Parables of Jesus
Notes by Doug Schofield
Jesus is often called ‘the
Master Teacher’ because He so perfectly adapted His lessons to His audience,
both in form and content. Sometimes His
lessons were direct and pointed, as in Matthew 11:20-24 and to the Pharisees in
Matthew 23; sometimes gentle and plain, as in the Sermon on the Mount in
Matthew chapters 5, 6 & 7; and frequently in parables, almost 3 dozen of
them. The apostles very likely recounted
the parables of Jesus as they went about preaching and teaching, (just as
preachers today frequently repeat them and use them with great effectiveness to
teach Biblical truths).
A parable is a unique kind of
teaching tool in that is more than simply an illustration, it is a narrative of
something that could very well have happened, and in many cases more than
likely did happen. We see the difference
when He begins by saying that “the Kingdom of Heaven is like…” this or
that, and on other times He begins by saying “a certain man…” did this
or that. Our Lord’s parables are told in
such a way that almost any hearer can mentally put himself into the
picture. Take for example the parable of
the prodigal son, (Luke
The very first parable in the Bible appears in Judges
9:8-20, “The trees went forth on a
time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou
over us. But the olive tree said unto
them, Should I leave my fatness, herewith by me they honor God and man, and go
to be promoted over the trees? And the
trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I
forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the
trees? Then said the trees unto the
vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And
the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man,
and go to be promoted over the trees?
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over
us. And the bramble said unto the trees,
If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my
shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of
Lebanon. Now therefore, if ye have done
truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt
well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands; (For my father
fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand
of Midian: And ye are risen up against
my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten
persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant,
king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely
with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and
let him also rejoice in you: But if not,
let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house
of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of
Millo, and devour Abimelech.”; another in Ezekiel 17:1-12, “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a
parable unto the house of Israel; And
say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full
of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest
branch of the cedar: He cropped off the
top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a
city of merchants. He took also of the
seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great
waters, and set it as a willow tree. And
it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned
toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and
brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers:
and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her
branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her
plantation. It was planted in a good
soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might
bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull
up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall
wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people
to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly
wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it
grew. Moreover the word of the LORD came
unto me, saying, Say now to the
rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the
king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the
princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;”
Jesus at times used examples
and illustrations from the Old Testament scriptures, (Matthew
Jesus had been teaching for
at least a year, maybe two, when His disciples noticed the unique and different
approach in His method, and in Matthew 13:10 they asked Him “…why speakest
thou unto them in parables?” This
abrupt change in his method came about after the Pharisees had begun to
conspire to destroy Him, (Matthew
Look at his answer in verse
11, then consider how that the parables conceal the spiritual truths of
Christ’s Kingdom – certainly truths that were earth shaking; but yet are so
simple and innocent that they can in no way be interpreted as a political
threat. There was absolutely nothing in
His teaching that the spies could report back to the Jewish leaders that might
be used against Him. Even the false
witnesses they bribed for His mock trial were unable to come up with any
accurate accusation against anything that He had said, {Matthew 26:61 – compare
with what He actually said in John 2:19}.
The term “mysteries of the
kingdom” refers to God’s great eternal plan for the salvation of mankind which
had been in the mind of God since before the creation of the world. This great plan was gradually unfolded as it
were, down through the ages; then revealed to the apostles and through them to
the entire world, (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7,8; and 1 Peter 1:10-12
describes this). Paul in his preaching
makes numerous references to the mysteries; (Ephesians 1:9; 3:4;
1. The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:1-9; Mark 4:1-9 and Luke 8:4-8
All three of the synoptic
writers relate Jesus’ first parable, which He named the Parable of the Sower,
(in verse 18). Our Lord’s explanation of
the parable follows each account, Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:14-20 and Luke
8:11-15.
Jesus had probably been
staying in
He immediately captured the
attention of His audience with His opening statement. Even though
Jesus explains that the seed
is the word of God, (Mark
The seed that falls on the
hard, unplowed pathway represents the hard hearts of worldly people; people who
have no interest in spiritual matters.
They hear the sound of the words, but the meaning of them does not reach
the heart, and before they gain any understanding Satan quickly fills their
minds with worldly things and the words of the gospel are forgotten, (John 8:43-47; 12:37:43).
The people whose hearts are
represented by the stony ground may have some passing interest in spiritual
things; others may simply be curious about something new. They may respond quickly to the gospel, but
soon fall away because they don’t have the foundational principles to resist
temptation when it comes their way. Paul
describes this person as childish, quickly turned aside by the next new idea,
(Ephesians
Cares, riches, pleasures and
lust of other things – these are the thorns that can choke out the
effectiveness of the Word of God in our lives if we allow them to. Just as we must remove thorns from a
vegetable garden if it is to produce we must also remove these things from our
lives. For some though, the task is too
great, (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
What make good soil? Some examples of good soil might include
those who obeyed the gospel on Pentecost, (Acts
When the seed fails to grow it is not the fault of the
sower, nor is it the fault of the seed; the seed is certified. If you go to the coop and buy some corn seed
or wheat seed or other, you’ll get UDSA Certified seed. That means that the germination rate of the
seed in that bag has been tested by government laboratories and it is proven to
be good seed. That fact is certified by
a stamp on the bag. The seed of the
Kingdom is certified, (Romans
We might paraphrase the
parable like this: A
preacher went out to preach and some who heard him had hearts so hardened that
they had no interest and would not listen at all. Some who heard were mildly curious and
listened for a little while but soon their minds wandered to other things and
they quit paying attention. Others were
actually a little interested and some of them even obeyed the gospel, but
worldly interests soon distracted them and drew them away. But some who heard were sincere in their
desire to learn God’s will and in their commitment to be obedient to Him; so
not only did they remain faithful, but they also taught others who became
Christians.
In this parable Jesus taught
that people of honest and sincere hearts, who want to know and to do God’s
will, will receive His word and benefit from it. He was also preparing His disciples, his
chosen twelve, for the task which lay before them; making certain that they
understood that not everyone who heard them preach would accept, believe and
obey the gospel. Christians are to plant
the seed of the gospel; the early Christians went every preaching the word,
(Acts 8:4). Not everyone we invite to
come and study the Bible with us will come; but we must keep inviting – keep
sowing the seed. How can we sow the seed
of the Kingdom? Inviting friends,
neighbors, relatives and co-workers to attend services, or discussing Bible
questions with them; distributing tracts; knocking on doors; through the
Internet; radio, TV, MP3, CD, DVD, the mail system, and face to face with those
we meet.
2. The Parable
of the Tares
Matthew 13:24-30
This parable is recorded only
by Matthew, and one of the few explained by the Lord to His disciples, (Matthew
The insidious nature of Satan
is seen in that he sowed the poisonous seeds under cover of night, while men
slept; and in the deceptive nature of the plant itself. If the County Agent were to visit a farmer
planting wheat and offer to give him a free bag of darnel seed to mix with his
wheat the farmer would have no part of it.
If a person came to visit our congregation and stood up and announced
that he intended to bring his guitar to the next service we would waste no time
in kindly but firmly setting him straight.
But that’s not the way Satan works.
For many years now Christians have been asleep and Satan has been
corrupting our once-faithful colleges and universities, having his agents plant
seeds of apostasy in the minds of young students, many of whom are now
preachers and elders and are leading numerous congregations away from the
purity of God’s Word.
The “tares” in this account are understood to
be a variety of vetch called ‘bearded darnel’, which closely resembles wheat in
many ways. Growing in a field of wheat
they are not noticeable at first, until they start to put on the seed head or
fruit. (Jesus said, “By their fruits
ye shall know them”, Matthew
The harvest is the end of the
world (39), and the reapers are the angles.
There are various controversies that have raged over the meaning of this
parable down through the centuries.
However, Jesus describes it quite clearly in verse 38, He says that the
field is the world and the good seed, (i.e. the wheat), are the children of the
kingdom – that would be the church at large.
At the end of time the angels will separate the good wheat from the tares,
and the tares will be cast into the fires of hell. John the Forerunner made a similar statement
in Matthew 3:12. Some have tried to
array these passages against Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians chapter 5; 2 Thessalonians
3:6 and 1 Timothy 6:5. But those
passages deal with discipline in the local congregation, whereas the parable of
the tares describes how the Lord will deal with evil in the church at large on
the Day of Judgment. The reference to
the burning of the tares was used during the middle ages to uphold the burning
of those accused of heresy by the corrupt leadership of the Catholic
church.
The tares could be said to represent hypocrites in the
church, people who put on a show of righteousness but are like the Pharisees
Jesus warned in Matthew chapter 27 – whited sepulchers, full of dead men’s
bones. We run the risk of being
hypocritical sometimes when we allow the distractions, temptations and
frustrations of the world to draw our attention away from our holy calling. Remember Peter’s admonition, (1 Peter 5:8-9),
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world.” If we aren’t careful, our behavior in certain
situations might cause someone to view us as hypocritical. Sometimes people use the excuse for not
attending church that they don’t want to associate with hypocrites. What they haven’t realized is that they
encounter such people in every walk of life.
Indeed, the choices seem to be either spending a few hours a week with
them in church, or spend eternity with them in hell.
Lessons we might gain this
parable include gaining an understanding that there will be evil among the good
from time to time, and we can’t always readily identify it. Awareness, patience and careful consideration
are needed lest we make hastily conceived judgments against people. We may be assured that good will triumph, and
at the end of time God will be the victor.
3. The Parable of the Seed Growing In Secret
Mark 4:26-29
The written record we have of
our Lord’s teaching may or may not necessarily be in any certain order. Sometimes it is clear that events are not
recorded in chronological order and as the gospel writers by inspiration penned
them the purpose was to convey their divine message. Mark’s account of the growing of the seed is
somewhat obscure inasmuch as his is the only record of it, and it appears in a
sequence with other, more familiar parables.
How does the seed of the
kingdom produce fruit? We don’t
understand it, anymore than the world’s most brilliant scientists can
understand the germination of seed and the production of a plant in like kind
bearing fruit after its kind, (Genesis 1:12).
Although we don’t understand the process, we plant the seed and wait
patiently for the wonder of God’s creation to do its work. Read Leviticus 26:4; and Deuteronomy
11:14. A similar metaphor appears in
Galatians 6:9 as an encouragement to Christians.
Some significant differences
are readily apparent; first, the man who plants the seed is generic for anyone
who teaches the gospel. The sower here
does not represent Christ, since 1- He needs no sleep, and 2- He certainly
knows the secret of how the seed grows.
In verse 28 He says that the earth ‘bringeth forth fruit of herself’,
likewise the hearts of men who receive the seed, (i.e. hear the gospel of
Christ). Sometimes, after time for
reflection and thought a person who has been studying will call in the middle
of the night ready to obey Christ.
Sometimes it may take years, and maybe even a little fertilizer in the
form or encouraging an individual to give serious thought to the matter. We must be patient with those whom we are
teaching, for it will do them no good to be baptized if they have been over
persuaded or pressured into doing so.
Often after studying with individuals for many hours over a number of
days in the mission field time comes to return home and we can’t help but feel that
we failed to succeed; then, after a few weeks we receive word that this one or
that one, or several have been baptized.
Then we understand the lesson of this parable. Paul relates a similar experience in 1
Corinthians 3:6. We must remember that
the soil and the seed and the increase all belong to God. We aren’t commanded to understand the
process, just to sow the seed.
4. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13:44
Notice how the lessons
unfold…the planting of the Kingdom, the growing of the Kingdom, the survival of
the Kingdom against enemies, the effectiveness of the seed, and now Jesus
speaks of the value of the Kingdom.
Jesus is now teaching His disciples privately, in the house, (verse 36).
The Kingdom is of great value
– a treasure beyond all in its worth – because the gold and silver of this
world will be burned up, but the Kingdom will endure for ever, (Psalms 45:6;
Daniel
I know of a man who had heard
for years the local legends of hidden treasure on a certain piece of
property. One day the property came up
for sale, he happened to have some extra money to invest, and thinking that
real estate is always a good investment anyway, he bought the property. He and his family searched every inch of the
property with metal detectors and found nothing of any real value. There was an old house on the place, so he
decided to tear it down and clean the place up and try to sell it for a profit. Since there was some beautiful old material
in the house, (doors, window trim, etc.), he started taking the house
apart. That’s when he found the treasure
– money hidden in the door and window casings, in hollow spaces in the walls –
more than the amount he had paid for the property.
Even as late as the
mid-1900’s many rural people still hid their valuables rather than trust them
to banks; and it was common practice for people to bury their family treasure
during the civil war when they heard that the enemy was getting close. In many cases, a man would bury the family
treasure, then go off to war, get killed and his family become displaced, and
the treasure lay undiscovered; some of it is probably still hidden. The same was true in Biblical times as well,
anytime there was war, people would hide their valuables for safekeeping and
frequently never comeback to reclaim them, especially when the inhabitants of
5. The Parable of the
Matthew 13:45-46
This parable is paired with
the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, (verse 44 preceding); it continues and
further illustrates of how great value the Kingdom is and emphasizes that we
should go to great lengths to seek and obtain it for ourselves. The Kingdom is hidden to those who have no
interest in seeking it, but always near at hand, (Acts
A pearl is formed when a
foreign object, (usually a grain of sand) becomes embedded inside a bivalve
mollusk, such as an oyster. The inner
lining of the shell is continuously coated with a secretion called nacre,
commonly called ‘mother of pearl’. A
pearl is formed when the nacre surrounds the foreign object or irritant and
builds up over time. Typically, gem
quality pearls are obtained from an inedible species of oyster, whereas edible
oysters do not produce pearls of commercial quality.
Naturally occurring pearls
are very rare, and therefore extremely valuable. Roughly one oyster out of a ton will contain
a pearl of any kind. Natural pearls are
commonly found in the
Pearls occur as a result of
hardship; their natural beauty cannot be improved upon, (unlike gemstones that
have to be cut and polished). A pearl is
the result of an obstacle overcome, and its beauty is a worthy reward. The gates of Heaven are said to be each of a
single pearl, (Revelation
Mankind must seek for the kingdom, “But seek
ye first the
6. The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-19
What a wonderful
likeness! At a time when our Lord knew
that before very long, (maybe 18 months or so), He would be put to death on a
Roman cross, here He gives His disciples a beautiful illustration of the future
growth of His Kingdom. He employed a
familiar expression in the common vernacular of His day and expanded upon it to
illustrate His lesson. Although it does
not appear anywhere in the Old Testament, Rabbinical history tells us that
ancient Jews frequently used the expression “small as a mustard seed” in their
day-to-day vocabulary. Jesus employed
the expression on another occasion, in Matthew 17:20, comparing the effectiveness
of faith to a grain of mustard seed.
In the botanical world there
are seeds which are smaller than the seed of the mustard plant, but not in the
agricultural world. Jesus is again
drawing on the close familiarity with the planting and growth of crops. His point is that from small beginnings His
Kingdom will grow tremendously; it is a comparison of extremes – from “as small
as a mustard seed” to an enormous tree.
There are three varieties of
mustard plant that are common to the region of
Of course, the point Jesus was making with this
parable was the comparative growth of the church. Jesus told His disciples, “…ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in
This was not the first
foretelling of the magnitude of the church, see Daniel 2:34-35 and
Jesus must have used this
parable as a means of reassuring His disciples that even though ¾ of the soil
would be unproductive, and even though Satan will sow tares (false teaching) in
the Kingdom “…the gates of hell will not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18); the church will grow and
survive. Indeed it did; Acts
7. The Parable of the Leaven
Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21
This parable is a commentary
on the effectiveness of the Kingdom; it illustrates how the influence of the
church spreads, and how a Christian can make a difference in the world. This parable also illustrates the versatility
of the metaphor as a teaching tool. Leaven
is depicted as evil and undesirable in many passages. The Children of Israel were commanded to
remove all leaven from their houses for the Passover period, (Exodus
Yeast (or leaven) causes
bread to rise by converting naturally occurring sugars into carbon dioxide
causing the dough to expand as the carbon dioxide forms air pockets or
bubbles. When baked the air pockets are
set, giving the bread a soft spongy texture.
Adding sugar, or potatoes, or even water in which potatoes have been
boiled feeds the yeast and causes it to expand more. Yeast is actually a fungus, and it can occur
naturally in four or meal mixed with water and allowed to sit for too long in a
warm place. This is probably how it was
first discovered; it has been used in baking since the time of the ancient
Egyptians, but was not identified by scientists until 1680. However it wasn’t until 1857 that Louis
Pasture demonstrated that yeast is a living organism.
Leaven in Jesus’ day was
sourdough; a small piece of bread dough from a previous batch which had soured
and begun to ferment. A small pinch of
sourdough, or leaven, added to a mixture of new dough will cause the new dough
to rise producing a light and airy loaf.
Many bakers today still use the sourdough method, although commercial
yeast is more common.
1 Corinthians 5:7 depicts
leaven as a corrupting influence; in this light, the famous commentator John
Gill, born in
8. The Parable of the Net
Matthew 13:47-50
A fisherman’s net – what a
fitting illustration for our Lord to use.
There were those among His disciples who were closely associated with
this particular item. A net folded and laying idle is innocuous, usually not
given much thought, but the effect of its use can feed multitudes and supply a
livelihood for those who use it.
The sea quite evidently
represents the world, and the net is the gospel call.
The fish are those who become members of the Lord’s church. The good fish are faithful Christians, the bad
fish are unfaithful Christians.
The sorting of the fish on
the beach represents the judgment at the end of time, and the casting away of
the bad is the casting of the wicked into hell.
The placing into vessels represents the salvation of the righteous, and of
course the vessels represent heaven.
Note that no fish were placed into the vessels, (Heaven),
that were not in the net, (the church).
The gospel net is cast abroad for every person living on the earth. Jesus said in a broad, unrestricted
invitation, “Come un to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest,” (Matthew
Just as the wheat farmer leaves the sorting of the
good wheat from the tares until the harvest, so the fisherman pulls his net and
catches all manner of fish; but once on the shore the good are sorted from the
bad, and so it will be in the day of judgment.
While everyone is invited to come into the Kingdom, only those with
genuine spirituality will ultimately be saved; and He leaves no question about
the end of those who are unfaithful.
9. The Parable of the
Householder
Matthew 13:52
This little parable is usually overlooked, but it is
packed with important and meaningful information. After asking if the disciples understood the
things He had taught them thus far, the Lord then commands them to use that
information in an effective manner.
He uses the term scribe here is defined by Thayer as
‘a man learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings, an interpreter,
teacher.’ Jesus further defines the
subject in question as being everyone who is instructed about the Kingdom, (just
as He had been doing). Therefore,
everyone who studies the scriptures and endeavors to proclaim the gospel would
come under this classification. As a
householder of the Kingdom we have access to the divine treasures of the
scriptures – both old and new – and we are to use that treasure anytime there
is opportunity to do so. Just like momma
would bring out the good china, and get down the wooden chest that held the
real silver to set the table when company came to supper, we too should bring
out the treasures of the Kingdom whenever we have occasion.
Putting the Old Testament scriptures together with the
New helps to build understanding of God’s great eternal plan for the redemption
of mankind. This is exactly the kind of
thing that Paul meant when he told Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word
of truth,” (2 Timothy
And now perhaps we can more fully appreciate Paul’s
statement to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works,” (2 Timothy
10. The Parable of the
Laborers in the Vineyard
Matthew 20:1-16
This parable is keyed to the preceding passage, and
thus is used to prepare the minds of His disciples for the entrance of the
gentiles into the Kingdom. Gentiles who
obeyed would be entitled to the same treatment and benefits as were those first
Jews who believed on the day of Pentecost.
It also illustrates grace on the part of God, (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Jewish concept of merit based upon works
will be something that will require a great deal of teaching in the years
following the coming of the Kingdom.
Matthew 7:22; Romans 3:27; 9:32; 11:16; 13:12;
Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5; James 2:17-20;26; more than a hundred
passages in the New Testament teach the difference between the works of the Law
of Moses and obedient faith. Even though we are not required to observe the
Sabbath day, or to offer an endless stream of various animal sacrifices and
keep other rituals, as were the children of Israel, we are not to passively sit
idle and think that God has saved us by His grace alone, (Romans 3:24; 6:3;
Ephesians 1:7; James 2:24). This is a
major point of misunderstanding for many who would be Christians today, they
confuse obedience with works – but the two are distinctly different. Saul, (who became the apostle Paul),
carefully performed the works required under the Law of Moses before that
fateful trip to Damascus, but the works of the Law could not save him. When he became a Christian he was saved by
Grace. However, it was necessary for him
to perform an act of obedience.
Jesus told him to go into the city and there be told what he must do,
(Acts 9:6). Ananias told him “…arise and
be baptized…” (Acts
In Jesus’ day grape production was widespread –
virtually everyone who owned any agricultural land at all planted a
vineyard. The grape harvest came toward
the end of August and early September, and it was important to get the crop in
before the fall rainy season started.
Thus labor was at a premium and anyone who wanted to work could find a
job, (much the way it is in
Under the Law of Moses it was required that laborers
be paid at the end of each day’s work, (Leviticus
It is notable that these workers were hired to work in
a specific field – it is not very likely that the man would have paid them to
work in the vineyard of someone else, i.e. he did not say ‘go and work in the
vineyard of your choice and I’ll pay you’.
We must work in the Lord’s vineyard, His Kingdom if we expect to
receive a reward, (John
The farmer discussed pay with the first group of
workers and made an agreement with them.
The fact that they later became dissatisfied with their pay was out of
their own selfish attitude and jealousy.
The pay rate for this task was not sub-standard, but
was equivalent to a day’s pay for a Roman soldier. Now he specified the pay for the first group,
but to the others he said, ‘I’ll pay you whatever is right’ and they were happy
to trust him. What about those who were
still standing around idle in the marketplace at
Verses
Remember, the farmer had promised those who came late
to work that he would pay them whatever is right? He demonstrated his generosity when he paid
them a full day’s wages. But were those
who had started at daybreak justified in feeling that they should have been
paid more than they had agreed upon?
No. By their attitudes they
demonstrated that they really didn’t even deserve that! Apparently when the steward gave them their
pay they had thrown it on the ground; the Greek word ahee’ro translated
‘take’ in verse 14 actually means to take up, and is so translated in the
ASV. By this despicable act these men,
even though they had worked through the heat of the day, demonstrated that they
were undeserving of what they received, yet they were told to pick up their
reward and take it with them.
Jealousy and envy are indicated by the language in
verse 15, and the some of the Jewish Christians felt similarly against the
early Gentile converts. This attitude
was so deep rooted that it even affected Peter at one point, (Galatians
{By the way, look how closely this parable ties in
with Jesus’ statement in John 15:1, 5, “I am the true vine…”, etc.}
11. The Parable of the
Two Debtors
Luke 7:36-50
It appears to me that this event could possibly be the
same dinner recorded by Matthew in 26:6-13 and Mark in 14:3-9; if it is, then
it took place in
Jesus had gone as an invited guest to the home of a
Pharisee for a meal. We know that the
Pharisee’s name was Simon, (Luke
In the Luke account we learn Jesus’ host had not
extended Him the customary social graces that were common in that day; we may
be certain that when He went to the home of Lazarus all of these accommodations
were provided. There was water provided
for guests to wash their feet, (in more affluent homes a servant was assigned
the duty of washing the feet of visitors).
It was customary among Jews to greet visitors with a kiss on the cheek;
and to offer some fragrant ointment for their refreshing. (Can you imagine greeting a visitor to your
home and offering them a bath and a splash of cologne?) None of these courtesies had been extended to
Jesus; it was as if Simon didn’t want to appear overly solicitous of Jesus for
fear of criticism from his fellow Pharisees.
There were crowds of people who were following Jesus
everywhere He went. When He went into
Simon’s home some of those followers no doubt crowded into the courtyard around
where the meal was spread and stood watching and listening. Among this crowd was a woman identified only
as a sinner – (some have concluded that because her hair was down that she must
have been a prostitute, but that is not a valid supposition because Lazarus’
sister Mary also used her hair to wipe Jesus feet, and we certainly don’t
believe that she was a prostitute). The
Bible simply identifies this woman as a sinner; that could have been anyone of
us, ( “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans
As the woman was demonstrating her love to Jesus the
host was entertaining what he thought were some private thoughts, evaluations
and judgments both about the woman and about Jesus, (Luke 7:39). His judgment of the woman seems to be a
foregone conclusion, which begs the question ‘what was she doing in his
house?’ Women were not usually permitted
in the presence of men in public.
Simon’s reasoning concerning Jesus indicates that he had some doubts
about Jesus. Certainly Jesus knew all
about the woman and He knew all about Simon too!
Knowing his thoughts, Jesus proceeds to teach him and
all of us an important lesson. His
approach was one which put Simon immediately in the spotlight, and he performed
in typical hypocritical style with his response “Teacher, say on.”
Our Lord then proceeds much like the prophet Nathan
did when presenting David with the facts of his sin, and, like David, Simon at
first fails to make the connection. In
this parable, Jesus Himself is the lender, the one who owed the greater debt
was the woman and the one who owed the lesser amount was Simon; and neither of
them, (nor any of us), could ever pay that debt. In His grace and love Jesus paid the debt for
us all.
Then came the turning point as Jesus asked the
question, “Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?” (verse
42). This is almost a rhetorical
question, the answer being self-evident, and Simon smugly puts forward the
answer, not realizing that in so doing he was setting himself up for an
important lesson. Then Jesus makes His
point; “seest thou this woman…” He asks, turning to the woman and
speaking over his shoulder to Simon, (as if unaware of Simon’s earlier preoccupation
with thoughts about her). Then He points
out how that she has provided all of the social graces lacking in Simon’s
hospitality. Not only was Simon’s home
and heart devoid of common courtesy, it was also devoid of love.
Then He says to her “Thy sins are forgiven, thy
faith have saved thee; go in peace.”
Simon was a religious man, possibly believing at least to some extent in
Jesus deity, but he still had that Pharisaical hypocrisy and arrogant attitude
of self-righteousness. Jesus didn’t extend
forgiveness or salvation to Simon – he had obviously not yet repented. Did he later?
We aren’t told, but surely he must have reflected on this lesson for
many days afterward.
Note that Jesus granted salvation to this woman. I wonder why it is that we never hear of her
as an example of salvation without baptism like we do the thief on the
cross. She was saved under the same
terms by the Lord Himself, and who is to say that she, (and for that matter)
the thief were not both baptized by John the Forerunner? These people were granted their salvation
prior to the establishment of the church and as such were not subject to its
terms of entry.
12. The Parable of the
Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:21-35
While the main theme of this parable is forgiveness,
there is also in it the lesson that it is possible for one to fall from
grace. The Jewish leaders had more or
less drawn a line in the sand when it came to forgiving one’s fellowman,
requiring forgiveness three times but no more.
It appears that Peter had certainly learned some things from Jesus in
that he asked if seven times would be sufficient. Jesus quickly instructed him that it isn’t a
matter of counting how many times you have forgiven your brother, even 490
times, but, like God’s love and grace to us, our willingness to forgive our
fellowman must be without limit or bound.
This principle first appears in Genesis 4:24. Notice that he did not say that it was
unconditional; in Luke 17:3 He said, “…if he repent, forgive him.” See also verse 4.
Jesus draws a perfect likeness of our relationship to
God in that we are all debtors to Him.
The first servant’s debt represents our debt to God, it is so far beyond
our ability to repay that we are overcome with the utter impossibility of
it. The amount in the parable is
equivalent to $10 million; that represented more money than the cost of
Solomon’s temple, (1 Chronicles 29:4-7).
Even the sale of the man’s wife and children and what ever worldly goods
he might have accumulated could not produce enough money to pay the debt. Leviticus 25:39-40 sets out some regulations
over the sale of debtors, and in 2 Kings 4:1 we find a specific case of it
happening. Likewise, there is nothing we
might possess that could begin to come close to paying our debt to God.
The humble pleading of the servant is almost lost in
his unrealistic promise to pay all. Now
just where do you think a servant would be able to come up with that kind of
money? How did he manage to get so deep
into debt in the first place? There was
an ancient practice among conquering kings of selling the tax revenue from a
given region or locality for a fixed sum to a local individual, who would then
employ people to go out and collect the taxes from the people. This secured a specific amount of revenue for
foreign rulers and avoided the expense for them of collecting the taxes. It could have been that this ungrateful man
might have worked for such an entrepreneur and for whatever reason had failed
to collect the monies for which he was responsible. Of course, it is an analogy to demonstrate to
us our debt to God. Job commented on the
enormity of our sin debt, (Job 22:5).
The compassion and forgiveness and freedom granted to
the servant by the king illustrate God’s compassion and grace so freely
extended to us. Having just been the
recipient of such a gift we might wonder how this man could possibly not have
reflected a loving and forgiving attitude toward his fellowman. Instead, he forgets about the $10 million he
has been forgiven and grabs a fellow servant by the throat and demands the $15
he owes him. Further, he refused to hear
the pleading of his fellow servant and showed him no mercy at all, none of the
consideration with which he had been treated.
It would have cost him nothing to forgive his fellow servant when he
found himself in the exact same role as his king had been; and he could have
shown mercy and forgiveness, but he chose not to.
Here was a man who had received forgiveness of an
enormous debt but who then forfeited that forgiveness by his own evil act. Jesus taught that our forgiveness is
contingent upon our willingness to forgive others.
In teaching the disciples to pray Jesus indicates the
necessity of forgiving others if we expect to receive forgiveness ourselves,
(Matthew
13. The Parable of the
Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
This is one of the most widely known parables in the
Bible. It has had so much influence in
the world that the term ‘good Samaritan’ is included in every manor dictionary,
and has become a common description for anyone who helps another with no
thought of personal gain. Merriam
Webster defines the term like this: “one who voluntarily renders aid to
another in distress although under no duty to do so”; The American Heritage Dictionary says, “A
compassionate person who unselfishly helps others. Or persons who go out of
their way to perform acts of kindness to others, especially strangers.”. Certainly
the lesson our Lord wanted to teach with this parable has reached many people.
From the first time Jesus cleared the temple courtyard
of the vendors and moneychangers the Jewish leadership began looking for a way
to destroy Him. They continually tried
to entrap Him, to catch Him saying something contrary to the Law of Moses, or
to trip Him up with their twisting of the scriptures. Mark 11:18; Matthew 22:35; Luke 11:16 and
John 8:6 are examples of this.
The question
was hypocritical on its face, and intended only to set Jesus up for some false
accusation. But He was much too smart
for the scribe and turned the question back on him, asking him what the
scriptures say. The Law certainly was
the professed center of authority for this scribe, and it provides us with a
useful guidepost as well, (Galatians
Jesus answered him in a way that he certainly did not
expect, in fact he let the scribe answer his own question at the end of the
parable.
After Jesus finished the parable He then asks the
scribe to identify the true neighbor; because of his deep seated prejudice the
scribe was unwilling to speak the word ‘Samaritan,’ so he simply said, ‘he that
showed mercy’. Jesus then tells him ‘go
thou and do likewise’. No doubt the
scribe could see himself in the narrative, perhaps as the Levite, but to have a
Samaritan held up to him for a model must have been a bitter pill to
swallow.
The distance from
Who above all men should have shown concern for his
fellowman if not a priest? But Jesus
tells us that he didn’t even look at the poor unfortunate victim, moving
instead to the other side of the road to avoid him. Some might want to excuse the priest because
he wasn’t certain that the poor fellow was not dead, and if he should touch
him, even accidentally, he would be unclean for a week and unable to perform
his duties in the temple; (Numbers
The Levite at least looked at the man before going
around him to be on his way. He would be
one of those rubberneckers today that cause traffic to back up as they gaze
upon a fender bender on the side of the road.
But who was this man identified as a Samaritan? To the Jew he represented defilement and was
avoided at all costs. Jews traveling
north from Judea to Galilee would turn East, cross the Jordan River, continue
northward until they were well past Samaritan territory, then cross the river
again and continue their journey just to avoid passing through the region of
Samaria.
In 930 BC, following the death of Solomon, the
In John 4:4-9 we get a little insight of the
relationship between Jews and Samarians.
In Luke 17:11-16 Jesus healed ten lepers, one of them turned back to
thank him, and he was a Samaritan.
This is a lesson on moral responsibility and on love,
(Matthew
Sometimes people try to take verses 27 and 28 and make
them teach that all that is necessary to be saved is to love God and do good to
one’s neighbor, (i.e. good works). It
does not teach that at all. What it does
teach is that love for others is essential, Jesus taught that we are even to
love our enemies, (Matthew
Something else I think this parable teaches is the
principle of service to our fellowman.
Notice the detail Jesus gives of how the Samaritan cared for the man…see
James 2:15-16; and Matthew 25:40.
14. The Parable of the
Wicked Husbandmen
Matthew 21:33-46; Mark
12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18
The grapevine is referenced almost 200 times in the
scriptures, and it is a very fitting analogy for teaching many lessons. Grape farming was widespread in
The grape farm is of course the nation of
See a similar description in Isaiah 5:2. Verse 33 is full of significant facts; God
planted the children of
The time of fruit represents the time for the coming
of the Messiah. Following the return
from Babylonian captivity God sent numerous prophets to bring the Jewish people
into conformity with the Law, more particularly with God’s great eternal plan
for the redemption of mankind. Without
exception, these prophets were treated shamelessly, from Jeremiah all the way
to John the Forerunner. Hebrews
11:37,38; Jeremiah 37:15; Nehemiah 9:26; Matthew 23:31; Luke 13:34; Acts
7:51-52.
The Jewish leaders, scribes and priests and elders had
to have known that Jesus was the Messiah; too many prophesies identifying Him
had been fulfilled before their very eyes.
But they rejected Him because they had seen enough, (i.e. twice throwing
out the merchants and money changers from the temple), to know that His plan
and teaching would mean the end of their lucrative corruption. What they failed to see was that Jesus was
God incarnate, the very God whose law and worship they had twisted for their
own purposes. In Acts 7:51-52 we see a
scathing accusation against the Jews for their actions.
Even the very prophets whom the Jews persecuted
foretold that Jesus would be rejected, (Isaiah 53:2-3); and yet, much of the
religious world today teaches the false doctrine that the Jews’ rejection of
Jesus was unanticipated by the Godhead and that because of it Jesus established
the church as if it were “plan B”, postponing His divine intent to establish
His kingdom on earth. Not only is that
claim completely foreign to everything in the scriptures, it robs God of many
of His divine attributes – the things that make Him God. It takes away His omniscience, the ability to
know all things, (John 18:4); it takes away His omnipotence, denying that He is
all powerful, (Matthew 28:18; John 10:17-18; Matthew 26:53); it belittles His
love for mankind by denying the purposeful sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of
the world, (Galatians 4:4; 1 John 2:2); it accuses Him of lying, (contrary to
Titus 1:2; John 16:13).
When Solomon built the temple all stone cutting was
done at the quarries, away from the building site, so that there would not be
the sound of any iron tool in the area of the temple, (1 Kings 6:7). I imagine that the stones were marked in some
way, perhaps with a number or other designation so that the stone masons would
know where each one was supposed to go in the structure. In a stone structure the chief cornerstone is
the most important. It must be perfectly
square, sound and solid; and it is usually the largest stone in the building. All of the lines and angles of the building
are determined by the chief cornerstone.
The prophecies concerning Jesus and His church establish Him as the
chief cornerstone, the standard by which we as living stones (1 Peter 2:5) are
to build up the church.
In verse 40 Jesus asks them to pronounce judgment on
themselves, and they readily oblige. And
then Jesus thrusts them through with their own sword, so to speak; He quotes
Psalms 118:22-23 to them. They
understood the prophecies concerning the stone from Isaiah 8:14; Daniel 2:45;
and Zechariah 3:9. That theme continues
with Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians
In verse 43 He speaks of the dissolution of the Jewish
economy and of the bringing of the gentiles into the Kingdom.
15. The Parable of the
Friend at
Luke 11:5-13
At the beginning of this chapter the Lord’s disciples
had asked him to teach them to pray; this passage and parable are a part of
that lesson. The lesson includes some
encouraging information on the effectiveness of prayer, information that is
reflected in many other passages, like James
The parable draws on a number of commonly recognized
cultural elements. While it was not
unusual for travelers to take their journey in the evening hours due to the
heat, however arriving at
The average home consisted of a single room that
served all of the purposes of shelter for the entire family, including
animals. The family would sleep on mats
placed on an elevated platform at the back of the room, and animals slept on
the floor between the family and the door.
By
‘Importunity’ means pressing persistence; being so
determined to obtain the goal on which one is set that there is no letting up
in the quest to obtain it. We have some
examples of importunity in prayer: Abraham pleading for the cities of
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches the principle
of God’s desire to grant blessings to those who ask Him, Matthew 7:7-11. Jesus
said, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint"
(Luke 18:1). God always answers our
requests in prayer, when they are proper requests in keeping with His divine
will. The answer is sometimes No, (2
Corinthians 12:7-9); sometimes the answer comes gradually over time; and
sometimes we are given something better.
Jesus asked that the cup of suffering He was facing be removed in
possible, (Matthew 26:39); instead the Father gave Him the strength to endure.
Persistence in prayer emphasized because it reminds us
of our complete dependence upon God. The
subject in this parable relied upon his friend for the assistance he needed,
and despite the inconvenience it meant, after much insistence the friend
granted his request. In contrast, we
look to God – our father – for that which we need; our continual reliance upon
Him as the supplier of all our needs increases our faith and helps us to
understand the many ways in which our prayers are answered.
16. The Parable of the
Persistent Widow
Luke 18:1-8
Another lesson on making a habit of relying upon our
Heavenly Father not only to supply all of our needs, but to deliver us from the
evil of others. The judge in this
narrative was likely a familiar fixture to the disciples, just as there are
many worthless and unworthy judges in our court system today. The Roman government had appointed judges,
most of whom were corrupt, and unless a person had money to bribe his way
through the system, it was almost pointless to take a civil matter to
court. And, as is true of all men, one
who has no respect for God will have none for his fellowman either. When the judge finally granted the widow the
protection she sought it was not because he wanted to benefit her, but it was
out of selfish interest that his reputation not become damaged for refusing to
perform his duty.
In sharp contrast we see again that God wants to
provide those things we need, including protection from adversaries, we have
but to ask and place our trust in Him.
Asking is one way in which our trust in God is expressed; when we fail
to pray it is like we are saying that we really don’t have any confidence in
God’s ability and willingness to answer prayer.
Jesus said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).
Psalms 55:16-17
17. The Parable of the
Chief Seats
Luke 14:7-14
There was a special dinner planned for one Sabbath day
in
Jesus knew this crowd; He had described them
succinctly in Matthew 23:1-7. You and I
understand that when we are invited to a banquet we don’t just parade ourselves
to the front of the room and take a seat at the head table. But think of what an honor it is when someone
who is hosting the event comes to you and asks you to move up to the front of
the room and take a seat at one of the reserved tables.
This parable is a lesson on humility, kindness and
consideration of others. There is an old
saying, ‘actions speak louder than words’; Jesus said, “by their fruits ye
shall know them,” (Matthew
18. The Parable of the
Pharisee and the Publican
Luke 18:9-14
Following the return from Babylonian captivity the
Jews were principally divided into three major sects (with some further
division); the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essenes. The pompous, self-aggrandizing vanity of
the Pharisees was legendary. Upon the
return from captivity in
The publicans were tax collectors who drained the
Jewish populace of vast amounts of money at every pretext. There was a tax which was levied on the
privilege of living; import tax, export tax, tax on animals, carts and wagons –
so much for each wheel. There were taxes
for using roads and bridges, and for entering a city. Many of those who collected the taxes made
their living by purchasing the franchise to collect a certain tax and then
charging more than required in order to line their own pockets. Even those publicans who were honest and
compassionate in the pursuit of their duty were hated and despised; they were
classed by the Pharisees with prostitutes and thieves. Matthew
Some publicans who may have been exceptions to the
common character of their lot were Zacchaeus and Levi, also known as Matthew
who wrote the gospel. Luke
This parable is yet another lesson humility and should
lead to self-examination; Isaiah 65:2-5 depicts a similar attitude. It goes beyond the arrogance of looking
down on others and falsely elevating one’s own self-worth. We’ve all heard it said of someone, ‘I’d like
to buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s
worth’. The ultimate Pharisee is the one
who does not obey the gospel; in so refusing it is as if one is saying ‘I don’t
need God’, ‘I don’t need His salvation’, thus attempting to elevate himself
without submitting to God’s will.
Such a person is like the judge in the parable of the
persistent widow (Luke 18:2) who did not fear God and had no regard for
man. In this parable the Pharisee used
the Publican as the standard of comparison for his view of his own
righteousness. We should use the Bible
as the standard and compare our lives to its precepts, and not to others. The Publican prayed to God for mercy – God
has extended His mercy to all men (Titus 2:11: 1 John 2:2). If we have met the conditions, {heard the
gospel; believed it; confessed our faith in Christ; repented of our sins and
been baptized for the remission of our sins} then we can give thanks to God for
His mercy. If we have not met those conditions then we have not accepted his
offer of mercy for which Jesus died on the cross.
This parable presented a stark contrast to those
Jewish leaders in
Let us be careful that in comparing ourselves to the
Pharisee because we aren’t as self-righteous as he, we are in fact guilty of
his sin of arrogance. It is the humility
that causes us to recognize our own unworthiness that we must acquire. Our attitude should by like that of Jacob who
prayed saying, “I am unworthy of the least of thy mercies,”, Genesis 32:10.
We have seen that persistence and humility are two key
elements needed if our prayers are to be heard by God.
19. & 20. The
Parables of the Rash Builder and the King at War
Luke 14:25-35
Many of the people who thronged about Jesus as He
traveled and taught were visualizing a time when He would overthrow the hated
Romans and establish a kingdom in which even they might have the opportunity to
hold positions of prominence and importance.
The view was materialistic and like a child who wants a puppy they were
for the moment looking only what they perceived as the positive side of being a
follower of Jesus. The child gives no
thought to the care and feeding of the puppy, nor cleaning up the messes it
will make; these Pharisees had given no thought to the cost of following
Jesus. They hadn’t counted on what the
Lord would say in verse 33.
Repeatedly Jesus warned those who would follow Him
that it would not be easy. Luke 10:3;
Matthew 10:22; and
There is a price to pay for following Jesus; at least
for now, in this country we can only imagine the fear of peril for our very
lives if we were caught meeting together and praying to God or studying His
word. We enjoy singing loudly the songs of praise and worship we love, but what
if we had to sing quietly to keep from being heard by someone who would report
us to the authorities? What if faced
with the threat of death if we refused to deny Christ? Many before us down through the centuries have
faced that and more; the stories of their suffering because of their faith fill
the pages of Fox’s Book of Martyrs.
But there are other costs as well. Jesus said that we must put our love for and
commitment to Him above everything and everyone else in our lives. The entanglements of earthly life can be a
deterrent to being faithful to Christ, as He pointed out in Luke 9:57-62, also
Matthew 8:19-22. It might mean choosing
between faith and family at times; it can mean leaving behind some old friends
and replacing them with Christian friends.
It almost certainly will involve changing some habits and acquiring new
ones like praying and Bible study. And,
if things continue the way they are headed in this country, it could mean
risking our life to worship God. Those
are the things Jesus is teaching in this passage.
In verses 34 and 35 Jesus compares faith {or religion}
to salt. In its pure form salt saves
fresh meat from corruption, prevents spoilage; in its pure state our faith
keeps us from being corrupted with sin and saves our souls; (James 1:27). Pure sodium chloride is a stable mineral
compound and thus cannot loose its ‘saltiness’; but the salt common in
Palestine in Biblical times they obtained their salt from the bed of the Dead
Sea. This salt was the residue of
evaporated water mingled with sand and other minerals. Over time the salt would dissolve and thus
loose its saltiness. Salt that has lost
its saltiness, like faith that has lost its depth of commitment is worthless;
so worthless that it won’t grow if you plant it, it won’t even act as
fertilizer like manure. Job 8:13;
Matthew 7:22-23.
21. The Parable of the
Unprofitable Servants
Luke 17:5-10
Following His admonition to the disciples on forgiving
others they asked him, “Increase our faith.”
Perhaps they felt inadequate to live up to such a standard; certainly
they realized that they needed greater faith, and that Jesus could enable them
to grow. Peter urged Christians to turn
to the scriptures for greater faith, (1 Peter 2:2).
The Sycamine tree, (also known as a mulberry-fig),
sometimes called sycamore, is a sturdy tree with a deep root system, and can
grow to the size of a walnut tree, as high as 50 feet in ideal conditions, not
one to be easily uprooted. The tree
grows only in lower elevations, and this fact places Jesus in the Southern
region of
It was this species of tree the Zaccheus climbed to
see Jesus (Luke 19:4). This is a
different species from what we commonly call a sycamore, which is a member of
the maple family. The sycamine tree
produces an inferior variety of figs, making several crops a year. Perhaps it was for this reason that Solomon
planted them in abundance, (1 Kings
For such a tree to be plucked up by the root and
transplanted to the sea was the same as if saying to a mountain to remove to
another place as Jesus illustrated in Matthew 17:20. Some might call these statements exaggerations,
yet their purpose is to illustrate the power of faith. Men have moved mountains many times; have you
ever been through a tunnel, or seen the newest shopping center in
Alabaster? Faith is like the germ of a
seed. There is a life force in even the
smallest of seeds that will produce great results given the right
conditions. Faith is like that, it’s not
so much a matter of how much we may have but how genuine it is.
Faith is necessary if we are to do those things which
are commanded of us, (like forgiving those who have wronged us when they
repent). But He goes on to teach the
lesson that having done all that we are able to do in terms of obedience we
have really done no more than is expected of us. We do not place God in a position of
indebtedness to us when we obey the gospel, we cannot earn our salvation.
Salvation is by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot merit nor earn God’s grace; it is
freely extended to all who will obey him.
Jesus is not suggesting that faith can enable one to
perform magic or accomplish astonishing physical feats, but He is teaching that
faith can enable us to achieve spiritual success like those who are honored in
chapter 11 of Hebrews.
The parable also teaches us that as servants of God we
have more than just one task. The
multiple duties of the servant illustrates for us that we are responsible for
all of the Lord’s commands: faith, repentance, confession and baptism;
forgiving others; teaching others; helping the poor, feeding the hungry,
tending the sick, comforting the broken-hearted, etc.
This parable teaches us the importance of humble
obedience. When we have done our best we
still lack sinless perfection, (Romans
22. The Parable of the
Great Supper
Luke 14:15-24
Have you ever heard someone make an utterly foolish
statement, to the point that you felt embarrassed for them? This certainly would have to be one of those
times. One of the chief Pharisees had
put on a big dinner one Sabbath after morning worship, and had invited Jesus
and all of his uppity buddies, the lawyers and other hierarchy of the Jews. They were still not sure of Jesus, whether He
might be some rebel rouser or indeed the Messiah. If the latter, they were confident that when
He spoke of the Kingdom He meant an earthly political order in which they
would have preeminent roles. The others
were watching Jesus closely, curious, uncertain and at the same time looking
for ways to entrap Him. (
On the other hand, it could have been that this man
was one of those looking for a way to formulate some accusation against Jesus,
and he made the comment about the Kingdom in order to get Jesus to speak more
on that subject.
In either case, Jesus, as always, did a masterful job
of making it clear that they need not cling to their own worldly
expectations. In the parable the one who
made the supper is God, the supper is the provision He has made for the
salvation of mankind, and those invited include first the Jews and then the
entire world, (Romans 1:16; Mark 16:15).
The custom was that when someone planned a banquet
they would send out invitations well in advance of the event; then, on the
appointed day they would send a servant in person with the message, “Come for
all things are now ready.” To refuse
such an invitation was a high insult.
Our Lord used a similar illustration in Matthew 22:1-14. People frequently plead ‘necessity’ for
failing to attend to spiritual matters.
It is easy to let the obligations of worldly matters get in the way of
being obedient and faithful go God.
Jesus said “But seek ye first the Kingdom…”, (Matthew
The Bible warns us about the danger of allowing
worldly things to keep us from God; “Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him,” (1 John
Jesus concludes this parable by strongly making the
point that those first invited who rejected the invitation, (representing the
Jews), would be left out; instead, the gentile population of the world would
receive both an invitation and the urging to accept it. The scope of the second invitation symbolizes
the worldwide nature of Christ’s invitation; Mark
23. The Parable of the
King’s Marriage Feast
Matthew 22:1-14
The analogies are self-evident; the feast is the
entrance into Heaven of the faithful at the end of time, the king represents
God, his son is Jesus, the servants are the prophets, those who spurned the
invitation and mistreated the servants were the Jewish leaders, those in the
highways represent the entire world, (including gentiles), the man improperly
dressed represents those who claim to be Christians but who do not obey the
gospel.
Those who made light of the invitation, (verse 5),
showed disregard and contempt for the great effort that had gone into making
preparations to accommodate them. This
host had likely not called in a caterer, nor had he run out at the last minute
and picked up a party tray from the deli – it required a considerable amount of
work to prepare a banquet. Likewise,
Heaven has invested a great deal of care and preparation for those who will
accept the invitation of the Lord. Jesus
said, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be
also,” (John 14:2-3).
People make light of spiritual matters, seeking
instead their interest in worldly affairs.
Some people merely show disinterest and indifference, while others
ridicule spiritual things and demonstrate their hatred for the word of
God. This may be seen in the way the
apostles were treated as they preached the gospel; they were imprisoned,
beaten, stoned and killed by those who rejected their message.
In 1793 the Bible was held in such contempt in
Man’s hatred of the word of God may be seen in
numerous accounts throughout the Bible.
Elijah said, “…the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant,
thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I
only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away,” (1 Kings 19:10).
The persecution of Christians from the 1st century through
the Dark Ages is well known. Some
estimates that more than 70 million Christians have been put to death for their
faith, but did you know that more than half of them have occurred in the 20th
century! Christians are presently being
persecuted in
Verse 7 is probably a reference to the destruction of
The servants deliver the message that preparations are
complete and the banquet is ready to be served.
Just so, the invitation of the gospel is a signal that all preparations
have been made, (Hebrews 12:2; Revelation
All were invited and among those who came were both
good and bad, (verse 10). This compares
to the analogy of the wheat and the tares, (Matthew 13:24), that were all
harvested together and then separated on the threshing floor; and to the
parable of the fish caught in the net that were sorted on shore, (Matthew
13:47), the bad were cast away and the good were placed into vessels. At the judgment the good will be separated
from the bad, (Matthew 25:30-34).
Common sense dictates the way we dress for various
occasions. Some places have rules
governing how customers dress. At the
Capital City Club they keep a supply of blazers on hand for members who come in
without one; you simply cannot be seated in the dinning room unless you are
dressed properly. In ancient times it
was customary for hosts of formal banquets to supply proper garments for the
invited guests. Joseph provided gifts of
clothing for his family, (Genesis 45:22);
The implication of improper dress is that we are
clothed in unclean rags, (our sin), Isaiah 64:6. The obligation that we have as guests at the
royal wedding feast is to wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb, (Revelation
As the Lord stated in verse 14, many who have received
the invitation of the Lord will be cast out because they have not prepared
themselves.
24. & 25. The
Parables of the Lost Sheep
Matthew 18:12-14; Luke
15:3-7
The immediately preceding verse in Matthew is the
central theme of the entire Bible. The
event in Matthew’s account seems to have taken place in
{Verse
11 is missing from some manuscripts and is thus omitted in some translations; RSV, ESV, ETR and
NIV. The verse appears in italics in the ASV.}
In Matthew’s account His audience is the disciples;
but in Luke he uses the same parable as a rebuke to the self-righteous
Pharisees and scribes after they criticized Him for associating with
sinners. In a similar situation, when
Jesus had lunch in the home of Levi the publican they also criticized Him. There He said, “…They that are whole have
no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance,” (Mark
Read John 10:1-16 for some background on teaching from
the sheepfold.
The ratio between the 99 sheep in the fold and the one
lost sheep is not meant to indicate that only a few will be lost, indeed Jesus
said that many will be lost, (Matthew 7:13).
Rather, it is meant to demonstrate how valuable and precious one soul is
to God. The symbolism of sheep herding
is prevalent throughout the Bible. Jesus
describes Himself as the good shepherd, John 10:11, 14.
Psalms 23 is a beautiful description of the
sheep/shepherd relationship we have with our Lord. We might look at it from two perspectives: 1-
God as our shepherd, and 2- ourselves as His sheep, (or the sheep of His
pasture, Psalms 95:7 and 100:3). We are
sheep and we need the shepherd.
Sheep are defenseless creatures, especially alone and
apart from the fold. They rely on the
shepherd for protection and guidance.
Alone in the open field their chances of survival are zero because they
have no means of defense, there are not able to run fast and are highly
susceptible to dangers from their environment.
The shepherd is their constant companion, guide and guardian. He leads them to pasture in the morning,
finds water for them at
Both of these parables also illustrate the fact that
it is possible for sheep to stray from the fold and become lost. Many insist that John 10:28-29 teaches that
it is impossible for a person who has been saved through obedience to the
gospel to be lost. But note what the
passage actually says: “…no man is able to pluck them…”; no one can take you
away from God’s saving grace AGAINST YOUR WILL!
It does not say that you do not have the ability to choose to leave the
fold; when one becomes a Christian God does not take away his or her freedom of
choice, in repentance we give up sin, but not our free moral agency. If that were the case then we would no longer
be made in the image and likeness of God.
The text says they voluntarily “hear” and “follow”. They may choose to do otherwise, but as long
as they hear and follow it is impossible for anyone to remove them from the
Father against their will. Satan cannot
cause a person to stray against his will, (1 Corinthians
The ideal eldership is a similar relationship; 1 Peter
5:2-3 when elders adapt and maintain the attitude of a shepherd, and members
the attitude of sheep, then God’s plan for the leadership of the church finds
its perfection. Consider Isaiah 40:11;
These parables also teach that we as Christians should
be concerned about those who have strayed from the fold. The shepherd didn’t say ‘well, I’ve love one
but at least I still have 99’; he focused on the urgency of finding the one
that was lost and bringing it back into the safety of the fold. Jesus is concerned about every lost soul,
indeed heaven itself rejoices when one is saved and no one gets lost in the
crowd. The Hebrew writer said that the
angels of Heaven take note of every person who is saved, (
In Luke’s account the parable is used as an accusation
against the Pharisees who put on such a display with their religious piety, but
actually cared little for individuals.
Jesus teaches the value and importance of each and every individual soul
by doing exactly what He had described for the Jewish leaders in the parable of
the great supper – Luke 14:21. Their
accusation against him in verse 1 of chapter 15 is the basis for our deep
gratitude toward our Heavenly Father; thank God that Christ receives sinners!
The business of looking for lost sheep is enjoined
upon all Christians in Galatians chapter 6, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one…”, (1); “Bear ye
one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”, (2); “And let
us not be weary in well doing:…,” (9).
We should be thankful for the Lord’s concern for the
lost sheep. From inside the safety of
the fold it is easy to look with contempt upon one who is astray, yet “All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and
the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” Isaiah 53:6. Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalms 14:-3; and Romans
3:10-18 all further bear out the fact that we all need the loving Shepherd to
rescue us from the wilderness of sin.
“Joy in Heaven”, (verse 7). The sheep that is separated from the fold is
lost, and if left on its own will die; we will perish if we remain outside of
the fold of safety. The angels in Heaven
see the affairs of men and know our condition.
They also know the consequences of being lost and so they rejoice when one
soul is rescued.
26. The Parable of the
Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10
Jesus continues to illustrate how precious the soul of
every individual is, and how that there is rejoicing in Heaven over the
repentance of even one sinner. His
emphasis on every person in Mark
Jesus emphasized the value
of an individual soul on other occasions as well; “For what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”, (Matthew
Whether a hundred sheep or
ten coins these parables are intended to illustrate the precious value of one
that is lost. The lost coin, just as the lost sheep, represents the person who
is lost, and the message is that when one turns in obedience to God there is
great joy in Heaven. Isaiah 53:6, “all
we like sheep have gone astray;…”; and Christ came to earth “…to seek and save
the lost”, “(Luke
>>>>>>
You may have noticed that
the majority of the religious world makes much of a show in observance of the
birth of Christ, something that the God has not commanded us to do. Doing that which God has not commanded is a
dangerous and deadly mistake; just ask Nadab and Abihu, (Leviticus 10:1-2) or
Uzza, (1 Chronicles 13:9-10). The fact
of His coming to earth is certainly important, (John
Sadly, most of the
religious world also today teaches the false doctrine that the Jews’ rejection
of Jesus was unanticipated by the Godhead and that because of it Jesus
established the church as if it were “plan B”, postponing His divine intent to
establish His kingdom on earth until sometime in the future. Not only is that claim completely foreign to
everything in the scriptures, it robs God of many of His divine attributes –
the things that make Him God. It takes
away His omniscience, the ability to know all things, (John 18:4); it takes
away His omnipotence, denying that He is all powerful, (Matthew 28:18; John
10:17-18; Matthew 26:53); it belittles His love for mankind by denying the
purposeful sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world, (Galatians 4:4; 1 John
2:2); it accuses Him of lying, (contrary to Titus 1:2; John 16:13). Even the very prophets whom the Jews
persecuted foretold that Jesus would be rejected, (Isaiah 53:2-3). Yet, many people have bought in to the
fantasy of something they call a ‘rapture’ event, even though such is not
mentioned at all anywhere in all of the Bible.
Seeing how much false teaching there is in the world today, we begin to
understand the importance of carefully studying the Bible, as Paul instructed,
(2 Timothy 2:15). Clearly, we need to be thankful for the fact that Jesus came
to earth to die for our sins; so much so that we are willing to study His word
and follow his teaching and commandments, (Matthew 28:20).
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27. The Parable of the
Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32
This is probably the 2nd most widely known
parable of Jesus, (after the parable of the Good Samaritan). This parable continues the thoughts our Lord
has been expressing in the preceding two parables in this section of Luke’s
gospel. We have seen how precious and
valuable God considers each and every human soul illustrated in the parables of
the lost sheep and the lost coin. Jesus
continues teaching on this subject using this parable, which so graphically
shows a glimpse of the joy in Heaven when one wayward soul repents.
It was customary at that time that a son could
petition for his inheritance during the lifetime of his father. It was not uncommon in such cases that a
father would go ahead and divide his liquid assets and give each of his sons
the inheritance due him. In such cases, any further assets accumulated by the
father were not subject to the customary rules governing inheritance.
The young man wanted the material wealth he thought he
had coming to him and wanted nothing to do with the discipline of his
father. In general mankind is a lot like
that; willing to receive all of the good blessings that God bestows, but
unwilling to allow Him to rule our lives.
Of course his rebellious self-reliant attitude landed this former Jewish
prince in a pig pen – the ultimate humiliation for a Jew! This condition was far removed from the
vision he had no doubt had of himself in his new life of freedom and
independence; no young person has ever left home excited about the idea of
becoming a derelict; but when faced with the reality of this situation he knew
that there was only one place he could turn – the fact that he had this
knowledge is significant! Isn’t it
wonderful that we have a loving Heavenly Father in whom we can trust to accept
us when we return home?
In his arrogance and selfishness the son demanded
gifts from his father. Like Esau, many
people want instant gratification without any strings attached, no
responsibility and no accountability.
Eventually “he came to himself”, (verse 17); an
expression we use to describe someone who has been behaving in a way
inconsistent with mental stability. From
our perspective it is easy to see that this young man lost his head over the
temptations that came his way. We may
look at someone who has lost their home because of drugs or gambling and make
comments like ‘he must have been crazy’, or ‘out of his mind’ to do something
like that. But Satan uses the
deceitfulness of sin to entrap us, “He
also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the
care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful,” (Matthew 13:22); “And the cares of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke
the word, and it becometh unfruitful,” (Mark 4:19); “But exhort one
another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin,” (Hebrews 3:13).
In his penitent attitude the son underestimated the
love and grace of his father. He
realized that his father treated his hired servants well, and expected surely
that he would be willing to give him a job.
But did he really expect to receive such a welcome home? Upon his decision to return home he gladly
anticipated submitting to what would surely have been an even more rigorous
rule of discipline than that from which he had rebelled so short a time ago.
The father was longing for the safe return of his
wayward son, doubtless casting an anxious glance across the horizon numerous
times a day as he went about his activities.
The old man’s joy at seeing a figure in the distance and knowing
immediately that it was his son is touching.
This strong-willed boy who had caused so much heartache was returning to
the love of his father’s house. In this
we see an illustration of what it is like when we return to God. The Psalmist wrote, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded
us according to our iniquities. For as
the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear
him. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so
the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a
flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof
shall know it no more. But the mercy of
the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his
righteousness unto children's children;
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his
commandments to do them,” (Psalms 103:10-18).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John
1:9).
If the story had ended at verse 24 what a beautiful
illustration we would have of God’s love for us. But the remaining eight verses enable us to
see the reality of the story from the human perspective.
Whether the look at this story from the father’s point
of view, from the older brother’s point of view, or from the pigpen, we find
illustrated the love of God that is so amazing, so far beyond our ability to
comprehend and yet we need to learn to love like that. Sometimes I find myself thinking about this
story from the perspective of the servants.
Certainly they had a unique perspective on the behavior and character of
each of the three principle subjects.
The servant’s perception of their master surely must have been that he
was a loving, forgiving, longsuffering, patient and generous father. Such is our Heavenly Father – so far beyond
our ability to comprehend, and yet, we enjoy the blessings of His favor every
moment of our lives.
28. The Parable of the
Barren Fig Tree
Luke 13:6-9
My mama’s fig preserves were something special! From my earliest childhood I remember annual
trips to Aunt Flossie’s to pick figs, and the steaming pots and squeaky clean
Mason jars filled with their syrupy goodness.
Invariably I would step barefooted on a bee under the fig tree, and soon
it became my job to climb to the topmost branches to reach those beautiful
bulbs of fruit. Dad liked to peel fresh
figs and eat them in a bowl of cereal – they were firm and cold, with a sweet
musty flavor. In the days of my
childhood in the South people planted fig trees in the back yard, usually near
the back door. This was for a very good
reason – so that the daily dish water could be tossed on the ground under
them. When I was growing up people
valued fig trees and went to great lengths to take care of them. Fig trees were even more important in Jesus’
day, and relied upon as a principle food source.
Fig trees are prominent in the scriptures, beginning
in the Garden of Eden and continuing throughout New Testament times. In
A fig tree planted in a vineyard seems a bit unusual,
given the importance of the grape crop, but it was evidently something that the
owner of the vineyard wanted to do. It
may seem odd to us that God would go to such great lengths to provide for the
wellbeing of mankind, yet it is something that He desires to do because of His
great love.
The fig tree in this parable represents God’s plan for
the redemption for man, to be implemented through the Hebrew nation. He had planted it in the Promised Land, and
yet, it was evident that the Jewish leadership was not going to bear fruit, and
in this parable He describes
The context of this parable is the first 9 verses of
Luke, chapter 13. The passage begins
with those who were present telling Jesus about an incident in which Pilate had
killed a number of Jews who were worshiping in the temple, their blood being
mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Some scholars speculate that this could have been a factor in the
conflict between Pilate and Herod mentioned in Luke 23:12, if it were the case
that these people were indeed from the region of
He went farther, reminding them of eighteen others who
perished in what seems to have been a construction accident. The Bible does not tell us any of this, but
it is known that there were various construction projects underway in the city,
including an aqueduct to bring water to the Pool of Siloam. According to Josephus, Pilate raided the
temple treasury to pay for some of these projects, therefore the Jews would
certainly have thought of people who perished in that work to have been the
greatest of sinners. By comparison, (they
thought), they should be in good standing with the Lord. In verse 5 Jesus reiterates the message that
has been being preached ever since John the Forerunner began preaching, the
call to repentance. By the phrase
“likewise perish” our Lord could have been intimating the destruction of
29. The Parable of the
Two Sons
Matthew 21:23-32
The preamble to Matthew’s account of this parable,
(verses 1-22), is also revealed by Mark (
The Jewish leadership here presents an example that
should be emulated by Christians and church leaders today, (but with sincerity
of heart) – they questioned the authority of the things Jesus was
teaching. Their failing was that they
refused to accept the authority which had been so thoroughly validated through
the prophecies and by the miracles He performed in their presence. Therefore, it would appear that their search
for authority was insincere.
Jesus continued His practice of teaching in parables,
showing them truths which were self-evident to the sincere of heart, but hidden
from others.
Apparently the chief priests had seized a somewhat
unique opportunity to question Jesus in the courtyard of the temple, perhaps in
earshot of some but away from the multitudes of His followers. They were certainly aware of the adoring
crowds that had celebrated His arrival in the city, and no doubt were intrigued
by the fact that he accepted the honor they expressed toward Him. They were understandably curious about this,
as well as about His act of throwing out the moneychangers and merchants upon
arriving at the temple. He was not a
priest or a member of the Levitical order; therefore there was only one
potential source by which He could have such authority. Jesus had not tried to hide His divine authority;
instead He demonstrated it by the numerous healings He performed in their view.
The knew full well that if they acknowledged John as
having been a true prophet, (which many of the people did), that it would
necessarily follow that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. It appears that the only “profit” these were
concerned about was that derived from the commerce in the temple
courtyard. These Jewish leaders
professed to love the law of God but refused to submit to it; it seems that they
were more concerned with political expediency and maintaining the favor of the
people than they were with anything having to do with spiritual matters.
Jesus masterfully puts the spotlight on the Jewish
leaders with the question, “but what think ye?”
People are no different today; if you really want to get their attention
ask them what they think. Almost any
person you meet is always more than willing to give you their thoughts and
opinions on a wide variety of subjects.
Jesus then handed their quick reply right back to them wrapped in a
stinging rebuke, telling them that the tax collectors and prostitutes would
enter the kingdom before them. That
phrase means that the most notable sinners would be more likely to repent, (and
therefore be eligible to enter the kingdom), than they.
In the parable Jesus contrasts the corrupt tax
collectors and prostitutes with the Jewish leaders who were fully following the
pattern of the second son, a hypocrite, who made a show of loyalty but had no
intention at all of obeying. The
publicans and other sinners responded to the call to repentance, thus were more
qualified to receive salvation than the scribes and Pharisees would ever
be. They had just admitted to themselves
and to each others that, like the first son, they had rejected the invitation
to be among the first to enter the Kingdom.
30. The Parable of the
Rich Fool
Luke 12:13-21
How incredible is it that this man would ask the very
Son of God to intervene in an argument with his brother over the family fortune! Given an opportunity to speak face to face
with Jesus, hopefully, we would have presence of mind enough to ask things of a
spiritual nature. That’s exactly what
Solomon did when God gave him the opportunity to ask for anything his heart
desired, (2 Chronicles
In distancing Himself from this family squabble Jesus
makes the point that it is not the temporal material things of this life that
should concern us, nearly so much as spiritual matters.
The rich fool centered his every thought on his own
comfort, pleasure and enjoyment. It is
possible for anyone to be guilty of this same sin, even without the added
burden of riches. Pride and selfishness
are two of the greatest enemies of salvation.
It is foolish in the most extreme sense to concentrate entirely on one’s
own self-interests and to fail to give consideration to the needs of others;
and even more so to fail to give consideration to spiritual matters. Just as those who made light of the King’s
invitation to the marriage feast, (Matthew 22:5), many people foolishly make
light of the spiritual aspects of life with complete disregard.
Verse 15 is the essence of the lesson contained in
this teaching. Colossians 3:5, Ephesians
5:3 and Hebrews 13:5 emphasize the importance of avoiding the sin of
covetousness.
Material
prosperity often results in drawing attention away from spiritual maters and
focusing entirely on the material. The
concern becomes over how to gain more and protect that which one has instead of
looking for ways to use the wealth to do good and help those in need. All the wealth in the world cannot keep death
from ultimately transporting mankind to meet his maker. Lot, in choosing the well-watered plains to
the east, appears to have been looking out for his material interests, choosing
the best grass, the best water, the easiest terrain, all apparently without
consideration for his uncle Abraham, (Genesis 13:10). One who has trusted in riches and ignored the
spiritual is certainly a fool. “Lay up
for yourselves treasures in Heaven…”, (Matthew
31. The Parable of the
Watchful Servants
Luke 12:35-40
Jesus taught this parable in the context of the Rich
Fool, still in response to the young man’s request in verse 13. He is placing great emphasis on helping us to
understand the importance of getting material and spiritual priorities in
proper order. The major emphasis of this
parable is readiness. Be dressed and
ready to go with your lamps burning, He urges.
Those who are unprepared will find themselves shut out of the marriage
feast.
This parable is a definite allusion to Christ’s second
coming – perhaps telling us much more than we might otherwise realize. That He is coming is certain; the time of His
coming is uncertain; it is clear that we must be watching and ready when it
does occur. Reference to the second or
third watch indicates that His coming will be later rather than sooner, in the
frame of reference of His 1st century audience. The Jews were accustomed to three watches in
the night, (
Jesus reinforces the lesson of watchfulness and
preparation in verses 39 and 40 with the abrupt illustration of a thief in the
night. Paul uses this same metaphor in 1
Thessalonians 5:2 in reference to the coming of the end of time. The need for alert watchfulness is reinforced
by Peter in 1 Peter 4:7; 5:8. Consider
Jesus’ admonition in Mark 13:34-37.
32. The Parable of the
Unjust Steward
Luke 16:1-9
33. The Parable of the
Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
Marriage feasts were used frequently by Jesus to
illustrate spiritual truths. In this
parable we see a picture of the return of Christ at judgment. Those who are watching and ready will be
blessed. The church is described as the
bride of Christ, and He as the bridegroom, (Matthew 9:15; Ephesians 5:22-23;
Revelation 21:9).
In
The bride awaited the return of her bridegroom,
maintaining a state of readiness because she really didn’t know just when he
would come for her, just that he would do so.
When all was ready, (usually at night), the groom would gather his
friends and begin the wedding procession through the town. A shout would herald the arrival of the
bridegroom and the bride’s attendants would make final preparations. Upon arriving at the home of the bride the
groom and the wedding party would go inside and the door was shut. There would be a ceremonial benediction,
perhaps accompanied by certain other traditions, (one familiar tradition is the
breaking of the glass by the groom – it is said that this is to show that the
marriage will last for as long as the glass will remain broken, i.e.
forever); and then the wedding party
would leave for the couple’s new home.
Guests call out Mazel Tov, which
means ‘good luck’. Upon their arrival
the guests would have been assembled and they couple would enter the bridal
chamber. After consummating the marriage
the groom would emerge and feasting would begin, usually lasting for up to a
week.
Consider the parallels Jesus drew to the Jewish
marriage customs in His promises and teaching about His second coming. Matthew 9:15; 25:1-13 Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34;
John 14:2-3;
34. The Parable of the
Pounds
Luke 19:11-27
35. The Parable of the
Talents
Matthew 25:14-30