The Parables of Jesus REVISITED

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Contents

Preface..............................................................................................1Introduction to the Study of the Parables............................................................3Parable of the Sower.................................................................................11Parable of the Tares and Wheat.......................................................................16Parable of the Mustard Seed..........................................................................23Parable of Leaven....................................................................................30The Twin Parables of the Treasure Hidden in a Field and the Pearl of Great Price.....................37Parable of the Drag Net..............................................................................44Parable of the Patient Husbandman or the Seed Growing Secretly.......................................49Parable of the Importunate Widow and the Judge.......................................................55Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.............................................................61Parable of the Ten Virgins...........................................................................69Parable of the Good Employer or Laborers in the Vineyard.............................................79Introduction to the Three Parables of Lost Things: Sheep, Coin, and Son..............................89Parable of the Lost Sheep............................................................................93Parable of the Lost Coin.............................................................................100Parable of the Lost Son..............................................................................104Parable of the Rich Fool.............................................................................114Parable of the Unjust Steward........................................................................120Parable of the Good Samaritan........................................................................129Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen.....................................................................139The Parable of Forgiveness and the Unmerciful Servant................................................147The Rich Man and Lazarus.............................................................................151Afterword............................................................................................157Bibliography.........................................................................................163

Chapter One

Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 (Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:5–15)

Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Notes on Customs

The sowing of seed in Palestine is different from that of the Western world. Our farmers will first plow their fields to break up the soil, then sow the seed, and lastly disc or plow the seed under. But the Palestinian farmers would first sow and then disc or plow the ground. By this method, the plowing breaks up the soil and turns under the seed in one operation. The soil conditions at the time the seed was broadcast did not matter since the plow would be used later.

The fields in Palestine are rocky, and in some areas the soil is very shallow because of the underlying limestone. Travelers, instead of walking around the boundary of a farm, would often make a path through the fields; this is the "way side." Fields standing fallow had weeds and thorns growing in them, and they also would be plowed under. Thus, the sower would sow seed among the weeds and thorns. What appears to the Western mind as bad farming is simply the customary Palestinian method for the given conditions. The sower intentionally sows in all the areas of his field. This helps us to understand the features of either the fruitfulness or ineffectiveness of the seeds.

Language Notes

In the explanation given by Jesus, the seed is identified as "the Word." "The Word" is a common term for the gospel, the truth, and a title of Christ (John 1:1). In the Epistles, "the Word" standing for "the gospel" is usual; the preacher preaches the word; the Word is received, and that with joy; persecution arises on account of the Word; the Word is a cause of stumbling; the Word grows; the Word brings forth fruit.

In verse 8, the Greek word [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (didomi), rendered in the King James Version as "brought forth," implies past action. However, the original Greek denotes a continuous action of bearing fruit, "yielding fruit."

In verse 21, the word translated as "tribulation" comes from the Greek [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (thlipsis) which means "to press, to squeeze, to crush." Our English word tribulation comes from the roller used by the Romans for pressing or crushing wheat. It can be compared to the old steamroller. This tribulation is not a trifling affliction or hardship.

Points of the Parable

Here we have the first of the only two parables in which Jesus employed the allegory in Matthew, Mark and Luke (the second is the parable of the tares and wheat). The allegorical interpretation given by Jesus presents a fourfold description of the field that is interpreted as four classes of people: those who have no understanding, those of shallow faith, those who are carnal-minded, and those who receive and understand the Word. These allegories were meant to stir the general audience to test the sincerity and devotion of their conversion. It is a caution given against a failure to stand fast in a time of persecution and worldliness—otherwise their lives become futile.

The story taken as a whole has an "end time" application. This can be seen from the fact that the beginning describes a different point of time from its conclusion. It begins with the description of the sowing and ends with the harvest. To the human eye, much of the labor seems futile and fruitless, apparently resulting in repeated failure. But there is a joyful confidence in knowing that God had made a beginning, bringing with it a harvest of reward beyond all expectation. In spite of every failure and opposition, from hopeless beginnings God brings forth the triumphant end that he had promised. Those who bring forth fruit will share in this glory.

The Interpretation

Jesus gave the interpretation to his disciples privately when they asked him. The meaning he gave presents no liberty to add to, alter, or detract from his word. His remarks are direct, clear, and concise. We have the four soil conditions explained: the way side, with the figure of the fowls as the wicked one; the stony places, with the significance of the heat of the sun as being persecution; the thorns, as being the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches; and lastly, the good ground, as being clear of hindrances and productive. In one case, the seed took no root; in two cases the seed did take root but without depth or strength, and so it failed.

This parable of the sower, the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24–30), and the parable of the good shepherd (John 10:1–5) are the only ones having allegories that Jesus interprets for us. There must be a reason for this, and three explanations are possible. First, could it be that he is setting forth the pattern of interpretation for all other parables? Second, could it be that the remaining parables are so clear and obvious in their allegories that they need no explanation? Or, lastly, could it be that these three were the only ones in which he used allegories, and thus they had to be interpreted? The answer does not present itself in the Gospels. The answer seems to be with us who read, study, and try to learn from his parables. The last explanation of the three seems to work best.

The Application

It should be noted that it is not the earth that is fruitful, but the seed—the Word. Man does not produce the fruit of the Spirit; none of us can make that happen. All we can do is to provide the best conditions for the seed (through our study of his Word and through having fortitude and loyalty to Christ), and then it will produce on its own, automatically, without our devising it.

The sown seed resulted in being either fruitful or unfruitful, depending upon the soil conditions. It was not the seed alone that caused the result but the seed in conjunction with the soil upon which it fell. Three soil conditions caused the seed to fail, and one caused it to produce. The productive ground was free from all the conditions of the fruitless ground. If we consider how the soil conditions reflect the hearts and attitudes of men, then we understand we must provide good ground—in the form of having a good heart and attitude. We should invite God to plow up our lives, break up the stony heart, and weed out those things that choke the Word in our lives. This can be painful to our egos and pride, for it calls upon us to humble ourselves, but it will allow the fruit of God to produce richly and profusely in us. So the challenge is, will we submit and welcome his cultivating work in us?

Chapter Two

Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43

Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Commentary

This is the second parable presented in Matthew chapter 13. It begins with the words, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto." It is the first of the kingdom parables. When these kingdom parables are given, we need to look for a specific feature about the kingdom of God or heaven that is being illustrated and taught. The lessons vary in their points, truths, applications, and audience. They are meant to be beneficial and understood by those to whom they are spoken.

Just as he did for the first parable of the sower, Jesus gave the interpretation for this parable also. And, as it was in the parable of the sower, this parable also contains allegories. Keep in mind, whenever allegories are present, they will either be explained or their meaning will be made obvious by their context, with the exception of prophetic subjects.

It should be noted how the seed from the parable of the sower is remarkably different from the seeds of this parable. Here, the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the bad seed are the children of the wicked one. In the sower parable, the seed was the Word of God. So the metaphor of seed is not consistent and should not be insisted upon.

Notes on Customs

Wheat and tares are the seeds planted. Whenever corn is mentioned in the King James translation, it is wheat, and not the grain corn (maize) that we know. Corn or maize was unknown in the Middle East until after the colonization of the Americas. Tares are botanically known as bearded darnel, a poisonous rye grass very common in the Middle East. The taste of the tare is bitter, and when eaten it causes dizziness and often acts as a violent emetic. This darnel is barely distinguishable from wheat during its growth, but when darnel and wheat reach maturity and are ready for harvest, the difference is quite distinct by their fruit (beards). It is said that the roots of the darnel creep underground and intertwine with the root systems of other plants. In the parable, the darnel was not sown by the side but in the midst of the good seed. So to "weed out" the tares would have been very difficult without uprooting the good crop of wheat along with the tares. The option is to let both grow together and separate the darnel from the wheat at the time of harvest. The desire of the servants was to purge the field of the tares, but this could not have been done without great injury to the good seed.

Points of the Parable

In the parable (verses 24–30), there are four character roles mentioned: the farmer who sows in his field, his servants, his enemy, and the reapers. The tares and the wheat are the crops planted by the enemy and the farmer. Three stages of plant growth are mentioned: the seedlings, their growth, and their harvest. The final destinies of the two crops are given: the binding and burning of the tares and the gathering and storing of the wheat in the farmer's barn.

It is worth noting that the enemy came with stealth and in darkness to do his sowing. It is almost a commentary of John 3:19, "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." After his work had been done, he went his way. He and his actions went undiscovered until the product of his evil deed became evident much later.

In the explanation of the parable (verses 37–43), Jesus identifies some of the elements of the story:

• The sower is the Son of Man (a title of Christ).

• The field is the world.

• The good seed are the children of the kingdom.

• The tares are the children of the wicked.

• The enemy is the devil.

• The harvest is the end of the world.

• The reapers are the angels.

Note that the servants in verses 27 and 28 are not identified.

The Interpretation

In verse 42, the good seed, the children of the kingdom, are called "the righteous that shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father at the end of this age." Their end is glorious. The children of the wicked face the fate with all lost, impenitent souls that is so clearly declared in Scripture.

The suffering and punishment of the wicked should have caused alarm among the lost hearers in the audience. It presented a calamity to them.

The harvest is a common metaphor for judgment, which always involves separating the righteous and the sinner.

God permits the righteous and the wicked to coexist in the world until the end of the age. They are, at times, superficially indistinguishable from one another. Hypocrites fit the description of the tares, and like the tares, they become known by their fruits. The tares are imitation wheat, and the hypocrites are imitation Christians. But we should not force this meaning on the tares; it appears that they are the lost of every category.

When we read the interpretation carefully, we see an association of the "world" in verse 38 with the "kingdom" in verse 41. This has led some to interpret the field to be the church. A testing of that view is required to prove this interpretation. By definition, the universal church consists of all the saved and only the saved. But the parable states that both lost and saved are in the world and kingdom. So, by definition, it cannot be the universal church. Is it then the local, visible church? This will not fit either, since the church is commanded to purge herself of all those who are disobedient and unruly and not allow them to remain in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 5 and Revelation 2). If local churches don't do this, they fail to conform to the model of the local church by retaining the wicked as a part of their body (1 Corinthians 5:13). However, the servants in the parable were not allowed to purge the field (verse 29). If the field is the church, this would then contradict the commands of God for the church to set out any who are unrepentant, practicing sinners. No church is allowed to keep within her assembly the children of the wicked one. We concede that within the church hypocrites can and often do exist. But is it God's desire to allow both to coexist in the body of Christ, his church, until the end of the age? No, the command is quite clear that the church is to remove them once their fruits are known. Remember, it was when the fruit of the tares appeared that they became obviously known (verse 26). Thus the world (verse 38), or kingdom (verse 41), cannot be made to fit the church with any definition, universal or local.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Parables of Jesus REVISITEDby F. Bekgaard Copyright © 2011 by Wm. F. Bekgaard. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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