Thorny Ground that Chokes the Seed – Mark 4:18-19
In the parable of the soils, I find myself challenged by the thorns that choke out the seed. There are so many thorns in my life.
Parables
Lazarus and the Rich Man – Luke 16:19-31
The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man tells us that our ultimate fate is determined while in this life. And if we will not believe, no miracle will convince us.
Parable of the Persistent Widow – Luke 18:1-8
Some of Jesus parables are pretty straight forward and easy to understand. But some are a bit more challenging. The parable of the Persistent Widow is, at least for me, one of the latter. 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. …
Are You Ready? – Matthew 24:45-25:13
In the 24th chapter of Matthew, Jesus shares with his disciples some information about his return and what to expect as his return draws near. He concluded that teaching with a warning (24:36-44) about being ready because the time of his return will not be known until it occurs. When he comes back, it will be suddenly and without warning, and some will be taken and others will be left. And what will determine who is taken and who is left? He answers that question in a pair of parables that follow. The first, in Matthew 24:45-51, is about a servant who …
The Parable of the Rich Fool – Luke 12:13-21
How important are things to you? I would be the first to admit that I have lots of stuff. Far more stuff than I need to survive, or even to live a comfortable life. But how important is all that stuff to me? Would it ruin my life if any of it went away? Is there any of that stuff I would hold on to at all costs? Is there any other stuff that I just have to have to make my life more complete? Jesus encounters someone who would answer yes to at least that last question. And in …
The Lost and Found Parables – Luke 15:3-32
Luke records 3 of Jesus’ parables in the 15th chapter of his account of Jesus ministry. These three parables, typically identified as the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son, are given in response to criticism Jesus received from the religious leadership of his day. Seems like Jesus was hanging out with people that his denominational leadership did not approve of; scandalous behavior for a ‘godly’ person, eating with sinful people. In the first of these parables, Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells of a shepherd with 100 sheep. One of his sheep becomes lost and he searches diligently for it until …
The Parables of the Precious – Matthew 13:44-46
The parable of the pearl and the parable of the hidden treasure express the value of the kingdom of God. Will we give up everything for it?