The Parables of Jesus
Preface to Parables Study
In
writing this study I have prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to lead my thoughts
and writings. I have endeavored to follow only God’s Word and not man’s
(including my) opinions. I have worked to have the Bible be my only rule book
and guide and, if my thoughts and writings do not match up to the rest of the
Bible, I have removed them.
As we study the Bible, we must always look at how
what we study applies to our world and culture. Culturally and philosophically,
little has changed from the days of the early church until today. If we are
honest, we must say little has changed from the earliest times until now.
Mankind has much more technology but our thinking, lusts, desires, temptations,
greed, etc. are the same. What can we learn from God’s Word and how can we
effectively apply it in today’s world?
This
study is not intended for sale. A Bibliography has not been provided and not
all quotes have been noted or referenced in the body of the text. I did try to
reference but at times was wrapped up in the study and forgot to reference.
Hopefully these are few. My apologies to anyone who is missing.
Each of us are responsible for our interpretation
of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. The Holy Spirit, the
Bible, and You, are the priority in interpretating what you read. We must not
relinquish this to a commentator.
Thoughts,
comments, disagreements, and clarifications to this study are more than
welcome.
Tony
Smith
Introduction
According to Merriam Webster “a parable is a usually short fictitious story that
illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.” This is a rather wide definition that
can cover folklore, to allegories, to parables in Jewish culture and the Bible.
In the Hebrew culture the
parable, (mashal), can also have many meanings but, unlike other kinds
of stories, the
word pictures of a Hebrew parable always reveal the reality of God.
Jesus is Jewish in His ethnic background,
religious thought, and practice. “Jesus must be understood as a Jewish theologian. His theology is
Jewish to the core.” (Jesus the Jewish Theologian, Brad H. Young Ph.D.
p. xxxiv) Parables were not an invention of Jesus, they were part of the Hebrew
culture in which Jesus grew up being raised in Second Temple Judaism. Jesus
would have heard many parables in the Jewish learning centers (Beit Midrash). The learning
centers were part of the synagogues and Jesus would have attended them often.
Jesus also taught in the learning centers during His ministry years (John
6:56). With His use of parables Jesus was carrying on a well-established
teaching tool of generations of Jewish teachers.
As noted above the parables of Jesus always reveal the reality and
character of God in word pictures. God gives us knowledge of Him, but
not exhaustive knowledge of Him. The intent of Jesus’ parables was to allow
people to learn more about God, why God does what He does, His basic character
of love, (especially love for creation), God’s long suffering towards us, and
His plans. Further, it is important for us to learn
the fact of God’s immutability. God does not change. The parables also bring a
greater understanding of the Torah, prophesies and writings.
“My people,
hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a
parable; I will utter hidden
things, things from of old” (Psalm 78:1-2).
Due to translation of Hebrew and Aramaic into
Greek the original implication and sense of many parables were
(unintentionally) made unclear to future listeners and readers. To get a
clearer understanding of the intent of an original parable a person must read
it in the original Hebrew, or a translation that is as close as possible to the
original Hebrew. One must also consider the location and culture in which the
parable was told. Jesus did not live outside His culture and culture’s history.
Jesus was Jewish through and through.
“The essential difference between fables and
parables is God.” (The Parables, Young, p.21) We can look at Aesop’s fables and
see valid morality lessons but not in a God centered context. This is true of
many fables from many different lands and nations. They have no real central
focus. They are a collection of stories, some with morality lessons, some
without. This takes us back to the essential difference between fables and
parables. “Without God,
Gospel and rabbinic parables lose their central focus.” (Parables,
Young, p.21)
Quite often a point was made by using two or
more parables to tell the same story and teach the same point. The point may be
seen directly in the parable. An example is the parables in Luke 1:5-8 and Luke
18:1-8. These are two different stories in two different places in Luke, but
they provide the same teaching point, although one not necessarily clear in our
culture. In both cases the parables tell us of men who did not act in love in
accordance with their culture of sharing, hospitality, justice, and fairness.
This is not the way God acts. God acts in love. There is a second lesson here.
Faith is persistent. Faith does not give up easily as evidenced by the four
friends who cut a hole in the roof of a house so they could lower their sick
friend to Jesus. There is also the blind man who kept shouting for Jesus even
after he was told to be quiet. Jesus heard and healed him. Faith does not necessarily know
cultural decorum.
Parables are still used today in teaching and
clarifying. In my career I performed corporate training for all levels of
employees. When doing corporate training I would visit the facility one or two
days before the training was scheduled. During the visit I would learn the
history and culture of the organization and would use that information to
develop stories to clarify what I was teaching. The stories I used were not
intended to reveal God or make a moral point (although some did do so). They
were intended to teach sometimes abstract lessons using word pictures the
students were very familiar with through their work and paradigms.
An example of a present-day parable is: Two men, one older and one
younger. The older man told the younger man about Christ and led him to Christ.
Over time the younger man told man people about Christ and led many to believe
in Christ. The older man remained unknown. Who did the greater work for the
Lord. Who had the greatest influence for God’s work? Both! Without the older
leading the younger to believe in Christ the younger may never have done his
work. Both had their critical jobs for God, and both did those jobs. Neither
man did more or less than the other in God’s plan.
A second example is: Two young men (Bill and Fred) graduated
college and entered the world of business. Both joined well-known corporations,
worked very hard, and both rose in their organizations. Fred stayed in the
background, helped and taught others and was well known and respected. Bill
took advantage of every possible opportunity to get promoted regardless of who
it impacted or how it impacted them, rose very high in his organization, made a
fortune, and became well known in the financial industry throughout the world.
After many years Bill was arrested for illegal business practices and vilified
in the media and word-of-mouth. In the eyes of God who was successful, Bill or
Fred? In the eyes of the world who was successful.
Both of these stories provide a look at different people, how they
reacted to God, the world, and what resulted from
their reaction to God. It presents us with the question “What will we
choose in life?”
“Truth is always simple.
The Bible is God’s Word to us today.
Accepting the teachings of Jesus will change your life.
Parables teach us about God — and about ourselves.
God is bigger than we think He is.”
(Jamie Buckingham)
Christ taught truth. Truth is simple and clear, except to those who
have closed their hearts, minds, ears and eyes. (Isaiah 6:8-10). This is
explained in the parable of the Sower and the Seed. When we look at the
parables, we see they are often grouped together based on the circumstances,
what is happening at that time. The Sower and the Seed is immediately followed
by the Wheat and Tares. Both tell us about God, and people’s response to God’s
message. As we look at and truly consider what the parable is saying we can see
the issue(s) Jesus is addressing.
The
Parables of the Sower and the Seed (4.20.24)
Mt 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20; Lu 8:5-8, 11-15
The first parable we will
look at is the parable of the Sower and the Seed and then the parable of the Wheat
and Tares. The two parables work together. They help us understand other
parables and reveal information about Yahweh and the spiritual realm. Parables
are memorable. They help us retain what we learn about God. We will look at the
Parable of the Sower and Seed first.
The Sower and the Seed is among
the first parables Jesus told. This is a very important parable for a few
reasons. First, being among the first parable, it provides a pattern for us to
understand subsequent parables. Second, Jesus reveals God and the spiritual
realm through this parable. Third, the parable brings us face-to-face with our
hearts.
Behold, the Sower went out
to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the
birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on the rocky ground where
it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth
of soil. 6And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because
it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among the thorns,
and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8Other
seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded
a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9And He was
saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear ….13And He said to
them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the
parables? 14The Sower sows the word. 15These are the ones
who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately
Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16In
a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places,
who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and
they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when
affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall
away. 18And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the
thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the
worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for
other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20And
those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the
word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:3-9, 13-20 NASB)
To understand a Biblical
parable, we must do our best to put ourselves in the context, location, and culture,
where the parable was told. Context is critical. In this case the context is
provided by Matthew 12:46-50. Jesus had just finished teaching when His mother
and brothers appeared looking for Him so they could speak with Him. Jesus was
told this and His reply is a bit surprising: “For whoever does the will of My
Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (NASB Matthew
12:50) In Israel the first-born son had an obligation, a responsibility, to
care for their parents and siblings. By His answer Jesus is showing His true
family is all those who DO the will of the Father in Heaven. Those who talk
about God or give false worship, (their hearts are not following God and doing
God’s will) are not included. (Romans 2:29) After leaving where He was teaching
Jesus goes out by the sea and sits. In Second Temple Israel teachers taught
from a sitting position.
This parable has three main
characters, the Sower, the seed, and the soil. There are some other material
parts of the parable: the birds, the rocks, the thorns. A final character is
implied, Satan. The problem addressed is not the seed but the soil. Seed will
grow in good soil. In the parable there are four kinds of soil: beside the road
(hard soil), rocky ground (without much soil), thorny ground, and good soil.
Each soil affects seed growth. Remember, it is the soil that affects seed
growth, not the seed. In the parable the seed (Word) is scattered
indiscriminately. Only some seeds will grow to maturity. The different soils
show the hearts of different people. Jesus explains what each different soil
shows about the different people so I will not dwell on that. Jesus’
explanation is more than sufficient. I do want to look at the underlying
lesson, the state of a person’s heart and how that affects receiving the seed
and growth. (Luke 16:15)
As mentioned above each
soil says something about the different listeners and different reactions to
the Gospel. The soil on the path is packed hard from people walking on it over
time. Soil that is walked on multiple times daily can become like concrete where
nothing will grow. The seed that fell on the path had very little chance to
take root and grow. This is the same with people. Some people have so hardened
their hearts over time that they refuse to hear or do anything about the Word
of God. We see an example of this with Pharaoh. He had hardened his heart
against God over time to the point he would NOT hear or obey God despite the
efforts God made to get through to him.
The seed that fell on rocky
soil looks good at first but when the listeners are persecuted because they
believe God, they leave the Word. There are two very important and related
points here. First, they are persecuted and afflicted because of accepting the
Word. The second is they have no firm root in the Word of God. They have not
grown in their belief. It is like a plant that is not watered or fertilized, it
doesn’t grow and soon dies. Note the persecution is directly related to their
belief, not the normal problems of life. Since they relate their affliction to
the Word the easiest way to stop it is to discard their belief. It is the
easiest way, but the worst way. This person has their eyes on acceptance of the
world, not God. God is of secondary or lesser importance. Pharaoh is, again, an
example. When Pharaoh finally let Israel go, he very quickly regretted it and
followed to enslave them again. The result was his death, not Israel’s.
The thorny soil is different
from the rocky soil. This soil is when the wealth, cares and philosophy of the
world displace our concern for God. In fact, following the Word hardly gets a
start, if at all. This is the soil with which most can identify. It is
different from rocky soil because it does not involve persecution due to the
Word. Thorny soil is often self-centered from the start. A person is more
concerned with their well-being, status in the world, comfort, and material
things, than they are God. Demas is an example of thorny soil. In Colossians
4:14 and Philemon 1:24 Demas is identified as a fellow worker with Paul. In 2
Timothy 4:10 Paul said Demas has loved the present world and has forsaken him.
He went from working for the Word to abandoning the Word for the world. We are not
told the particulars.
Finally, we read about the
good soil. This is the person who accepts the Word, grows in the Word, DOES
what the Word says, and is fruitful in serving God. These are people who serve
God every day, not just worship days. We see many examples of this throughout
the Scriptures and life. Moses was such a person. As we read Acts and look at
believers around us, we can see many examples. (Acts 9:36-43)
21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought
to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on
the lampstand? 22For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor
has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23If
anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. And He was saying to them, “Take care
what you listen to….” (Mark 4:21-24a)
This section is an
extension of vs. 3-20 and a new, complementary parable, to the Sower and Seed.
At the beginning of the story, Jesus speaks of seed being sown. The listeners
at that time would have understood this to be the Word of God. Jesus now gives
further clarification. His comments re. a lamp on a lampstand made sense to
everyone listening to Him. In His time, they did not have electricity, they had
lamps that burned olive oil. To provide the greatest amount of light to the
largest area the lamps would be placed on a high point in a room. We do the
same now with electric lights.
Jesus is expanding on His
comment that the seed that fell on good ground would produce 30, 60, or 100
times what was expected. This would be enough to feed many people. (Jesus
feeding the 4,000 and 5,000 are great examples). Believers must feed others the
Word of God. There was a “mystery” in the Hebraic Scriptures that was revealed
by and through Christ. (Eph. 3:3-5, 9) That mystery is Christ, the Messiah, His
purpose, and actions. Light reveals what is hidden. Jesus is the light and
reveals the mystery. Jesus reveals God and the spiritual realm. Believers MUST
share this with all others.
We are told if we have ears
we are to listen. Jesus is saying you hear but you do not really hear. We hear
but do not understand, we do not comprehend. Finally, we are told to be careful
of what we listen to. This can have a double meaning. First, listening to
non-Godly things can, over time, lead us away from God. Paul refers to this in
Ephesians 5:4; 2 Timothy 2:23; and Titus 3:9. A second meaning can be that we
are responsible for what we hear. When we hear the Word of God do we act on it,
or just think about it and make no change? James 4:17 tells us if a person
knows to do good but does not it, to him it is sin. The
Word is active, not passive. Are
we like a person given money to invest and does nothing to earn more, or the
person who earns more with what he was given? (Matthew 25:14-30) Do we take
God’s Word and invest it in other people or keep it to ourselves?
REFLECTIONS:
As we look at this parable
we learn about God and ourselves. God wants everyone, no exceptions, to believe
and do His Word. God does not want anyone, no exceptions, to live in eternity
separated from Him. God does not want anyone, no exceptions, to suffer
throughout eternity because they rejected Him. When the seed was sown it was
broadcast, it went to all parts of the area. The seed was not sown to just the
good soil only, but everywhere, allowing all the soil to produce. The same is
true with the Word of God. It is sown everywhere giving everyone a chance to
respond. (Romans 10:12-13; Galatians 3:28.)
A second thing to note is
the responsibility of the individual to respond. What they do with what has
been sown is a personal decision. God does require a response but never tells a
person how to respond. God treats each the same, there is no preferential
treatment for anyone. (Matthew 22:16; Acts 10:34; Romans 10:12-13) Every person
has an equal opportunity to accept Christ as their savior or to reject Him.
(John 3:16-18)
Third, location, culture
and context when the parable was first spoken is important. The modern world is
much different from the ancient world. Second Temple Israel was an agrarian
culture with a somewhat theocratic government, and they were an occupied nation.
Our vocabularies are very different. All of this can make the meaning and point
of a parable a bit difficult to determine. That does not mean it cannot be
determined but the present-day reader MUST rely on the Holy Spirit to open the
parable up for them.
This parable gives us an
insight into God, His kingdom, and the reality of our present world. We can see
the present reality in the soils, hard, rocky, thorny, and good. As noted,
these soils are indicative of the hearts of people. The heart of a person
determines how they will react to the seed (Word of God) planted in their
hearts. This does not mean a person’s heart cannot be changed by the Word, but
the harder the heart the more difficult it may be to change, but all things are
possible with God.
This parable should cause
us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to take a close, honest, look at our
hearts. What kind of heart do we have? What is the state of our heart? Do we
truly care about God and put Him first? (Zechariah 7:12) Do we listen to His
Holy Spirit and move closer to Him and His Word? Do we need to make changes? As
we see things that need to change, we should not be upset, depressed, worried,
etc., the Holy Spirit shows us what needs to change because God loves us.
The parable also lets us
know what we will face in the world as we work as messengers of God’s Word.
Some will not listen, some will listen, but it doesn’t last long. Some will
listen, but over time let the world and its priorities take over. Some will
listen and become believers and workers for the Lord. Our job is to be Sowers,
how people react and when they accept Christ is up to them. God allows every
person that privilege. Some plant some water but God always gives the increase.
(1 Corinthians 3:6)
To Think About:
What difference does this
parable make, to the original listeners, to me?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take
as a result of this parable?
Parable of the Wheat & Tares
Mt 13:24-30, 36-43; Mark 4:2-9;
Luk
“24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The
kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But
while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat,
and went away. 26But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then
the tares became evident also. 27The slaves of the landowner came
and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does
it have tares?’28And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The
slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29But
he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the
wheat with them.30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest;
and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the
tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my
barn.”’”” (Matthew 13:24-30, NASB)
“36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And
His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of
the field.” 37And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the
Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and as for the good seed,
these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39and
the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age;
and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up
and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The
Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom
all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42and will
throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.43Then the
righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He
who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew
13:36-43, NASB)
This parable was told after
the parable of the Sower and the Seed and seems to be further explanation and
warning. The setting for both of these parables would be very familiar to the
listeners but not so much for us. Perhaps replacing wheat and tares with
business ventures or gardening would be a bit more understandable in our time.
Tares are a species of rye-grass, a weed, the seeds of which are a
strong poison. It bears a close resemblance to wheat until the ear appears, and
only then is the difference evident. Tares are NOT something a person wants
growing with their wheat crop. If not removed, tares can get mixed in with the
wheat destroying the crop, making the wheat inedible, or harming consumers.
Tares grow abundantly in the Syria & Phoenicia areas and were a serious
problem for farmers.
In the parable, good seed
was sown in good soil and the tares were added later by an enemy who wanted to
see the crop fail. It is
important to realize the tares were sown by someone who was a malicious enemy
of the Sower, wanted their crop to fail, and did not
care about who else might be hurt. The
tares were sown at night and the enemy immediately left so neither the farmer
nor anyone else knew who sowed the tares. This
was an intentional and devious act.
Wheat and tares are almost
indistinguishable from each other until they ripen. Even then it can be
difficult to identify them from each other. This is much the same as false
Christians, and false teachers. Ravenous wolves among God’s flock. They look
good, sound good, and may even be good to look at, but they are in the flock to
destroy what they can. (Matthew 7:15; Luke 10:3; Acts 20:9) Like Judas
Iscariot, these people are counterfeit believers and are led by Satan. Paul
tells us not to even eat with them. (1 Corinthians 5:11)
John tells us in 2 John
1:10 “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” Paul states similar in Romans 16:17-18 and 1
Corinthians 5:11. I know this sounds harsh and some would say unloving, but it
is to protect the true believers. It is much the same as destroying cancer
cells, so they do not spread to more of the body. We must take care not to
listen to false teachers, preachers, prophets, etc. 2Beware of the
dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; (Philippians 3:2 NASB)
In Philippians, Paul is speaking about those stating a person must be circumcised to be
a believer in and follower of Christ. That was a major problem facing the early church but is not
necessarily the major problem today. We have different issues but the same
basic problem cause; those who would deceive believers by requiring beliefs and
actions other than what the Bible says. They want
believers to follow their requirements, not the Scriptures. We must take
care to only follow those who follow the Scriptures (John 12:26; 2 Thess. 3:7). Praying and asking the Father to lead us and
give us wisdom is the best defense.
REFLECTIONS:
Note that
reapers at the end of the age are angels, not people. Separating the good crop from the
poisonous crop is a task assigned to angels under God’s direction. The tares
are gathered together at the end and thrown into the fire; they are permanently
disposed of. In His
explanation, Jesus made clear that the Sower of the seed on good soil is the
Son of Man and the one who sows the tares is the devil. This is a direct tie to
the parable of the Sower and Seed and a further explanation of it.
In the Sower parable,
we saw the four kinds of listeners and their reactions to the Word of God based
on their hearts. In this parable, Jesus narrows the subject a bit more and
gives believers a warning. Even if the soil is good, hearts are open, believe
God’s Word and His Son, Satan will continue to try to confuse, deceive and
steal believers from God. He tries this in every way possible. This warning also tells us Satan can be defeated through
faith in the Lord and His Word. (Mark 4:40; Luke 18:8)
When we look at these
two parables, we learn people will make different decisions for or against God.
Believers carry God’s message but cannot make
people believe in the Lord. The Devil will work to make those who chose
to believe, turn from God. Through the parables,
Jesus also shows us a way of escape, FAITH in GOD. This parable and the
Sower parable are a rather detailed look into God’s plan, what happens, what is
going to happen, and how to deal with it.
To Think About:
What difference does this
parable make, to the original listeners, and to me?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take
as a result of this parable?
Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
Mt 20:1-16
For the
kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire
laborers for his vineyard. 2When he
had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his
vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour and saw others
standing idle in the marketplace; 4and to
those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will
give you.’ And so, they went. 5Again he
went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found
others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here
idle all day long?’ 7They said
to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard
too.’
8“When
evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers
and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ 9When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each
one received a denarius.
10When those hired first came, they thought that they
would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they grumbled at the
landowner, 12saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching
heat of the day.’13But he
answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not
agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what
is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what
is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16So the last shall be first, and the first last.” (NASB)
This parable was given
after the rich young man was told he needed to sell all he had and give it away
to those in need. The disciples questioned Jesus concerning how a rich person could
get into heaven and also what would be the disciples reward. Jesus told them
their reward and the told this parable as an explanation.
The parable portrays
God’s character of grace and love. This was integral to Jewish thought during
the time of Jesus. Quite often present-day believers see Judaism in the time of
Jesus (and now) to be very legalistic with little to no understand of grace. Many
times, people think Jesus is fighting against Judaism. This is far from
accurate. Grace is seen throughout the Torah, prophesies, and writings.
Jesus was not fighting
against Judaism but rather to reform Judaism where it went astray from God’s
Word. He fought against man’s traditions replacing God’s instructions (the Torah).
(Mark 7:11) He fought to make God’s love the yardstick against which all hearts
and actions are measured. (Matthew 5:24) He emphasized the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5)
being implemented in every heart and life. A believer in salvation through
Christ by faith builds relationships of love with others, not just other
believers. Christ is very clear if we have a problem with another person, we
must address that before coming to God. (Matthew 5:24-25)
How does this parable
help make this happen? It teaches us about God’s character, how God acts and
how we should act in a way consistent with God’s character. From a human point
of view the landowner’s payment action may not seem equitable but it is. The
laborers hired at the start of the day agreed to work for a denarius. Those who
are saved through Christ work for God and have agreed to a certain reward. The
laborers hired later in the day agreed to work for what is fair. They were not
sure what to expect but received the same reward as those hired at the
beginning. This shows God’s love and concern for everyone. The reward is the
same regardless of when a person becomes a believer. This is seen very clearly
at Jesus’ crucifixion. Two men were crucified with Christ. One did not believe
in Jesus as savior, and one did believe in Jesus as savior. Jesus told the one
who believed “Today
shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43 KJV) The man was like the
laborer hired at the eleventh hour, he was paid the same as the person saved
early in life, he died and spent eternity with the Lord.
REFLECTIONS:
This
parable is a continuation of the preceding sentence, the last shall be first.
It teaches us about the character of God and God’s love. The parable also shows
there is no purgatory. The crucified man went to paradise with Jesus
immediately after death, he did not suffer for a time in purgatory. This goes
along with Hebrews 9:27. This parable, like the Sower & Seed and the Wheat
& Tares is fundamental to understanding other parables and having some
insight into God’s character of love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
“The
parable beautifully portrays the grace of God, a concept so integral to thought
during the time of Jesus and yet very difficult to grasp.” (Jesus the Jewish
Theologian, p129) “The paradox and Irony of the parable are seen in the fact
that the landowner is fair. He gives everyone what is just. You have the first
are last and the last are first, everyone receives the same wage. All are equal
before the Lord.” (Jesus the Jewish Theologian, p131) No one earns salvation,
it is not a wage, it is a gift freely given by God. Like the landowner chose to
give the same wage to all the workers so God chooses to freely give to everyone
who accepts the free gift of salvation through Christ.
To Think About:
In your heart and mind do
you think the landowner was fair to those who worked all day?
What difference does this
parable make?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take
as a result of this parable?
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
For
this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to
settle accounts with his slaves. 24When
he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought
to him. 25But since
he did not have the
means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and
children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26So the slave fell to the
ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I
will repay you everything.’ 27And
the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the
debt. 28But that
slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and
began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29So his fellow slave fell to
the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I
will repay you.’ 30 But
he was unwilling and
went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw
what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord
all that had happened. 32Then
summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that
debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not also have had
mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34And his lord, moved with
anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed
him. 35My heavenly
Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his
brother from your
heart.” (NASB)
Jesus told this parable
in response to Peter’s question about how many times a person should forgive.
Jesus told Peter a person should forgive up to seventy times seven. Sometimes
people think Jesus is giving an upper limit to how many times someone should
forgive (490 times). Jesus is not giving a limit to forgiving. As the parable
shows forgiveness does not have a limit, nor is money or material things a
consideration to forgiveness. “If we have
experienced God’s forgiveness, it will be shown in our forgiveness of others.
In the parable of the unmerciful servant, Jesus teaches forgiving others is
part of our forgiveness.” We are
to forgive, period.
In the time of Jesus, a talent was worth about
$1,000 in today’s money and a denarius about $0.09 in today’s money. That means
the first servant owed about $10,000,000 and the second servant owed about
$9.00. This gives some perspective to the relative debts. Before we look at the
parable, please keep in mind Matthew 6:9-15 This
parable is a clear, real-world example of “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors”. (NASB) in the Lord’s Prayer. Many times,
we ask God to forgive our sins but do not really think about the second part “as we also have forgiven our
debtors.” The word AS makes a huge difference. Have we truly
forgiven from our hearts, or do we still hold onto a tiny bit of unforgiveness?
If we have not forgiven completely, how can we ask God to forgive us
completely? Harboring a tiny bit of unforgiveness can turn into a huge mountain
of hate, especially when Satan uses it against us or others. (Notice I said
‘when’ Satan uses it, not ‘if’ he uses it.)
There are five things in this parable we
should clearly see. 1. The master’s wonderful clemency and love. 2. The wages of sin, to be a slave. 3. The servant’s unreasonable
severity toward his fellow servant, notwithstanding his lord's clemency toward
him. 4. The master reproved his servant's cruelty. We do not truly forgive the
person who offends or wrongs us if we do not forgive from the heart. Partial forgiveness is really no
forgiveness at all. 5. Forgiveness is not just that we have forgiven but
is also that we continue to forgive. (Matthew Henry Complete Bible Commentary)
REFLECTIONS:
Forgiveness is
an integral part of the Bible. An integral part of Christ’s life and our lives
in Christ and an essential part of our physical and spiritual health. Truly forgiving is not easy. It is very
difficult to completely forgive without the Holy Spirit’s help. Unforgiveness in one area can breed
unforgiveness in other areas 19Wherefore, my beloved brethren,
let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of
man works not the righteousness of God. James 1: 19-20 Forgiving is
not limited to forgiving others but includes forgiving ourselves.
Finally, read
this parable along with Matthew 18:15-17. “15“If your
brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you
have won your brother.16But if he does not listen to you, take one
or two more with you, so that by the
mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17If he refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church,
let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly I say to
you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” This section shows the importance of forgiving.
We forgive through the Love of Christ and with
the help of the Holy Spirit.
We do not go it alone.
To Think About:
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
Have we forgiven those
who have offended us?
Do we need to forgive others?
What difference does this
parable make?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take as a result of this
parable?
Parable
of the Talents
14“For it
is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and
entrusted his possessions to them.15To one he gave five talents, to
another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he
went on his journey. 16Immediately the one who had received the five
talents went and traded with them and gained five more talents. 17In
the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18But
he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid
his master’s money.
19“Now
after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with
them. 20The one who had received the five talents came up and
brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me.
See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21His master said to him,
‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things I will
put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
22“Also the
one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted
two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with
a few things I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of
your master.’
24“And the
one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you
to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you
scattered no seed. 25And I was afraid and went away and hid your
talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26“But his
master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap
where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27Then you
ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival, I would have
received my money back with interest. 28Therefore take away the
talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29“For to
everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from
the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw
out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew
25:14-30 NASB)
Jesus came for three main reasons. First,
Jesus came to atone for the sins of man. Second, Jesus came to restore Judaism
back to what YHWH put in place originally. (Acts 3:21) Third, Jesus came to
reveal the nature, character, and plans of YHWH. The purpose of the parable was
to encourage His disciples to risk everything and give His message away. This
is a different approach than what was normal for Second Temple Judaism. The Jew
had been brought up knowing they were a special people In Genesis 12:2-3 we are
told God blessed Abraham and Abraham was to bless all peoples. Blessing all
people had two meanings, one immediate and one in the future. The immediate
meaning was that Abraham, and his offspring would bless the world by telling
the world about God and being an example of God’s love and Torah
(instructions). In Genesis. Due to all the pagan societies around them, felt
they needed to closely guard and protect the Word of God given to them. They
were so concerned about this they often became somewhat insular and were
careful to ensure no changes were made at all.
This parable uses finances to make the point
about using what we have effectively. This includes money, talents, skills,
etc. Unfortunately, practices that isolate worship
to what occurs in church buildings either on Sunday, Sabbath, or other days of
the week have robbed believers through the centuries of significant
opportunities for exercises that God considers worship. They represent a
departure from the Hebrew foundations of Christian faith and the adoption of
the dualism of Greco-Roman philosophy that compartmentalize life into spiritual
and secular realms.
REFLECTIONS:
This parable is not
about money but rather effectively using what God has given us. Do we know what
gifts we have, and do we use them? Have we asked God how to use the resources
we have, money, gifts, abilities, skills, personality, character, etc. Do we
seek God’s guidance in how to improve what we have and how we use it?
The gifts are many and
varied and each gift has its place in the Church of God. Paul lists nine gifts
in 1 Corinthians but does not indicate this is an exhaustive list. Each gift is
valuable and is there to further God’s kingdom. No gift is ‘better’ than
another. Often, we emphasize the more noticeable gifts like tongues and healing,
but healing does not do the job when discerning of spirits is needed. That does
not mean one is lesser than the other but rather we must listen and obey the
Holy Spirit on when to use which. In 1 Corinthians 12:31 Paul said to earnestly
desire the best or greater gift. The best or greater gift is the one needed at
that point in time and space. God gives all His gifts as He sees fit. We must
depend on the Holy Spirit for the gifts we have and learning how to use them.
Finally, 1 Corinthians
13 stresses love. Love is the foundation of our faith and greater than any
gift. Gifts are used when needed but love is constant. We can and should act in
love at all times and circumstances.
To Think About:
What difference does this
parable make, to the original listeners, to me?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take as a result of this
parable?
Parable
of the Lost Sheep
Matthew
18:12-14, Luke 15:3-7
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners
were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble,
saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3So He told them this parable,
saying, 4“What man
among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave
the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he
finds it? 5When he
has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he
calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me,
for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who
need no repentance. (Luke
15:1-7 NASB)
The scribes and
Pharisees were complaining that He, a man who claimed to be from YHWH, was
eating with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus responded by telling the
story of a shepherd who had 100 sheep and one of them ran off. Jesus assumed
each of the Pharisees should leave the 99 for the 1 by saying, “What man of you having a hundred
sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the
wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” thereby identifying both Himself and the Pharisees as shepherds, a
despised occupation in their culture. Jesus also assumed some responsibility for the
one sheep’s condition…‘if he (the shepherd) loses one’ (Luke 15:3). That is a
somewhat different approach than placing all the blame on the sheep for having
run off!
Jesus said that a good shepherd would find the
sheep and lay it on his shoulders, ‘rejoicing’. That’s not the normal response
He knew to be present in the Hebrew culture, nor in ours today. Most complain
in the face of having to help others in trouble rather than rejoice. He put him
on His shoulders because lost sheep are often paralyzed with fear and the only
hope of getting home would be if someone picked them up and carried them. How
often do we do this with the lost sheep we see? Jesus said a good shepherd
would do so ‘rejoicing’!
Heaven’s joy is based on the returning of lost
sheep to their true home, the shepherd’s house. Heaven rejoices more over one
returning lamb than ninety-nine who need no repentance. Too bad there are no
such ninety-nine who need no repentance. There is no one who needs 'no
repentance'. We all need to repent at one time or another, or maybe even more
than that.
God cares that much and more about each person He
created. We are of inestimable worth and value to God. We only have worth and
value to Satan in-so-far as he can steal us from God or cause us not to believe
in Him or Christ. This parable makes the point that Jesus came to save and love
the lost. (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32) No one is beneath God’s caring
love. Something the scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders did not
understand, agree with, or do. The heart of God is thus revealed in this short
four verse parable. Like the scribes and Pharisees, are our hearts also
revealed?
REFLECTIONS:
Just a bit about
leaving the 99 and going after the one lost sheep. I often wondered why the
shepherd would leave the 99 alone to go after one lost sheep. Sounds like an
uncaring attitude toward the 99 sheep. I learned that shepherds put their sheep
into sheepfolds at night or when they had to leave them alone. (Jesus mentioned
the sheepfold in John 10:1) In many cases there could be two shepherds, if one
had to leave the other would watch the sheep. The 99 were not left alone but
were taken care of.
To Think About:
What difference does this parable
make, to the original listeners, to me?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take
as a result of this parable?
Parable
of the Prodigal Son
Luke
15:11–32
11And He
said, “A man had two sons. 12The younger of them said to his father,
‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his
wealth between them. 13And not many days later, the younger son
gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and
there he squandered his estate with loose living.14Now when he had
spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be
impoverished.15So he went and hired himself out to one of the
citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And
he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were
eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17But when he came to
his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough
bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18I will get up and go to my
father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your
sight; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one
of your hired men.”’ 20So he got up and came to his father. But
while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for
him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to
him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his slaves,
‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand
and sandals on his feet; 23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and
let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of mine was dead and has
come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to
celebrate.
25“Now his
older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard
music and dancing.26And he summoned one of the servants and began
inquiring what these things could be. 27And he said to him, ‘Your
brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has
received him back safe and sound.’ 28But he became angry and was not
willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29But
he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been
serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have
never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30
but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with
prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’31 And he said to
him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But
we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has
begun to live and was lost and has been found.’” (Luke
15:11–32)
This is the third of
three connected parables in Luke all looking at restoration of what was lost. The major theme of this parable is not so much
the conversion of the sinner, as in the previous two parables of Luke 15, but rather the restoration of a believer into
fellowship with the Father.
In telling the
story, Jesus identifies Himself with God in His loving attitude toward the
lost, symbolized by the younger son (the tax collectors and sinners of
Luke 15:1). The elder brother
represents the self-righteous. In the first two parables, the owner went out to
look for what was lost (Luke 15:1–10), whereas in this story the father waits and watches eagerly
for his son’s return. We see a progression through the three parables from the
relationship of one in a hundred (Luke 15:1–7), to one in ten (Luke 15:8–10), to one in one (Luke 15:11–32), demonstrating God’s love for each individual and His
personal attentiveness toward all humanity. We see in this story the
graciousness of the father overshadowing the sinfulness of the son, as it is
the memory of the father’s goodness that brings the prodigal son to repentance
(Romans 2:4). What a picture of God’s love, condescension,
and grace! God’s heart is full of compassion for His children; He stands ready
to welcome the returning sinner back home with joyous celebration.
In Luke 15:12, the younger son asks his father for his share of his
estate, which would have been half of what his older brother would receive (see
Deuteronomy 21:17). In other words, the
younger son asked for 1/3 of the estate. Though it was perfectly within his
rights to ask, it was not a loving thing to do, as it implied that he wished
his father dead. Instead of rebuking his son, the father patiently grants him his
request. This is a picture of God letting a sinner go his own way (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The prodigal son begins to reflect on his miserable
condition, and “he came to his senses” (Luke 15:17). He realizes that even his father’s servants have it
better. His painful circumstances help him to see his father in a new light.
Hope begins to dawn in his heart (Psalm 147:11; Isaiah 40:30–31; 1 Timothy 4:10).
The prodigal’s realization is reflective of the sinner’s
discovery that, apart from God, there is no hope (Ephesians 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:25–26). When a sinner “comes to his senses,” repentance follows,
along with a longing to return to fellowship with God.
The final,
tragic character in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is the older son. As the
older son comes in from the field, he hears music and dancing. He finds out
from one of the servants that his younger brother has come home and that what
he hears is the sound of jubilation over his brother’s safe return. The older
brother becomes angry and refuses to go into the house.
The older son’s words and actions reveal several things about him: 1) His
relationship with his father was based on works and merit. He points out to his
father that he has always been obedient as he’s been “slaving away”; thus, he
deserves a party—he has earned it. 2) He despises his younger brother as
undeserving of the father’s favor. 3) He does not understand grace and has no
room for forgiveness. In fact, the demonstration of grace toward his brother
makes him angry. His brother does not deserve a party. 4) He has
disowned the prodigal as a brother, referring to him as “this son of yours”
(verse 30).
REFLECTIONS:
What are your
reflections when thinking about this parable? Which of these people, if any, do
you think were justified in their actions? When we look at this parable, we can
see examples throughout history and in our present world. Although we may not
have these specific circumstances if we have family similar incidents may have
happened. Think about how it played out. Was love, repentance and forgiveness
involved?
To Think About:
What difference does this
parable make, to the original listeners, to me?
What does this parable tell
us about God and the Spiritual realm?
How does this parable apply
to us as believers?
What actions should we take
as a result of this parable?
Parables:
The Sower Mt 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20; Lu 8:5-8, 11-15
The Tares & wheat Mt 13:24-30, 36-43
The good Samaritan Luke 10:29-37
The laborers in the vineyard Mt 20:1-16
The unmerciful servant Mt 18:21-35
The talents Mt 25:14-30
The Lost Sheep Matthew 18:12-14, Luke
15:3-7
The Prodigal Son (Luke
15:11–32)
References:
The Parables, Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation, Brad
H. Young Ph.D., Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998
Jesus The Jewish Theologian, Brad H. Young Ph.D., Hendrickson
Publishers, Peabody MA. 1995
Holy Bible, New International Version
Holy Bible, New American Standard Version
Holy Bible, The Newer Testament
Matthew Henry Complete
Bible Commentary
https//jamiebuckinghamministries.com/10-parables-of-jesus-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Tm9dc7cew
https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/parable-of-the-sower/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEqxXEG3qGY
https://thebiblespeakstoyou.com/only-angels-can-separate-the-wheat-from-the-tares/
https://discover.hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/Wheat--Tare--and-Weeds
https://www.jackhyleslibrary.com/jack-hyles-sermon-sowing-growing-knowing-tares/
https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom32/calcom32.ii.lxxiii.html
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/things-to-know-about-the-parable-of-the-vineyard.html
https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/20/Matthew-chapter-20.html
https://truthaccordingtoscripture.com/commentaries/spe/matthew-20.php
https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/parables/what-does-the-unmerciful-servant-teach-us.html
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-is-the-parable-of-the-talents.html
https://www.therestorationofhope.com/blog/2011/12/24/the-parable-of-the-lost-sheep
https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-prodigal-son.html
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