The Rich Fool

Luke 12:16-21
The Parable
“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?”  So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’”  But God said to him, “Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”’”

The Lord’s explanation
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Lesson
This man was focused on the world; he thought that he was set for years to come, as he had ample supplies for the future.  But he had no future.  His concern was on the things of the world, which are not a guarantee, and he had neglected to prepare his soul for the judgment, which is certainly coming for us all.

As with Martha and Mary, Luke 10:38-42, it is better to prepare for eternity, than for temporal things.  As Solomon said, “All is vanity,” but as Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

The Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-8

Summary
Keep praying.

The Parable
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.”  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”’

“Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’”

Lesson
Continually pray; for if even a wicked man will eventually give you what you ask just to shut you up, how much more will the Righteous One who loves us give us justice from oppression and those who wrong us.

Yet even so, most men will be worn down, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved,” Matthew 24:12-13.

The Friend at Midnight

Luke 11:5-13

Summary
Keep praying.

The Parable
“And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within and say,”Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you”?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.’”

The Lord’s explanation
“So I say to 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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Lesson
In this parable, along with the parable of the unjust judge, God is telling us to keep asking him about what we need, for even if He won’t answer because He is our Father (which He will), even so He will answer just because of our persistant bothering of Him (the unjust judge), or He will answer because of our true need (this parable).

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37
The Parable
“And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’

“He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’

“So he answered and said, ‘”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”’

“And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’

“But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

“Then Jesus answered and said: ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.”  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’

“And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

Lesson
Samaria was the capital of the northern ten tribes after the split with Benjamin and Judah; after the defeat of the ten tribes by Assyria, it was depopulated, and other peoples were brought into it to live there.  Therefore, the region was no longer of pure blood, but of a mixed race.  The Jews did not mix with the Samaritans, John 4:9.

In asking the question, “Who is my neighbor?,” this shows he had made a limitation in his mind as to who his neighbor was; he was trying to justify the distinction he had made for himself.  But Jesus shows to us there is no distinction to be made; every man is your neighbor.

Show mercy to everyone who needs it, when it falls to you to do; whether they’re in the church or out of it.

It doesn’t matter who you are; the work of the Lord is in helping others, and God is no respector of persons.  It isn’t the priest or the Levite who is acceptable to him, and the looked-down upon who isn’t; it’s the one who does His work, or the one who doesn’t.

The Two Debtors

Luke 7:36-50
The Parable
“Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’

“And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’

“So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’

“’There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’

“Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’

“And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’

“Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’

“And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’

“Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’”

Lesson
This parable turns upon an attitude of the heart; for we all have sinned much against the Lord, but are we sensible to this in ourselves?  If we realize how great the gift is that He has given us, realize how much in debt and how lost we were, this will produce in us a greater love for Him than in one who thinks himself not so much of a sinner.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 5:3.  If we aren’t sensible of our poverty, how can we truly turn to Him for help?

The Return of the Master of the House

Mark 13:32-37
The Parable
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming - in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning - lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Lesson
Like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins; be diligent, be about the work of the Lord, lest we get caught up in the cares of the world, and not be prepared when He returns.

The Dividing of the Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31-46
The Parable
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’  Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Lesson
In helping the people of the Lord, we help the Lord; his concern is for them, and if we help them, we assist him.  But in reality, if we don’t help our brethren, we wouldn’t have helped him either.

We need to help each other out.  If we see our brothers in need, we should share in their affliction, helping them out up to and even beyond our ability.

This parable is the very embodiment of the proverb, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given,” Proverb 19:17.  But if we are stingy and withold our help, we are in danger of losing our soul.

The Talents

Matthew 25:14-30
Summary
We are to work in the kingdom

The Parable
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.’  He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.’”

The Lord’s explanation
“’For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Lesson
The Lord has given us abilities, and expects us to use them in His kingdom.  If we sit on our hands and do nothing, we will be unacceptable to Him.  He expects gain from us, whether in converting others, or in working within the church in some capacity for the enrichment of the saints.

I’ve always taken the first two persons, the five talent and two talent, to be those who have converted others into the church, while the one talent did nothing with his faith, but just kept in inside of himself, doing literally nothing with it.  In being told he should have at least put it in the bank, I’ve taken that to mean he should have at least worked in the church, that he might have enriched others, and the Lord have had gain that way.

See “The Nobleman to a Far Country”

The Wise and Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13
Summary
Be prepared for His return

The Parable
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  Then all those virgins arose 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, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you’

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

The Lord’s explanation
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Lesson
We don’t know the time at which Christ will return; therefore we need to be diligent in our pursuit of our salvation, lest we become caught up in the cares of the world, and be found lacking oil for our lamps.  It will be too late to try to fix things when He returns; we have to be ready for when He does.

It isn’t enough to once become a Christian, and then not further grow in Christ; nor can we live an immoral or unworthy life, giving no thought to our salvation while we continue to live as we did before becoming a Christian.  We have to diligently seek after our salvation, for sin so easily entangles us, Hebrews 12:1.

The Marriage of the King’s Son

Matthew 22:1-15
The Parable
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’”  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.”  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“’But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”’”

The Lord’s explanation
"For many are called, but few are chosen."

Lesson
The marriage supper of the Lamb takes place at the end of the ages, when He is joined to His bride, the church.  The Israelites were his chosen people, the ones invited to the feast, but whenever He sent His servants the prophets to them, they rejected them; beating some, killing others.  They were consumed with their own life and ways, and didn’t have time for Him.  Ultimately, they rejected His Son whom He sent to them, and He took the kingdom away from them, and gave them up, ending with Rome destroying Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  The Israelites had rejected Christ, and He has taken the kingdom away from them, and given it to the church.

But it isn’t enough to once become a Christian, and then not further grow in Christ; nor can we live an immoral or unworthy life; this is the man without a wedding garment in the parable.  We have to live a life worthy of Him, or in the judgment we will be cast out as well.

The Two Sons

Matthew 21:28-32
Summary
It’s not what we say, it’s what we do.

The Parable
“’But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, “Son, go, work today in my vineyard.”  He answered and said, “I will not,” but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, “I go, sir” but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?’

“They said to Him, ‘The first.’

“Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.’”

Lesson
The chief priests and elders, whom Jesus spoke this to, had rejected John the Baptist, while the common people had heard and believed him.  And now, with Jesus, they had done the same.

It isn’t the one who holds a high position, or the one who says he will follow the truth who is acceptable to God, but the one who actually does what He says, Matthew 7:24, for “God shows no partiality,” Acts 10:34.

The religious leaders are the son who said he would go, but then they didn’t actually do the work of God, that is, put it into action in their lives.  While the tax collectors and harlots are those who at the first part of their lives refused to believe in God, but when they heard the preaching of John and Jesus truly repented and changed their lives.

The Laborers in the Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16
The Parable
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’  They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’  He said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’  But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?’  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen.”

Lesson
Whether we have worked for the entirety of our life, or only come to the Lord late in life, yet our rewards are equal - we get to keep our life.

If the kingdom of heaven is to be understood of the church, then the parable is limited to the time of the church, and the above explanation holds true.  There is also the view that the kingdom is meant to describe the saved through the entirety of human history.  In this case, the early laborers can be understood to be Israel, and the various times up to the ninth hour the landowner went into the marketplace are the times that God sent the prophets to them to bring them back to Him, with those of the eleventh hour (“Little children, it is the last hour,” 1 John 2:18) being the entrance of the Gentiles with the establishment of the church.

“The last first and the first last…”  In another place, the word says, “Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all,’” Mark 9:35.  He said this to them, because they had been discussing among themselves who of them was the greatest.  It is the humble soul which is of the greatest value to our Creator; these men in the parable had an “evil eye” because they thought they would get more than had been agreed upon, because they had been at it longer, and so thought they deserved more, and yet received exactly what they had agreed upon; and so they grumbled.  But the humble are pleasing to Him, “Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar,” Psalm 138:6.

The Unmerciful Servant

Matthew 18:21-35
Lesson
The Lord has forgiven us much, and he requires of us to forgive, from the heart, whoever sins against us.

The Parable
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?’

“Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“’But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe!”  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

“’So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’” 

Lesson
God forgives us from the heart when we first come to Him for salvation, and thereafter when we confess our sin to Him, for as David says, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise,” Psalm 51:17.  In return, he expects of us to also forgive our brother from the heart, when they turn to us for forgiveness.  But even more than this, we should cultivate within us the heart that Jesus had, in that He was willing to forgive those who were crucifying Him, even though they didn’t ask for forgiveness, “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.  But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,’” Luke 23:33-34.

The whole point of everything in Christ is love; love for God, and love for others, especially our brethren.  If we refuse to forgive those who do us wrong (and we have certainly wronged others in our lifetime), how are we acting in love?

Verses respecting forgiveness
If we do not forgive, neither will we be forgiven
Matthew 6:12, 14-15: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

Mark 11:25-26: “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.  [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.]”

We are always to be forgiving
Luke 17:3-4: “Be on your guard!  If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

2 Corinthians 2:6-7: “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

God is always willing to be forgiving
1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Matthew 23:37: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

The Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45
Summary
There is no greater treasure than to be saved

The Parable
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Lesson
The greatest treasure that there is, greater than all the silver, all the gold, is to be saved.  For, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”  There is nothing that we should let prevent us from gaining our salvation, nothing that we should let stand in our way.  For this life is here but for a moment, but eternity is forever.  We gain did we really have, if we choose treasure, pleasure, or some other earthly situation here, but have our eternal abode in hell?

Compare this with the rich young ruler, Matthew 19:16ff.  For he saw what was good for a man to do, for he had diligently followed the law.  But when there was a further price for his salvation, the giving up of all that he had, he was unwilling, for his heart was set on his possessions, and “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 6:21.

This also is an ongoing state of heart; for it isn’t enough to give it all up in the beginning, whatever would separate us from the Lord, only to have it capture us again.  We have to constantly be of a heart to always choose the Lord first.  It is always right to put Him first.

This is a lesson we can take from Martha and Mary; for Martha was concerned about the meal she was preparing for the Lord, but Mary sat at His feet and listened to Him.  When Martha bid Him to have Mary help her serve, the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” Luke 10:41-42.  Martha was worried about the earthly preparations, but Mary chose the spiritual preparations.  There will always be something to do on the earthly side of things, but let us put the Lord first.

The Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44
Summary
There is no greater treasure than to be saved

The Parable
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Lesson
The greatest treasure that there is, greater than all the silver, all the gold, is to be saved.  For, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”  There is nothing that we should let prevent us from gaining our salvation, nothing that we should let stand in our way.  For this life is here but for a moment, but eternity is forever.  We gain did we really have, if we choose treasure, pleasure, or some other earthly situation here, but have our eternal abode in hell?

Compare this with the rich young ruler, Matthew 19:16ff.  For he saw what was good for a man to do, for he had diligently followed the law.  But when there was a further price for his salvation, the giving up of all that he had, he was unwilling, for his heart was set on his possessions, and “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 6:21.

This also is an ongoing state of heart; for it isn’t enough to give it all up in the beginning, whatever would separate us from the Lord, only to have it capture us again.  We have to constantly be of a heart to always choose the Lord first.  It is always right to put Him first.

This is a lesson we can take from Martha and Mary; for Martha was concerned about the meal she was preparing for the Lord, but Mary sat at His feet and listened to Him.  When Martha bid Him to have Mary help her serve, the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” Luke 10:41-42.  Martha was worried about the earthly preparations, but Mary chose the spiritual preparations.  There will always be something to do on the earthly side of things, but let us put the Lord first.

The Wicked Vinedressers

Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-18
Summary
A man plants a vineyard, and leases it out.  When he sent servants to collect some of the produce, the lessees beat and kill them, ultimately killing his son.  He then in turn destroys them.

The Parable
“’Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.”  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, “This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.”  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“’Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?’

“They said to Him, ‘He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.’

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes?’

“’Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’

“Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.”

Lesson
God gave His kingdom to the Israelites, and looked for a return, He looked for their love and service, but when He sent the prophets to them, to correct them, they beat and killed them, up to and including His Son, Christ.  Therefore, He took the kingdom away from them, and gave it to the church.

The nation of Israel never produced the fruit of the kingdom, the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,” Galatians 5:22-23.  The return which He desired from them, they never gave Him.

So He sent them prophet after prophet, in order to turn their heart back to Him, but the nation as a whole never did, “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy,” 2 Chronicles 36:15-16.

He even sent them into captivity into Babylon, but afterwards they only turned away from Him again, for Christ says to them, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!,” Matthew 23:37-38.

So, finally, He sent His Son, “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’  They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him,” Matthew 21:37-39.

And so they killed Jesus. 

After the parable, Jesus quotes to them Psalm 118:22-23, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes,” and then says to them, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” And so He took the kingdom away from Israel, and He gave it to the church.

Song of Solomon 8:11-12 says, "Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit. "My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit."

And so now the vineyard has been given to us.  And we must take care that their failure doesn’t become our failure; we need to be bearing the fruits of the kingdom, and giving Him a return on our lease.  As we’re told in the Song, the fruit of the vineyard belongs to the Lord, but we do eat of it.  The thousand shekels we are to bring to the Lord, but we receive two hundred as our portion, for as the Scripture says, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”  We receive a return, but we need to produce fruit.  What is this return?  Whatever form it takes, whether joy in our heart from working for the Lord, or some other form, yet the Lord is able to increase us.

The Mustard Seed

Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19
The Parable
Matthew 13:31-32
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.’”

Lesson
The mustard seed of which he spoke is small and inconsequential when compared to other plant seeds.  In the world of man, where is everything is measured by how great it becomes (how big the business is, how great of an athlete, how much money, etc.), the mustard seed is easily dismissed.

When Christ established His church, it was not by the military defeat of a great earthly kingdom, it was not through great pomp and circumstance, but it was small and humble; at the time of His death, there were but very few who had remained with Him.  Looked at from an earthly standpoint, His ministry could almost be viewed as a failure, because at one point there were many who followed Him, but at the end very few.

But it wasn’t a failure; from this few, from this smallest of seeds, grew the church which is found over the entire earth; in which men come and take refuge and “nest in its branches.”

The Leaven

Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21
The Parable
Matthew 13:33
“Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’”

 Luke 13:20-21
“And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’”

Lesson
Leaven is a living organism; it feeds upon the dough and multiplies rapidly, until it spreads throughout the entire lump of dough.

And so it is with us; once we receive the Word into our hearts, it begins to work upon us until it has changed our entire being.  We no longer act the way we did before, but our live has changed as our heart has changed.

But unlike the dough, which will become fully leavened, we can stop the growth and spread of the leaven within us, or corrupt it with competing leaven, Matthew 16:5-12, 1Cor 5:6-8, Gal 5:7-10, 1Cor 15:33-34.  See also Song 6:12, Eph 4:24, Col 3:10.

As leaven works its way through the dough, so the kingdom of God, begun in Israel, would work its way through the whole world.

The Dragnet

Matthew 13:47
Summary
A dragnet is cast, which gathers all kind of fish.  Once on shore, the bad are sorted out from the good. 

The Parable
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Lesson
The sorting of good and evil men at the end of the age. The saved will enter eternal life, but the lost will be cast into hell. See “The Tares.”

The Tares

Matthew 13:24-30
The Parable

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?”  He said to them, “An enemy has done this.”  The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?”  But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”’” 

The Lord’s explanation
(Matthew 13:36-43)
“Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’

“He answered and said to them: ‘He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’” 

Lesson
The tare, likely the bearded darnel, is a plant that is nearly indistinguishable from wheat in the early stages of growth; once the head of the grain appears, the difference is seen.  It is not until harvest time (or just before) that they are separated out from the wheat; they are allowed to grow up together.

There has been much dispute from the early days of the church as to what is meant by the kingdom in this parable; whether, as in most cases, it is speaking of the church, or whether of the entirety of mankind.  Both interpretations have merit.

Jesus explains that the field of the parable is the world; he sows the good seed, while the devil sows the bad.  The interpretations put forth for this are: a) that the wheat are the Christians, while the tares are the remainder of mankind; b) the wheat are the true Christians, while the tares are false Christians.  Neither interpretation does violence to the scripture.  That might seem a bit wishy-washy, but both views fit the text equally well, and neither is untrue.

In either case, the field is the hearts of men, and the seed is that teaching which takes root in the heart of a man and grows within him.  As illustrated in the parable of the sower, the Word of God has a different effect upon each man, depending upon their heart.  There are men who receive the Word of Christ and become sons of God, and there are men who prefer to let the ways of Satan grow in their heart, for this is what they desire after.  There are men who outright don’t accept the truth and cheerfully go after Satan, and there are those who by appearance are Christians, but who in fact have let Satan grow in their hearts.  

There will be those who are among the church, who really aren’t of the church.  For, “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness,” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.  The Lord allows them to remain until the end, lest there be genuine Christians who are rooted out with them.

As soon as the gospel was given to men, the antichrist sprung up with it, that is, false christianity.  We have examples in the New Testament, of Diotrephes (3 John 9), who selfishly wanted to be preeminent, to be counted as someone, contrary to the humility of the gospel, and Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17), who taught false doctrine concerning the resurrection.  We don’t know whether these men repented or not, but they are held as an example to us of ungodly behavior which was among the church of the faithful.

2 Peter 2:1-2 says, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their destructive ways...,” and again, Jude writes, “These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit,” Jude 19.  As we are told these things ahead of time, is should be no surprise to us that there are those in the church who don’t humble themselves before Christ and His word, men who teach things according to their own heart, who want to be something.  They cause much trouble, and were the cause of the great apostasy of 2 Thessalonians.  For many went with error instead of the truth, and the early church was taken over by the false doctrine of men.

In the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, the church of Sardis is told, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

It was no different with the Restoration.  When division sprung up in the post Civil War era, over the innovations of man, namely, the use of instrumental music in worship and the missionary society, the majority of the congregations went with errors, accounting for over 80% of the church.

Error within the church will continue until the end, until the Lord returns and sends out His angels to gather out the ungodly from among His people.

But if the parable is meant to describe the world at large, then the sons of God are still the same, and the remainder of mankind are meant by those who are sown by Satan.

In either case, the tares are allowed to remain until the end, lest there be true Christians who might be uprooted along with the tares.  There are men who once were faithful, who fell away.  Among these, some will return to the truth, and be saved (see Ezekiel 18).  There are also men who do wickedly, but repent later in life; at which stage of life would the true judgment of these men occur?  It is the state we are in when we die which determines our fate.