Tag Archives: Parable

BE READY | THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS

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Context

Prior to telling this parable Jesus was discussing his eventual return. We refer to this as the second coming of Christ.  It was important that the disciples began to understand that His death on the cross would not be the end. This was a reality that they would not begin to grasp until He would appear to them after His resurrection.

Jesus offered a a nugget of truth about His return before He moved into the parables He had chosen to tell.  It is important that we do not miss this.

This conversation began when the disciples approached Him and asked, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”  In response to that question Jesus says that He does not know when this will happen.  Not even the angels are wise to such information.  The only one that knows is the Father.

This says to us that our wait could be another ten years, or it could be another two thousand years.  This is important because Jesus uses this information to lead into a parable where a group of women are waiting for the return of a bridegroom with an unspecified time of return.

Jesus also told a short story about a servant that was caught off guard.  A servant was put in charge of his master’s household.  Then a comparison is drawn between the consequences for a faithful servant and an unfaithful servant.  The unfaithful servant is said to have done evil things and kept vile company, because he believed his master would not return for a long time.  Jesus explains that the master will return on a day he is not expected and at an unknown hour.

Jesus then begins telling the following story.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent [or wise]. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

– Matthew 25:1-13 (NASB)

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RECEIVING THE TRUTH IS A MATTER OF THE HEART | THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

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This parable of Jesus gets right to the heart of what it means to hear and believe.  Quite literally.  Jesus contrasts four different types of soils and draws a spiritual correlation to the condition of our hearts when we hear the truth of the gospel message.

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

An Explanation

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the [j]word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

– Matthew 13:1-23 (NASB)

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THE VALUE OF ONE PERSON | THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN

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How The Conversation Started

This is the second parable in a series of three, as Jesus pushes back against the scribes and Pharisees grumbling about Him spending time with, as they put it, “sinners.”

Jesus began by sharing the parable of a Lost Sheep. Emphasizing the peril of being lost and challenging the Pharisees understanding of why He was spending time with these people they looked down on, and ultimately pointing them to the blindness of their own sin.

He then transitions into a second story about a lost coin. This time with a different emphasis.

The Lost Coin

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

– Luke 15:8-10 (NASB)

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THE PERIL OF BEING LOST | THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP

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A parable is nothing more than a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.  This was one of Jesus’ primary teaching methods.  Below is the first of three parables that Jesus shared in response to the Pharisees grumbling about Him spending so much time with “sinners.”

The Lost Sheep

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”   3 So He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

– Luke 15:1-7 (NASB)

The Pharisees And Scribes Are Unhappy With Jesus

Jesus had gained influence among the every day populace of His day and this did not sit well with many of the religious leaders.  The religious leaders of Jesus time, are often found to be condescending to those that were not in their ranks.  We see these men in their positions of power, grumbling, because Jesus is choosing to associate with and relate to “sinners.”  You can feel the posture of superiority that these religious leaders have.  Through their spiritual blindness, they do not consider themselves to counted among these people that they labeled as sinners.

To address the real issue at hand, Jesus launches into a series of stories to confront this attitude in the scribes and Pharisees. Continue reading →