The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

Matthew 18:12-14 ^{New Living Translation}

 

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”

            This is a parable showing how much God cares for his children. We are his children. He wishes to nurture us, so we develop into mature, discerning workers for the kingdom. When one strays from the flock, as illustrated by the sheep in this parable, the shepherd heads out to find that one sheep that had gotten themselves lost. The shepherd, of course, is the Lord. Scripture even refers to Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). 

                  In John’s gospel Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep. There he makes a point of saying that a hired hand would not do the same. It is only the Good Shepherd that would do this. We must remember that it is not God’s will that any would perish. (2 Peter 3:9 - “The Lord…is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”) This shows us clearly that it is not God who sends people to hell. It is their own rejection of the free gift of salvation (forgiveness) that ushers them on into hell. 

                  How many times do we wander off the beaten path only to find we have gotten ourselves lost due to wandering aimlessly in the wrong direction? God is keenly aware of all our comings and goings and will not let us fall over a cliff. Even if we fall over a cliff due to our own ignorance and refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit, God is there to lift us up and get us going in the right direction again. The key to all this is that God cares for his creation immeasurably and is constantly looking out for us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004.

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Heart of Man

Matthew 15:10-20 ^{New Living Translation}

 

Matthew 15:10-11

“Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.’”

            This parable was not at all cryptic, but rather easily understood, yet those who heard it in the crowd didn’t seem to grasp its’ meaning. Even the disciples had trouble understanding it. But the Pharisees understood exactly what Jesus was saying for they placed great importance on what the Jewish people ate and drank. Verse 11 could be paraphrased to say: “You aren’t made unclean by eating nonkosher food! It is what you say and think that makes you unclean!” This lone statement offended the Pharisees greatly. They were so enraged that his teaching was contrary to theirs, they were unable to understand what he was saying thru their haze of hatred. 

            Jesus proceeded to tell his disciples that the Pharisees were blind guides and anyone who listened to them and followed their laws were blind as well. He punctuated his point by saying that being blind they would both fall into the pit. This is a warning to us all that we should make sure we receive teaching from someone who has good spiritual eyesight and is teaching and preaching from the Bible and not anything else.

            Jesus explains this parable in verses 17-20 when he says that anything you eat will pass thru a person’s stomach and out of their body, but whatever words come out of your mouth come from the heart. It is true, however, that whatever a person feeds into his or her mind will form the disposition of their heart, thus creating the potential for evil thoughts, words, and actions to emerge. That is why I continuously urge people to feed their spirit man (or woman) daily with scripture, prayer, supplemental reading from reliable sources, Christian music, etc. We no longer live under the OT Law, but rather the umbrella of God’s grace or divine favor. Live a righteous life so that you will be a beacon of light to a sin sick, evil world. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament Copyright 2004; Life Application Study Bible.

 

Matthew 15:10-20 - Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.” Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Fishing Net

Matthew 13:47-50 ^{Amplified Bible}

Matthew 13:47

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea and gathered fish of every kind….”

            This parable describes what will take place at the Final Judgment. It is said that there are 24 different species of fish in the Lake of Galilee. Some were clean and edible, some were unusable. The net does not discriminate regarding what it catches. That sorting out of the good and bad fish comes once the nets are dragged ashore. The church doesn’t escape this sorting out process in that those only professing to be disciples of Christ and not serious about that relationship will also be sorted out along with those wicked individuals among them.

                  This final judgment will reveal those who are truly committed to God and his kingdom and are truly invested in this commitment with their lives, however, the parable mostly refers to those in the world who have elected to avoid any serious allegiance to God at all. Therefore, on the last day angels with do the sorting out of the good and the evil. There will be no avoiding your destiny at that point, for until then forgiveness is available to all. But just as the door of the ark was closed as the rains began to fall, so the opportunity for God’s mercy to forgive is available until the proverbial hammer shall fall.

                  Now is as good a time as any to do a complete spiritual assessment to see where your heart stands with regards to your commitment to the Lord. If you come up lacking, there is time to amend your behavior. Your lack will be shown by comparing what scripture shows as the behavior modelled by Jesus. There is a standard that is brought forth by God and not man, so you mustn’t compare yourself to mortal man. Compare yourself to God himself and then allow for his mercy and grace as you modify your thoughts, words, and actions. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Copyright 2004; IVP New Testament Commentary Series made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.

 

Matthew 13:47-50 - “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, 48 and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].”

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45-46 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

                  This parable is considered a twin to the one right above it in v. 44. The difference is that in this parable we find a wealthy merchant who dealt in the buying and selling of pearls. This is contrasted with the man who happen to find hidden treasure in a field. The former was seeking pearls of great value, the latter just happened to come across his find. The similarity is found in that they both realized the great value of what they had found.

                  So the ultimate connection between the two brief parables is the supreme worth of the kingdom of God. I don’t believe scripture is telling us to sell off all our possessions as well as anything that has great value to acquire God’s kingdom. I feel that it is saying to us that seeking the kingdom of God should be of preeminent importance, for without God and his kingdom we are quite literally nothing. We will live and die, the end, never making any lasting impact on society as a whole.  Without God you may accomplish things that aid your community or the public at large but being outside the kingdom will cause you to weep and moan as those in Noah’s day when the door of the ark was closed, for only then will you realize what you missed that was in plain sight and within your grasp.

                  Those who haven’t found the peace and joy of divine forgiveness and a second chance to alter their lifestyle with a clean slate, are missing the opportunity of a lifetime. We don’t need to purchase the kingdom as the merchant purchased the pearl, we need only accept it as the most excellent alternative to the life we had led without the Lord in our life. Without redemption we are bound by our own sin debt and will be required to pay the price for going our own way. To those who do not know Christ in a personal and intimate way, seek the kingdom while it may be found for there will come a day when the final trump will sound and time shall be no more. Trust in God and live for him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament; NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

“The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].”

            A parable is “a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point” ^[1]. Jesus used these short stories to make known the hidden things regarding the kingdom of God. This particular parable tells us that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a precious treasure, but this treasure is hidden from most people. When an individual finds this treasure, he hides it again.  The blessing and joy that comes as a result of finding the kingdom causes that individual to sell all he has in an effort to buy the field in which it is hidden. This is not to insinuate that one can buy their way into heaven or into the good graces of God. It is simply telling the story in a way that his listeners will understand. Therefore, it is those who perceive the true value of the treasure/kingdom who will sacrifice anything and everything to acquire it.

            The kingdom of God isn’t a secret, but rather is hidden from those who do not have the spiritual eyes to see it. You must seek the kingdom for it to be found. Within the kingdom are found the promises of God and his statutes that lead to peace, holiness, and the love of God.

Hope resides within the imaginary walls of God’s kingdom. You must sell everything you have perceived to be important in your life to access the kingdom, for God seeks dedicated disciples; those who voluntarily and willingly surrender to the power and majesty of the Triune God.

            We are never through growing in the grace and knowledge of God. We gain access to God’s kingdom thru salvation and then spend the remainder of our lives growing closer to God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Reformation Study Bible.

^[1] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Leaven Bread

Matthew 13:33 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

“(Jesus) told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’”

 

                  “The parable of the mustard seed shows evil in the external character of the kingdom; this parable shows the inward corruption that would take place.” ^[1] It’s the first time the word ‘leaven’ is used in the New Testament. Leaven was a symbol of impurity and corruption to the Jews and so this is why Jesus used this word. It is specifically referring to the corrupt, hypocritical teachings of the religious leaders of that day, namely, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 

                  The word leaven* is first mentioned in scripture in Exodus 12:15. During the Passover celebration the people were to rid their household of all leaven, which was representative of sin. If anyone disobeyed and ate leavened bread during this 7 day celebration they would be cut off and excluded from God’s atonement for Israel. 

                  The Lord mentioned leaven in a negative light in three of the gospels. In Luke 12:1, Matt 16:11, and Mark 8:15, Jesus used the word leaven to symbolize the sinful teachings of the religious leaders and how they infiltrated the people’s walk with God. It should be pointed out that verses like Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:21 have been said to mean not only the foul teachings of the religious leaders of their day, but also in a positive light using leaven’s ability to spread thru a mass of dough many times its own size to illustrate the spread of the gospel and God’s kingdom. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

*Leaven = yeast. They are one in the same and both words are used depending on which translation you are using.

^[1] Life Application Study Bible footnote.

 

Luke 12:1 - “Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy.’”

Matthew 16:11 - “Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

Mark 8:15 - “As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, ‘Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.’”

Luke 13:21 - “It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matthew 13:31-32 ^{Amplified Bible}

 

“He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.’”

            We find in this parable that Jesus is speaking of the Mustard Seed. Luke also speaks of the Mustard Seed in chapter 17 verse 6. It is the well-known saying of Jesus that if you have faith the size of a Mustard Seed you can say to a mountain to throw itself into the sea and it shall happen. The Mustard Seed was the smallest seed of that time. As a point of reference it was said to be roughly the size of a pin head, yet this tiny seed, when fully grown, can become a shrub that can grow to a height of ten feet tall.

            The parable is saying that the things of God may appear small and insignificant compared to the things of this world, yet once the Kingdom of God took hold and took off it became much greater than even the Roman Empire, which was immense in size, covering a multitude of countries.

            The picture of a tree with birds nesting on its branches alludes to Ezekiel 17:23, which states, “I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel, that it may grow boughs and bear fruit and be a noble and stately cedar. And birds of every kind will live under it; they will nest [securely] in the shade of its branches.” While it speaks not of the mustard seed shrub, it references birds living on its branches, which in both cases is said to represent the Gentile nations taking refuge in the Messiah and enjoying the blessings of the covenant God had established with all who would believe. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In his name & for his glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Reformation Study Bible