THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM (Mt. 13) 2026
THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM
Mt. 13: 9-11
April 23, 2012; February 22, 2026
It has been a mystery to me how people can read the Holy Bible and miss the mystery of the Kingdom of God. I have considered that it has to do with the grace of “understanding.” Wisdom and understanding are spoken of together throughout the Bible.
The first mention of “understanding” is Exodus. 31:3: I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding…. Deut. 1:13: Take wise men of understanding and I will make them rulers. 1Ki. 3:9 Give my servant and understanding heart. 1Ch. 12:32: The children of Issachar were men who had understanding. 1 Ch. 22:12: Only the LORD gives you wisdom and understanding.
Job 28:12: Where shall wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding. Man does not know the price thereof, neither is it found in the land of the living.
Job. 28:28: The fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.
The Lord spoke to me many years ago that my understanding was my wisdom. That is a mystery in itself. I have done many teachings on wisdom, but not on “understanding."
Luke 24:45: Then He opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
Eph. 1:18: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Mt. 13: 9-11: Who has ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said to Him, why do you speak to them in parables? He answered and said to them, because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
There are two types of believers described in Mt. 13: 9-11: (1) “you” (it is given to you to know). (2) “Them” or those who do not have this spiritual ear, and therefore are unable to hear or understand the “mysteries of the Kingdom.”
The secret of the Kingdom is Jesus Himself, so the secrets are the effects of His message and ministry.
Eph. 5:17: Wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the LORD is.
“It is given to you to know.” We have deep within each of us a “spiritual ear” that can be cultivated to hear the voice of the Lord. This admonition, “Which has ears to hear, let him hear” is given because not all have developed this ability, or are willing to hear that which is born of the Spirit of God.”
John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
To be born again or, “born from above”. The Christian experience commenced with birth for it is a new existence---a new creation. But the act of begetting belongs to God. It is to be likened to physical birth, for it is an emergence from darkness to light.
The Kingdom of God is the reign of God, where His will is supreme in the individual heart or in the community of His people in this life or in the life hereafter. Only God’s children understand what His will is---and there is the connection between the “new life” and the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom is a present reality…NOW…for us TODAY. There are many parables which begin with the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mt. 18:3: Verily I say to you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Contrary to some opinions, this does not mean that we should act childish or child-like, nor or we given grace to be childish. “Converting grace makes us like little children. As children who are loved and cared for, we don’t have to worry or be fearful within that realm of Father’s love. We must be humble as little children. When the disciples asked the question, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a child to Himself and set him before them: The disciples were ambitious of being greatest in the Kingdom. Christ tells them that unless they get an attitude adjustment, they will miss the Kingdom.
Mt. 18:4-5: Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
1 Co. 14:20: Brethren, do not be children in understanding, however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
Jesus is again warning of pride and ambition. Pride threw the angels that sinned out of heaven. If we do not repent of pride it will keep us out of the Kingdom. It is not just a one-time repentance; it is a continual process. It creeps into our attitudes in very subtle ways. One of the devil’s cunning tricks is after we have been used of God in a powerful way, then here comes pride.
Honor and advancement attend humility. He that humbles himself as a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever receives one such child in My name, receives me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a “heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
This is also a warning to Christians with regard to weak and immature Christians. We do not help them by pampering or carrying them around on a silver platter for fear they will break or become offended. However, we must also be very careful not to injure Christ’s little ones in any way to cause them to stumble. Nor do we allow the demands of their fragile nature to control us. The Kingdom is a gift to be ministered to us and through us abundantly through the mercy, love, and grace of God.
If we are to have a part in the Kingdom of God, it is essential that we be able to believe and function in the realm of the Spirit apart from human thought processes. Man, in all his wisdom and abilities, has utterly failed to govern mankind in a way that produces righteousness and peace.” The Kingdom is not fleshly; that is, it is not based upon the natural senses. We in this Kingdom are not moved by what we see or hear in the realm of circumstance. Therefore, flesh cannot profit in the Kingdom. Flesh cannot produce the Kingdom.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, say the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55: 8-9).
The world places great value and emphasis on the intellectual. But the Lord places great value and emphasis on our ability to hear in the Spirit. My desire is to have the mind of Christ, not the mind of the world system.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual thing with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2: 12-14).
Job. 32:8: There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding.
Mt. 13: 14-17: You will keep on hearing but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing but will not perceive; but the heart of this people has become dull; and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return and I should heal them. Blessed are your eyes because they see; and your ears, because they hear. Truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it; and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.
The Kingdom is a gift. It is ministered to us abundantly through the mercy, love and grace of God. It is God’s grace that gives the understanding, but it is our duty to give our minds to understanding and to study to show ourselves approved by God. Job. 38:36: understanding is in the heart.
Mt. 13: 18-23: Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the seed, immediately he falls away.
And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches chokes the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundred-fold, some sixty, and some thirty.
The seed sown in the incorruptible Word of God.
The ground in which this seed is sown is the hearts of the children of men.
There are four sorts of ground that is bad and only one that is good soil.
There are many who are very glad to hear a good sermon yet do not profit from it. Present company excluded, I have often stood amazed before the Lord at people who have sometimes sat in this church and never heard or understood the message of the Kingdom; nor did they ever know me by the Spirit.
Of course, this parable speaks clearly that many fall away, so that no fruit is brought to perfection in their lives. They have no root in themselves, no settled, fixed principles in their judgment, no firm resolution in their wills. Those who have no root will only endure for a while. When trying times come, those who have no root are soon offended. Persecution is represented in the parable by the scorching sun. The same sun which warms and cherishes that which was well rooted, withers and burns up that which is not rooted and grounded. Trials which shake some, confirm and prove others (Mt. 13:18-23).
Deceitfulness of riches, with prosperity destroys the word in the heart, as much as persecution does; and more dangerously, because more silently, the stones spoiled the root, the thorns spoil the fruit.
Worry of the world is fitly compared to thorns. The worries of the world are entangling, vexing, scratching, and their end is to be burned.
Jesus continued to speak to the disciples in parables of the cost of possessing the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God tells us who runs it and the Kingdom of Heaven tells us where he it is.
Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Kingdom takes priority. It comes first. Life gives us choices. We choose everyday whether we want the blessing of the Kingdom, or the straw to make the bricks from the world system. We choose to do right or to do wrong. We choose to be givers or takers. We choose to be gracious or surly. We choose to love or hate. We choose to forgive or hold grudges. We choose to be offended or be un-offendable. We choose to have the last-word or yield to pacify offense. We choose to tithe or steal from God. We choose to obey God’s word or rebel to satisfy our own lusts. We choose to lie or speak truth. The choices are always clear. There is an earthly and a heavenly reward for our choices.
Those who choose the way and realm of the Kingdom will walk in heaven’s blessings all the days of their life. Will God prove you? Yes! He will test your mettle in the face of persecution, rejection, suffering, financial challenges, lusts, and certainly the biggest stumbling block may be the “pride of life.” Our self-righteousness as Christians can become a “pride of life.”
None of us can boast about anything except the LORD by His great mercy delivered us from all of our stupid choices and ideology. We cannot take any accolades for wisdom, understanding or knowledge, because it is a Gift from the Lord through the Holy Spirit. “God’s grace can do all without our preaching, but our preaching can do nothing without God’s grace.” (Matthew Henry).
Yet, the decision is ours. Do we walk away from all that is not of God and follow Jesus Christ? That is the cost of the One Pearl of Greatest Price.
When the rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked him “what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus told the rich young ruler that he lacked one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
The Kingdom of God is supernatural. It goes above and beyond the realm of the natural…the strength and wisdom of man…the ability and intellect of man. This is a supernatural gospel ministered by a supernatural people empowered by the supernatural God (Theos).
It was not the wealth of the rich young ruler that was his stumbling block. His wealth had hold of him. He had obeyed all of the law his entire life. He was a good man by Jewish Law. When the people listening heard this, they asked who can be saved? Jesus’ answer delivers all of us. “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk. 18:20-22).
Our journey to stand, walk, and preach the Word in the realm of the Kingdom of God will continually cost us rejection, persecution, tribulation and affliction. The half-hearted will not fight the good fight of faith. This walk is for overcomers who are victorious in Jesus.
Mt. 13:45-46: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went, and sold all that he had and bought it.
For those of us who have found the Pearl of greatest price, the journey cost our soul all that we had along the way. However, the Lord restored all that was lost to better than before, and then covered it with His glory.
Life gives us choices. We choose everyday whether we want the blessing of the Kingdom, or the straw to make the bricks from the world system. We choose to do right or to do wrong. We choose to be givers or takers. We choose to be gracious or surly. We choose to love or hate. We choose to forgive or hold grudges. We choose to be offended or be un-offendable. We choose to have the last-word or yield to pacify offense. We choose to tithe or steal from God. We choose to obey God’s word or rebel to satisfy our own lusts. We choose to lie or speak truth. The choices are always clear. There is an earthly and a heavenly reward for our choices.
The Kingdom of God takes priority. “Seek ye first…” It comes first. The LORD is not asking us to sell all that we have in earthly possessions to possess the Kingdom. It will on the journey cost us all that we have in our heart that is more important to us than God. Very often it can be acceptance.
Those who choose the way and realm of the Kingdom will walk in heaven’s blessings all the days of their life. Will God prove you? Yes! He will test your mettle in the face of persecution, rejection, suffering, financial challenges, lusts, acceptance, and certainly the biggest stumbling block may be the “pride of life.” Our self-righteousness as Christians can become a “pride of life.”
None of us can boast about anything except the LORD by His great mercy delivered us from all of our stupid choices and ideology. We cannot take any accolades for wisdom, understanding or knowledge, because it is a Gift from the Lord through the Holy Spirit. “God’s grace can do all without our preaching, but our preaching can do nothing without God’s grace.” (Matthew Henry).
Yet, the decision is ours. Do we walk away from all that is not of God and follow Jesus Christ? That is the cost of the One Pearl of Greatest Price.
The Kingdom is to be taken to the whole earth. We are sent and commissioned to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Kingdom of God. To preach the gospel is to persuade men “concerning Jesus”. Matt. 24:14: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come.”
The message is one that will produce a people in the earth that are: heavenly in culture, in language, in character, in authority, in message and proclamation; and in lifestyle.
When we begin “seeking” the Lord for “more” contentment, happiness, peace, joy, fullness of days, health, love, prosperity, family, more of the Lord, etc. we are like the merchant man seeking goodly pearls. The first message I ever preached (40-years ago) was Matt. 6: 33-34. I had the understanding that the pearl of great price was life’s greatest attainment. However, the journey was not quite as simple as the knowledge and the preaching of that understanding. Like I said earlier, there were many twists, turns, ups, downs, tests, failures, successes, sorrows, and gladness on the journey. I am still on the journey and have not “arrived”.
1. By being poor in Spirit – Mt. 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is not talking about finances, but rather an attitude of “I need you Lord”.
2. By being born of the Spirit and receiving a new nature: John 3:3: “Verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
3. By being righteous – (part of the divine nature) --- Mt. 5:20:“except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no way enter into the Kingdom of heaven.”
4. By seeking--- Mt. 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and al these things shall be added to you.”
5. By being childlike (the nature of a Lamb) --- Mt. 18: 3-4: “Verily I say to you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” This, of course, does not mean childish, but humble and teachable, able to receive instruction.
6. By being instructed---Mt. 13:52: “Every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is in a household which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.”
7. By doing the will of the Father---Mt. 7: 21-23: “Not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but the that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.”
8. By being violent in the will of the Father ---Mt. 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Caleb spirit- Numbers 14:24: “My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit within him, and has followed Me fully him will I bring into the land whereto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
9. By purging out the offenses (traps, snares, hindrances)---Mt. 6:22; Mark 9:47: “If your eye offend you, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”
10. By pressing – walking alone at times---“the law and the prophets were until John; since that time the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it.” The pressing is personal and often very lonely.
11. By tribulation (Loneliness, misunderstanding, rejection, crucifixion) ---Mt. 5: 19-12; Acts 14:22. the Lord spoke to me once that the Office of the Evangelist was a lonely walk. We all must continue in the faith---no turning back---keep moving forward.
12. By adding to your Faith until you reach the sum (end) of your faith: We keep maturing until we reach the sum, which is a man in the throne with a ministry energized by a nature of love, the nature of God.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church,10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V.; N.K.J.V. I entered into the labors of Matthew Henry Bible Commentary; Sermon on the Mount by: Dr. Kelley Varner; The Twelve Gates of the City by: K. H. Varner’ The Gates of Pearl Sermon Notes by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom, December 2007.