“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”’” Matthew 13:24-30.
There are seven parables spoken by the Lord in Matthew chapter 13 only three of which are also mentioned in Mark and Luke and none in the gospel of John.
While the gospels record about thirty parables mentioned by Jesus; these seven are significant because they reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, or as Jesus called them in Mark 4:11, “the mystery of the kingdom of God”.
“Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, ‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised [ungodly men]; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.’ So his armorbearer said to him, ‘Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.’ Then Jonathan said, ‘Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. If they say thus to us, “Wait until we come to you,” then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. But if they say thus, “Come up to us,” then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.’ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, ‘Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.’ Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, ‘Come up to us, and we will show [teach] you something.’ Jonathan said to his armorbearer, ‘Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.’ And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land. And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling. Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there.” 1 Samuel 14:6-16.
The primary intent of this post is to show that all children go to heaven if they die.
“Then Nathan [the prophet] departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, ‘Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!’ When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, ‘Is the child dead?’ and they said, ‘He is dead.’ So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.’ And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’” 2 Samuel 12:15-23.
