Parables
Parables are short stories and warnings told by Jesus for spiritual comprehension. They were taught to capture attention in a one dimensional story for better retention and comprehension.
A parable is story that attracts our
attention; it burns a moral picture in our minds for retention. We as humans
don't listen well! Our minds wander, we don't focus, and we don't learn enough.
As Christians our mind can wander even more, why because the enemy is at our
side attacking.
Studies show an individual's
attention lasts for about 7-13 minutes when we are listening to someone speak. Just
think about two, three, or eight hour seminars and classes people attend. How
much attention and retention goes on there?
We must see and hear with faith
guided by the Holy Spirit to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God.
Parables are taught by Jesus because
many do not listen and understand, absorb or do not see, even many righteous
ones. At times the enemy intervenes and sways the thought process. We must
listen and see without doubt, we must have faith and strength.
If we do not see, hear, and
understand correctly the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in
our hearts.
Parables can be one dimensional or 3
dimensional.
In most cases parables are one dimensional
short stories drawn in the minds of men by Jesus for comprehension.
An example of a three dimensional
visual parable which the disciples could see with their eyes is in Mark 11. Jesus
shows them a fig trees beauty with leaves but no figs. We in this day and age
on the other hand could not see the tree, therefore it's a one dimensional
story.
It's ironic but we must study Matthew 13 to help us
understand parables.
It's imperative that we pray for
wisdom and direction from the Holy Spirit when we study the scriptures. This
with faith is how we understand the Bible correctly.
We do not understand just by reading
the scriptures, we must study and achieve wisdom guided by the Holy Spirit this
is the key®
Dictionary;
A short story that teaches a moral
or spiritual lesson -especially: one of the stories told by Jesus Christ and
recorded in the Bible.
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Matthew 13
Jesus Teaches in Parables
1 That day Jesus went out of the
house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got
into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And
He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out
to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came
and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have
much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6
But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root,
they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and
choked them out.8 And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
An Explanation
10 And the disciples came and said
to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”11 Jesus answered them, “To you
it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he
will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be
taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while
seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they
understand. 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which
says,‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has
become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes,
because they see; and your ears, because they hear.17 For truly I say to you
that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not
see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “Hear then the parable of the
sower.19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it,
the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is
the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.20 The one on whom seed was sown
on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately
receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only
temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word,
immediately he falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the
thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the
deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one
on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and
understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold,
some sixty, and some thirty.”
Tares among Wheat
24 Jesus presented another parable
to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good
seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed
tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore
grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came
and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does
it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves
*said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he
*said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat
with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of
the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them
in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The Mustard Seed
31 He presented another parable to
them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took
and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when
it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so
that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Leaven
33 He spoke another parable to them,
“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three
pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
34 All these things Jesus spoke to
the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This
was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Tares Explained
36 Then He left the crowds and went
into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the
parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good
seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good
seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil
one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end
of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up
and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man
will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all
stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into
the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a
treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy
over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great
value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when
it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the
good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the
end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among
the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these
things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every
scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a
household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53 When Jesus had finished these
parables, He departed from there. 54 He came to His hometown and began teaching
them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did
this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Is not this the
carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and
Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where
then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took
offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except
in his hometown and in his own household.”58 And He did not do many miracles there because of
their unbelief.
Matthew 13;35
This was to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in
parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Matthew 21;45
When the chief priests and the
Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.
Mark 23;10
And He called them to Himself and
began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?
Mark 4;13
[ Explanation
] And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How
will you understand all the parables?
Mark 4;33
With many such parables He was
speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;
Luke 8;10
And He said, “To you it has been
granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in
parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
Luke 18;21
[ Parables on Prayer ] Now He was
telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to
lose heart.
Mark 3:22-26
22 The scribes who came down from
Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the
demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 And He called them to Himself and began
speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?24 If a kingdom is
divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided
against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 If Satan has risen up
against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!
timothy skon, serving Jesus and others,
guided by the Holy Spirit.
2/12/16
guided by the Holy Spirit.
2/12/16