99. Beginner Bible Course: Sampling the parables of Jesus

EPISODE 99.  The simple Bible overview of…JESUS' SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS (SAMPLES OF THE PARABLES)

We now will look at the parables of Jesus, his sermon illustrations. If you didn't listen to the last podcast, number 98, an overview of Jesus' parables, please do that first. Then what we're about to do together will make a lot more sense. Having been a teacher for four decades, I can assure you stories and illustrations really communicate that a story picture is worth. At least a thousand words is no exaggeration. Sometimes the stories or illustrations are so powerful. People lose track of the main point itself. Just the other day, I had a colleague who approached me. He listened to one of the word picture episodes. He was struck by the story.

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Then he quickly added, I can't remember what you were trying to illustrate, but that was a great story. I rest my case. Some of Jesus' word, picture stories, his parables have so stuck in the, for of people's souls. They're part of our culture, even though our culture has become very secular, you can still find many examples of Jesus' sermons and illustrations. You'll hear people use phrases from Jesus' sermon on the Mount, like an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, or don't cast your pearls before swine or don't judge lest you be judged. You'll also occasionally hear some of his parables thrown out there.

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Like I was a good Samaritan today. I pulled over and helped the stranger who had a flat tire. The good Samaritan was one of his parables or a person say I'm kind of the prodigal son in my family. The prodigal son was perhaps his most famous parable though, as you read the parable, Jesus main point, really wasn't about that prodigal son at all. There are about three dozen main parables in the gospels. Undoubtedly, there were many, many more that were not recorded. Aside from the good Samaritan in the prodigal son. Most people in our culture are clueless about those parables may be the majority of people in our churches as well.

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The culture Jesus spoke to is very similar kissing cousins to the culture. We're all growing up in, in most parts of the world today. So revisiting these parables in the gospels is a great investment of time. I'm going to walk you through a sampling of the parables of Jesus. I'm going to tie it to a sermon on the Mount. The sermon on the Mount actually includes several word pictures embedded in it. Jesus illustrating his sermon as he went along. But after the sermon on the Mount, in the coming several years of Jesus' ministry, Jesus keeps rolling out these parable stories to illustrate the principles of the sermon on the Mount and the rest of the priorities.

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He needs people to understand about the kingdom of God. So here we go. I'll cite one of his sermon points in the sermon on the Mount. And then we'll look at one of his word, picture stories, his parables that illustrate it. Jesus starts his sermon on the Mount with blessed are the poor in spirit for, to them belong the kingdom of heaven. That's Jesus saying blessed are the broken, not the ones who think they're whole in Luke chapter 18, Jesus then illustrates this point. Jesus is addressing those who are confident about their own righteousness and look down at others. People who felt pretty repaired before God looking down on those who felt very broken for these folks.

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Jesus told this parable two men went up to the temple to pray one affairsy and the other, a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed God. I thank you that I'm not like other people robbers, evil doers adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a 10th of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you this man, rather than the other went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled.

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And those who humble themselves will be exalted, exalted by being citizens of the kingdom of God. That's vivid, a few verses down in Jesus' sermon on the Mount. He says, blessed are those who extend mercy for God will extend mercy to them. Do you remember our cheat clue from Micah? What does God require of you? But to act justly and to love mercy, we get Jesus' sermon illustration, parable in Matthew 18. It's set up by Peter coming to Jesus and saying, how many times should we forgive someone who sins against us? What do you think?

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Seven times, if you have a good study Bible, the footnote will tell you the cultural norm was three times and that was gracious. They had a three strikes and you're out kind of mentality after that. You gone to the well too many times. So when Peter says seven times, he's really being generous. Jesus' response likely surprised Peter, seven times. How about 70 times seven? Jesus then gives his sermon illustration, parable, are you ready for this one? A certain King wanted to settle accounts with his servants. He had a servant who owed him 10,000 bags of gold, a whopping on payable sum.

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Since he couldn't pay it, the King ordered that he and his family be sold as slaves to at least liquidate part of the debt. The servant fell on his knees before the King and begged him. Please give me time. I will do everything I can to pay every last cent. But instead the King took pity on him and said, you know what? Let's consider it. Even your debt is canceled hardly off his knees. That same servant went out and found another fellow servant who owed him a small amount of money. He grabbed the man by the throat and said, pay me what you owe me. Now the servant bag. Give me a little time. I will. But instead he threw him into prison until he'd pay every last cent.

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But there were eyewitnesses other servants who reported what he'd done back to the King. The King called in that servant and said, you wicked slave. I forgave you a debt. You could never pay. And you couldn't show mercy to a fellow servant who owed you a paltry little sum, your massive debts back on the books. Then he says to the guards, throw this guy in jail until he pays up every last cent, Jesus then makes a sermon application. This is how my heavenly father will treat each of you. If you don't forgive the debts of your brother, that is a sober concept. As Jesus got deeper into his sermon on the Mount, he gets into a passage where he says, if your right eye causes you to stumble, I don't know.

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Maybe making Leary, creepy lustful glares at people, pluck it out. Isn't it better to go through life with one eye than with two eyes, be slipping and sliding toward an eternity in hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, I don't know, maybe grabbing stuff that doesn't belong to. You cut it off. Isn't it better to go through life with just your left hand? Jesus principle is God is the God of the living. He breathed life into you. You're an eternal being with an eternal destiny. Think long-term dear people. One of Jesus' parable stories to illustrate. This is a real head scratcher, but one of my favorites, Luke records this in chapter 16, Jesus said there was a certain rich man who had a manager of his assets.

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He believed that manager was squandering his resources. So he said, wrap up your accounts. This is your pink slip. You're fired. The manager thought to himself, what am I going to do without a job? I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to dig ditches. I know what I'll do. So he goes to the rich man's debtors, his accounts receivable clients. One of these clients owed money for 900 gallons of olive oil. The manager said not anymore, write down 450 gallons. Another client owed four, a thousand bushel of wheat. The manager said, this is your lucky day.

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I'm authorizing that to be 800 bushel. The rich man, his employer heard about this. He summons him in and surprisingly says this, wow, I gotta hand it to you. That was really shrewd. Jesus' sermon. Application is a real eyebrow raiser. You can look up online. The parable of the dishonest manager and people are banging this one around all over. What is Jesus commending dishonesty. That's not his point. He's intending to shock us awake wise. People consider the hereafter, not just the here. They make decisions in this life. That positively impact the next life in Jesus sermon on the Mount.

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He notes that we're to love each other. His audience was pretty good at loving those who are lovable, but the unlovely forget it. And there was no group more unlovely than the Samaritans. But Jesus in his sermon says citizens in my kingdom will love their enemies. They will pray for those who despitefully use them. They will care for needy people, good or bad friend or foe. I hope you have at least a working understanding of the sermon illustration Jesus used for this, that parable of the good Samaritan. I'm going to have you go read it for yourself in Luke chapter 10, it's set up by a stuffy religious person's question.

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Who is that neighbor I'm supposed to love in Jesus' sermon. He talks about where our heart is. What captivates our thoughts in a word, what do we treasure? His sermon point is don't treasure. The things that this earth stuff, rots and money Withers under inflation. Instead make the treasure of your heart. God's kingdom, not money and stuff. It's a fool's errand to make stuff in money. The treasure of your heart. We call one of the sermon illustrations of Jesus to vividly illustrate this sermon point. The parable of the rich fool Jesus is teaching in the crowd and someone shouts out, Hey Jesus, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

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Jesus responds to the crowd. Oh, people watch out for every form of greed for, I hope the treasure of your life doesn't consist of possessions. Then he told this parable, a rich farmer had a bumper crop. He says to himself, what am I going to do? I don't even have enough places to store all this stuff. I mean, what could he do share it. Maybe then he said to himself, I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. And they're all store all this surplus grain. Then I'll say to myself, you have plenty. Now for years, take it easy, eat, drink, and be Merry.

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But God said to him, you fool this very night. Your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you prepared for yourself? Jesus application. This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves, but are not rich toward God whose treasure is on earth. Not in heaven. Let me give you one more toward the end of Jesus' sermon on the Mount, he says something that really rattles lots of readers. Jesus says not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God. But those who do the will of my father Jesus' sermon illustration, parable is found in Matthew 21.

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Jesus likely gives this the last week of his life. And it's to religious Jews who have been consistently rejecting him as the Messiah. And they're rejecting him believing, they're doing God a favor to that audience. Jesus says this, what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, son, go and work today in the vineyard that son said, I will not. But later he changed his mind and went then the father went to the other son and said the same thing this son answered, sir, I will. But he didn't go. Which of the two do you think? Did what the father wanted?

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Jesus religious audience responds the first son, Jesus sermon application. Jesus answered. That's the correct answer. And the prostitutes and tax collectors are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. His audience understood what he was suggesting. They were the second son who gave lip service of obedience to God and expectation for his coming Messiah. Who'd saved them from their sin. The tax collectors and prostitutes and Gentiles were the first son, the ones who initially rejected him, but changed their mind and said, Lord Lord, be merciful to me.

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This is just a small sampling of Jesus. Amazing parable story is I just want to prime your pump, wet your appetite to dive in and read and ponder the rest. We'll be looking at several more of them as we go by them on our journey, through the rest of Jesus' life in the gospels. As I mentioned in the introduction to some of Jesus' listeners, the lights came on, they got it. It stirred up their trust and excitement about Jesus, the promise savior and King others got it. And it stirred up anger and some didn't get it at all. It was a great story, but they completely missed the point.

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As Jesus came down off that hillside, where he taught his most famous sermon. He heads back out with his disciples for his second year of ministry, a town by town tour, mostly in the area of Galilee. He continues to bind up the broken set free the captive and proclaim. The year of God's favor has arrived. We're going to take a look at what happened on that second year of Jesus' good news tour in our next wordpicture.