Page 5 - The Parables of Jesus

Jesus knew were already plotting to put him to death. These leaders had heard Christ’s message for three years and had personal knowledge of His many miracles – including the raising of Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days (John 11:17). And so, several weeks before the Passover, when the priests and Pharisees had received word of Lazarus’ resurrection, they decided to kill Jesus (John 11:47-49, 53). But Jesus, who knew the religious leaders’ plot, decided to speak openly about it and about the consequences they would ultimately face.
Jesus told a story about a landowner who planted a vineyard and left it in the hands of keepers, while he travelled to a distant land. After some time, the landowner sent servants to collect a portion of the harvest. But the keepers abused his servants whenever he sent them, even killing some of them. Finally, the owner sent his son and heir, thinking the keepers would surely not abuse him. However, the keepers murdered the landowner’s son, planning to take over the land for themselves. Jesus asked the chief priests and Pharisees, “Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" (Matt. 21:40, Good News Bible). These religious leaders answered that the owner would take the vineyard from them (forcefully) and give it to others who would properly render what was due him.
Jesus told them they had answered correctly. And that the Kingdom would be taken from them and given to a nation that produced timely fruit (verse 43). Christ made it clear that possessing God’s heritage requires accountability and judgment. These leaders understood that Jesus had been speaking specifically about them, and that made them more determined to get rid of Him (Matt. 21:45-46).
Jesus also recounted a parable of a man who invited many people to a great banquet. This is found in Luke 14. Interestingly, when the time came for the banquet, the invited guests began offering all kinds of excuses why they could not come. They did not consider the invitation important enough to accept. So, the host decided that no one who had initially been invited would partake of his supper. Instead, he told his servants to go out to the country roads and invite the poor, the maimed and the blind (Luke 14:21-23). Christ’s lesson here is that if those who have first received God’s invitation to His Kingdom do not appreciate it and act on it, others will be called to take their place – once again illustrating the principle that opportunity carries accountability and judgment.
The next chapter of Luke (15) contains three parables that show us God’s immense joy over the repentant. The first of these parables is about a man who had 100 sheep and lost one of them. The second tells of a woman who had ten pieces of silver and lost one of them. In each case, the point is made that there was great joy when, after searching diligently for them, the lost items were found!
The third parable in Luke 15 is probably the best known – the parable of the prodigal son. This parable beautifully illustrates God’s immense joy when a sinner comes to repentance. In this parable we not only read of the prodigal (wasteful) son falling into wrongdoing, hitting bottom and finally coming to his senses; we also see him being welcomed and embraced joyfully by his father when he sees him returning home. This points out that the Kingdom of God is not only
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