The Parable of the Two Sons. “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 son and said likewise. …
The Parable of the Well-Trained Scribe. “Therefore, every scribe trained and instructed for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings treasure out of his storehouse, things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52). SCRIBE. The Greek word used for scribe in this parable is the source of our word for “grammar,” so scribes were …
The Parables of the Man in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid, and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is …
Jesus the Storyteller. The imagination is the intellect at play, it is reason listening to a story. Of course Jesus, who invented the human mind, planned the learning process to include the capturing of the imagination. The master teacher, he loved to express his vivid and agile imagination whenever he could. Jesus loved to tell …
The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Please read Luke 15:11-31. “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to him teach. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and even eats with them.’ So Jesus told them these parables…” (Luke 15:1-2). Jesus loved to tell …
The Parable of the Two Debtors. Please read Luke 7:36-50 THE CONTEXT. a. After preaching and teaching in a city, Jesus was invited to a banquet hosted by Simon the Pharisee. The meal was in Simon’s home. As with most dinners at this time, the doors to the home were open, and people could wander …
The Parable of the Friend at Midnight. Please read Luke 11:5-8. THE CONTEXT. The disciples have just finished asking Jesus about prayer, so that is the hot topic during this conversation. The Lord responded with a version of the Lord’s Prayer, and then He told this parable. After offering this homespun story, Jesus continued with …
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Please read Luke 10:25-37. THE CONTEXT. A lawyer comes to Jesus to put him to the test. A lawyer at that time was an expert on Jewish law, a scholar of the Jewish religion. The lawyer asks a theological question, to spur debate, a religious conversation. The lawyer wanted …
The Parable of the Camel and the Needle. Please read Luke 18:18-30. THE CONTEXT. A rich man, probably the up and coming young rich ruler in the synagogue, approaches Jesus and asks the same thing the uppity lawyer asked Jesus in the prelude to the Good Samaritan story. “What must I do to inherit eternal …
The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. Please read Matthew 25:1-13. THE CONTEXT. a. Just prior to this parable, in Matthew 24, Jesus is seated at the Mount of Olives, teaching his disciples. They asked him about the consummation of the Age, when will the End come, when will they see Jesus usher in the New Kingdom …
The Parable of the Pounds. Please read Luke 19: 11-27. THE CONTEXT. Jesus taught this parable because the disciples assumed the New Kingdom was to appear very soon. They are just coming from Jericho, where Jesus announced to Zaccheus that salvation had come to his house. Surely, the disciples thought on the way to Jerusalem, …
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager. Please read Luke 16:1-9. THE CONTEXT. a. The disciples were the primary audience, as it states in verse 1. But there were also a number of Pharisees mixed into the crowd, since Jesus had just told a parable with them in mind, the Prodigal Son, and they are mentioned …