Matthew 13

[Hunterpoet]

Spurgeon....."Nothing at it's commencement could be smaller, or less conspicuous, than the church of Christ, nothing in the end shall be so great and honorable, already many happy souls, like birds, rest in it's branches.

[tah]

Well...if the tree is symbolic of the kingdom of heaven then we are like the birds who have come to rest in Jesus as our Savior and live forever in that tree...

fed - sheltered - protected ... a tree is just what a bird needs...

It reminds me of another scripture I love..

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life...

I can vaguely remember hearing that the birds were bad in this scripture also ...but that makes no sense to me...

[tah]

Spurgeon....."Nothing at it's commencement could be smaller, or less conspicuous, than the church of Christ, nothing in the end shall be so great and honorable, already many happy souls, like birds, rest in it's branches.

Yes...Amen...

[mizzdy]

I remember a sermon from a long while back that said something about the mustard tree was abnormal, their seeds are not supposed to turn into trees. Some how this tree was supposed to represent the growth of an apostate church. That any tree that grew large enough to host nests was good but because the mustard seed was not supposed to turn into a tree and host birds it is abnormal. Like I said its been sometime since I heard this and it seems to go against what others are saying here.

[Guest man]

I remember a sermon from a long while back that said something about the mustard tree was abnormal, their seeds are not supposed to turn into trees. Some how this tree was supposed to represent the growth of an apostate church. That any tree that grew large enough to host nests was good but because the mustard seed was not supposed to turn into a tree and host birds it is abnormal. Like I said its been sometime since I heard this and it seems to go against what others are saying here.

Matthew 13

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:

[traveller]

A lot of good answers here.

Reading verse 4 in the same chapter -

Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

In this verse, the fowl are Satan's emissaries that come and snatch the seed. The word used for bird is the same in this verse and in chapter 32. peteinon

though the tree in Chapter 32 sounds like a a peaceful, secure place, could it mean that the birds in the tree are there to snatch and devour what they can?

[Guest man]

though the tree in Chapter 32 sounds like a a peaceful, secure place, could it mean that the birds in the tree are there to snatch and devour what they can?

Notice what Christ says,

[traveller]

True about the "kingdom of heaven," but look here:

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Apparently, the "kingdom of heaven" isn't actual heaven, but life here on earth - the believers.

[Guest man]

True about the "kingdom of heaven," but look here:

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Apparently, the "kingdom of heaven" isn't actual heaven, but life here on earth - the believers.

Good point.

I gotta go find my thinking cap before my head starts hurting.

[Hunterpoet]

A lot of good answers here.

Reading verse 4 in the same chapter -

Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

In this verse, the fowl are Satan's emissaries that come and snatch the seed. The word used for bird is the same in this verse and in chapter 32. peteinon

though the tree in Chapter 32 sounds like a a peaceful, secure place, could it mean that the birds in the tree are there to snatch and devour what they can?

Tree's are a secure place for birds, high off the ground away from most predators. Tree's often provide food for the birds.

The Lord does provide shelter and sustance for those who seek Him. Come to think of it, if one were to sit in the Lords tree, I would hope that they would devour all that they could.