Parables of Jesus
The parables of Jesus can be found in all the canonical
gospels, and in some of the non-canonical gospels, but are located mainly
within the three synoptic gospels. They represent a key part of the teachings
of Jesus, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings. Christians
place high emphasis on these parables, since they are the words of Jesus, they
are believed to be what the Father has taught, indicated by John 8:28 (So Jesus said,
“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and
that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me). and 14:10 (Don’t you believe that I am in the
Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on
my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his
work).
Jesus' parables are seemingly simple and memorable stories,
often with imagery, and all convey messages. Scholars have commented that
although these parables seem simple, the messages they convey are deep, and
central to the teachings of Jesus. Christian authors view them not as mere
similitudes which serve the purpose of illustration, but as internal analogies
where nature becomes a witness for the spiritual world.
Many of Jesus' parables refer to simple everyday things,
such as a woman baking bread (parable of the Leaven), a man knocking on his
neighbor's door at night (parable of the Friend at Night), or the aftermath of
a roadside mugging (parable of the Good Samaritan); yet they deal with major
religious themes, such as the growth of the Kingdom of God, the importance of
prayer, and the meaning of love.
In Western civilization, these parables formed the prototype
for the term parable and in the modern age, even among those who know little of
the Bible, the parables of Jesus remain some of the best known stories in the
world.
In Matthew 13:10-17
King James Version (KJV)
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest
thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto
you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not
given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall
have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even
that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which
saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall
see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears
are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they
should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with
their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears,
for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen
them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A
man scatters seed on the ground.
27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed
sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk,
then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it,
because the harvest has come.”
Our universe is said to be an expanding Universe. The
Kingdom of Heaven is also said to grow. In the above parable Jesus says about
what the kingdom of God is like that of the ever expanding Universe. Giving us
an example as a man scatters seed on the ground. God who is said to know the end
from the beginning in Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient
times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure: and never sleeps as said in - Psalm
121:4 NIV indeed,
he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Jesus says about the stages of expansion.
A) first the stalk - Matthew 24:6 states -
"You
will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.
Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."
The parallel passage in Mark
13:7 warns,
"When you
hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen,
but the end is still to come."
B) then the head - 7"For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various
places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 All these are the beginning of
sorrows.
C) then the full kernel in the head - 9 Then
shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be
hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended,
and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false
prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall
abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the
end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come.
D)
As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it,
because the harvest has come.
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and
then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he
shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Paul in 1st Corinthians when he says to The
Church and Its Leaders about worldly things: he then says
1 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV)
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been
making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is
anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one
who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their
own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s
building.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a
wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build
with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what
it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire,
and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been
built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the
builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping
through the flames.
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and
that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God
will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that
temple.
Have a Blessed Day Ahead
No comments:
Post a Comment