What Did Jesus Teach?

What Did Jesus Teach?

A Detailed Survey of His Parables

Written by James Wiggins

Written, designed and published by James Wiggins

James.S.Wiggins@gmail.com

Special thanks to Ashley Miller for all of her editing help.

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If any proceeds are gained from this text they are unintentional and will be donated to World Vision for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) unless otherwise specified, copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® as specified, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,

1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2010 by James Wiggins

All Rights Reserved

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

to

my wife,

Lindsey

who is my

best friend

and a help in

so many ways

Introduction

Foreword

Method of Discourse

Parables

C

H

R

O

N

O

L

O

G

I

C

A

L

O

R

D

E

R

The Patch and the Wineskins

The Wise and Foolish Builders

The Friend at Night

The Two Debtors

The Strong Man Bound

The Sower

The Seed Growing Secretly

The Wheat and the Weeds

The Mustard Seed

The Leaven

The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

The Net

The Good Householder

The Good Samaritan

The Rich Fool

The Faithful Servants

The Wise and Wicked Servants

The Barren Fig Tree

The Wedding Feast

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin

The Prodigal Son

The Dishonest Manager

The Rich Man and Lazarus

The Unworthy Servants

The Unmerciful Servant

The Persistent Widow

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The Laborers in the Vineyard

The Talents

The Two Sons

The Wicked Tenants

The Ten Virgins

Appendix

FOREWORD

There is certainly great importance and benefit to understanding the events of the life of Jesus Christ, particularly the events of His death and resurrection.  If one believes the Biblical account of these events, then they also regard them as the most significant in history.  However, this is not the entire story of Jesus’ life.  The Gospel narratives paint a much broader picture of Jesus than simply how He died.  These narratives display that a substantial portion of Jesus’ time was spent teaching.  Take a moment to consider that truth.  A substantial portion of Jesus’ time was spent teaching and consequently a substantial portion of the Gospel narratives are dedicated to the preservation of His teachings.  As important as that would seem to make them, I believe our modern culture is largely unaware of these teachings.  They only seem to make an appearance as simplified phrases like “judge not” or as loose references like “Good Samaritan.”  I believe it is important for all of us to increase our knowledge of what Jesus really taught.

As residents of the 21st century, we have the benefit of being able to look at the Bible as a complete work.  It is, in fact, an intricately woven fabric of text which more than 40 authors, whom God used as a man uses a pen, contributed to over a period of approximately 1500 years.  These authors lived in many different regions of the world, some having access to the works of past contributors, others not.  All of them unknowingly worked together to weave a body of text that tells one consistent, epic story with one complex main character. When we read the prophets of the Old Testament we find that they predicted the Messiah would come and teach in parables.  When we read the Gospel authors, we see that Jesus’ teaching was primarily in parables.  These teachings are the medium through which Jesus revealed many mysteries about our world.  But were all of His teachings really “parables”?

When the books and letters that compose the Old and New Testaments were recorded they were not written in English.  Of the manuscripts that remain today, many members of the Old Testament are in Hebrew and many members of the New Testament are in Greek.  If we compare the definitions of the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated to “parable” and the definition of the English word “parable”, we see they are not quite identical.

Greek

παραβολή parabole (par-ab-ol-ay') n.

1. a similitude

2. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage

Hebrew

מָשָׁל mashal (maw-shawl') n-m.

1. (properly) a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature

2. (hence) a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse)

English

par•a•ble  (par-e-bel)  n.

1. A simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson.

The Greek and Hebrew words have a broader definition than the common definition of our English word “parable.”  The original language words were used to represent anything from a short story to a simple simile, metaphor, or analogy.  Many times we tend to think of Jesus’ parables as only the stories He told, but by the definition of the original language words, it is clear that Jesus spoke in “parables” much more often than that.  God promised that through the parables Jesus spoke He would “utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world” (Psalm 78:2, Matthew 13:35).  The purpose of this book is to assist the reader in gaining an understanding of the truths that Jesus revealed through His parables.  This will be accomplished through the analysis and interpretation of Jesus’ major parables.  This book will not cover all of Jesus’ parables because, as you can see from the definitions, doing so would involve an analysis of most of Jesus’ recorded words.  The included parable analyses are intended to supplement the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life:  The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  In order to maximize the reader’s comprehension, the analyses provided should be referenced when the reader encounters these parables while reading through the Gospels.  If this book is used as described the reader will have gained the full context of each parable before attempting to understand it.  The reader will also gain a greater sense of who Jesus was and what else He taught.  The Gospel’s accounts of Jesus’ life have much more to offer than just the quoted sections included in this book.

METHOD OF

DISCOURSE

Jesus was simply the best teacher to ever walk the earth, and it is evident from the construction of His parables.  In order for one of His parables to be fully understood, some digestion is always required.  There is at least one but often multiple layers of meaning for a given parable.  Jesus’ intent in teaching with parables, instead of plainly, seems to be that His readers and listeners would take time to meditate on each lesson and the imagery presented.  He specifically discussed the purpose of this approach with His disciples:

Matthew 13:10-17 “Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.  For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Jesus does reveal a great deal of truth in His parables, but He does not reveal it plainly.  In order to gain an understanding of the truths in Jesus’ parables, one must first have a desire to do so.  If one does not have an earnest desire to gain knowledge about God and the world He created, there is no point in studying Jesus’ parables.  However, if one desires to understand the truth of God, it can most certainly be found in Jesus’ parables and the Bible in general.  Jesus said:

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

I believe Jesus honestly desires for His parables to be understood, so as you read His words and the Gospel accounts of His life, also consider following the instruction He gives.  Pray and ask that God would reveal the truth about who He is to you.  Ultimately the true knowledge of what Jesus taught will not come from the analyses in this book but from God revealing it to you.  If you ever find yourself facing the decision of reading this book or reading the Bible itself, your choice should be simple.  Just read the Bible.  If after doing that you are interested in one man’s perspective on its meaning, then turn to this book.

In the Table of Contents, you will notice that the parables are not listed in the same order as they appear in the Gospel accounts.  They have been listed in chronological order according to the estimated timeline of Jesus’ life.  In the instance that a parable occurred on two separate occasions, the earliest occurring instance was used to order the parable. The purpose of this is to be able to see and read the parables in the order that they were likely told by Jesus.  You will see that the only exception to this is the parable of “The Sower” which is shown in chronological order in the Table, but is the first parable discussed in this book.  The reason for this is because of a statement Jesus made to His disciples while discussing this parable with them (given below).  If an understanding of the parable of “The Sower” aids in the understanding of all of Jesus’ parables, then certainly it should be the first one studied.

Mark 4:13 “And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”

It may seem that I use the names of “Jesus,” “God,” and the “Holy Spirit” interchangeably.  Generally, I do try to make an appropriate reference to the person of God, but because the Bible teaches that all three persons are equally God, they are often interchangeable.  To simplify, this is because “Jesus”, “God the Father”, and “The Holy Spirit” are all the same God.  So the reader should not be concerned to see that “Jesus” did something in one sentence and then that “God” is given credit for it in another.

Each parable is discussed using the following system.

1.       We will examine the context of the parable.  This will include Jesus’ location, audience, and the surrounding dialogue and events.  In some instances, Jesus may have told a parable on multiple occasions.  In that case, the context for each parable occurrence will be given.

2.        We will examine the parable text itself.  If there are accounts of the parable in multiple Gospels, then each account will be examined.

3.        The various accounts of the parable will be compared and their differences analyzed.

4.        The major characters and symbols used in the parable will be identified and defined.

5.       Since the context of the parable is understood, the parable has been examined, and all of the major characters and symbols have been defined the meaning of the parable can be interpreted.  After the interpretation, some additional verses that help support or enrich it are provided.

6.        Finally, once the parable has been interpreted and its meaning is understood, the application, the most important part, can be discussed.  The application section takes the truth revealed from Jesus’ parable and attempts to apply it to real life.  After the application section, some additional verses are again provided that help support or enrich the application text.

The application section is very nebulous and no one person could possibly imagine all of the different ways that the truths Jesus reveals should impact people’s lives.  One thing that I’ve found to be true about the application of these parables is if you find yourself thinking, “I know that Jesus is saying that I should ... but I don’t think I can really do it” it’s important to know that your conclusion is correct.  You do not have the ability to put the truths of these parables into practice on your own.  The life changes they will indicate to you are too difficult.  In order to put the lessons of these parables into practice, you must rely on the power of God.  Again, remember the scripture Matthew 7:7-8 given earlier.  Ask God to help you accomplish the changes that Jesus is saying should be made in your life.  He has promised that He will do it.

THE SOWER

Jesus is addressing a very large crowd. So large in fact that they are standing on the seashore and He is addressing them from a boat.  His twelve disciples, Mary Magdalene, and many others are accompanying Him.  He tells this parable publically and then explains it privately to His disciples.  He tells this parable to the crowd and then explains it privately to His disciples.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:3-9 … 18-23 “And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” … “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 what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Mark 4:3-9 … 14-20 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” … “The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Luke 8:5-8 … 11-15 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” … “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”

Differences Between Accounts

§          Luke only mentions the seed yielding a hundredfold, but Matthew and Mark mention other smaller amounts that may be yielded.

§          Luke tells us that the word of God being sown is necessary for salvation.

§          Matthew and Mark say that the rocky soil “endures for a while” (Greek: ἐστί (esti) and εἰσί (eisi), respectively), but Luke says that the rocky soil “believes for a while” (Greek: πιστεύω (pisteuo), the same word used for “believe” in John 3:16).

§          Luke tells us that the good soil that bears fruit requires patience.

Characters or Symbols

Sower

I tend to believe the sower is the Holy Spirit, but it could also represent an evangelist used to preach God’s word.  Matthew and Luke state that Satan comes and takes the word out of men’s hearts and it seems to me that it could only have been placed there by the Holy Spirit.

Seed

Jesus clearly says that this is God’s word, but I believe that it specifically represents the Gospel, the good news message about Jesus.  This is because Matthew refers to it as the “word of the kingdom,” and Luke says that without this word from God you “may not believe and be saved.”

Bird

Satan

Path

Those who hear the Gospel and have no significant reaction to it because they do not understand the message, and Satan takes it away.

Rocky Soil

Those who have a positive reaction to the Gospel but inevitably decide not to follow Jesus because of persecution.

Thorny Soil

Those who have a positive reaction to the Gospel but are not willing to follow Jesus because they do not want to part with the things of this world.

Good Soil

Those who have a positive reaction to the Gospel, are willing to give up anything in this world to follow Jesus, and do not stop following when it gets difficult.

Fruit or

Grain

Acts done in faith by those who believe in Jesus.  When the Gospel is shared by a believer it is so done by an act of faith.  If it is well received then many more acts of faith will be produced because of it, hence yielding thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold.

Interpretation

In this parable, Jesus gives an illustration of how God’s word, or message, is spread throughout the world.  Jesus explains that His followers will, by the power of God’s Spirit, share His message with other people.  He immediately introduces the idea that His followers are not the only ones at work in the world.  Satan is also present and will use his influence in this world to confuse people and keep them from understanding God’s word.  I believe the “word of God” referenced in this parable is specifically the Gospel message; the message that Jesus Christ was God’s Son and died on a cross as a payment for people’s evil deeds and that anyone who dedicates their life to Him can be forgiven by God of everything they have done wrong.  However, I also think that the lesson of this parable is true for any message from God.

This parable begs the question from its reader: “Which type of soil are you?”.  Jesus uses the four soils to symbolize the general manners in which people will respond to God’s word.  It is clear that those who are the “good soil” understand and accept God’s message for them.  In the case of the Gospel message, they go on to become working and productive disciples of Jesus.  The evidence we are given that the seed has landed on good soil is the fact that it bears fruit.  The other three types of soil all have some ailment that prohibits the seeds development.  In the case of the Gospel message, these types of soil are unable to develop into disciples of Jesus.  They have had the seed sown into them, but it did not firmly root and become healthy therefore no fruit was produced.

A question that naturally arises from this parable about the other three types of soil is “Do they go to heaven?”.  However, the theme of this parable does not seem to be salvation but an understanding of how truth from God is spread.  Jesus tells many other parables where He clearly mentions heaven or hell, but this parable does not mention either.  I think this question arises because people seem to have a natural tendency to evaluate everything about God as it relates to how they will spend eternity.  Like many other passages in the Bible, the purpose of this parable seems to be to allow us to have a better understanding of God and does not directly address salvation.  If I was to speculate, however, based on this parable, I do not see how the other three soils represent people presently destined for heaven.  The word of God eventually dies in them, and I do not find that to be a reasonable analogy for someone who has faith in God, a Biblical requirement for entering heaven.  Also, none of the other soils bear any fruit, and fruit is a symbol that is used throughout the New Testament to represent evidence that someone is a true follower of Jesus.

Matthew 7:19-20 Jesus said “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Application

Take a step back and examine yourself.  With respect to the Gospel message, which soil are you?  Use the evidence of spiritual “fruit” given in this parable as a means to help you decide.  Has your reaction to the Gospel message produced a visible result in your life?  Also, be aware of the different reactions people can have when God’s truths are shared with them.  Generally people will either ignore or dismiss it quickly (the path);  recognize it as being true or good but not as valuable as some other things they have in their lives (thorny soil); recognize it as being true and desirable but too difficult to pursue (rocky soil); or they recognize it as being true, desirable, and are willing to give up anything necessary to obtain it (good soil).  I do not think that people necessarily remain the same type of soil throughout their entire life just like one particular piece of land does not necessarily remain the same.  God’s Gospel can be shared again and again with someone in the hope that his or her heart has changed and he or she is ready to accept it.  Also, be aware of your own heart with respect to God’s truths even if they aren’t the Gospel.  Some examples might be the truth that we need not worry, the truth that prayer is powerful, or the truth that it is better to give than to receive.  Which type of soil is your heart for the truths God is trying to teach you?

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

THE PATCH

AND THE WINESKINS

Jesus has just begun His ministry and has called James, John, Simon, Andrew, and Matthew (Levi) as disciples.  Jesus and His disciples are in Capernaum eating at Matthew’s house and Jews observing this ask Him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answers them with these parables.

Parable Texts

Matthew 9:15-17 “And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Mark 2:19-22 “And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins-and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Luke 5:34-39 “And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Differences Between Accounts

§          Luke has an additional statement at the end of his account regarding a preference for the “old wine” by those who are used to drinking it.

Characters or Symbols

Old Garment and Old Wine

The representatives of God in the past, for instance His prophets and leaders from the time of the Old Testament.

New Garment and New Wine

Jesus’ newly called disciples.

Old Wineskins

The lives lived by the representatives of God in the past.

New Wineskins

The lives presently being lived by Jesus’ disciples.

Interpretation

When the Jews make reference to “John’s disciples” in their comments to Jesus, they are referring to the disciples of John the Baptist.  John the Baptist was a prophet of God who proclaimed to the world that the Messiah (Jesus) was coming.  The Pharisees were a sect of elite Jews who carried a great deal of respect and authority in Jesus’ local culture.  The fasting habits of John’s disciples aren’t known, but the Pharisees were known for fasting up to multiple times per week.  Jesus’ disciples were not fasting like those of the Pharisees and of John the Baptist because they had just joined Him and were only beginning to follow Him.  They had left their lives as fishermen, tax collectors, and common people in order to follow a radical teacher who was doing and saying things that no one could explain.  At this time in His ministry, Jesus was well regarded and welcomed and His disciples were observing the miraculous signs and wonders He was performing.  It would have been a very exciting and happy time for them.  Fasting is an exercise that is performed in order to aid someone in focusing on God or to express deep sorrow.  Jesus’ disciples were spending their days in God’s presence because they were with Jesus and there was no need for fasting.  Jesus said that the time would come when they would fast because He would no longer be with them.

In the near future the world would reject both Jesus and His disciples and the path of their lives would resemble much more the hard path of God’s prophets from the Old Testament.  Traditionally, the prophets God used as mouthpieces to speak to the world had very difficult lives.  Their message always proclaimed the changes God desired from the world and it was rarely well received.  Often their lives consisted of emotional distress, physical abuse, and martyrdom (being killed for their message). If Jesus’ disciples were placed immediately on a path that resembled those men’s lives, then they might “tear away” from it as new cloth would if sowed to old.  Or they might “burst out” of it as new wine would burst out of an old wineskin.  His disciples were not yet properly prepared to walk this difficult path because they had not spent enough time with Jesus.

The last statement in Luke’s account is somewhat confusing.  Perhaps it means that once the disciples have tasted the difficult part of the path of following Jesus they will find it so fulfilling that they would look at their previous ways of life as being trite and say “The old is good” (in this case, “old” refers to the old wine and means the prophet’s way of life).  Or perhaps this statement is changing the meaning of “old wine” and “new wine” making the “old wine” represent the disciples’ previous, easier way of life and the “new wine” represent their future difficult path of following Jesus.  This meaning that if they were to taste the “new wine,” of a difficult, prophet’s life they would shy away saying “The old is good” meaning that they preferred their pleasant times spent with Jesus.  Either interpretation seems plausible.

Hebrews 11:32-38 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-of whom the world was not worthy-wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

Application

We should gain confidence from the fact that Jesus would not place His disciples into situations that were too difficult for them. Instead He took time to train them for the situations they would face in their future.  As followers of Christ, we are not placed in situations that we are unable to handle or are not properly prepared for.  Just as the disciples depended on Jesus in their difficult times, so His followers today can also turn to Him in times of trouble.  Also, we know that every day is training for the path God has ahead of us.  Jesus was always teaching His disciples and preparing them for the lives that lay ahead of them.  This has not changed.  Because we are His followers, Jesus is using the events that occur everyday as training opportunities to prepare us for the life He has planned for us.  Even before we were born, God had a plan for the good things we would do throughout our lives.  Stay focused on living your life by His teachings each day and eagerly anticipate the opportunities that He will give you to do good.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

THE WISE

AND FOOLISH BUILDERS

Accounts of this parable appear in two very famous sections of Scripture: Matthew’s account of the “Sermon on the Mount” and Luke’s account of the “Sermon on the Plain.”  Both of these are great sermons filled with profound teachings from Jesus.  In both instances, Jesus is speaking to a very large crowd, and in both cases, this parable is Jesus’ closing statement.  There is some debate as to whether or not Matthew and Luke are both recounting the same event from different perspectives, but it is my opinion that these are accounts of two separate but similar events.

Parable Texts

Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Luke 6:47-49 “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Differences Between Accounts

§          They are principally the same; although Matthew uses the adjectives “wise” and “foolish” to describe the two men.

§          Matthew also describes the foolish man as building his house on the sand while Luke describes him as building it “without a foundation.”

Characters or Symbols

House

One’s life, both temporal and eternal.

Rock

The teachings contained within the “Sermon on the Mount” or “Sermon on the Plain.” However, more generally it also symbolizes all of the wisdom of God in Jesus Christ.

Sand or

No Foundation

The wisdom and teachings that come from the world or from one’s own mind.

Wise man

A person who understands who Jesus is and obeys His commands.

Foolish man

A person who has either never heard of Jesus or who rejects Him.

Rain, Floods, Wind

God’s judgment of the world but could also be representative of trials we face on earth.

Interpretation

Jesus chooses to close two of His great sermons with this parable.  In these sermons He reveals truths from God that were not previously understood by His audience.  Some examples of these truths are that people should treat each other as they would like to be treated, people should love their enemies, murder and adultery can be committed in one’s heart, we should look to God for our reward when we give or pray or fast, and we can trust God to take care of our needs.  Jesus’ teachings reveal to us pieces of God’s character and allow us to have a better understanding of who God is.  Many of these truths were revealed in earlier Scripture by Moses and the prophets, but Jesus was explaining them in new and clearer ways.  These are the truths Jesus is referring to when He states: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man…”.  He is explaining that when people hear and understand these teachings about God, and they build their life on them it will be as if they were building on solid rock.

These teachings from God, known as the Word of God, symbolically are Jesus.  The book of John (see below) explains that Jesus is God’s Word made into a man.  Jesus is the complete embodiment of the character and teachings of God because He is God in human form.  If we want to build our life on God and His teachings, we must build it on Jesus Christ, the solid rock that God has provided as a standard for people to live by.  When God comes to judge the people of the world and see if they have kept His standards, the only foundation that will save people from His judgment is the foundation of Jesus Christ.  Likewise, when difficult things happen in life, those trusting in Jesus and living by His teachings will be able to persevere through them because they can trust that their eternal lives are safe with God.

Jesus also gives us a contrasting example.  He states: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man…”.  In this description, Jesus likens any teachings other than those of God to a foundation of sand.  If people build their lives on teachings that oppose those of God, then there is no shelter for them when His judgment comes.  They will be judged according to God’s standard, and without Jesus to take the punishment for the areas where they fall short, they will fail to meet it.  Likewise, when they encounter trouble in life, they will have no secure eternity to cling to; no rock.  Their life will be like a house built on sand, comforting for a short time, but ultimately unable to withstand the wind and rain to come.

It is important to note that Jesus qualifies His promises to apply to those who hear His words and do them.  He likens doing His words to building one’s house on them.  The implication being that if someone is truly honoring Jesus’ teachings he will be building his life on them.  At the risk of over-interpreting the symbols in this parable, I’ll also point out that Jesus makes no mention of the size of the house that is built on either the rock or the sand.  We know from other teachings in Scripture that God does not forgive people based on how well they follow Jesus, but that He forgives them because they have faith that Jesus is right and sincerely try to follow Him.  So, when someone builds her life on Jesus and His teachings, whether it’s a mansion or a one-room shack, she can have confidence that it will stand up to the winds and the rain.  Likewise, it doesn’t matter how large or sturdy a house one has built on the sand; when the winds and rain come, it will certainly be destroyed.

John 1:1-3 … 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” … “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Application

This parable begs the question of its hearers: “Which man are you?”.  Are Jesus Christ and His teachings the foundation of your life or is it something else?  If you aren’t sure, one way to tell is to examine how you spend your time.  If an unbiased person observed you for a week and was asked “What is the foundation of this person’s life?” what would they say?  Jesus is promising in this parable that if we build our lives on Him that we will be able to withstand any of life’s trials, even death.  The teachings and principles of God are like a rock.  The Ten Commandments and teachings like “Do to others as you would have them do to you” are not a trend or a fad.  They are not based on the latest theory or discovery.  They are timeless truths that will never change.  We can trust that the commands of God in the Bible are a foundation worthy of building a life on.  By doing this we are putting our trust in Jesus and establishing a relationship with Him.  We can turn to Him for help, guidance, and strength for the trails we will face.  And no matter what happens in our lives, when we die, if we have trusted Jesus, God will accept His sacrifice on the cross as payment for all of the things we have done wrong.  We will be made perfect because of His sacrifice and will be able to spend eternity with Him.  This is the great hope we have in Jesus and our rock is the God who created the universe, His principles which are timeless and permanent, His Son who perfectly embodies those principles and suffered for us, and our eternal life that is kept safe by Him.

Psalms 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah”

Luke 21:33 Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

THE FRIEND AT NIGHT

This parable is told by Jesus privately to His disciples.  They ask Him to teach them to pray and He complies with their request (which is a lesson in itself) and teaches them the “Lord’s Prayer.”  Afterward, He tells them this parable.

Luke 11:1 “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Parable Texts

Luke 11:5-13 “And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.  And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Characters or Symbols

Friend

This character is used as a contrast to God’s nature.

Loaves

These specifically represent God’s Holy Spirit but more generally the loaves are any need that someone has.

The One Who Asks

This character is used to represent anyone who believes that God can meet their need.

Interpretation

The only time the Gospels mention that Jesus’ disciples ask to be taught something is this occurrence.  Of all of the things they saw Jesus do, the miracles, the teachings, the strength in suffering, the thing they asked Him to teach them was to pray.  What an experience it must have been to pray with Jesus!  His teaching to them about prayer is two-fold.  He teaches them a model for prayer by giving them the “Lord’s Prayer.”  He also teaches them about the importance of consistency in prayer with this parable.  The basis for this parable is that we can learn something about the character of God by contrasting Him with what we know about people.  Jesus gives an example of presenting a friend, who loves you, with a need that is inconvenient for them to meet.  Jesus says that at first your friend may resist; however, if you are persistent in asking, your friend will meet your need not strictly because he loves you but because you won’t give him peace from your request.  Jesus then contrasts this worldly behavior with the character of God.  If even a mere man would meet your request because of your persistent asking, then to an unfathomably greater degree God will be compelled to meet the persistent requests of those He loves.  Also, unlike a person, nothing could ever interrupt God because He has no limit to His attention, nothing could ever tax God’s resources as He is the source of all things and is never constrained by supply, and nothing could ever compare to the love God has for us, not even the love of a dear friend.

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

Application

Consider that we have all grossly underestimated the power of prayer.  The infinite God of the universe, who spoke all things into being, has inclined Himself to listen to us and consider our requests.  How can someone who realizes this not be compelled to take full advantage of the opportunity?  Jesus is teaching us not only to pray but to pray often!  Our Father does love us, much more than our friends do, and wants to meet our needs in accordance with His own desires.

As you read the Gospels, you will see that Jesus often went away to “lonely places” to pray and would sometimes even stay all night!  Let us continue in His example.  The entire point of Jesus’ sacrifice was to make a right relationship with God available to us and the means of growing a relationship is communication.  We do have a form of communication with God by reading His word, but our primary form of communication with Him is prayer.  Be careful to balance the value of persistence in prayer shown in this parable with two other truths about prayer:

Matthew 6:7-8 Jesus said “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Our prayers do not need to be long, elaborate, or have great repetition in order to be effective.  Praying often and persistently is valuable but continuing to vainly repeat a statement is not.  When you pray, focus on communicating your need to God and listening with your spirit for an answer.  Don’t focus on repeating a statement.

1 John 5:14-15  “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

God has obligated Himself to answer our prayers when they are prayed according to His will.  We know some of God’s will by what He has revealed to us through His word.  For instance, if I pray for opportunities to share the Gospel or for strength to resist sin, I know that God will provide those things because He has said that it is His will to do so.  When we ask for things that are outside of His will, He is not obligated to provide them.  Often we do not know whether it is God’s will to fulfill a particular request, so in that case we can present that request to Him and ask Him if He is willing to accommodate our will.  He may choose to do so, or He may not.  It would be wise to accompany those prayers with a request to give us peace in whatever He chooses because a request for peace is a request He will certainly grant.

THE TWO DEBTORS

Jesus is eating with Simon the Pharisee in his house.  A woman engages Jesus while they are eating and then Jesus tells them this parable as a response to Simon’s thoughts.

Luke 7:36-40 “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

Parable Texts

Luke 7:41-47 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Characters or Symbols

Moneylender

Jesus

Larger Debtor

Someone who has sinned comparatively much; the woman

Smaller Debtor

Someone who has sinned comparatively little; Simon the Pharisee

Debt

Sins

Interpretation

The man Jesus addresses as Simon here is not His disciple Simon Peter, but a Pharisee who has invited Jesus to his house to eat.  This parable is told in the context of Simon inviting Jesus perhaps for curiosity’s sake, or for novelty, or out of respect, or for entertainment, but Simon did not invite Jesus because he really believed His message.  From the context, we know that Simon the Pharisee does not even regard Jesus as a prophet let alone the Messiah.  Jesus tells this parable because Simon believes that Jesus should recoil at the idea that a sinful woman might touch Him.  Simon has these feelings in his heart and Jesus is aware of them.  All the while, Simon does not appreciate that Jesus did not recoil at the idea of sitting to eat dinner with him.  This is because Simon considers himself to be a much better person than the woman and does not view himself as a “sinner”.

The two debtors in this parable appear to represent Simon and the woman specifically but can also more generally represent any two people.  Even though the Pharisee may keep God’s Law outwardly, he still has not lived perfectly and has accumulated a debt of sin with God.  In the same way, the woman has accumulated a debt of sin with God, which is apparently larger than Simon’s as supported by her reputation in the community for being a sinner.  Neither of them can do anything to deserve forgiveness, but God is graciously willing to forgive both of them because He is merciful.  This parable seems to imply that not only was the woman forgiven, but Simon also was forgiven of his sins.

Jesus teaches us that when He forgives someone’s sins he or she always responds to Him in love but that the amount of love is proportional to how much he or she was forgiven.  Simon showed comparatively little love. He invited Jesus into his home for a meal.  The woman is showing Jesus comparatively great love by all of her humble actions.  It is also noteworthy that Jesus is purposeful in acknowledging every detail of what the woman did to honor Him.  None of her effort went unnoticed by Him.  All of this proves to Simon that his prediction based on Jesus’ parable was true; the woman did love Jesus more than he did.

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Application

Let us show Jesus how much we appreciate His sacrifice for us by our love for Him.  Let us be like this woman who is unashamed to show the world that she would do anything for Jesus because she loves Him so much.  If you have ever witnessed someone laying down his all for God in some way and thought “He may have gotten a little carried away,” consider again what Jesus has done for us on the cross.  Is there an expression of love for Him that is too great?

We know from Scripture that we show our love for God when we obey His commands.  Let us be as fervent in our obedience to Jesus’ commands as this woman was in her expression of love for Him.  We know from this event that none of our actions will go unnoticed or unappreciated by Jesus.  He is always paying very close attention to what we are doing and He has an excellent memory.  This account gives me imagery of Jesus storing our works done by faith in Him as treasured keepsakes much like a mother does with school-age children.  It is also important to note that regardless of how much someone has been forgiven, they always show love for Jesus.  If there is ever a person who claims to have been forgiven by Jesus but does not love Him, you can be sure that he or she is mistaken.  You will always be able to tell those who have been forgiven by Jesus by their love for Him, and love for Jesus is always expressed through our obedience to His commands.

John 14:15 Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

John 13:34 Jesus said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

THE STRONG MAN BOUND

Some Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan.  Jesus explains that Satan would not assist anyone in casting demons out because they are his assistants.  It would not be in Satan’s interest to remove them.  Jesus then tells this parable.

Parable Texts

Matthew 12:29 “Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

Mark 3:27 “But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.”

Differences Between Accounts

§           No significant differences.

Characters or Symbols

Strong Man

In a micro interpretation the strong man would represent a demon; In a macro interpretation he would represent Satan.

Strong Man’s House

Micro interpretation is a person; Macro is this world.

Strong Man’s Goods

Micro interpretation is an individual’s control of their body; Macro is the souls of men.

Stronger Man

Jesus

Interpretation

In our culture today, it is common to view Satan as a fictional character who represents evil.  However, Jesus reveals that Satan is, in fact, a real being and demons are his real assistants.  The idea of demon possession may, on the surface, seem to contradict modern scientific thought, but consider unexplained mental illness, alcohol or drug addiction, severe anger or panic attacks, and the like.  Science does not offer much in the way of explaining how or why these phenomena occur.  They are unpredictable and often incurable through any kind of modern medicine.  Is it not plausible that these, as well as other phenomenon, are physical manifestations of spiritual warfare?

Also, consider how often the popular culture of our world seems to contradict the message and teachings of Jesus.  In many ways it seems as if the only group of people who acknowledge anything good about Jesus are Christians!  Does this not seem odd, however?  Muhammad, Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Confucius, and other world religious icons seem to be far less controversial.  Is it a spiritual conspiracy theory to think that this is the result of Satan using his influence on the world to lure people away from Jesus?

Jesus states that it is by the power of God that He casts out demons.  In the parable, Jesus shows that it is His intention to enter Satan’s domain, bind Him, and reclaim for good what has been corrupted by evil.  The Bible tells us that Satan and His demons have real power in the world we live in.  Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this world,” and Jesus is showing that he can only be overcome by the power of the one true God manifested through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:4 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Application

Will you recognize Satan as a real being with real power in this world?  Allow God to open your eyes to see His deceiving tricks.  You will have no problem finding examples in our popular culture; simply examine the artifacts that it produces.  Next time you watch a television show or a movie, read the news or a book, or listen to a song on the radio evaluate whether the message given is leading people toward the truth about God or away from it.  All of the evil we see in our world today is a result of sin and sin is anything that does not conform to the principles of God.  Do not trust in your own ability to overcome evil.  You must trust in the power of God to overcome evil by submitting yourself to Him and obeying His commands.  There is no temptation that a follower of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is not able to overcome because Satan is strong, but Jesus is the stronger man.  Also, remember that people’s souls can only be saved through the power of God.  There is no preacher, teacher, or evangelist that lives or has ever lived that can save a person’s soul; only God can save people from the power of Satan.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

THE SEED

GROWING SECRETLY

After explaining the parable of “The Sower,” Jesus tells this parable privately to His disciples.

Parable Texts

Mark 4:26-29 “And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Characters or Symbols

Man

Seems ambiguous.  At the beginning, he appears to be an evangelist because he doesn’t know how the seed grows, but at the end he appears to be Christ as He harvests the grain.

Seed

The Gospel.  The good news about Jesus.

Full grain

This represents true faith as a result of someone believing the Gospel.

Harvest

Judgment day, the end of time, etc.

Interpretation

This parable is certainly in the same theme as the parable of “The Sower.”  The meaning seems very general, but I can conceive two possible specific interpretations of it.  I believe the true meaning of the parable is a combination of the two specific interpretations where an evangelist is represented by the “man” at the beginning and Christ is represented by the “man” at the end.

The man at the beginning of this parable could represent an apostle, evangelist, or preacher, and the seed he scatters is the Gospel message.  He shares God’s truth about Jesus, but doesn’t completely understand how it works in the hearts of people.  The change in a person or the “growth” that happens is independent of him and is a product of the Spirit of God.  When the seed finds good soil (see the parable of “The Sower”) it is clear to him because he can see the result.  The person who accepts the seed is truly changed through his faith in Jesus and repentance of his sins.  This interpretation starts to fall apart at the end of the parable because Jesus says that the man reaps a harvest.  However, the only things that the evangelist could reap from these new Christians would be something like fellowship, or possibly material goods by way of financial support.

Another interpretation would be that the man in this parable represents Christ.  The scattering of the seed could be His sacrifice on the cross for all people’s sins.  After that the Gospel is spread by the Spirit of God through men who have put their faith in Christ.  When the harvest is ready, Christ returns to reap His people.  However this interpretation doesn’t fit with the phrase “he knows not how” in reference to the way the seed grows.  Christ certainly knows how His Gospel affects people’s hearts.  Again, I believe the real message of this parable is less about who specifically the man in it represents and more about how the Gospel is spread.

John 3:8 Jesus said “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 9:9-11 “For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?”

Application

Never miss an opportunity to sow the seed of the Gospel in any form.  It can be the formal explanation of the doctrine of salvation: how we have all sinned against God, that through His mercy He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and that He rose victorious on the third day.  It can be through sharing with someone that you are a believer in Christ and a testimony about how you came to be such.  It could also be through showing people the character of Christ, His love, forgiveness, or self-control even if His name is not specifically mentioned.  You may never be able to see or understand the eternal impact this can have on a person and the recursive impact it can have on the world.  Do you understand that God is allowing us the privilege, as believers, of having His Spirit work through us to save people from hell?  And if a father puts his trust in Jesus by the Holy Spirit working through your message, what impact do you think that could have on his family?  And what would the impact be of his family sharing with their friends?  And their friends sharing with their children?  The Gospel can spread exponentially and through generations.  Sow good seed; sow it into good soil.  When you share about Jesus with someone, be sure to follow up with him later.  If he puts his trust in Jesus, spend time with him so that he grows to maturity in the faith.  Teach him to do the same for others.  Build God’s Kingdom.

Zechariah 1:5-6 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.”

2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

THE WHEAT

AND

THE WEEDS

Matthew’s description of who is present at the telling of this parable is, in my opinion, unclear.  Matthew’s order of account places this parable directly after the explanation of the “Parable of the Sower,” which was given by Jesus in private to His disciples, but the only transition between that explanation and this parable is “He put another parable before them, saying…”  I will assume the “them” in that statement is referring to another crowd of listeners because in verse 13:34 Matthew explains that “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables…” which seems to be referring to Matthew’s account of the parable of “The Wheat and the Weeds,” the “Parable of the Mustard Seed,” and the “Parable of the Leaven.”  To summarize, it appears that this parable is told by Jesus to a crowd and not privately to His disciples.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:24-30 … 36-43 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” … “Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Characters or Symbols

Master

Jesus

Good Seed

The Gospel message

Field

The world

Enemy

Satan

Bad Seed

Lies and deception leading people away from Jesus

Grain

(Wheat)

Those who put their trust in Jesus (“the righteous”)

Weeds

Those who reject Jesus and do the work of Satan (sin)

Harvest

The Apocalypse, the Judgment, the end of the world, etc.

Reapers

Angels who will carry out God’s judgment

Barn

God’s kingdom, the New Jerusalem, “heaven”, etc.

Interpretation

The interpretation of this parable seems very plain.  Jesus came to share the good news that people can be forgiven of their sins by repentance (trying not to sin) and faith in Him.  This parable shows that while Jesus is sowing the good seed of the Gospel into the world, Satan is also sowing bad seeds of deception.  The bad seeds represent the lies that Satan uses to draw people from God and Christ to follow sin.  As the Gospel takes root, it produces good crop; however, as the deception of Satan takes root, it produces bad crop.  The crops (wheat and weeds) symbolize people who have either believed Satan’s lies and live a life dedicated to him or people who have believed God’s truth and live a life dedicated to Him.

It seems that the critical piece to this parable is Jesus’ explanation of His delay.  In the parable, the servants ask if they should begin pulling the weeds from the field.  This question seems analogous to followers of Jesus asking Him something like, “When will we be able to remove all of the evil from our world?”  The Master explains that doing so would disturb the growing wheat.  This is certainly symbolizing God’s great patience as He continues to let the world go on sinning against Him and waits for people to come and be cleaned by the blood of Christ.  God desires to give people every opportunity until the end of this age to repent and be saved!  At God’s appointed time, Jesus will come to judge the world by a standard of perfection and anyone who has not trusted in Jesus’ sacrifice to save them will be gathered and burned just as the weeds in this parable.  God will also gather those who have trusted and followed Jesus into His kingdom where there will be no evil as it will all have been burned up.

Romans 9:22-23 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory”

Galatians 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Acts 17:31 “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Application

Consider how great the patience of God is as He waits for sinners to come to the cross for forgiveness.  This parable is an answer to the questions: “Why would God allow evil to happen?” and “Where is God’s justice?”.  We live every day in the field of this parable.  Satan is sowing bad seed into this world in the form of lies and deception, but Jesus is sowing good seed into this world in the form of truth and love through His followers. Evil men are allowed to continue in this world so that they have an opportunity to turn away from evil and toward Jesus.

All of us suffer the pain of living in an imperfect world.  Inside of us, we feel a cry for God to bring His justice and destroy all evil, but consider this:  Are you or were you yourself not one of Satan’s workers?  That may seem like a ridiculous question, but haven’t all people at one time craved sinful things?  Are you not guilty of doing the same things you would have God rid the world of?  Of lies?  Of hate? Of all other forms of immorality?

If you have not already, ask God to forgive you of these things because of Jesus and for help to turn away from them.  Then ask God for patience and kindness so that you can reach out to a world filled with many people that will certainly be gathered up and burned in the furnace if they do not put their trust in Jesus.  Those who follow Jesus will live with God in a world that is free from the bondage under which our world currently suffers.  Also, be aware that our time on earth is short compared to eternity.  God’s justice is coming soon, and all sin will be gathered up and taken away from us.  Make the most of the time you have now to be a witness for Jesus.

Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THE MUSTARD

SEED

Jesus is teaching to a crowd and tells this parable.  In at least one and perhaps the only instance this parable is told, Jesus has just healed a woman in a synagogue on the Sabbath.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:31-32 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Mark 4:30-32 “And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Luke 13:18-19 “He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

Differences Between Accounts

§           No significant differences.

Characters or Symbols

Mustard Seed

Certainly represents the kingdom of God.  This could also represent Jesus’ body.

Mustard Tree or Plant

This represents the kingdom of God after time has passed.

Birds

Appears to be referring to all people.  More on this in the interpretation.

Interpretation

In this parable, Jesus is comparing God’s kingdom’s humble beginnings to a mustard seed.  As amazing as it seems now, the Christian movement began with a poor man who taught for only three years and then died, leaving only a mere 120 followers sitting in a room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  Who would have thought a world changing, revolutionary kingdom would have come from so little?  All of this certainly would have amounted to nothing if God was not the orchestrator.  With this parable, Jesus explains that as the very small mustard seed grows into a sizeable plant, so will the kingdom of God grow from something very small.

The idea of the Messiah establishing God’s kingdom on earth in this way is in contrast to the military coup the Jews of that time were expecting.  The common interpretation of the Scriptures about the Messiah was that He would free the people of Israel from the control of Rome and re-establish them as the predominant kingdom on earth.  As we now know, this is not what Jesus had planned.  Another interpretation of this parable would be that the mustard seed represents Jesus’ body, which after being sown into the ground for three days, would grow into a great tree of people rooted in Him.  The idea that the Messiah would establish God’s kingdom through His own death would have seemed absurd to Jews of this time.

The birds of the air making nests in this tree seem to be an allusion to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream described in Daniel chapter 4 where Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom is described as a similar tree (given below).  I believe the implication is that the kingdom of God will be large enough to support any number of people, even the whole world, who would come to it for protection.

John 15:5 Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Daniel 4:11-12 “The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.”

Application

Know that God can do much with little.  As we look at the Bible, it even seems to be His preference.  God loves to use the weak, the simple, the timid, and the invalid to accomplish His purposes because when He does His power is most clearly manifested.  God did not need a large group of people in order to start a world changing revolution.  He only needed a few that were willing to follow at all costs.

We seem to spend much of our lives organizing things so that we do not need to trust God.  Find a way to step out in faith even if it’s small.  Bring up the subject of Jesus with people even if you think it will be uncomfortable.  Offer to help someone in need even if it will be an inconvenience.  Volunteer to participate in a ministry even if you aren’t sure you will be successful.  Pray and ask God to bless these instances where you step out in faith.  He can use you to do immeasurably more than you can even imagine, but He will only do so if you put your trust in Him.

Matthew 17:18-20 “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

THE LEAVEN

Jesus is teaching to a crowd and tells this parable.  In at least one and perhaps the only instance this parable is told He has just healed a woman in a synagogue on the Sabbath.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:33 “He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Luke 13:20-21 “And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Differences Between Accounts

§           No significant differences.

Characters or Symbols

Leaven

Leaven literally means a fermenting agent, like yeast.  In this parable, it represents God’s kingdom.

Woman

Perhaps the evangelist that shares the gospel of God’s kingdom or perhaps God’s Holy Spirit working in the hearts of men.  Either would seem reasonable.

Flour

Hearts of people in the world or perhaps the heart of one individual.

Interpretation

This parable is very similar in structure and meaning to the parable of “The Mustard Seed.”  Jesus is saying that the Gospel of God’s kingdom spreads like a little bit of yeast when it’s added to a great amount of flour.  When yeast is added to flour and water, a simple bread dough is created.  Even though the effect of the yeast is not obvious at first, its presence has permanently transformed the mixture.  Only hours later the change caused by the yeast begins to show, and a day later it is very pronounced.  The dough will rise and expand in a remarkable way sometimes doubling or more in size. This is illustrating both the way that the Gospel message transforms the heart of an individual who accepts it and also the way that God’s kingdom is built on earth.  When Jesus’ followers started to go out into the world by the power of God’s Spirit, they permanently changed the places they went.  The truth they shared with people caused them to live different lives, and as a result, the cultures where they lived were changed and God’s kingdom was expanded.

Acts 17:6 “And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also”

Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Application

Patience!  The Gospel of the kingdom is very potent even in small doses.  When a little of it is added to someone’s heart, it takes time to work through it completely.  As Christians we are still experiencing this transformation of our hearts now as God continues to purify or “sanctify” us.  As our heart changes, our actions change, and the good things we do because of our love for Jesus can literally transform the world around us.  Minds can be changed, crimes prevented, relationships restored, buildings repaired, trash collected, and landscapes tidied all out of love for others caused by love for Jesus.  Look for opportunities in your community to gather as a group of believers and transform the world around you in Jesus’ name.

At the risk of taking this parable too far, I would also add that Jesus says the yeast is added to flour and not to un-ground grain.  It is necessary for an individual’s heart to be soft before the Gospel can work inside of them.  It is not possible to understand the love Jesus showed the world on the cross until you first see your sin and understand how wrong it is.  You must realize that your sins have hurt Jesus, deeply.  If one’s heart is hard, like un-ground grain, then it must be broken by the knowledge of God’s law with the clearest example being the Ten Commandments.  These commandments agree with every individual’s own conscience that he has done wrong and deserves to be punished.  If a person has not been broken by this truth, the Gospel or “good news” about Jesus will not be effective.

Galatians 3:24 “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”

Romans 2:14-15 “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them”

Exodus 20:12-17 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

THE HIDDEN

TREASURE

AND THE PEARL

Jesus tells both of these parables while speaking privately with His disciples.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Characters or Symbols

Treasure or

Pearl

Knowledge of the truth about God, life and the kingdom of heaven

Field or

Marketplace

The course of one’s life

Man or

Merchant

Someone who comes to trust in Jesus

Man’s or

Merchant’s Possessions

Anything that comes between someone and Jesus

Interpretation

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to two very precious things that are hidden in two very ordinary places.  The field and the marketplace represent the mundane and ordinary course of one’s life.  There is nothing particularly special or unusual about each man being in his respective setting.  Jesus gives the impression that both men, particularly the pearl merchant, are out in search of something valuable.  This search for value is analogous to every person’s struggle to find purpose or meaning in life.

People spend their lives pursuing goals, pleasures, or items that they perceive to be worthy of their time and effort.  Sometimes it’s their careers or families, the achievement of fame, power, knowledge, the experience of excitement or drugs and alcohol.  People find all sorts of things to dedicate their lives to.  However, inevitably all of these temporal, earthly things are unable to satisfy us permanently.  The foremost reason is that nothing in life is ever as good as we can imagine it.  No matter how great the success, how intense the pleasure, or how rich the acquisition we can always imagine something just a little better.  In addition to that, nothing on earth ever lasts long enough.  Even in the most extreme case of longevity we will eventually die leaving all of our great purposes behind.  We all ultimately desire something of infinite value that lasts for eternity.

Jesus is saying that when people find the kingdom of heaven it will completely overwhelm them.  Out of pure joy, they will pursue it by any means necessary.  In the parable of the field, the man is even shown to have covered the treasure up again, presumably to ensure that no one else finds it before he is able to purchase the field.  The price of what the men desired in both parables is the same: absolutely everything they had.  But were they upset about paying the price?  On the contrary, in the instance of the field, “in his joy” the man sells everything to buy it. The kingdom of heaven costs no less.  Our price for admission is total submission to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Just as in the parable, our submission should be out of joy because we know that it will result in the fullest possible life on earth and an infinite reward in heaven.

1 Peter 1:3-5  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Luke 14:33 Jesus said “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Application

The kingdom of heaven represents everything that is of God; it is the only thing that will last forever.  Everything else is passing away.  The value of God's kingdom could not possibly be greater and it is certainly more valuable than a treasure box or a great pearl.  God in His infinite generosity has revealed His kingdom to us, and it can be found in the most seemingly unremarkable of places.

Because Christianity is so common place in American society, many people grow up disenchanted by it.  Churches, the Bible and Jesus are so prevalent that they can seem like vague symbols.  Most people know about these things and even regard them with a loose reverence or respect, but couldn’t give you a clear definition of why they are valuable.  Learning the truth about Jesus can be like finding a million dollars in your attic.  You would be dumbfounded, wondering if it had really been there the whole time and you just hadn’t realized it.  You would wonder how you could have lived in the same house with such a great treasure and never looked close enough to notice it.

God’s kingdom is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; a series of events which go widely unacknowledged by the vast majority of the world save a few choice holidays per year. Considering what Jesus did, it doesn't make sense that He would ever be second on someone's priority list let alone last; does it?  Jesus is asking that we give up everything necessary to follow Him and have a place in His kingdom.  But, what is Jesus specifically asking us to give up?  Certainly our sins, but the rest is different for everyone.  Maybe it's your time, your money, to change jobs or to move.  Maybe it's to give up your fear and tell others in your family or workplace about Him.  Whatever Jesus is asking you to give up, it isn't eternal.  Whatever it is won't last forever.  Whatever it is, what God has for you is better.  Give it up “in your joy” and find out what the abundant life Jesus promises looks like for you.

1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Luke 12:32-34 Jesus said “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

THE NET

Jesus tells this parable while speaking privately with His disciples.

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:47-50 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Characters or Symbols

Net

Jesus’ return and His judgment of all people

Fish

The people of the world

Sea

The world

Men

The angels who carry out God’s judgment

Interpretation

Jesus compares His return to a net being thrown into the sea.  There will come a time when all people will have been created, and when everything that God purposes to accomplish on earth will have been accomplished.  On that day, God will cast out His “net” by having Jesus return to Earth.  He will then pull it in and judge all men based on the things they did in their lives.  For those who put their trust in Christ, they will be forgiven of all of the wrong things they have done.  This is because while they were alive they humbled themselves before God, admitted to all of their sins, and asked Him to change them because of what Jesus did.  For those who rejected Christ, they will be judged based on the deeds of their lives and will be found guilty of breaking God’s law.  Forgiveness will not apply to them because they refused to humble themselves before God, admit to all of their sins, and ask for forgiveness because of what Jesus did.  The Bible is very clear that forgiveness from God is obtained exclusively through this admittedly simple method.  God only requires that we be honest with Him about all of the evil things we have done, ask Him to take control of our lives, and believe that our forgiveness is only possible because of the sacrifice Jesus made.

God will find all people who are apart from Christ guilty and angels will place them in hell.  Those who have received the righteousness of Christ by God’s grace will be saved and spend eternity with Him.  I believe this parable compliments the two that come before it: The parables of “The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl.”  Those parables are about the individual and the value of her finding the kingdom of heaven.  This parable gives a broader description of why the kingdom of heaven is valuable to the world as a whole.

Matthew 25:31-32 Jesus said “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9  “…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might”

Application

Take a moment to let the simple truth of this parable penetrate your mind and soul.  One day all men will be gathered and sorted.  This will be the means by which God finally removes all evil from the world.  It is very urgent that we make the most of our opportunity to be used by God to share His message.  We should have no prejudice about where or with whom we share this message because all can find safety in the kingdom of Heaven.  No matter how unlikely it seems that someone will have a positive response to Jesus’ message we are obligated to share it with him knowing that anyone can be saved.  He may see the truth of Jesus at that time or our dialogue with him may be used as a stepping stone on his longer journey toward Jesus.  But, this opportunity is only available to us for a limited time.  There will be a day when God will declare that the net is full, and we will no longer be privileged to see people saved by God.  And on that day, the stakes could not possibly be higher.  Those who have trusted in the Gospel of Jesus will receive all things, but those who have not will be stripped of absolutely everything.  I think this parable begs the question, “Have you been fishing lately?”

Matthew 4:19-20 “And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

Romans 2:9-11 “There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.”

2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

THE GOOD

HOUSEHOLDER

Jesus has just told the parable of “The Wheat and the Weeds,”  “The Mustard Seed,”  “The Leaven,”  “The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Value,” and “The Net.”  He is now speaking privately with His disciples.  In this context, He asks them the following question and then tells them this parable.

Matthew 13:51 Jesus said “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”

Parable Texts

Matthew 13:52  “And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Characters or Symbols

Master of the House

“Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven.”  Practically I believe he is referring to His disciples with this statement.

Old Treasure

God’s truths that have been known for a long time.  To Jesus’ disciples this would represent the teachings of the Old Testament.

New Treasure

God’s truths that are new and are just being revealed.  To Jesus’ disciples this would represent the things they are presently learning from Jesus.

Interpretation

Scribes in the Jewish culture were those who studied and taught Scripture.  They were the equivalent of our modern day theologians and seminary professors.  Jesus has just finished teaching His disciples many parables about the kingdom of heaven.  When they respond to Him that “yes” they have understood them all, He instructs them with this parable.  His disciples are the new scribes who are being trained in the teachings of the kingdom of heaven and their trainer is none other than the King of that kingdom.  Jesus is telling them that as God’s new scribes, they are to bring out the truths of God that they have already gained from the Old Testament Scriptures as well as the newly revealed truths about God that they are presently learning from Jesus.  These truths are theirs to bring out and share with others, and they should be like treasure because of their great value.

Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

Application

Jesus has commanded His followers to be men and women of God’s word.  We are to know the truths that God has revealed in Scripture and be able to share those truths with others.  They are our treasures, because they are God’s message and contain His promises to His people.  They are the foundation for all of our hope.  Be good stewards of these great truths!  Read them, understand them, memorize them, and share them.  Do not discard the truths God revealed to Israel in the Old Testament.  Use them as well as the newer truths that Jesus revealed to have a greater understanding of God and His message.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

THE GOOD

SAMARITAN

Jesus confirms to an expert in the Mosaic Law that God desires for people to love their neighbors as themselves.  After the expert asks Him “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers with this parable.

Parable Texts

Luke 10:30-37 “Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Characters or Symbols

Injured man

Any person with whom we share the world

Robbers

The trials and hardships of life

Priest and Levite

The religious leaders at that time

Samaritan

A follower of Jesus

Interpretation

In the Jewish culture, a priest could have been anyone who was a direct descendant of Aaron (Moses’ brother).  Priests performed the duties and sacrifices that were required at the Temple according to Mosaic Law.  A Levite was anyone who was part of the Hebrew tribe of Levi or a descendant of Jacob’s son Levi.  According to Mosaic Law, the Levites had the responsibility of assisting the Temple priests and caring for the Temple.  It seems likely that the priest and the Levite in this parable were traveling to the Temple in Jerusalem in order to complete their required duties.

The Samaritans are an ethnic group descended from people inhabiting the region of Samaria.  The Samaritans and Jews at this time disagreed about their historical origin.  The Samaritans claimed that they were descended from the Hebrew tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and survived the destruction of the Northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC.  The Jews claimed that the Samaritans were descended from an ethnic group called the Cuthim who were brought into Israel by the Assyrians after they destroyed the Northern kingdom of Israel.  The result is that the Samaritan people, while claiming to worship the same God and have the same lineage as the Jews, were rejected by them as not being true descendants of Israel.  This caused severe ethnic tension between these two people groups.

So as Jesus tells this parable to the expert in the Law, He knows that the description of a fellow Jew not being helped by a priest and a Levite is offensive; especially as they are both traveling to their Temple duties.  But the idea that a Samaritan man would help a Jew, even though the Samaritan would have known the Jew likely hated him, would have been both very offensive and confusing.  Jesus uses the Samaritan in this parable to show the type of love God expects in response to His command “love your neighbor as yourself.”  The Samaritan treated the injured Jew as well as anyone could have hoped to be treated and had no potential for personal gain.  He saved the Jew’s life, paying all of the cost himself, even though the Jew was his enemy.

The implication of the expert’s question “And who is my neighbor?” is that he desires to know who he is allowed to not love and still keep God’s law.  Jesus uses what is inside the man’s own heart, his racist hatred for Samaritans, to show that God desires him to love even his enemies.  When Jesus asks “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” the expert’s response shows his heart.  He cannot even bring himself to refer to the man as “the Samaritan” as Jesus had.  He is only able to call him “the one who showed him mercy.”  In a way that only Jesus can, He answered the expert’s question and revealed to him the wretched state of his own heart, all with a simple story.

Matthew 5:44-45 Jesus said “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Application

Examine the characters in the parable again.  Can you see that we are like the Jewish man attacked by robbers and that Jesus is like our Good Samaritan?  While we were dying in our sins, hating God and His commands, God allowed His only Son to suffer and die for us so that we could be called His children.  Like the Good Samaritan, Jesus saved us by paying the entire cost in His own blood.  He died on the cross for the same people who crucified Him and for everyone who has sinned against God in order to teach us what love is.  Now, because of this, we are compelled to show the same love to our own enemies.  Treat your enemies and especially your friends in the same way.  Give them what they do not deserve even when they hate you.  Look for ways to show love to both your friends and your enemies.  Do it because you remember how Jesus did it for you.  It is not possible for anyone to do this by his own strength or will.  It is too hard.  Beg God that He would do this through you.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

THE

RICH FOOL

Jesus is teaching to a large crowd when the following interaction occurs.

Luke 12:13-15 “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Parable Texts

Luke 12:16-21 “And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Characters or Symbols

Rich man

Anyone who finds themselves with an abundance of material possessions

Crops

Material possessions

God

Simply represents God

Interpretation

After explaining that He has not come to arbitrate disputes over material goods, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach a parable about the correct way to view possessions.  The parable is quite plain.  It illustrates a fairly common situation where a man finds himself in abundance.  The rich man’s land produced more crops that he was expecting and certainly more than he needed, which caused a point of decision for him.  I believe this situation is illustrative of times when people find themselves in abundance of any possessions, whether they are necessarily “rich” or not.  An abundance always forces a decision because one must decide how to allocate it.  The two major choice categories are either to keep the extra goods for yourself or to give them to someone else.  The poor do not have the luxury of such decisions because when you have less than you need the decision about how to use it has been made for you.  Notice also that it is not by the rich man’s hard work or great planning that his land yields an abundance, but that the land simply produced plentifully on it’s own.  There are clearly times in life when much effort results in little reward and also vice versa.

In the parable, the rich man makes the decision to expend time, effort, and money to create a larger storage area for his crops.  His hope is that the larger barns will allow him to accumulate even more grain and reach an even higher level of abundance.  An abundance so great that he is fully convinced that after he builds the larger barns and extends his reserve, he will surely have everything he needs to enjoy the rest of his life devoid of any unpleasant interruptions.  Thus, the rich man has now placed his trust completely in his goods.  It is apparent that He does not believe God is in any way required for his life’s fulfillment.

So is the situation with anyone who finds himself looking for fulfillment in his possessions, grain or otherwise, instead of seeking fulfillment from the Creator of those possessions.  Jesus then illustrates to His listeners how short sighted this rich man is.  He had somehow forgotten that his life was only temporary and that his tomorrow was not guaranteed.  His possessions will remain on the earth while his soul is destined for more eternal places.  Jesus shows how much wiser it would have been for the man to become rich toward God, presumably by giving away his abundance, rather than storing it in barns for someone else’s benefit.

Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 “As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?”

Application

It is so tempting to collect our treasures here on earth but consider how foolish that would be.  Praise God that things on this earth do not last!  Praise God that moth and rust do destroy and that thieves do break in and steal!  It is a constant reminder to us that the treasures available here on earth are imperfect and passing.

We accumulate things in order to gain from them temporary satisfaction.  Jesus teaches us the converse: eternal satisfaction can be achieved by giving our possessions away.  The items we buy will all eventually cease to satisfy us, either because they have broken, because they are outdated, or because our need for them has ended and they will all eventually end up in a closet, or an attic, or given away because of disinterest, or thrown out as garbage.  Consider how odd it is that we can buy something new and a short time later feel the need to replace it.  Could it be because it was bought in the hope of finding satisfaction and when it failed we decided to try again?

We are presently participants in a commodities market with an incredible rate of exchange.  God has given us the opportunity to trade our imperfect and temporary earthly possessions for perfect and eternal possessions in heaven.  This is, however, a “limited time offer.”  Take advantage of it while you can!  I believe a quote from Jim Elliot sums the concept up nicely:  “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

One day we will all evaluate our short lives and meager possessions from the other side of eternity.  Do not have any regrets!  Give as much as you are able to your neighbors, and even your enemies, and bring glory to God in so doing!  Put your trust in God to provide and not in your ability to manage your possessions.  Be careful of debt and properly balance your giving with what the Bible teaches about bondage to money.  As followers of Jesus, our master is God, and we should not willingly submit ourselves to the master of debt.  If you are in serious debt, then your giving should reflect that but also look to the Bible for examples of people who give abundantly even in extreme poverty!

Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.”

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints- and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”

Romans 13:7-8 “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

THE

FAITHFUL

SERVANTS

This parable was told more than once by Jesus.  Matthew and Mark’s account occur near the end of Jesus’ ministry while He was in Jerusalem discussing the signs that will accompany His return to earth.  Luke’s account is before Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem.  For Matthew and Mark’s account, Jesus’ audience was Peter, James, John, and Andrew.  For Luke’s account it was more generically “the disciples.”

Parable Texts

Matthew 24:42 “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

Mark 13:33-37 “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Luke 12:35-40 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Matthew does not give a full account of the parable.  He merely makes a reference to it.

§         Mark and Luke’s account are very different when it comes to the specifics of the parable but have the same lesson.

§         Luke explains that if the master of the house returns and finds his servants awake, then the master will serve the servants.

§         Luke also closes by comparing the servants waiting to a master protecting his house from a thief.

Characters or Symbols

Master of the House

Jesus

Servants

Jesus’ followers

Time of the Master’s Return

Jesus’ second coming or possibly the time that one dies

Master of the House (end of Luke)

Jesus’ followers

Thief (end of Luke)

Jesus

Interpretation

Jesus gives one main parable here as well as a “sub parable.”  The main parable is accounted in both Mark and Luke, and the sub parable is accounted at the end of Luke.  Both address the fact that Jesus has promised He will return to earth.  After Jesus rose from the dead, He spent forty days on the earth appearing to His disciples and others, sometimes to as many as 500 people at a time.  Afterward He ascended from earth and went to be with God the Father in heaven.  When Jesus left, God’s Spirit was sent to earth to live inside of those who trust in Jesus and to enable them to transform the world around them.  They do this by teaching the truth to the world about God and by showing the world the love that Jesus showed them: a self-sacrificing love.  After an unknown amount of time, Jesus will return to earth to gather His followers to be with Him and to judge the rest of the earth by God’s perfect standard.

In the main parable, we see the Master of the house and His servants used as a fitting symbol for Jesus and His disciples.  Jesus is commanding His disciples to “be on guard,” “keep awake,” and “stay dressed.”  The parable illustrates that Jesus will soon leave His disciples on earth when He ascends to be with the Father.  At that time, He wants them to stay focused and keep working hard on the task He has left them.  Even though He will not be physically present, He reminds them that He is returning, and if He finds them hard at work He will serve them.  By saying He will serve them, Jesus is referring to the blessings and pleasures that His obedient followers will experience while they spend eternity with Him.

In the sub parable given at the end of Luke’s account, we see Jesus comparing His return to the coming of a thief in the night.  Followers of Jesus must always be ready for His return because we do not know the specific time when He will return.  His followers cannot procrastinate in serving Him because at any given moment they could find themselves face to face with Him.  The Master’s return could either represent the formal second coming of Christ or it could also represent the time that someone dies.  For either event it is impossible to know when it will occur and when either does, your opportunity to serve Christ on earth ends.

The main parable and sub parable given here as a pair is very reminiscent of God’s giving of the Law in the Old Testament.  When God gives His Law to the nation of Israel He describes it as being a “blessing and a curse.”  It will be the same with the second coming of Jesus.  Those who obeyed Him will find it a blessing, however it will be a curse to those who have rejected Him.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.”

Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Application

This parable should be a motivation to every believer to stay hard at work for Jesus!  Imagine, each day you are given opportunities to serve Christ and build His kingdom, and every day you face the possibility of standing before Him.  If He came back today, would it be a blessing or a curse for you?  Stay focused!  It is so easy to be lulled to sleep by the empty trappings of this world!

I believe this parable is intended to be motivational and not oppressive.  Jesus was teaching to disciples who made mistakes and at times were distracted.  I believe this parable is intended to be a wake up call.  It is a charge not to forget that we are called, as followers of Christ, to show His love to the world and teach His message until He returns.  We have opportunities to do this every day.  Are you unsure what those opportunities are?  Look for ways to give up personal pleasures in order to provide for someone in true need.  Continue reading the Bible and familiarizing yourself with what God has said His desires are.  Then pray and ask Him to reveal what His specific tasks are for you today.  Keep your mind on Him and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit prompting you to do things.  Often when God speaks to you it will not be with an audible voice, but a strong compulsion to perform an action that aligns with the principles taught in Scripture.  Also, always remember that for those who love Him, Jesus’ return will be the most joyous of events.  It is not possible to imagine the magnitude of what is conveyed in this parable when Jesus says He will “dress Himself for service.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

1 Thessalonians 5:2 “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

THE WISE

AND WICKED

SERVANTS

This parable is recounted on two separate occasions.  The first is by Luke when Jesus is speaking privately with His disciples.  Directly after the parable of “The Faithful Servants,” Peter asks Jesus “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?”  Jesus tells this parable as His answer.

In Matthew’s account, Jesus is speaking to His disciples privately on the Mount of Olives when they ask Him to tell them about His second coming.  Jesus gives them a lengthy description of the signs that will indicate His return and also a description of the things that will happen when He returns.

Parable Texts

Matthew 24:45-51 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Luke 12:42-48 “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Luke’s account has additional statements at the end about the type of punishment a servant will receive.

Characters or Symbols

Master

Jesus

Wise Servant

Those who, through faith, obey Jesus’ commands

Wicked Servant

Those who, because of their lack of faith, do not obey Jesus’ commands

Households the Servants are set over

Gifts and opportunities given by God

The Master’s Return

Jesus’ second coming

Location of Hypocrites and Unfaithful

Hell

Interpretation

In both tellings, Jesus is warning His disciples about the type of judgment He will bring when He returns again.  Jesus says that His true followers, those that are faithful and wise, will take good care of their households.  I believe that Jesus is using the servants’ households to symbolize anything that God has entrusted a person with while they are here on earth.  This could be your church if you are a pastor, or your family if you are a husband or wife, or your employees if you are a businessperson.  I believe this also applies to opportunities you receive to influence the world and gifts that you’ve been given both in terms of ability and possession.  In short, the household that God has given you is the whole of your life.

If Christ finds a person caring for his household in the manner that He has commanded when He returns, then the reward will be “all his possessions”.  This certainly represents the manifold, eternal reward from God that we commonly refer to as simply “heaven.”  However, a person may doubt Christ’s return, or doubt that He will notice discrepancies in the care he gave his household.  He may take an opportunity to abuse his household for his own pleasure.  If that is the case, this person will find himself both surprised and fearful when Christ returns.  The description for the punishment the wicked servant will receive is very terrifying and can only represent hell.

Luke’s account shows Jesus going on to explain that, for the wicked servants, there will be different severities of beatings depending on the amount of knowledge a particular servant had.  This seems to explain that the level of punishment in Hell will be worse for people who were more wicked in life.  Jesus ties someone’s appointed punishment to either the level of knowledge that person had about what God desires or the magnitude of the “household” with which they were entrusted.  I believe that this means the more a person understands about what God demands from him and the more he has been given control over on this earth, the more he will be punished in hell if he does not submit to God.

This parable is similar to others in that it seems to put a person’s deeds in a direct relationship with her salvation.  This does not exclusively mean that a person who does good deeds will be saved any more than it means a person who does bad deeds will not.  It does, however, indicate that a person’s faith and submission to Jesus as Lord and Savior will always result in good deeds.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Revelation 22:10-15 “And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

Application

If you live every day as if it were the day that you will meet Jesus, eventually you will be right.  You will either meet Him when He makes His triumphant return to earth, or you will meet Him on the day that you die.  Every day you live has the possibility for either event.  Never forget the reason for which He will return to earth.  He will not return as a lamb to be slain for that was the purpose of His first visit.  His second coming will be as a lion, and it will be for judgment!  It will be a very wonderful day for those that Jesus finds to be faithful and wise but a very terrible day for those He finds to be wicked.  Make a list of the things God has given you in this life, your friends and family, your positions and opportunities, your possessions, and pray over that list asking Him, “What should I do with the household you have given me, Lord?”.  Then take great care to steward those things well, because there is a day coming when Jesus will return and you will give an account for what He entrusted to you.

Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

THE

BARREN

FIG TREE

Jesus is teaching to a crowd when He is told about the murder of some citizens by the local government.   The crowd apparently believed this happened to those particular people because they were great sinners.  Jesus explains that those people were not part of a tragedy because they were sinners.  He continues that all people are sinners who should be more concerned with the eternal consequences of their sin than the earthly consequences.  He then tells this parable.  The supplementary text from Matthew and Mark are not synoptic accounts of this parable but are actual events that intimately relate.

Luke 13:1-4 “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?”

Parable Text

Luke 13:6-9 “And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”

Supplementary Texts

Matthew 21:18-19 “In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.”

Mark 11:12-14, 20-21 “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. … As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

Characters or Symbols

Owner

God the Father

Vineyard

The earth

Vinedresser

Jesus

Fig Tree

The nation of Israel or Anyone who has not placed their trust in Jesus

Fruit

Evidence of obedience to God, repentance from sin, and love for others

Time

The span of Jesus’ ministry or The span of an individuals life

Interpretation

I can see two possible correct interpretations of this parable.  The first is that the fig tree is used to symbolize the nation of Israel.  In this interpretation, the lengths of time the Vinedresser tells the Owner become significant.  Although it is not possible to know the exact amount of time, at this point Jesus would have been traveling and ministering in Judea for around three years.  About one year remained until He would make His final entrance into Jerusalem to be crucified.  Clearly, both of these lengths align to the lengths given in the parable and may be part of its symbolism.

Jesus had come to the nation of Israel preaching repentance from sin and while some were following Him, the whole of the nation was not.  His ministry was not bearing the fruit that God had desired from Israel.  Jesus is giving a warning to a crowd of Israelites that are concerned with the earthly repercussions of their sin.  They believe that if they continue to disobey God that He may punish them with earthly trouble.  Jesus is saying that they should be more concerned about the eternal consequences of their sin.  He is warning them that this is the nation of Israel’s final opportunity to continue as God’s chosen people.  If they do not repent and follow Him, they will be cut off.  From the Vinedresser’s pleading in the parable, we can see that this is definitely not Jesus’ desire.  We know from the remainder of the New Testament that the nation of Israel does not repent, and the opportunity to be ministers of God is opened to the entire world.

The second possible interpretation of this parable is that Jesus is speaking more generally and that the fig tree is used to symbolize the life of any individual.  Jesus explains that when God examines the life of a person He desires to see him living according to His principles.  He desires this both because His principles are right and also because they result in a satisfying life.  God allows people to rebel against Him for a finite amount of time in the hope that they will eventually turn from their natural ways and live by trusting Him and embracing His teachings.  In this interpretation, Jesus is interceding and pleads with His Father to give the individual more time to bear the fruit God desires.  Jesus is using this parable to warn everyone that they have a fixed and unknown amount of time left on earth as exemplified by the recent deaths mentioned by the crowd in this parable’s context.  His overarching message is that they should immediately take the opportunity to make themselves right with God through repentance and trust in Him.

Matthew 10:28 Jesus said “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus said “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Luke 23:33-34 “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.”

Application

Rejoice for a moment in the idea that Jesus loves you so much that He pleads to God on your behalf!  Take an opportunity to consider that if not for Jesus, God would have destroyed this world and everyone in it long ago.  Without Jesus’ work on the cross, there would be no hope of payment for sin and without payment there is no way for people to ever be redeemed.  If there is no hope of being redeemed and made free of sin, then there is no hope of being in the presence of God.

God preserved mankind and the earth even though they were disobedient to Him, because He had predestined to send Jesus to clean us from our sin.  God desires to have a real relationship with people that will result in real love, and in order to have love, there must be a choice.  If you force someone to “love” you, then it isn’t true.  Even before He created people, He foreknew that they would not always choose to be obedient to Him.  Because of this He designed a very elaborate and beautiful way for His creation to be made new again.  His design was to take the form of a man, live a perfect life, and then willingly die in place of those who were rebelling against Him.

All people now have an opportunity to repent of their sin and put their trust in Jesus, but that opportunity is not open forever.  Just like the nation of Israel, if anyone does not repent before the appointed time, either his own death or Jesus’ return, they will be cut off from God.  As followers of Jesus, we are charged with warning people of this fact, just like Jesus did.  Be sure that people know that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and if they do not bear the fruit of repentance, then God will cut them down like the fig tree.

Romans 8:34 “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Genesis 3:14-15 “The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

THE

WEDDING

FEAST

Jesus tells this parable on two separate occasions.  The first is recounted by Luke and occurs when Jesus is eating at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees.  The second occasion is recounted by Matthew when Jesus is teaching in the presence of the chief priests and Pharisees in the temple after He has made His final entry into Jerusalem and will soon be crucified.

Parable Texts

Matthew 22:1-14 “And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Luke 14:16-24 “But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Matthew explains that the feast the king is holding is a wedding feast for his son.

§         Luke gives some of the excuses that the invitees gave for why they could not attend.

§         Matthew elaborates that the invitees also mistreated the servants the King sent and killed them.  In response the king destroys the invitees and their city.

§         Luke describes the new invitees as being “poor and crippled and blind and lame” while Matthew describes them as being “both bad and good.”

§         In Luke’s account, the king even tells the servants to go “out to the highways and hedges” to find new invitees.

§         Luke’s account concludes with the king explaining that none of the original invitees will be welcome at the feast, but Matthew’s account concludes with a very interesting interaction between the king and one of the guests at the feast.

Characters or Symbols

King (Matthew) or Man (Luke)

God

King’s Son (Matthew)

Jesus

Feast

God’s kingdom, the New Jerusalem, “heaven”, etc.

Servants

The prophets and apostles

Attendants (Matthew)

God’s angels

Original Invitees

The nation of Israel

Original Invitee Excuses

Idols that Israel turned toward to worship

New Invitees

The Gentiles

Wedding Garment (Matthew)

Jesus’ blood (righteousness)

Outer Darkness (Matthew)

Hell

Interpretation

It is important to note that the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were the audiences for both tellings of this parable.  The nation of Israel’s history as God’s chosen people dates back approximately 4000 years ago to a man named Abraham (Genesis Ch. 11 – 25).  Abraham was the first person to put his trust in God and because of that God promised to save the world through his lineage.  The entire nation of Israel, including Jesus’ mother Mary, descended from Him.  God purposed Israel to be the chosen people that He would use to reach the world with the message of faith in Him.  Jesus is explaining that throughout Israel’s history God continually invited them to join Him in His kingdom through faith and obedience.  He desired for them to be an example to the rest of the world of who God is and what He is like.  Whenever Israel would stray away from following God’s law, He would send prophets to proclaim a warning to them and plead with them to continue serving and worshiping Him.  Israel, however, had a history of killing and rejecting the majority of God’s prophets.  All of this is symbolized by the interaction between the King, His servants, and the original invitees.

There is heavy symbolism in this parable when the invitation is given to come to the wedding feast of the King’s Son.  Several times throughout Scripture the metaphor is used of Jesus being a groom and the Church, or His followers, being His bride.  The book of Revelation also mentions an event called the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (verse 19:9) in which, at the end of time, Jesus will be figuratively married to all of His followers, and they will live in God’s kingdom together.  This feast is a time of great celebration for the start of a new, eternal, and perfect world.

God’s entire purpose for Israel climaxes with the coming of Jesus.  Before He created the world He predestined to save it through the Messiah (or Christ, the Greek word for Messiah), and the time had finally come for Him to be born out of the nation of Israel.  Despite their strained relationship in the past, God is making an invitation for Israel to celebrate the coming of the Messiah who will be the savior of the world.  Israel desires a Messiah who will come as a conquering king and set them free from their bondage to Rome.  Because Jesus is not the Messiah Israel desires, they do not celebrate His coming.  In the parable, they make excuses for why they do not want to come to the wedding feast and then they abuse and kill the messengers.  Again, this symbolizes the way that Israel treated God’s prophets in the past who warned them to turn back to God and told them how they would recognize the Messiah.  John the Baptist is also depicted by this group of servants because he proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah to the nation of Israel and only a short time before this parable was put into prison and beheaded.

Jesus explains that because Israel has rejected God, His prophets, and His Son that they will no longer be the people He uses to reach the world with His message.  The King’s invitation to the new invitees symbolizes God opening His kingdom to the Gentiles (anyone not Jewish).  After Jesus was raised from the dead God no longer required His followers to become part of the nation of Israel.  This is why you see Christians from many races practicing many cultures and traditions.  This idea would have been extremely offensive to the Jewish people of this time because of the intense, racist hate Jews felt toward the Gentiles.

In Matthew’s telling, I think that when the king “destroyed those murderers and burned their city” Jesus is likely referring to the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD, approximately 40 years after Jesus was crucified.  Jerusalem is by far the most significant city in Judaism because it is built around Mt. Moriah which is the mountain where Abraham presented Isaac to God.  It is also the location of their Temple which is the focal point of all Jewish tradition.  When God allowed Rome to invade Jerusalem many, many people were killed and the Temple was destroyed.

The end of Matthew’s account is very interesting.  The need to wear the proper clothes shows that even though the Gospel message will now be preached to the Gentiles that they must come to God in the way He has prescribed.  The clothes are symbolic of repentance from sin and faith in Jesus, the sacrifice that God has provided for them.  The end of the parable shows that if someone believes themselves to be right with God, but they have not clothed themselves in the righteousness that Jesus’ blood provides by trusting Him; they will not be allowed to enter God’s kingdom.

Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

2 Cororinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Application

This is an epic parable that summarizes the complete message of Scripture.  Use it as a guide to understand God’s plan to redeem the human race from sin.  Use it to gain a deeper understanding of how God chooses those who receive salvation.  Matthew’s account of this parable ends with Jesus explaining that “many are called, but few are chosen.”  This parable explains that we are chosen by God when we hear His invitation to join Him in His kingdom, leave behind our past lives, and come to Him allowing ourselves to be clothed in the righteousness provided by the blood of Jesus Christ.  This parable is illustrating that God has sent His servants out to call the world to Him but that few from the world will respond in the way He has prescribed.  Understand that God desires all people to come into His kingdom, but He is uncompromising in the way that they must come.  It is only by trusting in Jesus that the world will be saved.

This parable should also be the source of great excitement and anticipation for every follower of Jesus.  We have accepted the invitation to the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb!  This event will far exceed every other experience we have ever had prior to it.  Imagine being invited to a celebration by one of the great dignitaries of our world.  The invitation we have to sit down to eat with the King of kings and Lord of lords is far superior!

John 12:32 Jesus said “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”

THE LOST SHEEP AND

THE LOST COIN

It seems that Jesus tells the parable of “The Lost Sheep” on two occasions.  Matthew recounts the occasion where Jesus’ disciples asked Him “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Jesus then tells them the parable of “The Lost Sheep”, among other parables, after He has gathered a group of children to Himself.

Luke recounts the occasion where Jesus was speaking to a group of “sinners” and Pharisees.  The Pharisees were insulting Him by proclaiming that “this man receives sinners and eats with them.”  Jesus then tells the crowd the parable of “The Lost Sheep” and directly follows the parable of “The Lost Coin.”

Parable Texts

Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

Luke 15:3-9 “So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Luke’s account involves the telling of the parable of “The Lost Coin” while Matthew’s does not.

§         Luke’s account is made personal by saying, “What man of you…” while Matthew’s account is more general saying “If a man…”

§         In Matthew’s account, the sheep are left on a mountain while in Luke’s account the sheep are left in a field.

§         Luke’s account describes the shepherd involving his friends and neighbors in the celebration.

Characters or Symbols

Shepherd or Woman

Jesus

Saved Sheep or

Saved Coins

Those who have accepted grace through repentance and faith in Christ

Lost Sheep or Lost Coins

Those who are dead in their sins

Interpretation

Jesus tells these parables consecutively in Luke, and they have very similar themes and symbolism.  It is plain that the reason Jesus came was to seek and save those who are lost.  This parable is illustrating that Jesus is not satisfied with saving 9 out 10 or even 99 out of 100 people, but that He is deeply concerned for every person individually.  Just like a good shepherd is concerned for his sheep, Jesus is greatly distressed to know that even one person will not enter God’s kingdom and is willing to go through great lengths to invite them in.  When someone decides to put his trust in Jesus, He is extremely joyful. His joy overflows into a celebration such that He wants everyone to know that the person who was lost is now found.

At the end of Luke’s account of “The Lost Sheep”, Jesus explains that His rejoicing over a returned lost person is greater than over ninety-nine persons who need no repentance.  But remember that this parable was prompted by a group of scribes and Pharisees criticizing Him for associating with people of poor reputation.  The religious leaders present apparently viewed themselves as righteous and above repentance, but we know that no person is righteous on his own.  The righteousness that God requires is perfection and can only be found in Jesus.  Jesus’ remark is a sarcastic lesson to these leaders because the ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance don’t exist.

Psalm 143:1-2 “Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.”

John 10:11 Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Luke 19:10 Jesus said “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Application

Jesus is truly a good shepherd.  He is concerned for each and every person individually.  He would not be content to save 99% of all people;  His heart would still break and He would search fervently for the 1% that remained lost.  How great is the heart of God and how deep is His love for us?  Do not underestimate how many tears of joy Jesus shed the day He found you wandering in the wilderness.  If we wish to have the heart of Christ, we must look at each person in the world with the same love.  We must not be content to have only our families and our friends come to know Him and be saved.  If we wish to have the heart of Christ and know Him intimately, we must come to know the intense desire He has to see every person enter into God’s kingdom.  Jesus desires us to be the kind of people who leave the ninety-nine and go after the one.   If we’ve been blessed with the comfort of Christian fellowship and community, this means leaving it again and again to go out into the world and search for the lost sheep.

Matthew 9:36-38 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

THE

PRODIGAL SON

Luke recounts the occasion where Jesus was speaking to a group of “sinners” and Pharisees.  The Pharisees were insulting Him by proclaiming that “this man receives sinners and eats with them.”  Jesus then tells the crowd the parables of “The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” and then this parable.

Parable Texts

Luke 15:11-32 “And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And 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.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Characters or Symbols

Father

God

Younger Son

Represents those who initially openly reject God, but later come to repentance.  In the context of the audience Jesus is addressing, this son represents the “tax collectors and sinners.”

Older Son

Those who relate to God by keeping a set of rules for the purpose of obtaining favor with Him; the “religious” or “self-righteous.”  In the context of the audience Jesus is addressing, this son represents the Pharisees and scribes.

Far Country

This region and the actions performed there represent the rejection of God, His Law, and His character.

Act of Returning Home

This action represents humbling oneself by admitting that one’s past way of life was wrong, making a commitment to honor God, and asking Him to allow oneself to be His servant.  It is repentance from sin and baptism into the name of Jesus.

Gifts from the Father

These represent the way that God responds when someone repents and puts her trust in Jesus.  He gives them forgiveness of sin, His Spirit, and they become a co-heir to the kingdom of Heaven with Jesus.

Interpretation

The theme of this parable is similar to the two that precede it but is much more elaborate and vivid.  Jesus is telling a parable that unifies His hearers.  To begin, He characterizes the “sinners” and the religious leaders (Pharisees and scribes) as being two sons of the same Father.  This is symbolic of the fact that even though they see each other as being very different they are in fact both creations of God made in His image.  As the parable continues Jesus perfectly distinguishes these two groups by showing each their flaws while also respecting their strengths.  This parable begs the question of its hearers “Which son are you?”.

Some hearers may relate with the situation of the younger son who had no interest in his Father other than the material things He could provide.  Many people treat God in exactly the same manner, with no interest in knowing Him, but only an interest in what He can provide for them.  God, in His love, complies and in fact provides all people with life and breath and any number of other earthly pleasures.  Those represented by the younger son take those gifts and exploit them for their own wicked purposes which are accomplished far away from God and His house.

However God, in His mercy, has made this style of life hard as symbolized by the difficult times that befall the younger son.  Eventually, people who pursues this life find themselves in situations that were not part of their original plan and that force them into uncomfortable decisions.  They are faced with the proposition of doing things that they had always said they would never do.

In this parable, the proposition of hiring himself out to a foreigner had probably never occurred to this young, Jewish man from an affluent family.  However, the ultimate humiliation would have been feeding pigs, an animal that He would have been taught by his Father was unclean, and longing to eat their food due to his dire circumstances.  The younger son had insulted and rejected his Father and used his Father’s gifts to completely corrupt his life.  So is the situation with the “sinners” Jesus is speaking to.  It was well known by both themselves and their community that they had used God’s gifts to build lives contrary to His principles.

Others can relate to the older son who, when his younger brother asked his Father to divide the inheritance among them, apparently did not oppose the request.  Being the older son he would have received twice as much from his Father as his younger brother, which may have been part of his motivation not to object.  While his brother went away and squandered his inheritance, the older son stayed home and worked for his Father.  His heart is revealed, however, when his younger brother returns.  While we can see that, on the surface, the older brother had done everything his Father expected of him, his heart was not tender toward his Father.  When the older brother learns about the return of his sibling and the great joy of his Father, he is filled up with anger.  Is his anger toward his brother?  No, his anger is at his Father.  The older brother isn’t satisfied with what he has already received from his Father and is not pleased to see Him so happy.  He is only concerned with what he feels he has earned and deserves with the work he has done.  So also is the situation with the self-righteous religious leaders Jesus is speaking to.  They have dedicated their lives to detailing God’s Law and trying to follow it wherever they are required for the purpose of benefiting themselves, but their hearts are far from God.

Now we also see that the younger son comes to his senses.  He remembers his Father and decides that he is willing to do anything to return to his Father’s household.  He picks himself up, in his shame, and goes back to his Father in the hopes that, somehow, his Father will be merciful enough to accept him back as, perhaps, a servant.  He was right to remember his Father as merciful, but he has grossly underestimated exactly how merciful and loving his Father is.  Just as all people, when they return to God in true sorrow and repentance for their sin, find the love God shows them far exceeds all of their expectations.  The Father who has clearly been waiting and watching for His son to return, runs to meet him, showing the earnest desire God has for all to be reconciled with Him.  The gifts the Father gives are the best that He has, including what is likely a signet ring, which gives the son access to the families finances.  The younger son is accepted not as a servant but is restored again as a rightful son.  He is completely and totally regenerated as we are regenerated in God’s sight through Jesus.  The celebration we see is illustrative of the celebration that takes place in heaven each time someone repents of her sin and trusts in Jesus.  Many of the “sinners” in the crowd before Jesus, represented by the younger son, had in fact recognized themselves as unclean before God and been baptized into repentance by John the Baptist.  They had in reality followed the figurative path of the younger son in this parable.

The end of this parable may leave you wondering “Is the older son ‘saved’?” or by implication “Are the religious leaders Jesus is speaking to citizens of the kingdom of God?” since the older son symbolically represents them.  These questions are confusing because the behavior of the older son indicates he is not repentant like his younger brother and our instincts likely tell us his Father should reject him.  However, the parable ends with an opposite statement.  The Father clearly tells the older son “all that is mine is yours,” which would indicate that the older son is still a rightful heir to his Father’s estate.  I believe the relationship between Jesus and the religious leaders of His time can be equally confusing.  There are many occasions where Jesus clearly condemns a crowd of Pharisees, Sadducees, or scribes and other times where Jesus indicates one of the religious leaders is very close to the kingdom of God.  The answer to this question, at least in the context of this parable, seems to be that the older son is accepted by the Father as His child and rightful heir.  Remember that even among the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, each man’s heart is judged individually.  Some of them would enter the kingdom of heaven and some would not, just as with men today.  The focus of this parable does not seem to be on the salvation of the individual sons as much as it is on the love and mercy of the Father.

1 John 3:16-18 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Luke 7:28-30 Jesus said “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)”

Application

Which son are you?  Have you lived long enough yet to have done things that you said you would never do?  Did you come to your senses and run back to God hoping there was some way He could forgive you?  Or perhaps you have the opposite dilemma.  Have you convinced yourself that, because you have not made mistakes as large as some others, that you have now earned God’s love?  We should always be humbled when we are faced with God.  Whether we are the worst sinner or the best, we are all still sinners.

God’s mercy is so well illustrated in this parable.  Whether you are the son who has been off to the far country and are now returning or whether you are the son who has been working in the field with no real love for your Father in your heart, the solution is the same.  Repent, turn away from the things you know are wrong, and come back to God.  You will find Him running toward you ready to tackle you with His love and forgiveness.  If you are troubled by the fact that you do not have any love for God in your heart or do not desire to obey His commands, there is a solution.  Take those needs to Him in prayer and be honest with Him about how you feel.  You will not be informing Him of anything He is not already aware of.  Ask Him to provide you with love.  Acknowledge to Him that your heart is not right toward Him and ask for help.  He will not reject you.

If you are already in Christ and have already received His mercy, you can still experience this forgiveness every time you wander away from God.  You should find yourself coming back to our Father and saying “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” as often as you have need to say it.  His mercy, love, and forgiveness when you do this will free you and take the burden of your guilt off of you.

Also, those in Christ should take lesson from the older son.  When we see God’s mercy extended to others we should rejoice with our Father.  There is no room for jealousy and envy in God’s Kingdom because none of its members have earned any of the gifts they have received, save Jesus Christ Himself.  When another sinner is welcomed home by his Father, all of God’s other children should be reminded of how they were also forgiven.  The reaction of the older son in this parable should cause us to ask ourselves, “Do I love to see God’s grace extended to others?”.

1 Timothy 1:15-17 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

THE

DISHONEST

MANAGER

Luke recounts the occasion where Jesus was speaking to a group of “sinners” and Pharisees.  The Pharisees were insulting Him by proclaiming that “this man receives sinners and eats with them.”  Jesus then tells the crowd the parables of “The Lost Sheep,” “The Lost Coin,” “The Prodigal Son” and then this parable.  Afterward Jesus shares the following instruction on managing wealth:

Luke 16:10-13 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Parable Texts

Luke 16:1-9 “He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”

Characters or Symbols

Rich Man

God

Manager

Any person

Rich Man’s Possessions

Our material possessions, gifts, abilities, and even our lives

Rich Man’s Debtors

Other people on the earth

Interpretation

This is probably the most confusing of all Jesus’ parables.  Upon first read, it seems that Jesus is advocating dishonesty in business practice.  However, this directly contradicts several other of Jesus’ teachings, as well as major themes of the Bible in general, and would be a unique occurrence of such a teaching.  Therefore, it is not reasonable to interpret this parable as supporting embezzlement from one’s employer.  Another reason this parable is confusing is that it seems disjoint with the themes of the three parables preceding it.  Those seem to address God’s forgiveness and love while this parable seems to be an instruction on the manner in which people should conduct themselves with their possessions.  It is difficult to be certain, but I believe a correct interpretation of this parable would be the following.

God has entrusted His creation to man as recorded in Genesis.  When each person is born, he or she receives a portion of His creation in the form of his or her body, possessions, gifts, and influences.  To greater or worse extents every person has mismanaged the portion of creation he was given dominion over by making decisions to use it for purposes other than what God intended, or in other words, every person has sinned.  All people are aware that they will one day die.  The Bible teaches that the reason why death exists in our world is because of sin.  Therefore, every person is having his portion of God’s creation taken back from him, through death, for the sins he has committed in mismanaging his allotment.  Even though we are given notice that God will take back His creation from us, we have the ability, in the meantime, to do with it as we please.  To summarize, like the dishonest manager all of the things God has given us in life will be stripped away when we die because of sin, but we have a short period of time before we die to do with them what we please.

Jesus is advocating that people forgive the debts of others, or give to others, from the allotment of possessions God has given us before we lose our control over them.  This is illustrated in the parable by the manager giving away portions of the possessions under his management.  The parable states that his purpose in doing so was to secure shelter for himself, to be enjoyed after the Rich Man had discharged him of his duties.  In much the same way Jesus also instructs His disciples to “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves … with a treasure in the heavens” (Luke 12:33).  Jesus is teaching that it is wise for us, while we are able, to give the possessions we manage away so that we may be rewarded with permanent, heavenly possessions.

Genesis 1:28-31 “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”

Application

If in life we are motivated to save and plan for our later years, how much more so should we be saving and planning for our eternity?  Our later years, should we reach them, are such a small portion of our lives but many expend great effort financially preparing for them.  Know that we also have a limited opportunity to prepare for our eternal life through our obedience to Jesus’ teachings about wealth.  Can you see that we have played the role of the dishonest manager with the goods God has given us to manage?  Soon enough our lot in life will be taken from us without any additional warning.  Act quickly and purposefully in forgiving the debts of your neighbors.  Give generously to those in need.  Think of others before yourself.  In so doing, you will gain the further approval of your Master who will reward you greatly upon your entrance to His Kingdom.

Philippians 2:3-5 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

THE RICH

MAN AND

LAZARUS

Jesus tells this parable to a crowd of Pharisees who are ridiculing Him because of His teachings on wealth.  The Scripture preceding this parable tells us that these Pharisees were “lovers of money.”

Parable Texts

Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house- for I have five brothers- so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Characters or Symbols

Rich Man

Any person who is rich in earthly possessions, but does not have a relationship with God through Jesus.

Lazarus

Any person who is poor in earthly possessions, but knows God through Jesus.

Abraham

Represents God, but is also a reference to the Jewish patriarch Abraham.

Abraham’s Side

An analogy for heaven that would have been clearly understood by Jews in the first century.

Hades

Hell

Great Chasm

Possibly an illustration of one’s inability to move between heaven and hell, however it is also possible that this is a real physical boundary between heaven and hell.

Interpretation

It is legitimately debatable as to whether this story is a parable or an account of real events.  However, we will assume that Jesus is telling a parable because He does not explicitly state these events as being fact, and He uses this account to illustrate principles of God’s Kingdom, which is similar to the way He uses parables.

Here we find Jesus countering what would have been the Pharisees perspective on wealth.  Jesus had just been teaching the crowd how to manage wealth and proclaiming to them that one could not serve both God and money.  The Pharisees mocked Him for this teaching because their hearts loved money and also because Jesus was not a rich man.  Imagine the seeming absurdity of someone with very little wealth teaching crowds about how wealth should be managed.  In response to the Pharisees, Jesus tells this parable where both a very rich man and a very poor man die.  Lazarus is taken to Abraham’s side, a description of heaven that would have been recognized by first century Jews, and the rich man is taken to hell.

The only indication given as to either of their morals is that the rich man did not help Lazarus even though he was dying outside his gate.  Take note that by the world’s standards a rich man is not in any way obligated to care for the poor, however, this is presumably the reason why the rich man was descended to hell.  The fact that a rich man went to hell would have been a very controversial teaching because it was commonly believed at that time that men were successful in life because of their right standing with God.  Conversely it was believed that poor and sick men were so because of their sin.  Therefore, it also would have been counterintuitive that Lazarus ascended into heaven.  In addition to the rich man’s wealth, he also referred to Abraham as his “father” meaning that his lineage was traceable to Abraham and that he was a true Israelite.  By legalistic, Pharisaical standards, the rich man should have most certainly gone to Abraham’s side.  He was a child of Abraham in the genealogical sense and his success in life showed that God was pleased with him or so was the commonly held belief of Jewish culture at this time.

The description given of the rich man’s torment in hell is very terrible.  His dialogue with Abraham seems to indicate that it is possible for those in heaven to observe those in hell; however I do not believe one can know whether this is fact or simply a literary device to aid in the telling of this story.  In his conversation, the rich man makes no defense that he is not rightfully in hell, and Abraham confirms this with some of his statements as well.  When the rich man begs for Lazarus to be sent to his father’s house, Abraham clearly explains that God has already sent messengers that warn of His coming wrath.  The parable closes with Abraham making a clear reference to the fact that if people were unwilling to listen to Moses and the prophets then they will also not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, even when He is raised from the dead.

There is a lot of detail in this parable, but it seems that the message Jesus is conveying to His audience is two-fold.  The first is to nullify the notion that you can tell the condition of someone’s standing with God by his worldly status.  Jesus is clearly teaching that one’s wealth or lack thereof has no bearing on either how much God loves him or how much he loves God.  Wealth is spiritually neutral.  The second is to reiterate that one’s standing with God can be inferred from his lifestyle.  We know from Scripture that men are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, but Jesus is also very clear that faith will be evidenced by good works.  This parable illustrates that truth by showing that the rich man did not help Lazarus and was also in poor standing with God.

Isaiah 13:6-9 “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 “I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.”

Application

Do not evaluate people by their worldly status, but evaluate them by their deeds.  You will know the condition of someone’s heart toward God not by how much God appears to have blessed him, but by how much he blesses God.  You will find that some people in this world have become poor through their generosity.  Even though their appearance hides it, they are very rich with God.  Also, take seriously Jesus’ commandments on how to manage wealth.  If we are not willing to give out of our own abundance to help our fellow man, then we are compelled to question whether the love of God is in us.  Consider how God will react to those who have kept their pets very well fed but have neglected the poor in their communities.  Also, we should not be constrained from giving by our means.  If we are only able to give a small amount, we should not neglect what God may choose to do by our act of faith.  In the words of Mother Teresa: “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

John 7:24 Jesus said “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Matthew 19:24-26 Jesus said “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

THE

UNWORTHY

SERVANTS

After being taught about the seriousness of sin, Jesus’ disciples ask Him to increase their faith.  He responds and explains that if they have even a very small amount of faith they will be able to do great works for God.  Then He tells them this parable.

Parable Texts

Luke 17:7-10 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Characters or Symbols

Master

Jesus

Servants

Jesus’ slaves (His followers)

Interpretation

Jesus tells this short parable to His disciples to balance His previous teaching.  He has just taught them and will teach them again on the night of the Last Supper that they will do great works for God (John 14:12).  This parable teaches them about a Master’s relationship with His servants.  Jesus is explaining that it is they who are privileged to serve God and never God privileged to have their service.  The reason for this is plain.  Jesus has thousands upon thousands of angels at His disposal ready to do any good work He would command them.  Yet He chooses to give sinful people His Spirit to enable them to do His good works.  Apart from God’s grace, Jesus’ sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s power, people would be capable of nothing except sin.  Jesus clarifies to His disciples that regardless of the number or magnitude of works that they perform for Him they are still privileged to serve.  Jesus also promises in this parable that afterward, after their work is done, they will eat and drink.  He is reminding them of the great hope they have of their eternal rest with Him once their work on earth is complete.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Romans 6:16-18 “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Application

Consider how fortunate we are to be called and made servants of the Most High God!  There can be no greater title for us in heaven or on earth!  God has graciously given us the ability to reject evil and do His good works.  We know that it is shameful when one man is master over another man, because men are flawed masters and one man should not be considered superior to another.  But, God is a perfect master.  He loves and cares for His servants.  He directs them with all knowledge in tasks that are mutually beneficial to both them and His kingdom.  It is only shameful to be the servant of an imperfect master, but we are called to be servants of God!  We should joyfully take every advantage of our opportunity to live a life like Jesus did, in perfect submission to our Father.

Once we are finished on earth, we know that we will enter into an eternal rest with God.  This promise far outweighs the temporary difficulties we will face while we serve God on earth.  The pains and struggles of our service here will only be the smallest conceivable moment when compared to the endless perfection we will experience when we are at home with God.  However, remember the words of this parable and use them to fight against the notion that we are somehow earning our eternal blessings.  God does not need us as His servants, but He graciously uses us for our benefit.  God uses the experiences we have of serving Him by performing selfless deeds to change us into something greater than we naturally are.  In light of this, we should remain eager and humble as we enjoy the privilege of being used by God to accomplish His eternal good works.

This teaching should be balanced with the idea that, because of Jesus, God also considers us His friends.  We are not simply His servants, although we do serve Him, but also His friends because we are working with Him toward a common goal.  Because of the knowledge given to us through the Holy Spirit, we desire to see God’s kingdom come and eagerly work for Him.  We desire to see it built because we know that we are building a kingdom we will also take part in.  We are truly like sons and daughters of God in this respect, because as we work to build our Father’s household by His commands we are also building an inheritance for ourselves.

John 15:13-15 Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THE

UNMERCIFUL

SERVANT

Jesus is in Capernaum and is speaking privately with His disciples.  He has just taught them how to react when a brother sins against them.  Peter then asks Jesus how many times he is expected to forgive someone.  Jesus answers his question and then tells this parable.

Matthew 18:21 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

Parable Texts

Matthew 18:22-35 “Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Characters or Symbols

King

God

Unmerciful Servant

Anyone who harbors unforgiveness

Unmerciful Servant’s Debt

Sins that have been committed against God

Fellow Servant

Any person in the life of the “unmerciful servant”

Fellow Servant’s Debt

The sins that this person has committed against the “unmerciful servant”

Prison

Likely represents any kind of revenge that the “unmerciful servant” is able to have over his “fellow servant”

Jailers

(Greek: βασανιστής (basanistes), meaning a torturer) Represents hell for reasons I will discuss in the interpretation

Interpretation

The way that Peter phrased his question to Jesus shows us his heart on the matter of forgiveness.  He asks Jesus how often he would be required to forgive a brother who sinned against him.  The implication of this question is that he is wondering in his heart “How many times should I endure my brother sinning against me before I am no longer obligated to forgive him?”.  As only Jesus can, He tells Peter a parable that shows him how God views his attitude on this matter.  It almost seems as if Jesus is saying to Peter “Is your heart like the servant in this parable?”.  Every reader of this parable should ask themselves the same question.

The master-servant relationship shown in many of Jesus’ parables exemplifies the situation that all people find themselves in.  We are all created by God, from nothing, and He alone sustains our life.  In that sense, we are God’s servants, correctly perceived as His property, as all creation is.  In Jesus’ parable, the servant described has accrued a great deal of debt with his Master.  Again, this is the same situation that every person finds himself in with God, as we have all continually disobeyed Him and have accumulated a debt, or a fine, with Him through our disobedience.

Jesus describes the servants debt as “ten thousand talents” where “talent” refers to a measurement of weight.  If we assume that Jesus was referring to an Israelite heavy common talent of gold (58.9kg), this amount would weigh 1.3 million pounds and have a 2010 market value of $20,615,000,000 USD.  That’s billion dollars, with a ‘B’.  Even if Jesus was referring to an Israelite light common talent of silver (29.8kg), this amount would still weigh 650 thousand pounds and have a 2010 market value of $159,030,000 USD.  Jesus clearly uses the illustration “ten thousand talents” to show the extreme magnitude of debt the servant had incurred with his Master.  This debt is used to symbolize the great degree to which, as sinners, we have broken God’s laws and the severe fine that would be required in order to reconcile our misconduct.

Of course this debt is impossible for anyone to pay, especially a servant, so God rightfully orders that this man and everything he has be sold.  Strict justice and fairness demand that if someone accrues a debt which he is unable to repay, that the entirety of his assets be liquidated for his debtor.  This is a symbolic representation of what will happen to every person who stands in front of God when He calls us to give an account for our lives to Him.  We will be unable to pay for our wrongdoings and will be placed into hell as punishment.  But wait!  See how merciful our God is!  When we fall on our face and express to God our desire to repay Him everything He is owed if He is patient with us, He does what we could never do on our own.  Just as the Master in the parable, He forgives our entire debt paying it with the blood of Jesus.

However, after being forgiven such an incomprehensible debt, the unmerciful servant finds a fellow servant that Jesus says owes him “one hundred denarii.”  These are silver Roman coins, would have a weight of 39 grams, and a 2010 market value of $23.12 USD.  The unmerciful servant seizes his brother, chokes him, and demands that he pays what is owed.  When he is unable to pay, he is heartlessly put into prison.  How ungrateful this servant is of the gift that had been given to him.  He had learned nothing from his Master.  And when his Master sees this behavior He is enraged.  He demands that the servant be placed in prison until he can pay back his original debt of ten thousand talents.

It is clear that this servant will never be able to repay such an awesome debt and will remain in prison for the rest of his life.  This is representative of the fate of every person who does not learn from the mercy of God.  Jesus says that it will be the same for anyone who does not honestly forgive his brother from his heart.  It may initially seem that this and other New Testament teachings about forgiveness are contradictory to what we know about Jesus’ sacrifice.  How can people be sent to hell for not forgiving someone if unforgiveness is a sin and Jesus died for our sins?  The answer is that unforgiveness characterizes the behavior of someone who has not truly put her faith in Jesus.  It’s not the unforgiveness itself that keeps people from heaven; unforgiveness is a sin just like any other.  It is that having a lifestyle of unforgiveness is an outward sign that someone does not recognize the magnitude of his debt with God and the high price that Jesus has paid to have it forgiven.

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

1 John 3:14-15 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Application

Observe how seriously God considers our sin against Him.  When symbolized as money, Jesus describes it as an inconceivable sum.  When we disregard the law of the God of the universe, we are committing a kind of cosmic treason against Him.  The Bible tells us that God has killed people over sin, He has destroyed entire nations over sin, and He will cast people into hell for eternity over sin.  God takes each and every sin we commit very seriously.  The seriousness of sin reveals the unfathomable value of Christ’s blood and sacrifice for us.  The blood spilt that canceled the debt of not just one of God’s servants but for all who will ever come to put their faith in Him.  This parable shows the deep wisdom of the famous hymn lyrics, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold.”  Take the sins you commit very seriously.  Confess them to God and turn away from them.  Thank Him for the great price He paid for you.

Just like it did to Peter, this parable begs the question of each hearer “Is your heart like the servant in this parable?”.  This is a sobering question because the implications of its answer are very serious.  Is there forgiveness that you are holding back from someone who has wronged you in this world?  Jesus shows us that however we have been wronged by people in this world, the debt they have incurred with us pales drastically in comparison to the debt that God has forgiven us.  As followers of Christ, we are compelled to know Him and be like Him in all things.  Being wronged, even severely wronged, by people in this world gives us the opportunity to be like Christ in the realm of His mercy and forgiveness.  Forgive greatly!  Show mercy!  Do not do it because people in this world deserve your mercy but do it out of appreciation to God for the great mercy He has shown you.

Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

1 Corinthians 6:6-7 “But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”

THE

PERSISTENT

WIDOW

Jesus has just taught His disciples about the signs that will accompany His return.  He then tells them this parable.

Luke 18:1 “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart”

Parable Texts

Luke 18:2-8 “He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Characters or Symbols

Judge

This character is used as a contrast to God’s nature

Widow

Anyone who has need for justice

Interpretation

This parable is quite similar in style and meaning to the parable of “The Friend At Night.”  As in that parable, this parable presupposes that we can learn something about the character of God by contrasting Him with what we know about people.  Jesus asks us to imagine a judge who neither fears God nor respects men.  These would be very unusual characteristics for a judge as a judge should pass his judgment based on some sort of standard.  However, this judge does not recognize authority outside of himself neither with respect to his Creator nor his fellow man; he is left to make his judgments with no standard other than his own arbitrary opinion.  This type of judgment may seem outlandish, but it is, in fact, more commonly known in our society as “post-modernism.”  This philosophy is frequently held and taught in many places of learning today.  You will recognize it by teachers who have an agnostic or atheistic disposition and also teach a very relative interpretation of thought or literature.  The basis for post-modernism is that some absolute truth or standard may exist, but it can never be reliably known because all information is biased.  Clearly, Jesus is describing a man who makes a very poor judge.

We know God to be a polar opposite of this man in terms of His ability to judge.  God uses a perfect standard in order to make His judgments.  He has no need to wonder what constitutes right or wrong in a given situation because He is the definition of right, and He is the very standard by which He judges.  God is not constrained in His ability to judge by lack of information because He is able to observe all things even including the motivations of a person’s heart.  God, in contrast to this unjust judge, is never disinterested in justice, in fact, only the opposite.  He loves justice and is eternally interested in seeing it rendered.  Finally, He is also not limited in His ability to execute His judgments.  There will never be any determination He makes that will be difficult for Him to put into exact effect because He will never lack the power to do so.

Jesus describes for us the case of a widow’s interaction with this unjust judge.  His corruption is made manifest in that even though his plaintiff is among the most pitiful that can be imagined, incapable of defending herself, and even though there is no denying that her cause is righteous, he is not compelled by these facts to grant her justice.  The contrast Jesus gives is this:  If the unjust judge in this parable eventually grants the widow justice because of her persistence, how much more so will God grant His children justice if they are persistent in asking Him through prayer?  Therefore, “always pray and do not lose heart.”

I believe Jesus tells this parable after teaching about His second coming because He knows that His followers will long for the time when He will return and bring justice to earth.  This parable is a reminder for all who trust in Christ that He is concerned with our causes and will put His justice into effect.  Also note that in Luke 18:8 Jesus asks the question: “When I come again will I find faith on earth?”.  I believe Jesus is asking if He will find people who are trusting in the principles taught in this parable when He returns.  Will He find people diligently praying that God would defend their causes and faithfully believing that He will do so?

Psalm 140:12 “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.”

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 “For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

Application

If Jesus returned today, would He find you being faithful to the teachings of this parable?  Do you believe that God does care for you and is intimately concerned with bringing justice to your causes?  Are you consistently praying for God to resolve conflicts in your life?  Rest in the fact that if you are trusting in Him, God has become your counselor and advocate in any situation you face.  Trust in the fact that upon Christ’s return He will bring justice to every righteous cause.  We must believe that God is just and will bring us justice.  We must not attempt to execute our own judgment on the situations we face.  In our relationships, we must trust that God will right the times that we have been hurt.  In our financial dealings, we must trust that God will correct any times we have been taken advantage of.  When our nightmares creep out of our minds and confront us boldly in reality; when situations that we consider unthinkable are suddenly ours to experience; as the world and the people in it continually mistreat us and cause difficulty for us, we must believe that God is completely aware, recording every detail, and will right every wrong either now or in eternity.  Some injustices may seem irreparable, for instance hate crimes, sex trafficking, or genocide.  However, if this entire world was created from nothing, it seems very short sighted to believe that our Creator God cannot repair what was lost in these tragedies. This restoration is the great hope we have in Jesus.  Will you pray to God for it?

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Hebrews 10:30-31 “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

THE PHARISEE

AND THE TAX

COLLECTOR

This parable seems to be addressed to a crowd that includes Jesus’ disciples.  The context is not perfectly clear.

Luke 18:9 “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt”

Parable Texts

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Characters or Symbols

Pharisee

Like the preface of the parable alludes, the Pharisee represents anyone “who trusts in themselves that they are righteous, and treats others with contempt”.

Tax Collector

Anyone who is broken and repentant over his sin and realizes his need for a Savior.

Interpretation

This parable opens with two very familiar characters from Jesus’ ministry: the Pharisee and the tax collector.  From the beginning of the parable, it is clear that Jesus is begging the question of His listeners “Which one of these men are you?”.  Both men enter the temple for the purpose of prayer which reveals to us that this tax collector was Jewish.

The Jews still deeply desired to be their own sovereign nation, but the land they lived in was under the control of the Roman Empire.  Tax collectors worked for the Roman government and collected taxes for Caesar from the Jewish people.  If a tax collector was also a Jew, it likely meant that he had been raised in the region of Judea but had decided to betray his own people in order to make money working for Rome.  The hatred the Jewish people felt towards Rome was obviously amplified even further by this type of treason.  On top of that, tax collectors also had the reputation of abusing their position and extorting additional money when they collected taxes.  A Jewish tax collector was viewed as the despicable combination of oppressor, traitor, and thief.

The Pharisees were a sect of Judaism that was known for how zealous they were to understand and keep God’s law.  They were highly respected among the Jewish people and made up part of the leadership of the Jewish community.  The Pharisees attempted to follow God’s law so strictly that when they felt it was unclear about a specific situation they went to great lengths to decide and document what should be done.  For instance, the Old Testament dictates that a tithe of all crops harvested should be given to God.  The Pharisees would meticulously tithe from even their tiny garden herbs like mint, dill, and cumin (see Matthew 23:23).  They then proclaimed these decisions  about God’s law to the Jewish community and enforced them.  This practice created a very elaborate religious and legal system that they were at the center of.  In fact, the word Pharisee comes from the Hebrew word פָּרָשׁ (paw-rash) which means “to separate” indicating that they acted in a manner that separated themselves from the average Jewish person.

When the Pharisee prays to God, he reveals that he believes himself to be exactly what his title suggests.  The proof he gives of his superiority is how often he fasts and how much he tithes; both of which are admittedly commendable.  The tax collector, however, does not have a similar résumé to present when he approaches God in prayer.  He is fully aware of the wrong that he has committed during his life and by his actions shows that he does not even feel worthy to enter God’s presence.  His only request is that God might somehow find a way to have mercy on him.  I very much doubt that, if asked, the tax collector would be able to name one person on earth that he felt superior to at that moment.  Conversely, I believe the Pharisee would have been hard pressed to name someone better than himself without some sort of qualification.

Much to the surprise of His listeners, I imagine, Jesus then reveals that it was not the zealous Pharisee who left the temple justified that day but the lowly tax collector.  Herein lies the mystery of God to those who do not comprehend His greatness:  Men cannot justify themselves before God with any amount of their own effort because to do so would mean that either God’s standard is not perfection or that men are independently capable of being perfect as God is perfect.  Both deny God’s true nature as a perfect being whose standards are also perfection.  The tax collector recognized this and hoped that, even though he did not meet God’s standard, his Creator would be merciful enough to forgive him.  Jesus shows us that the tax collector was right to ask for mercy because not only is our Creator God perfect in His goodness, but He is also perfect in His love.

Matthew 5:3-6 Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Isaiah 6:1-7 “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Application

Let us not ever forget that our God is a perfect God whose standard is perfection.  It is by God’s grace we are saved and never by our own good deeds.  Because of the evil things we have done every person does not deserve anything except God’s right judgment, His wrath, and an eternity of punishment in hell.  That is the eternity we have earned.  Therefore, we cannot ever think of ourselves as being in better standing with God than someone else based on our good deeds, no matter how good our deeds are.  Ultimately if we are judged on our own merit, every person deserves the same end.

And let us also not forget that God is under no compulsion to save people from this fate.  If God chose not to show mercy and to execute His judgment on all people, He would not be any less holy or perfect.  It is because of His great love and mercy that He sent Jesus to die for our sins, which makes Him infinitely glorious.  Whatever résumé we think that we might have to present before God is valueless.  However, Jesus’ message in this parable is that if we come to God and recognize this, admitting our mistakes and asking Him for forgiveness and help, that He will provide it!  He has made a way for us to do this through sacrificing Jesus, a perfect person, and allowing Him to take our guilt and for us to accept His righteousness.  Therefore now, when we believe in Jesus and His sacrifice and we give control of our lives to God he will transfer life from Jesus to us and our death will have been defeated at the cross.  This allows us to stand in front of God and truly be perfect as Jesus is perfect.

This message is the good news that we are compelled to share with the world:  Our world filled with filth does not have to clean itself up before coming to God, in fact, it would be impossible to do so.  We must come to God in our filth and ask Him to cleanse us.  And He has promised that He will both truly forgive and clean us.  Not only will we be forgiven of the evil things we have done in our past and even in our future, but God will also begin a process of helping us actually become better and more like Jesus.  Because of this we should always find ourselves acting humbly toward our neighbor.  This is the example that Jesus set for us, and we should walk in it.  It is never acceptable in God’s sight to treat someone as being less than you.  On the contrary, we should treat everyone, regardless of their position or past, with the highest degrees of kindness and respect.

Isaiah 64:6 “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Isaiah 55:6-9 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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.”

1 Peter 2:22-24 “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

THE

LABORERS IN

THE VINEYARD

Jesus has left Galilee and “entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.”  Large crowds have followed Him.  After Jesus has spoken to a rich young man about the importance of giving up material things, Peter asks Jesus how His disciples will be rewarded, considering that they have given up all of their possessions.  Jesus explains that those who have given things up for Him will receive a reward in addition to inheriting eternal life.  He then tells this parable.

Matthew 19:28-30 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Parable Texts

Matthew 20:1-15 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’”

Characters or Symbols

Master

God

Laborers

Followers of Jesus

Vineyard

The work that Jesus has commanded

Those In the Marketplace

Seems to represent those who will eventually follow Jesus

Time of Day

The age of the world or The age of an individual person

Day’s Wage (denarius)

Seems to represent eternal life

Interpretation

Before telling this parable, Jesus explains that anyone who has given up anything of value to follow Him will be paid back a hundred fold in addition to eternal life.  I do not know whether the reward is in this life as the parallel context passages state (Luke 18:29-30, Mark 10:30) or in the life to come as Matthew’s account seems to indicate.  Each interpretation, or possibly both,  seem to have merit.  Jesus then states that “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” and tells this parable in that context.  I will give two possible interpretations, both of which I believe are legitimate.

In the first possible interpretation, the time of day in the parable is symbolic of the age of the world. God is described as seeking a first set of servants to work for Him, offering them a particular wage.  Choosing the nation of Israel, He engages them in service rewarding them with eternal life for their work done by faith.  As time passes, God decides through Jesus Christ to open up the opportunity for service to the Gentiles as well, which is represented by the Master continually returning to the marketplace for servants.  Various tongues, tribes, and nations come to do the work of God by faith at different times in history as the Gospel presses out further and further.  The end of the day represents the Day on which God will judge the world.  Those who have been found to be His faithful servants will be rewarded, but there will be no partiality toward Israel or any other nation.  The begrudging attitude shown by the servants who came earlier in the day symbolizes the real superiority the Israelites felt toward the other nations of the world.

In the second interpretation, the time of day in the parable is symbolic of the age of a particular person.  The first set of servants are symbolic of those who come to trust Jesus early in their lives.  The Master going back to the marketplace later in the day represents God pursuing and finding people later and later into their lives.  The end of the day represents the end of people’s lives when they no longer have an opportunity to choose to become a servant of God.  Regardless of whether someone came to trust Jesus early or late in his or her life, all people will receive the same reward, eternal life.  The begrudging attitude shown by the servants who came earlier in the day is symbolic of the feelings of superiority those who come to know Christ earlier in life are tempted with.

Acts 10:34-35 “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Luke 23:40-43 “But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Application

Do you see that when God calls men to Christ He calls them for service?  Our Lord has a vineyard from which there is no sweeter fruit.  Joy and peace come from this vineyard.  Fellowship and brotherhood come from this vineyard.  Love and hope come from this vineyard, and the salvation of souls comes from this vineyard.  Let us diligently work for this sweet fruit and remember that as we do it we are working for the Lord.  God has tasked each of us differently and in order to know what our specific task is, we must ask Him directly.  There are some tasks, however, that are common to all of Christ’s followers.

Be sure to set aside time daily to worship God.  Do this through song, thought, or physical action, but have your heart set on His greatness.  Share your faith with others, especially those who are not followers of Christ.  Start by telling them about what He has done for you.  Pray throughout your day.  Pray about anything and everything.  Through prayer try to understand God’s desire for every circumstance.  Read your Bible every day and ask God to reveal something new to you through it.  The more you understand about the Bible the more you will understand about the One from whom it came.  Use your time, skills, and possessions to serve others, especially other believers.  Jesus commands us to love one another.  Often this can be done through some kind of service.

According to this parable, it is never too late, nor too early, to start working for God in any of the aforementioned or other ways.  God will reward those who come to Him at the beginning of their lives or at the end.  God will also reward those who are from any nation regardless of the actions of their forefathers.  No matter who you are or when you start, if you serve God faithfully by obeying His Son, you will be honored as His child.  Always remember though that it is not our service that saves us but the fact that we have yielded our lives to Jesus.  Also, guard your heart against feelings of superiority toward those less mature in the faith than you.  Remember the great price that Jesus paid in order to redeem you.  Consider, in shame, that your life was such a mess God needed to send His Son to die on a cross to redeem it.  You have opportunity for pride in the God that you serve but never in the way you serve Him.

John 1:12-13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

THE TALENTS

Jesus tells this parable on two separate occasions.  The first is recounted by Luke and takes place when Jesus and His disciples are staying at the home of Zacchaeus.  He told this parable because He perceived that those present thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.  The second is recounted by Matthew and takes place when Jesus is sitting privately with His disciples on the Mount of Olives.  Jesus retold this parable when His disciples asked Him about His second coming.  He gave them a lengthy description of the signs that will indicate His return and also a description of events that will happen when He returns.

Parable Texts

Matthew 25:14-30 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Luke 19:12-27 “He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Luke’s account mentions the Master pursuing a kingdom in a far country, but Matthew’s account just mentions the Master going on a journey.

§         In Matthew’s account, there are three servants and each is given a different number of “talents” (Greek: τάλαντον (talanton), meaning a balance of money).  In Luke’s account, there are ten servants, and they are each given ten “minas” (Greek: μνᾶ (mna), meaning a weight of money).

§         Luke’s account states the good servants receive cities whereas Matthew’s account more generically states that they will be “set over much.”

§         Matthew and Luke use different words to describe the master as a “hard” or “severe” man (Greek: σκληρός (skleros) and αὐστηρός (austeros), respectively), but they have very similar meanings.

§         Matthew’s account ends with the wicked servant being “cast into outer darkness.”  Luke’s account ends with the Master commanding that His enemies from the “far country” be slaughtered in front of Him.

Characters or Symbols

Master

God

Far Country (Luke)

Israel

Talents or Minas

Material, intellectual, or spiritual gifts and opportunities

Good Servants

Jesus’ true disciples

Wicked Servant

Those who hear the Gospel but decide not to follow Jesus

Outer Darkness

Hell

Enemies

Those from Israel who do not recognize Jesus as King

Interpretation

On both occasions this parable was told, Jesus was addressing questions about His second coming.  He told this parable to teach His disciples what it will be like when He returns again.  The Master leaving for His journey is representative of Jesus ascending to heaven and the Master’s return is representative of Jesus’ eventual return to earth.  With this parable, Jesus is asking His listeners “When I return, how will I find you?  Which servant will you be like?”

After rising from the dead, Jesus physically left His followers on earth when He went to be with His Father.  He did not leave us empty handed, however, He left us with gifts.  Some of these gifts are evidenced in our very existence; we are made in God’s image, we have physical possessions to rule over, we are created with mental and physical talents, and we are given a beautiful creation to inhabit.  When someone puts his trust in Jesus, the Bible tells us that God’s Holy Spirit comes to live inside of him.  For any believer in Jesus, the presence of God’s Spirit causes him to have additional, spiritual gifts.  The gifts given are different for each person and everyone receives his or her portion according to God’s desire.  Some examples of these gifts are teaching, shepherding or guiding, music, generosity, knowledge, leadership, and mercy among others.  The Master giving each of His servants gifts before leaving on His journey symbolizes Jesus giving these various gifts to each person.

In the parable, the Master gives His servants the charge before He leaves “Engage in business until I come.”  This charge symbolizes God’s desire for each person to use the gifts he or she was given to accomplish His goals.  When the Master in the parable returns, He begins to evaluate the work of each of His servants.  He judges them based on how well they used the talents or minas they were given.  We know that when Jesus returns He will also judge His followers based on how they used the gifts He gave them.  Just as in the parable, from the ones who were given more, more is expected.  Jesus will give exceedingly great rewards upon His return to those who have used their gifts well, just as the Master in the parable.  The Bible promises that those who have put their trust in Jesus will receive additional rewards in heaven based on their actions on earth.

However, Jesus will be exceedingly angry with people who have wasted their gifts.  The phrases “outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth” are used several times by Jesus throughout the Gospels and always symbolize hell.  “Servants” of Jesus who prove by their actions not to be servants at all will be assigned a place in hell along with those who never trusted Jesus.  This parable is another instance where Jesus draws a clear relationship between a person’s salvation and his or her works.  It may seem on the surface that this contradicts the Bible’s teaching that our salvation is based on our faith in Jesus alone and not on the things that we do.  However, in reality, this is an example of Jesus showing that true faith in Him will always be accompanied by good works in His name.

The discussion of the far country in Luke’s account seems to represent Jesus’ rightful position as King of Israel.  In the parable, the citizens of the far country oppose the Master becoming their King, but it states that He does become their King despite their protest.  This is true of Jesus as well who, even though rejected by Israel, is in fact their rightful King and will reign over them.

1 Corinthians 12:4-5, 11 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; … All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Application

When we begin to believe that Jesus is who He claims to be and dedicate our lives to living in a way that pleases Him, we receive God’s Spirit.  The Spirit will manifest His gifts in different ways for each person.  We can all naturally perform, with varying degrees of excellence, the same abilities God gives as gifts.  We can all teach, play music, share our faith, give, serve, lead, and so on, to one degree or another.  However, when we use the gifts given to us by God’s Spirit, there will be something remarkable about the actions we perform.  We may have a burning passion for performing them or we may have an unusual degree of success or excellence.  These are indicators that we have been spiritually gifted with a particular ability.

When someone uses her spiritual gifts, it should always be Jesus’ name that is lifted high and not her own.  Also, a lack of giftedness in a particular area should not discourage us from working in it.  For instance, if someone is not gifted in evangelism, but an opportunity to share his faith arises, he should not shy away from it.  However, our focus should be intentionally seeking opportunities to use the gifts we have been given.  The best way to discover what one’s spiritual gifts are is to try everything and see what you have great passion for and success in.  Then ask the opinion of other Christians that you respect to confirm your spiritual giftedness.

Those who serve Christ with their possessions, their intelligence, their spiritual gifts, and their very lives can expect surpassingly great rewards that far exceed anything our minds can imagine.  You can look forward to hearing Jesus say “well done, good and faithful servant.”  Take this opportunity to trade your earthly time and possessions for heavenly rewards.  Take this opportunity to press forward in the knowledge and use of the physical, mental, and especially spiritual gifts you have been given.  Be aware that if you are not using the gifts God has given you to advance the cause of Jesus Christ that it indicates an absence of faith.  We know that we are saved from our sins by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ alone.  However, we also know that our faith will be evidenced by our actions and that a lack of faith-indicating actions should be cause for serious concern.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

James 2:17 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

THE

TWO SONS

Shortly after entering Jerusalem for the final time, Jesus is teaching at the Temple.  There is less than a week left before He is crucified.  While He is teaching, the chief priests and elders of the people question His authority.  Jesus asks them to explain what they believe about John the Baptist, but they refuse to answer.  He then tells them this parable.

Parable Texts

Matthew 21:28-32 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”

Characters or Symbols

Man

God

Son Who Worked

Generally, those who have saving faith in Jesus; Specifically in this parable those that submitted to the teachings of John the Baptist.

Son Who Didn’t Work

Generally, those who have a form of religion, but no saving faith in Jesus; Specifically in this parable, he represents the religious leaders that rejected the teachings of John the Baptist.

Interpretation

Jesus asks the chief priests and elders what they think is better:  To be correct in your speech or to be correct in your actions?  The answer is plain.  It would be better to be met with rude speech but to be obeyed than to be met with sweet speech and have your commands ignored.  Jesus compares this to the circumstance the “righteous people” in Israel found themselves in when John the Baptist appeared.

John the Baptist was a prophet who was promised in the Old Testament to come before the Messiah.  His task from God was to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3).  According to Jesus, John was the greatest of all of the prophets (Matthew 11:11).  John also had very unusual mannerisms.  He spent most of his time in the desert and away from cities, his dress was rugged and plain, and his diet was very simple.  John came preaching repentance from sin and proclaiming that the Messiah had come.

Because he did not appear in the manner the “righteous people” of Israel were expecting, they did not accept his teaching or his baptism.  With their mouths, they confessed to God their obedience to His teachings and His principles, but when a righteous man appeared and proclaimed God’s message, they did not acknowledge him.  Conversely, when the “sinners” saw John and heard his teaching, they recognized him as righteousness, although unusual, and obeyed him by repenting of their sin and becoming obedient to God.  The tax collectors and prostitutes were baptized by John, and their lives were changed through their faith in God.  Even with the evidence of people’s changed lives, the “righteous people” of Israel did not recognize John for who he was.  Therefore, the tax collector and the prostitute go into the kingdom of God before the chief priest and the elder.

Matthew 23:1-3 “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you-but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

1 Corinthians 1:20-21 “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Application

This parable entreats us to look at ourselves and ask “Which son am I?”.  How often do we sing songs that profess obedience to God while at the same time desiring things with our hearts that He hates?  How often do we claim to be followers of Christ but show no love to others?  How often do we pray for revival at our churches and then go home and watch things on television that God hates?  Are we concerned with this?

Clearly, this parable illustrates that it is not what we profess that matters so much as what we truly believe.  True belief will be proven by action.  When we see opportunities in our lives to build God’s kingdom, to give, or to love, or to teach and pass these by, we contradict our professions of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Pray to God and ask Him to help you match your actions to His commands.  Humble yourself before Him, admit that you are in need of repentance, and then let your actions match your words.  Find leaders that are truly righteous in their words and deeds and follow them regardless of what other people think.

1 Peter 5:5b “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 2:14-18 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

THE WICKED

TENANTS

Shortly after entering Jerusalem for the final time, Jesus is walking in the Temple.  There is less than a week left before He is crucified.  While He is in the Temple the chief priests and elders of the people question His authority.  Jesus then tells them the parable of “The Two Sons” followed directly by this parable.  After Jesus finishes telling these parables, the chief priests and Pharisees seek to have Him arrested because they understand that He told these parables against them.

Parable Texts

Matthew 21:33-43 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.”

Mark 12:1-11 “And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Luke 20:9-18 “And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Differences Between Accounts

§         Mark does not recount the crowd’s response to Jesus’ question about what the owner of the vineyard will do to the tenants.

§         Matthew and Luke’s accounts differ about the crowd’s response to Jesus’ question.  Matthew indicates that, when questioned, the crowd stated the owner should destroy the wicked tenants and let out the vineyard to others. Luke states that Jesus says what should happen and the crowd disagrees.  I imagine what likely happened in this instance is that the crowd initially answered correctly to Jesus’ question (as in Matthew), but then Jesus explained to them the symbolism of the wicked tenants which caused them to exclaim “Surely not!”.  We will discuss further why the crowd would react this way in the interpretation.

§         Matthew’s closing quotes Psalm 118:22 and Habakkuk 1:5.  Matthew’s closing also reveals that Jesus explained some of the implications of this parable.

§         Mark’s closing also quotes Psalm 118:22 and Habakkuk 1:5.

§         Luke’s closing quotes Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14-15.

Characters or Symbols

Owner

God

Vineyard

The earth and its people

Wicked Tenants

The majority of the people of Israel

Owner’s Servants

The prophets of God

Owner’s Son

Jesus

New Tenants

The Gentiles as well as anyone who follows Jesus

Interpretation

Jesus tells this epic parable to the leaders of Israel in order to give them a full explanation of what is about to take place.  This parable spans the entire length of Israel’s history and prophesies about what will happen to them after Jesus is crucified.

God set Israel apart to be His chosen people to reach the world with His message of repentance from sin and faith in Him.  This is symbolized by the Owner letting out His vineyard to tenants.  Israel did not consistently do the work that God commanded.  They often got entangled in sin or in worshipping the false gods of other nations.  God sent prophets throughout Israel’s history to call the nation back to their original task of being His example to the world.  God’s prophets were largely rejected and killed by Israel, like the servants in the parable, so God sent Jesus to teach and instruct Israel.

Jesus was, in fact, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, that could free Israel from their sin and lead them into God’s kingdom.  However, Israel did not recognize Jesus as their rightful King.  Scripture tells us that despite the miracles that Jesus performed and the prophesy that indicated He was the Messiah that the leaders of Israel continually wanted to kill Him.  The religious leaders (scribes, Pharisees, etc.) were motivated by the fact that the common people of their region were amazed with Jesus’ miracles and teachings and they feared losing their influence on the people to Him.  In this parable Jesus is prophesying that, even though the common people loved Him, because of the influence of their religious leaders, they would reject and kill Him.  This fate parallels that of the Owner’s Son whom the tenants kill in an attempt to retain control of the vineyard.

Jesus then asks the crowd how the wicked tenants should be treated.  Their own sense of justice compels them to answer correctly at first, but likely upon either realizing or being told that they are in fact the wicked tenants, they exclaim “Surely not!”.  When Jesus describes the vineyard being let out to other tenants, this symbolizes that God’s kingdom will then be offered to the Gentiles instead of the nation of Israel.

Scripture tells us that because they did not accept Jesus as their King the nation of Israel was cut off.  What this practically means is that God’s kingdom would no longer be exclusively represented on earth by one nation or people group.  With respect to their ability to represent God, Israel would become like every other nation.  This does not mean that God now has a preference for Gentile or “non-Jewish” people.  On the contrary, God does not show partiality toward any particular nation or people group.  It is still, however, an honorable thing to be a member of the nation of Israel.  Israel still retains its history of being the first people to know God and to receive His law and prophets.  The nation of Israel also retains an important role to play in the events of the Last Days.

Romans 11:17-18 “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”

Application

This parable should make us all aware of how we came to be Christians and part of the family of God.  We are no longer required to become part of the nation of Israel or conform to its culture.  Now members of any nation or culture can come to God through faith in Jesus and become symbolic children of Abraham and citizens of Israel.  Because of this, we should be careful not to impress our own strictly cultural views on others.  We should all embrace each other’s differences as long as those differences are submitted to Christ.

This teaching also illustrates that God does deeply desire for you to serve Him, but He does not need you.  God is very patient toward us, quick to forgive, and always interested in our personal growth and development, but we are not necessary for Him to accomplish His plans.  This is clearly illustrated by His history with Israel.  God deeply desired for them to become a great nation to represent Him to the world.  He was very patient with them, working with them time and time again to mold them into the nation He desired.  However, ultimately, when they rejected His greatest Gift, His only Son, they could be cut off because they were not necessary.

Realize that now your calling as a Christian is the same as Israel’s previous calling.  Your calling is to reach the world with God’s message of repentance from sin and faith in Him.  Do not reject His message and fall into the same trap that Israel fell into.  Do not turn away from God’s purposes for your life;  dedicate your life to serving Him.

Do not be fooled into thinking that you can rest on your lineage as Israel did.  They believed that because God had blessed their people in the past that He would always continue to do so regardless of their actions. God is not any more partial to people who come from a Christian home or family than He is to those who do not.  God desires people who will worship and serve Him and is not partial to their lineage.  Again, this also does not prevent anyone who is descended from Israel from serving God.  On the contrary, because of the history of an Israelite’s lineage, they should be very encouraged to worship the God of their fathers.  God’s mercy is unparalleled, and He makes it clear in His Scriptures that He deeply desires for Israel to reconcile themselves with Him through faith in Jesus.

Romans 11:22-24 “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.”

THE TEN

VIRGINS

Jesus is speaking privately to His disciples on the Mount of Olives when they ask Him to tell them about His second coming.  Jesus gives them a lengthy description of the signs that will indicate His return and also a description of the things that will happen when He returns.  Afterwards Jesus tells this parable.

Parable Texts

Matthew 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Characters or Symbols

Bridegroom

Jesus

Wise Virgins

Those who have faith in Jesus

Foolish Virgins

Those who do not have faith in Jesus

Lamp Oil

The works that those who follow Jesus have done in faith

Midnight Cry

The second coming of Jesus

Marriage Feast

Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9) or more simply “heaven”

Interpretation

The virgins in this parable represent those who are aware of Jesus’ promise to return and have made some manner of preparation for it.  For the foolish virgins, the preparation is merely superficial.  They have the appearance of preparedness, they have their lamps ready, and they go to meet the bridegroom.  It may not even be obvious to the rest of their party that they have neglected to bring their oil, the basic element that fuels a lamp and allows it to shine.  These foolish virgins are symbolic of people who have an outward, religious appearance of following Jesus but do not have true faith in Him.  They profess the name of Jesus as Savior but have not actually made Him the Lord of their lives.

The wise virgins are those who have fully prepared themselves for Jesus’ return.  They carry their lamps outwardly and also pack flasks of oil.  These wise virgins are symbolic of people who have true faith in Jesus.  Outwardly they profess Jesus to be their Savior, but they have also made Him the Lord of their lives.  They inwardly acknowledge that the principles and teachings of Jesus are correct and desire in their heart to live by them.  Those represented by the wise virgins have proof of their faith in Jesus by the good works they have done by the power of the Holy Spirit.  These works are symbolized by the oil that the wise virgins carry.

The bridegroom’s delay represents the world’s long wait for Jesus to return.  Jesus is not delayed in terms of the time when God has appointed Him to return but is delayed with respect to our expectations of His return.  Jesus will arrive at the exact moment that God has predestined, but it will not be when mankind expects.  The midnight cry symbolizes Jesus’ triumphal return to earth.  In the parable, whether a virgin is wise or foolish is revealed when the time comes to light her lamp.  This symbolizes that when Jesus arrives His true followers will be distinguished from false followers, and they will both be plain to everyone.   His follower’s lamps of faith will burn with the oil of their works.

Just as in the parable, those who never truly put their faith in Jesus will be desperate to justify themselves.  They will make an attempt, as the foolish virgins did, to acquire what is necessary to please Jesus but it will be too late.  There will no longer be any opportunity for people to place their trust in Him when He returns.  The church, Jesus’ true bride, will be ushered into His great Marriage Supper and all others will be left outside in eternal separation from the Bridegroom, the Father, and His Spirit.

Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Revelation 19:6-9 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Application

If Jesus was to return today, would He find you wise or foolish?  The only way for you to know this is to examine yourself.  Has your life been steadily changing since you put your trust in Jesus?  Does your faith in Jesus result in a radically different lifestyle?  Remember that if anyone claims he or she has a new relationship with God it must also mean that he or she has a new relationship with sin.  God always works to make His people more holy.  If your faith is evident in your lifestyle, then rest in the work that Jesus did on the cross and rejoice in your salvation.  If you are concerned about the authenticity of your faith, take that to God in prayer.  Ask Him to reveal to you the truth about your relationship with Jesus.

All who are Christians should be eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus.  When He returns, He will bring His church into the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a celebration that will begin the fullness of our new lives with Him.  Our anticipation should be at its highest because Jesus could literally return at any moment.  The question this parables poses is “Are you ready?”.  As you move through your day, consider the question: “Would I want Jesus to find me doing this if He came back this moment?”.  Remember that we are on earth right now for a single purpose, to proclaim Christ's greatness to the world while we await His return.  Even though it may seem like an immense amount of time to wait, it isn't.  We have just a short breath of life here before eternity.  Are you purposeful in this?  Are you prepared with the oil of service to God?

James 4:14 “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

James 2:26 “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

BIBLICAL

GOSPEL IN

A NUTSHELL

There exists one God^1 who is the creator of all things^2.

He is holy and perfect^3. He is just and a perfect judge^4.

He created all people in His own image, with love, apart from the animals^5 and gave them independent will^6.

People chose to disobey God and have knowledge of good and evil^7. Because of this all people have to die as punishment for their evil acts^8.

God has revealed Himself to people through His creation^9.  God also revealed the difference between good and evil in His law which is found in people’s consciences and in Scripture^10.

When someone dies God judges their life according to what they did on Earth^11. Because God is holy and just if someone is found to have broken His law they are sent away from Him to suffer for eternity as punishment^12.

Because no one can live perfectly^13, and because God loves people^14, God sent a man^15 who is also God^16, called the Son of God^17, Jesus Christ, to save people from their evil acts^18 and to be an example as to how people should live^19. Jesus never broke God’s law or did anything evil^20.

Jesus chose to give His perfect life^21 and accept God’s full punishment for all people's evil acts in their place^22.  Because this was part of God’s plan it pleased God and He raised Jesus from the dead to live forever^23.

This gift of everlasting life and freedom from evil is available to all people through Jesus’ sacrifice^24.  If you accept this gift you will be forgiven by God of the evil you have done and will be His child instead of His enemy^25. As God’s child you will be with God and Jesus in heaven when you die instead of being sent away from Him to hell^26. You will also be reborn^27, receive the Holy Spirit of God^28, and will no longer have to do evil things^29.

In order to accept this gift you must make Jesus Christ the Lord, or ruler, of your life and believe with all your heart that God has raised Him from the dead^30.  You will know that you have truly put your trust in Jesus because you will, through His power, obey His commands^31 and become more like Him^32.

After being forgiven through Jesus all people are commanded to give themselves as a living sacrifice to God^33, obey His commands^34, be willingly persecuted for believing in Him^35, and continue to spread the good news of Jesus Christ^36.

1.      Isaiah 45:5 (NASB) “I am the LORD, and there is no other. There is no other God besides me. I will strengthen you, although you don't know me”

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NASB) “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

2.      Genesis 1:1 (NASB) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Colossians 1:16 (NASB) “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

3.      Isaiah 6:3 (NASB) “And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Exodus 15:11 (NASB) “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

Revelation 15:4 (NASB) “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."

4.      Deuteronomy 32:4 (NASB) “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”

Isaiah 61:8 (NASB) “For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them.”

5.      Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB) “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 9:6 (NASB) “Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.”

6.      Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB) “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Joshua 24:15 (NASB) "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

7.      Genesis 3:6-7 (NASB) “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”

8.      I Corinthians 15:21-22 (NASB) “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

Romans 6:23 (NASB) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

9.      Romans 1:19-20 (NASB) “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

10.   Exodus 20:1-17 (NASB) “Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Romans 2:14-15 (NASB) “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them”

11.   Acts 17-30:31 (NASB) “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Romans 2:16 (NASB) “on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

12.   Revelation 20:11-15 (NASB) “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

13.   Romans 3:23 (NASB) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

I John 1:8 (NASB) “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

14.   Romans 5:8 (NASB) “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NASB) “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

15.   1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB) “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”

Matthew 1:23 (NASB) “"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

16.   John 1:1-3; 14 (NASB) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”; 14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 10:30 (NASB) "I and the Father are one."

Colossians 2:9 (NASB) “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

17.   Matthew 1:20-21 (NASB) “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Mark 1:1 (NASB) “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Romans 1:4 (NASB) “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord”

18.   Mark 10:45 (NASB) "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

1 Timothy 2:6 (NASB) “He gave himself as a ransom for everyone, the testimony at the proper time.”

19.   1 Peter 2:21 (NASB) “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps”

John 13:15 (NASB) "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” (context is washing His disciples feet)

20.   2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Hebrews 4:15 (NASB) “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

1 Peter 2:22-24 (NASB) “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

21.   Matthew 26:53-54 (NASB) “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

22.   1 John 4:10 (NASB) “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Romans 3:24-25 (NASB) “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed”

Matthew 27:46 (NASB) “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

Propitiation: “The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person.”

23.   John 20:13-18 (NASB) “And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).  Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.”

2 Timothy 2:8 (NASB) “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel”

Romans 6:8-9 (NASB) “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”

24.   2 Peter 3:9 (NASB) “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Romans 1:16 (NASB) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 10:13 (NASB) “for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

25.   Romans 8:1 (NASB) “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 2:13 (NASB) “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions”

1 John 3:1 (NASB) “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

Romans 5:10 (NASB) “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

26.   Romans 8:16-17 (NASB) “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NASB) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Revelation 21:2-4 (NASB) “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

27.   John 3:3-7 (NASB) “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

28.   Ephesians 1:13-14 (NASB) “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NASB) “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

John 14:17 (NASB) “that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

29.   Romans 6:6 (NASB) “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin”

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

1 John 3:6 “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”

30.   John 3:14-16 (NASB) “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:36 (NASB) "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Romans 10:9 (NASB) “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”

31.   I John 2:3-6 (NASB) “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB) "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

James 2:17 (NASB) “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

32.   Philippians 1:6 (NASB) “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB) “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

33.   Romans 12:1-2 (NASB) “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Luke 9:23-26 (NASB) “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

34.   I John 5:3 (NASB) “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

John 15:10 (NASB) "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.”

35.   2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB) “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

John 15:20 (NASB) “Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

Romans 8:16-17 (NASB) “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

36.   Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 (NASB) “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

ART

CREDITS

The Sower

Title

The Parable of the sower

Artist

JOLLAIN, Gérard

Date

Presumably published 1670

Technique

Engraving

The Patch and the Wineskins

Title

Jesus changes water into wine

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1563

Technique

Woodcut

The Wise and Foolish Builders

Title

The house upon the rock and the house upon the sand

Artist

WEBB, William James

The Friend at Night

Title

The Importunate friend

Artist

MILLAIS, John Everett

Date

Published 1864

Technique

Relief print

The Two Debtors

Title

John sends two disciples to Jesus

Artist

Unknown; Illustrator of Jerome Nadal's 'Evangelicae Historiae Imagines', 1593

Date

Published 1593

Technique

Woodcut

The Strong Man Bound

Title

Jesus confronts Satan

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1531

Technique

Woodcut

The Seed Growing Secretly

Title

Parable of the sower

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1563

Technique

Woodcut

The Wheat and the Weeds

Title

Parable of the enemy sowing tares

Artist

Unknown; Illustrator of Henry Davenport Northrop's 'Treasures of the Bible'

Date

Published 1894

The Mustard Seed

Title

Lamp on a stand and the growing seed

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Leaven

Title

The Leaven

Artist

MILLAIS, John Everett

Date

Published 1864

Technique

Relief print

The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

Title

The Treasure is found

Artist

LUIKEN, Caspar (Dutch, 1672-1708)

Date

Published 1712

Technique

Copper engraving

The Net

Title

Christ appears to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias

Artist

Unknown; Illustrator of Jerome Nadal's 'Evangelicae Historiae Imagines', 1593

Date

Published 1593

Technique

Woodcut

The Good Householder

Title

Jesus teaches about wealth

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1593

Technique

Woodcut

The Good Samaritan

Title

The Good Samaritan

Artist

CAROLSFELD, Julius Schnorr von

Date

1851-60

Technique

Engraving

The Rich Fool

Title

Parable of the rich fool

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Faithful Servants

Title

Aaron and the golden lampstand

Artist

LARSON, Ted

Date

2007

Technique

Digital

The Wise and Wicked Servants

Title

The Israelites oppressed

Artist

UNKNOWN; Illustrator of Children's Bible

The Barren Fig Tree

Title

Fig tree

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Wedding Feast

Title

Parable of the great banquet

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1563

Technique

Woodcut

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin

Title

Sheep and coin

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Prodigal Son

Title

Prodigal and pigs

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Dishonest Manager

Title

Dishonest steward

Artist

WEIGEL, Johann Christoph

Date

Published 1695

Technique

Woodcut

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Title

The rich man and Lazarus

Artist

NAUMANN, Paul

The Unworthy Servants

Title

The parable of the workers in the vineyard

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1547

Technique

Woodcut

The Unmerciful Servant

Title

The unmerciful servant

Artist

MILLAIS, John Everett

Date

Published 1864

Technique

Relief print

The Persistent Widow

Title

The unjust judge and the importunate widow

Artist

MILLAIS, John Everett

Date

Published 1864

Technique

Relief print

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Title

The Pharisee and tax collector at prayer

Artist

Unknown; Master Connected to the Protestant Reformation Era Writings

Date

Published 1563

Technique

Woodcut

The Laborers in the Vineyard

Title

The parable of the labourers in the vineyard

Artist

LUIKEN, Caspar (Dutch, 1672-1708)

Date

Published 1712

Technique

Copper engraving

The Talents

Title

The parable of the talents

Artist

LUIKEN, Caspar (Dutch, 1672-1708)

Date

Published 1712

Technique

Copper engraving

The Two Sons

Title

The parable of the workers in the vineyard

Artist

JOLLAIN, Gérard

Date

Presumably published 1670

Technique

Engraving

The Wicked Tenants

Title

The parable of the tenants

Artist

LUIKEN, Caspar (Dutch, 1672-1708)

Date

Published 1712

Technique

Copper engraving

The Ten Virgins

Title

The foolish virgins

Artist

BIDA, Alexandre

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Foreword

Method of Discourse

The Sower

The Patch and the Wineskins

The Wise and Foolish Builders

The Friend at Night

The Two Debtors

The Strong Man Bound

The Seed Growing Secretly

The Wheat and the Weeds

The Mustard Seed

The Leaven

The Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

The Net

The Good Householder

The Good Samaritan

The Rich Fool

The Faithful Servants

The Wise and Wicked Servants

The Barren Fig Tree

The Wedding Feast

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin

The Prodigal Son

The Dishonest Manager

The Rich Man and Lazarus

The Unworthy Servants

The Unmerciful Servant

The Persistent Widow

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The Laborers in the Vineyard

The Talents

The Two Sons

The Wicked Tenants

The Ten Virgins

The Gospel in a Nutshell

Art Credits