When Jesus came to earth as a man, he came to save us from our sins. He also left us his words to live by and follow. Jesus taught his disciples and the crowds that followed him. Many times he used parables to illustrate a truth.
A parable is a story that communicates a spiritual truth.
Lately, I have been studying the parables of Jesus. It was one of the ways Jesus spoke to His disciples and the crowds that listen to Him.
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record the parables of Jesus. Here are just a few examples.
The Speck and The Log – Matthew 7:1-5,
The Mustard Seed – Matthew 13:31-32,
The Unforgiving Servant – Matthew 18:23-35
New Cloth on Old Garment – Mark 2:21-22
The Heart of Man – Mark 7:14-23
The Faithful vs. The Wicked Servant – Mark 13:34-37
The Prodigal Son – Luke 15:11-32
The Rich Man and Lazarus – Luke 16:19-31
The Pharisee and The Tax Collector – Luke 18:9-14
Here are some of the truths that stood out to me from certain parables.
He taught us how to treat others, in the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
God’s love for the lost: in the lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7), the lost coin (Luke 15:8-18), and the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
The cost of being His disciple in Luke 14:28-33.
He even spoke to the self-righteous religious leaders of the day in the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), and the Pharisee and tax collector (Luke 18: 10-14) are just a few.
Jesus used the customs and practice of the times in his parables to make them relatable to the people. Many times his parables were not understood, but he spoke them none the less.
Over the next couple of weeks I will be writing about the parables of Jesus and the lessons we can learn from them.
Jesus had a purpose when he spoke in parables.
He was and is showing us how to live.
He was telling us how to treat our neighbor.
He was telling us about the character of God. About Himself.
The point of learning what Jesus taught us is to apply it to our lives to bring honor and glory to Him. Our Lord and Savior!
Amen