We are looking this week at more parables of Jesus. These studies help us to grasp the significance of his life and give a whole picture of who He was and is. Before each time of study and reading pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see in a fresh way the wonderful life and teaching of the Saviour.
Day 1 Read Matthew 13:1-52
A long reading covering a number of stories and explanations. In the Sower, the seed is the good word of God – it must be received and nurtured in order to bear fruit in our lives. Jesus wants us to realise that we are responsible for our own hearts and responses – are we creating fertile ground in which the seed of God’s word can flourish? In the story of the wheat and weeds we are at least warned to concern ourselves with our own lives and not to judge other people. In the parable of the yeast we are encouraged to see the positive influence the word of God can have on our lives.
Day 2 Matthew 20:1-16
The punch line to this story is what grabs us. The flow of the story is obvious – at different ages people become active followers of Jesus Christ and are expected to labour for the sake of the Kingdom of God. It stands to reason that those who give a life time of service have contributed much to the good of the Kingdom of God and its witness in the world. Yet those who came in near the end are given the same as those who laboured all their lives – is that fair? The point Jesus is making is that we cannot earn our destiny – it is always a gift. Those who laboured all their lives should be delighted to see people come in even at the last minute and receive with them the gift of eternal life!
Day 3 Matthew 25
These are hard illustrations to bear – not the kind of stories to read last thing at night and have an easy night’s sleep. They are parables that warn us. Jesus is completing the picture – in earlier parables He is making the point that God invites people into His Kingdom – genuinely and with the most sincere love. Here we are told stories that warn us and others about the consequences of being careless with the gracious invitations that God makes. All of these parables are sobering and they call for an honest response as we evaluate our response to God.
Day 4 John 10:1-18
Jesus uses word pictures that would be immediately understood by his listeners. He is the gate – Jesus is the only entry point into the Kingdom of God – He is the only way in. In order to be right with God, come to God and be safe with God we have to come to and through Jesus – His words, not mine. He is the Good Shepherd. He guides, cares for and constantly protects His flock. Go and read Psalm 23 and substitute the “Lord” with “Jesus is my shepherd…” Jesus tells us that as our Shepherd He is willing to lay down His life for His flock
Day 5 John 15:1-17
Jesus uses the illustration of the grapevine. He is the vine and those who follow Him are the branches and God is the gardener. The gardener is in charge, the vine holds everything together and the branches cannot survive without the vine. Two points are made by Jesus that stand out. First of all God expects fruit – the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control – in other words a life that is like Jesus, the Vine. The greatest of these fruits is the one that is mentioned first of all – Love. The fruit must reflect the Vine