THE PARABLES OF JESUS

#8 Parables About Discipleship 3.23.22

Luke 14:33 NLT So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

1. The Two Builders – Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49

Matthew 7:24-27 NLT “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Luke 6:47-49 NLT “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

· This is a brief parable (perhaps a “clip”) that teaches the necessity of placing God’s Word above any other resource or teaching.

· The idea was that of a life built on foundational principles that can stand the test of time.

2. The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37 NLT One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

· The unlikely hero is a Samaritan.

· The hostility between Jew and Samaritan datesback 800 years to the destruction of the Northern Kingdom.

· 2 Kings 17:24 NASB Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.

· Two questions:

o “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

o “Who is my neighbor?”

· The Priest and Levite were a disappointment in the story. The Samaritan was the one who represented the least welcomed source of help in the eyes of a Jew of the time.

· The lesson is that pride and prejudice have no place in the life of a disciple.

· Paul understood that he was a debtor to “both the wise and the unwise.” (Romans 1:14,15)

· The admonition is to be willing to both GIVE and RECEIVE help indiscriminately.

3. The Vineyard Workers – Matthew 20:1-16 NLT “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. 3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. 6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ 7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’ 8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’ 13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ 16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

· Perhaps the most stunning parable to the people of Jesus’ day.

· This is a teaching illustrating the Sovereignty of God.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

· The lesson is for us to live within our anointing.

· The goal is to fulfill our mission. To please God, and not to compare ourselves with others.

· John 21:22 NASB Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

· Embrace humility!

4. The Tower Builder and the Warrior King – Luke 14:28-33 NLT “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ 31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

· Take the decision seriously!

· Luke 9:57-62 NASB As they were going on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Christian Life Lessons

1. Disciples understand the necessity of embracing a Biblical World-View.

2. Disciples embrace not only supreme love for God, but also a profound love for mankind that is demonstrated by our lifestyle.

3. Disciples realize the primary mission in life is to please The Lord.

Disciples understand we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteous

THE PARABLES OF JESUS

#9 Parables About Prayer 3.23.22

Luke 18:1 “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

1. The Friend at Midnight – Luke 11:5-13 NLT Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people 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.”

· See this parable as connected organically with the Parable of the Unjust Judge.

· A.S.K. - Ask! Seek! Knock!

· Gabriel and Zechariah

2. The Unjust Judge – Luke 18:1-8 NLT One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

· The bottom line: never give up on praying.

· There is additional teaching about how long to pray in other portions of Scripture, but Jesus emphasized the need to P.U.S.H. - Pray until something happens!

· The practical lesson is not that God has to be “begged”—but that He is eager to help His children.

· Is my need too little a matter to bring to God?

· Proverbs 3:6 NLT Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

· This is clearly a parable of CONTRAST, not one of COMPARISON.

· And the ending Jesus used was very important: “When He returns, will we be found in faith contending for His purposes or will we have joined the ranks of those who no longer believe?”

3. The Pharisee and The Tax Collector – Luke 18:9-14 NLT Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:

10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

· This parable was spoken for those who were confident in their own righteousness, and in reality saw no need for grace or mercy (verse 9).

· This parable includes a lesson on how NOT to pray.

· The Publican (Tax Collector for the hated Roman government) was the one who went home justified in the eyes of God.

· Disciples of Jesus have a healthy sense of our own sin and shame, though we must allow God’s Grace to move us to another place.

· It is an encouragement in our moments of failure, that Jesus is the “Friend of Sinners.”

· Matthew 23:5 NASB And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

· 2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

· Galatians 6:1 NASB Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

Christian Life Lessons

1. We have a God who loves to answer the prayers of His children.

2. Never give up on prayer about a request unless God directs you otherwise (such as Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh). (Note: If God does direct you differently or in a way that offends your flesh—do not keep praying as though you will change God’s mind. See Balaam.)

3. Stay low!