The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 13 Part 13 Faith Is The Opposite Of Unbelief

Jesus brought His parables to a conclusion and moves to a new location.

Matthew 13:53  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 

Jesus was traveling through communities that were in close proximity to the Sea of Galilee.

He used parables as an effective way to bring heavenly truth to His people so that they might better understand what God is doing.

Jesus' family and friends did not think highly of Him and rejected His message.

Matthew 13:54-57  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55  Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57  And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 

Jesus returned to His own country of Galilee and his hometown of Nazareth.

Jesus returned to His own country. 

He went about doing good and did not leave any location until He taught God's truth to the people. 

Jesus own countrymen had rejected him once but He came to them again because He is always seeking to save the lost. 

John's gospel tells us that even Jesus' brothers rejected the idea that He was the Messiah of Israel, although they did believe later when Christ rose from the grave (See John 7:5).

They listened to the wisdom and authority that Jesus spoke with and were offended because He was not educated by their rabbis.

Matthew said Jesus' countrymen were "offended in him" and the Greek root of the word translated offended, is contained in the word "scandal."

These Jews had a censorious attitude toward the words and works of Jesus Christ, much like the Pharisees exhibited.

The attitude of unbelief is summed up in the word "offended" which literally means to cause a person to  to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.

Matthew 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 

Jesus will judge any unbelief in us and we must purge it out.

Isaiah prophesied that Messiah would be rejected and scorned by those whom He came to save.

Isaiah 8:14  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

Isaiah 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Jesus said that a prophet of God is generally honored in other places but not in his hometown, or his own country.

This connects with Isaiah prophesying about Messiah.

Jesus would be a stone that people would trip over, a rock of offense to Israel.

This goes back to the fact that they wanted a military Messiah who would overthrow Rome and they were not happy to receive a suffering Messiah who came to die to save us from our sins.

Thus, Isaiah said of Jesus that He was despised and rejected of men, and that He was filled with sorrow and grief over their unbelief.

John's gospel tells us that Jesus "came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (See John 1:11).

Those who repeatedly reject the gospel will have their hearts hardened by unbelief.

Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

Genesis 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

Jesus graciously stands at the door of our hearts each time that we hear gospel preaching. 

He stands ready to save all sinners who repent of their sins and turn to Him in faith.

At the same time, a sinner who continues rejecting the call of Christ will find that He will no longer call them to repentant faith. 

It is only by the influence of the Spirit of God that a carnal mind can be subdued and regenerated. 

Sinners who willfully resist and grieve God's Spirit will be left to the hardness and blindness of their own hearts, if they do not repent and turn to God. 

God delights in mercy, and therefore a gracious warning is given. 

Even at the time of Noah the earth was ripe for destruction, but God promised one hundred and twenty years’ respite. 

If they repented during that time by entering the ark, they would be saved and if not they were destroyed by a flood.

In this note from Matthew's gospel Christ was like his brethren as he had a natural affection for his own country

He entered the synagogue and began teaching the Word of God just as He did everywhere else that He traveled.

It appears that Jesus own countrymen seemed not to have heard His doctrines, nor seen His miracles, until now. 

It is a sad reality that those who should know Christ best are often the most ignorant of Him, not knowing His teaching and doctrine or the operations of His Spirit.

Unbelief condemns sinners to Hell and stifles the transforming work of God's Spirit in us.

Matthew 13:58  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

The words "He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief" are meant as a rebuke to those who refused to repent and trust Christ for salvation.

Unbelief is the great hindrance to any person receiving Christ's grace. 

The author of Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Faith is believing that God is the eternal sovereign ruler of all creation, the giver and sustainer of all life, the great I Am, Jehovah the self existent God.

Furthermore, faith must also believe that God does reward those who diligently seek Him.

All things are in general possible to God (See Matthew 19:26), but then it is to him that believes as to the particulars, (See Mark 9:23). 

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, but then it is to every one that believes, (See Romans 1:16). 

So if mighty works are not wrought in us, it is not for any lack of God's power or grace in Christ. 

Rather, it is a lack of faith in us. 

We are saved by grace which is a mighty work of regeneration in our heart, but it is through faith, (See Ephesians 2:8).

Our hearts are purified by faith (See Acts 15:9).

The righteousness of God in Christ is revealed by faith because the just shall live by faith (See Romans 1:17; 3:22; 3:28; 5:1-2).

We stand complete in Christ by faith (See 2 Corinthians 1:24).

We walk through this life with our Lord by faith (See 2 Corinthians 5:7).

Jesus Christ dwells in our heart by faith (See Ephesians 3:17).

Seventeen times we find the words "by faith" in Hebrews chapter eleven.

Israel is our example to avoid unbelief and to be in God's Word so our faith is strengthened. 

Hebrews 3:12-19  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16  For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 

Unbelief in the hearts of the Hebrews caused them to stumble so that an entire generation died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land.

We are exhorted to take heed and avoid any root of unbelief in our heart.

We must not ignore the voice of God when we hear His word preached or when we read His Word at home.

Ignoring His voice leads to a hard heart that will not hear His voice.

What is faith?

Faith is conviction of the truth of the inspired scriptures concerning man’s relationship to God and a belief in divine things with trust and holy fervor accompanying our faith.

Faith is a firm conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ.

Faith is a firm conviction and strong belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation by faith, in the kingdom of God.

Faith is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (See Galatians 5:22).

The armor God uses to equip us for spiritual warfare includes the shield of faith (See Ephesians 6:16).

Faith grows or decreases based upon how much we feast on the Word of God.

Acts 6:7  And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

As the word of God is fully and accurately preached and taught, it increases in the work that it does and it always leads us to obey Christ's commands. 

Faith is established, built up and solidified in our heart through hearing the Word of God.

This would include reading it, studying it and memorizing the scriptures. 

1 Corinthians 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Our faith is rooted and grounded in believing the Holy Scriptures God gave us (See Colossians 2:6-7).

Therefore, if a professing Christian is struggling in life they can open their Bible and seek God diligently and ask Him to teach them about His glory and His Son and His salvation.

He will strengthen our faith as we spend more time in His Word seeking Him.

He will change us more and more into the image of Christ as we spend more time reading and studying His Word.

Jesus was hindered in His own homeland because the people's attitude was dismissive of the gospel and they rejected Christ as their Messiah.

Let us not be those whose heart is stubborn and refusing to obey the gospel of Christ.

Let us seek to be rooted and built up in Christ, and allow our faith to grow with increased exposure to the Word of God.

Bob