;
• The Parable of the Mustard Seed; and,
• The Parable of the Leaven.

Jesus explained the meaning of the parables to His disciples, and then proceeded to share three more with the twelve:

• The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
• The Parable of the Pearl
• The Parable of the Dragnet

Each of the seven parables started the same way: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Clearly, Jesus was teaching kingdom truths to those who had a desire to know. To many in the multitude, the parables remained a mystery.

For the disciples, however, these “mysteries” were revealed as spiritual truths.
These seven parables are worthy of study and reflection for us, as each one provides great spiritual food. Our area of focus is what takes place after Jesus had shared these kingdom truths. Gathered around His disciples, we read in Mt. 13:51-52, “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes Lord. 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.”

Here we see a beautiful picture of the Teacher equipping His students to teach others what they had learned. First, Jesus made sure the disciples were clear. It was as if He was asking, “Are there any questions?” When the disciples responded that they understood, Jesus then proceeded to give them an instruction; and He gave it in the form of a parable, which He did not explain. This became the eighth “kingdom parable,” with an emphasis not on what the kingdom was like, but rather how kingdom teachers should instruct. It is noteworthy that Jesus had provided seven lessons on the kingdom; seven being symbolic of completion. The eighth lesson was an instruction; eight being symbolic of new beginnings. And so Jesus taught them.

Scribes Instructed Concerning the Kingdom of Heaven
This was a very specific kind of scribe, or “grammateus.” A scribe was a writer and often times a reader of the law. We are first introduced to scribes when we read of Ezra in the Old Testament. He had founded a distinct and honorable role of reading the law of Moses. Over the course of time, scribes had moved away from the pure simplicity (and power) of the law and added layers of man-made traditions and customs. By the time of Jesus’ ministry, scribes and Pharisees were associated together as one group, a group who opposed the very teachings of our Lord.

So, the kind of scribe Jesus is talking about in Mt. 13:52 had to be different. This is the case, as Jesus took the “old” scribe and transformed him into a “new” one – one who had been instructed about the kingdom of heaven. We might say the disciples were spiritual scribes, whose eyes and ears had not been dulled, but opened to receive the gospel message of Jesus Christ. The disciples had been trained and had understood the seven kingdom parables. They were now being prepared to share them.

The Scribe is Like a Householder
The disciples, as scribes of the gospel message, were likened to householders. A householder was a master of the house, a guardian, or steward. A householder had responsibilities to look after and care for what was “in the house.” Jesus was describing the “job responsibilities,” if you will, to the disciples: they had been taught kingdom truths; instructed so as to gain understanding and wisdom; and then charged with a duty to guard the truth, as a head of the household would guard his family. Jesus knew full well of the opposition that existed at that time and of the opposition to come – in the name of false teachings and false prophets.

He Brings out of His Treasure Things New and Old
The scribe was to care for the truth and also to bring out, or dispense, the truth. The Truth, known as Jesus Christ, was a treasure. He was the Living Word, and the treasures of the Lord were not material, rather they were spiritual. The treasure included forgiveness, freedom, grace, love, salvation, eternal life, and healing, to name just a few. How could the disciples be sure of the riches of these treasures? They walked and talked with Jesus, the Messiah!

Out the treasury of truth was to come things both new and old. In the Greek, new is defined as qualitatively new, not quantitatively. Jesus came to “fulfill the law” – that is, He completed it. The old and the new work together to represent the full counsel of God.

So too, a reading of the truth in God’s word can often times render a “new” or fresh illumination from the Holy Spirit.

Implication and Application for Us
What can we glean from these two verses? Perhaps it can be summarized by the following questions each one of us is responsible to answer:
1. Do we have a desire to seek after God’s word as truth in our lives?
2. Do we have “eyes to see” and “ears to hear” the truth?
3. Do we understand the spiritual truths of the kingdom of heaven?
4. Do we see ourselves as “householders” of the truth?
5. Are we prepared “in season and out” to guard the treasure of His truth?
6. Are we equipped to share the gospel message as truth?
7. Do we have an understanding of the full counsel of God as found in the entirety of His word?

May we be blessed as we journey with the Lord!