Favorite parable
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The Labourers in the field is a good one..
Matthew 20: KJV
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. {2} And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. {3} And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, {4} And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. {5} Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. {6} And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? {7} They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. {8} So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. {9} And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. {10} But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. {11} And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, {12} Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. {13} But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? {14} Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. {15} Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? {16} So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Matthew 20: KJV
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. {2} And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. {3} And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, {4} And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. {5} Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. {6} And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? {7} They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. {8} So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. {9} And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. {10} But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. {11} And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, {12} Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. {13} But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? {14} Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. {15} Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? {16} So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
I like the parable of Abraham's Bosom, considering he was talking to the people strictly on mistaken beliefs they had adopted from their time in captivity, and their own fathers never even entertained a vague concept of a place called Hell. It shows how He will still talk to us even when we are steeped in total misunderstanding about something.
John 15: 1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
This is one of mine. It tells plainly who's going & who isn't, who's blessed & who isn't.
This is one of mine. It tells plainly who's going & who isn't, who's blessed & who isn't.
I thought of the parable in regard to the Exodus as a picture of our eternal rest, or the one involving Abraham offering Isaac. A picture of the lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.(the six days he did work.)
I don’t think we can number the parables. We could be selling ourselves short of the spiritual understanding needed to believe God.. They are the key for understanding the things not seen, the eternal... throughout the scriptures. .
Without parables... Christ the Word of God spoke not. Parables hide the spiritual understanding from those who know not Christ, and reveal the spiritual to those who do walk by the faith of Christ, of God by faith.
One of my favorites that can help in looking at all the parables would be when three times (three used as a metaphor signifying the end of a matter) Christ hid the spiritual meaning from the apostles as a lesson to walk by faith, the unseen eternal, and not by sight that seen, the temporal .
Actually the whole chapter is one continuing parable which ends by Christ rebuking the apostles by saying... “you know not what manner of spirit you are from” .
Whenever the apostles knew not the meaning (it was hid from them) their focus went from following Christ ... to who is the greatest among them (they were walking by sight as that seen). The wrong or upside down manner of spirit. And the little child representing the least was used in a hope it would help them understand, the things not seen, the eternal, and not the temporal as that seen..
Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. Luk 9:44-45
It was the wrong kind of fear that comes by walking by sight.
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name(authority) receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same “shall be great”. Luk 9:46-48
Shall be great, not the greatest.(Christ) Still in unbelief the apostles again showed they were not walking by faith the unseen, but the temporal as that seen, “themselves”. comparing themselves by and to themselves and not the word of God.
Luk 9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Christ rebuked them according to his commandment (Forbid him not)
Luk 9:50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
There Christ defines the us, not the us of men as that seen . Again not understanding the parable they walked by sight again they received not Christ because they thought he should go to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. Luk 9:51-53
They desired that God bring down literal fire which represented the judgment of Christ not understanding the spiritual meaning of fire used as a metaphors and desired that Jesus destroy that seen the Gentiles.. perceived as the outward competition.(Out of sight out of mind.)
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Luk 9:54
He then revealed to them the goal of His faith, the meaning of the parable that showed they were walking by sight the temporal as that seen and not by faith the unseen interpretation , the eternal word.
But he turned, and "rebuked them", and said, Ye know not what “manner of spirit” ye are of. Luk 9:55
I don’t think we can number the parables. We could be selling ourselves short of the spiritual understanding needed to believe God.. They are the key for understanding the things not seen, the eternal... throughout the scriptures. .
Without parables... Christ the Word of God spoke not. Parables hide the spiritual understanding from those who know not Christ, and reveal the spiritual to those who do walk by the faith of Christ, of God by faith.
One of my favorites that can help in looking at all the parables would be when three times (three used as a metaphor signifying the end of a matter) Christ hid the spiritual meaning from the apostles as a lesson to walk by faith, the unseen eternal, and not by sight that seen, the temporal .
Actually the whole chapter is one continuing parable which ends by Christ rebuking the apostles by saying... “you know not what manner of spirit you are from” .
Whenever the apostles knew not the meaning (it was hid from them) their focus went from following Christ ... to who is the greatest among them (they were walking by sight as that seen). The wrong or upside down manner of spirit. And the little child representing the least was used in a hope it would help them understand, the things not seen, the eternal, and not the temporal as that seen..
Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. Luk 9:44-45
It was the wrong kind of fear that comes by walking by sight.
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name(authority) receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same “shall be great”. Luk 9:46-48
Shall be great, not the greatest.(Christ) Still in unbelief the apostles again showed they were not walking by faith the unseen, but the temporal as that seen, “themselves”. comparing themselves by and to themselves and not the word of God.
Luk 9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Christ rebuked them according to his commandment (Forbid him not)
Luk 9:50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
There Christ defines the us, not the us of men as that seen . Again not understanding the parable they walked by sight again they received not Christ because they thought he should go to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. Luk 9:51-53
They desired that God bring down literal fire which represented the judgment of Christ not understanding the spiritual meaning of fire used as a metaphors and desired that Jesus destroy that seen the Gentiles.. perceived as the outward competition.(Out of sight out of mind.)
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Luk 9:54
He then revealed to them the goal of His faith, the meaning of the parable that showed they were walking by sight the temporal as that seen and not by faith the unseen interpretation , the eternal word.
But he turned, and "rebuked them", and said, Ye know not what “manner of spirit” ye are of. Luk 9:55
There are many parables (45-46 depending on how you count) that Jesus spoke. I am curious which is your favorite one (parable) and why?
Another that comes to mind is the guy who sold everything he had to buy a lot because he knew there was a pearl in it, and once it was his he would be free to dig and dig for it. Finding truth, finding God, and your way to heaven is worth everything- the money, the time, the effort- everything.
The rich man and Lazarus is one I reference a lot. I love all the parables, and find that I also often use physical examples in comparison to spiritual things.