Last week, we examined “The Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard” and the object of the parable is the sovereignty of God in salvation i.e., how He chooses to show His grace to some and not to others. 

Let’s re-read the parable together. Matthew Chapter 20:1-16 (ESV),

“[1] “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, [4] and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ [5] So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. [6] And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ [7] They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ [8] And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ [9] And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. [10] Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. [11] And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, [12] saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ [13] But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? [14] Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ [16] So the last will be first, and the first last.”.

[Review of last week’s study removed as unnecessary – refer to part 1 for a breakdown of our first study]

Let’s get into Part 2 of our discussion. Now the question is “Why did Jesus use this parable at that time?”, and the answer to that is that Jesus gave this parable right after His conversation with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, beginning at verse 16, “Good Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”. He probably thought of himself as a guy who had done his spiritual duties and whose spiritual life was in order. But Jesus challenges him on his obedience under the Law. However, the rich young man insists that “all of these things I have kept. What do I still lack?” to which Jesus tells him to sell everything he owned, give the proceeds to the poor, and to follow Him. But rather than repent, the man simply walked away sad. 

The Twelve were shocked by what Jesus said to him. In verse 25, they asked “Who then can be saved?”. Jesus then emphasizes that salvation is GOD’S work, not something any sinner can merit for himself. In Verse 26, He says “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. The Twelve are faced with the inability to earn God’s favor. They had left everything behind to follow Christ, unlike this rich young ruler. Verse 27 confirms that and they need reassurance that their sacrifice for the Lord wasn’t all a waste. And that’s when Jesus tells them this parable. 

Verse 27, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”. In the parable, the disciples are the 6:00am day laborers. They were the first called by the Lord at the start of His ministry here on earth, they had given up their homes & jobs to follow Christ. They would all eventually die for the sake of the Gospel and they wanted to know that their sacrifices counted for something. 

They knew that Jesus was the Messiah and they expected an earthly kingdom but that was an immature understanding of Christ’s earthly mission. In Acts 1:6, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”. They were still expecting their crowns.

Matthew 19:27, Peter asks “What then will we have?”. Jesus does assure them that they’ll have places of honor in the Kingdom of God, but Jesus also says that everyone else in the Kingdom of God will be honored as well. In verses 28 & 29 Jesus says, “[28]…“Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”. 

They greatly desired “special honors”. Matthew 20:20-24 reads, “[20] Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. [21] And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” [22] Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” [23] He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” [24] And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.”. They were upset because they all craved the best seats!

In the Upper Room, just after the Lord broke the bread and blessed the wine, “…a dispute arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24). What a picture of human nature! “The Parable of The Workers In The Vineyard” was given to the Twelve to confront them in their selfishness and greed for greatness.

The clear lesson of this parable is that God gives the same overwhelming grace to everyone who follows Jesus. Even the thief on the cross. Thankfully, God doesn’t give any believer what he or she truly DESERVES. 

1 Corinthians 3:14-15, Paul says “[14] If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire”. 

Christ teaches us about a foundational truth about the eternal life that is given to all who embrace Him as Lord and Savior. Heaven is a gift of grace, given to all believers equally. In the kingdom of God, He doesn’t play favorites and therefore doesn’t make distinctions between male and female, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile. 

Number 1: It is God who initiates salvation. In the parable, the landowner went to the Marketplace of the world and brought the workers into his vineyard. God is the seeker AND the savior – our salvation is entirely His work.We don’t have a right to make any demands upon Him and we don’t have a right to set any limits upon what He decides to give or not to give to someone other than us.  

Number 2: God calls and saves sinners. He calls those who understand and KNOW their own need, not people who think of themselves as “just fine” and “in need of nothing”. Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Number 3: God is sovereign even in the outworking of His salvation. We don’t know why God sometimes saves people at a young age nor why He does so on a person’s death bed (or somewhere in-between). God alone sovereignly determines both who He will call and when He will do so. 

Number 4: God is faithful and keeps all of His promises. The landowner told the first group of day laborers that he’d pay them a full denarius and at the end of the workday, he did. He kept His promise to the others he hired later as well. 

Number 5: God gives us much more than we ever deserve. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (James 1:17). As sinners, we all deserve nothing less than eternal death. That would be justice. But we didn’t get justice. We got GRACE. 

Number 6: We should always celebrate the graciousness of God. This parable exalts His gracious nature. Personally, I can’t help but be in awe at His grace towards me. God’s grace extends to the CHIEF of sinners; what a reason to rejoice! 

So, with that measure of grace shown to me, how can I withhold similar grace to another? Is there an opportunity for me to extend a similar grace to someone else? Co-worker, friend, spouse, child, sibling, parent, etc? To treat them far better than they deserve? Time is short, so let’s all celebrate the gift of His grace towards us.

Tonight, we’re looking at the parable of our Lord known as “The Parable of The Workers In The Vineyard” from Matthew 20:1-16. 

Quick review: We understand that with Parables, we are always looking for ONE particular point or meaning because with few exceptions, Parables contain within them ONE central theme or main idea. And though there is only ONE central meaning within this particular parable, there are many different APPLICATIONS to our own lives. 

So let’s go ahead and read the text together. (Text from the English Standard Version, ESV)

“[1] “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, [4] and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ [5] So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. [6] And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ [7] They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ [8] And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ [9] And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. [10] Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. [11] And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, [12] saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ [13] But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? [14] Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ [16] So the last will be first, and the first last.”.

Now, Jesus uses familiar imagery:

• The idea of a landowner, or “master of the house”. 
  • Was wealthy, had influence
  • His vineyard had to be large enough to need so many workers to help with the harvest.
• Features a vineyard. 
  • Harvest time was short and frantic since the fields had to be harvested before the rainy season came

The landowner goes to the Marketplace to hire day laborers. Verse 1 tells us went out “early in the morning” (before 6:00am) since work begins at 6am. 

Wages for day laborers were much lower than standard pay for full-time employees. 

• Standard wage for an employee was 1 denarius per day (based on what a Roman soldier was paid) but day laborers were paid much, much less.

We see how generous the landowner was by his offer of a full day’s wages to these day laborers. They would have been ecstatic at such a proposition.

At the third hour (9:00am), the landowner goes to hire more day laborers. 

• Hires them under vague terms (ie, “I will give you what is right”)

In verse 5, he goes again at noon and 3pm, and “did likewise” and in verse 6, he goes out again, this time at “the eleventh hour” (5:00pm). Only one hour left in the workday, yet the landowner hires them. Ecstatic wouldn’t begin to describe how they felt. 

The landowner was faithful to God’s law. 

• Leviticus demands that pay be given at the end of the workday and that the money owed to him or her not remain with the employer until morning. 
• Deuteronomy chapter 24:14-15 says the same.

When evening came, the landowner had his Foreman call the laborers together to pay them, starting with the LAST to the FIRST. 

• The guys who worked only ONE hour were at the front
• The guys who worked all day for the full TWELVE hours were at the back 

The Foreman is instructed to pay the guys at the front a full Denarius – a FULL DAY’S PAY – for just ONE hour of work. The Foreman pays the guys at the back of the line the one Denarius that they originally agreed to be paid. And now the complaints come. “That’s not fair”, etc. 

The landowner responds, “Friend, I’ve done you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with the terms I offered you when I chose you at the Marketplace? Take what’s owed to you and leave. I want to give to these other guys the same amount I’ve given to you. Is that a crime? To do with my things what I wish? Is that unlawful? Or are you jealous because I’m generous with my riches?”. 

What changed? Why did their initial happiness give way to grumbling? Because some who they saw as unworthy received just as much as they got – MORE than what they got (when you do the math). They couldn’t stand the thought that these other guys would have been given more than they did despite working much harder and for much longer. So all of their gratitude vanished and gave way to bitterness and resentment. The workers who had been chosen for work at the eleventh hour would have been absolutely ecstatic and overjoyed. They understood better than anyone else in that line how generously they had been treated. 

The last verse, “So the first will be last and the last first”. What does that mean? The point Jesus makes is those that are hired first and those that are hired last all received the exact same pay. From the first to the last got the full benefit of his generosity. 

All of the Lord’s Parables deal with heavy themes. This is no different – we encounter questions of grace and merit. And especially in light of God’s sovereign election in salvation; a topic that has become somewhat controversial. 

Contrasting Judas and the thief on the Cross: 

• Judas – in the close circle of the Lord, one of the Twelve, had power and authority to cast out demons and cure diseases, he shared meals with the Lord, witnessed the miracles of Jesus firsthand, he evangelized, and he was the treasurer for the Twelve
• The thief on the cross – a life-long cutthroat criminal, a highwayman/robber, an ambush killer, a co-conspirator of Barabbas, and who was now being punished for his crimes, being crucified next to Jesus. 

Yet it was the thief on the cross that joined Christ in Paradise that same day, clothed in perfect righteousness, all of his sin paid for. 

Many people think heaven is a reward for a good life lived here on earth and they may be upset with that kind of a contrast. Maybe they feel justice was thrown aside in this case. After all, the thief didn’t do anything to deserve heaven. Lots of people suggest that Judas was treated too harshly or even unfairly. 

Judas himself was the type that would keep score in those kinds of calculations. When the woman anointed the feet of Jesus with the expensive perfume, Judas knew the precise value saying, “Why wasn’t this sold for 300 denarii (almost a year’s wages) and given to the poor?”. He would have been the type of person who would have said that Jesus’ gift of grace was too generous and was wasted on the thief on the cross.  Lots of really religious people resent it when God saves people that they believe are unworthy of such favor. And it’s true – we ARE unworthy to receive God’s grace; it’s the resentment of it in others that’s the problem in this parable. No one DESERVES God’s grace. We are all guilty sinners and no one who has sinned has any CLAIM on God’s grace. He is not OBLIGATED to dispense His grace to us. If it were OBLIGATED, it wouldn’t be GRACE. In truth, we don’t want justice and we don’t want “fair”. What we want and need is grace.  

God DOES have the divine authority and the sovereign RIGHT to dispense His grace how He sees fit. He is sovereign. Everybody seems to be on the same page with regard to God’s sovereignty UNTIL we get to the question of God’s distribution of His grace. NOW comes the affront to a person’s human sensibilities with regard to God’s sovereignty. Paul even spells out the doctrine of election in the book of Romans, in the 9th chapter – verses 6-7 saying, “[6] But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, [7] and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”. And then he goes on in verses 10-14 saying, “[10] And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, [11] though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— [12] she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [13] As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Now, Paul understands human nature. He anticipates the reaction. He continues in verse 14, “[14] What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?…”. 

But “THAT’S NOT FAIR!. They hadn’t even done anything! They hadn’t even been born, for crying out loud!”. Yet, God sovereignly, for the purposes of His election, in order to show His mercy, chooses one and rejects the other. So those who He elects and saves sovereignly, receive His grace and those who do NOT receive His grace, they receive His justice. Exactly what they deserve. Do we really believe that God is sovereign in His grace? Paul answers the question he asks rhetorically “is there injustice on God’s part?” by responding “God forbid!”. “…[14] By no means!”. God said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”. God sovereignly has the right – according to His sovereign purposes and His own will, to show mercy and grace upon whoever He chooses without being required to give it to the other. 

The workers in this parable who worked all day got justice. The other workers however received WAY more than they bargained for; they received grace. The Kingdom of God is like that: God is the Owner and has the sovereign authority to be gracious to whom He will be gracious. 

And that’s the point. That if you are in Christ, you are truly a believer, then you – just like everyone else in God’s Kingdom – receive the immeasurable benefits of God’s grace. The blessings that have been given to us in our redemption are not based on resumes, personal service, or achievements. Forgiveness is never weighed against the good things we have done against the bad things. EVERYONE who enters the Kingdom of God receives the full measure of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace DESPITE however long you’ve been doing the work of the Kingdom. That’s true whether you die for the cause of Christ or you die peacefully while you sleep. It’s true of folks who come to Christ as children and those who come to Him as they lay dying. We who are in Christ will all go to be with our Lord, just like Paul, and Moses, and the thief on the cross. Heaven isn’t a prize for hard work. 

Does that seem unfair? Well, it way more than ANY of us deserve. The benefits of the Kingdom are the same for everyone because we’re redeemed only by God’s grace and nothing else. That’s fantastic news for sinners – that we can’t merit or work our way into God’s favor. Stop trying to get into His good graces. It wasn’t because of you that He chose to love you anyway. It was because of HIM and Who HE is that He chose to show His grace to you in salvation. 

By way of reminder: 

• Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived
• The crowds were astonished by the way He taught
• He used parables
  • Only used by Jesus in the NT
  • Rare in the OT (Nathan the Prophet & King David is one example)
• Parable means “to throw something alongside something else” ie, a comparison thrown alongside a truth
• Jesus used parables to reveal deeper truths to those who have been given understanding but used them in judgment against those who had not been given understanding. 
• Main theme of most parables was the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven)
• We never interpret parables allegorically
  • Look for a single, clear main point in a given parable (though there are sometimes exceptions) 

Today we’ll be looking at “The Parable of The Rich Fool”. Read Luke 12:13-21. 

Jesus is speaking to a massive crowd about the Kingdom of God: 

• He warns His disciples against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees “beware [their] leaven”
• Fear God rather than man 
• If one acknowledges Christ before men, Christ proclaims that person before the angels & if one denies Christ before men, Christ will deny him before angels
• Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

In the middle of these spiritual lessons, a man runs up and demands that Jesus settle a dispute about an inheritance even though it had nothing at all to do with what the Lord was teaching. 

There were rules about how property/inheritances were to be divided among after a father passed away. In that case, they could go to a rabbi and he would act as attorney and teacher. But this man doesn’t go to Jesus in submission to Him as a student would submit himself to a Teacher. And that gives us an indication of what weighed on this guy’s heart. Obviously, it wasn’t what the Lord was teaching. It was materialism that energized his thinking and his heart. Is that true of some of us? Is that true of me? Is that true some of the time? ALL of the time?

This man could have gone to any other rabbi but he went to Jesus, why?

• Jesus taught with power and authority, unlike the scribes of the day? 
• Jesus was becoming influential in his eyes?
• Peer (crowd) pressure?

Either way, Jesus was turned-off by the guy’s question. He was interrupted by someone whose only interest is in material possessions rather than what he can LEARN from Jesus and apply to his life. And the Lord responds with a sharp rebuke: “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”. Jesus wasn’t in the business of adjudicating cases where earthly possessions are being disputed. 

Then, in front of everyone, Jesus says “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” This man was motivated by the thinking that what was important in life was “stuff”. 

The recent lottery had me thinking: What was it? $1 billion? Many of us might be tempted to think it would be wonderful to win that amount. But God forbid that I ever would: it’s a CURSE! What happened to big lottery winners historically? 

• Bankruptcies
• Drug abuse
• Homelessness
• Suicides
• Murders
• A lot of ruin 

Pauls tells us in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 that “…those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”. 

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And before the parable, Jesus says “take care and be on guard against all covetousness”. Why? Covetousness includes jealousy, resentment, and greed for things that belong to others. People do all sorts of awful things in the name of covetnousness.

If covetousness is so ruinous, why do so many churches tell us to pursue as a goal the very thing that Scripture clearly teaches will ruin us? Why has the Christianization of “The American Dream” become so popular? One of the reasons that the so-called “prosperity gospel” is so dangerous is because it promises exactly what the flesh wants. The TRUE Gospel says to your flesh, “You must die!”. The prosperity gospel says to your flesh, “You get to live!” and “You get everything that you, in your sinful, carnal state ever wanted”. That is NOT the gospel. Christ came to redeem us from sin. 

This parable of our Lord starts by telling us that the rich man’s land produced plentifully. The very providence of God Himself is what has provided this bumper crop. Irreverence and ingratitude are two major characteristics of our fallenness. After all, we are RECIPIENTS of God’s providence and kindness and grace. But this guy in the parable gives no thought to thanking God or even acknowledging Him as the source of his wealth (ingratitude and irreverence). Then he starts talking to himself and he asks himself how he can store and hoard this new blessing. He gives no thought to enriching his neighbors or his church. He then answers himself by proclaiming he will wreck the old barns and build bigger ones.  

This man was rich but he was also a fool. Having wealth isn’t bad. Being married to it IS. Biblically speaking, a “fool” isn’t someone who is dumb. Being referred to as a fool (biblically) is a MORAL judgment. In Psalm 14, David tells us that “It is the FOOL who says in his heart, “There is no God”.” The last thing on his mind is God and he uses personal pronouns to describe the blessings he has: “My crops. My barns. My grains. My goods. My soul”. He has no interest in spiritual things. 

But here comes something awful. “[20] […] God said to him…”. The whole parable, this man is talking to himself but now God speaks. He says, “FOOL! Tonight your soul is required of you”. This guy won’t ever touch another dollar. He won’t be waking up tomorrow to look out over his fields and watch the harvest come in. He isn’t going to see those new barns being built because now he’s dead. All the “stuff” he’s accumulated, all his wealth, will be given to people who are just going to fight over it. Great application for us today. Life’s not about the fruits of our labor. It’s totally fine to have those. But life is under God’s control; our births and deaths are all ordained by God. Hearses don’t pull U-Hauls. He who has the most toys when he dies DOESN’T win. 

Finally, from verse 21, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God..”. In front of the whole crowd, Jesus identified this guy, who ran up and demanded an arbitration over an inheritance, as a fool. 

Where do I store MY treasures? There is a lot to be said and there is a lot of application for our own lives today. Having wealth isn’t bad. Not at all. But if that’s where our hearts are, let’s perform an examination of our hearts and realign them to Christ. Jesus says in Matthew (6:21), “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. He must always be our object of worship, no matter how large or how small our wealth is. 

Let’s start with some questions:

• What is a “parable”? 
• Is it the same as an allegory or metaphor? 
• What does the word “parable” mean? 
• Why did Jesus use them so frequently? 
• Did Jesus invent parables? 
• How do we properly interpret them? 
• Do parables come with any interpretive challenges? 
• Are there many ways to interpret what Jesus was saying in them? 

We’ll be examining the Parable Of The Unjust Judge (also known as the Parable of The Persistent Widow). But let’s set something straight before we do so: Jesus was the greatest teacher in human history (though He was so much MORE than that). We know that was the case because Jesus was the actual embodiment of Truth itself (being that He was fully God). Therefore the content of His teaching was perfect, since He was Divine. And even stylistically, Jesus was an amazing teacher. The way He spoke, the way He taught, etc. 

We read in the Gospel accounts of Matthew and John in the 7th chapter(s), that the crowds were astonished by the way He taught. Even the Pharisees commented that, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). They even said of Him that, “…He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes [and religious leaders].” (John 7:29). The word used here in the Greek for “authority” (“exousia”) can also be translated as “power”. That is to say that the teachings of Jesus were not trivial or casual or shallow. Rather, His teaching was profoundly significant. He spoke with authority and power. Every word He spoke had substance. 

Another memorable aspect of the teachings of our Lord (besides His style of speaking) was His use of parables (though Jesus didn’t “invent” parables). The parables of Jesus were designed to illustrate NEW revelation about the Kingdom of God that wasn’t yet understood.

A couple other interesting points to note: 

• In the New Testament, parables are only found in the Gospels (the teachings of our Lord). 
• They are rare in the Old Testament (Nathan’s parable to King David of “The Rich Man And The Poor Man’s Lamb” for example)

The word “parable” means: 

• “Comparison”
• Comes from the Greek word where we get the word “parabola” 
• “Para” is the prefix which means something that is alongside something else. 
• The root of the word from where we get the word “parable” means “to throw”. 

Jesus used parables this way: 

• He’s teaching some important idea and in order for Him to clarify His meaning, He “throws” the parable alongside of it to illustrate and explain the truth that He is giving. 
• So a “Parable” means “to throw something alongside something else”. 

But there’s actually another important thing to consider about the parables Jesus used:

• “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). He’s talking about people that have an ability to “hear” to UNDERSTAND and to grab ahold of the truth that Jesus is speaking. He understood that some of the people who were present DID understand and there were people present who DIDN’T understand. It never really penetrated their hearts. And so Jesus was making a distinction between those who “hear” and those who “don’t hear”. 

Also of note, In Mark 4, verses 10-12, He says “[10] And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. [11] And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, [12] so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven”.” 

So to those that have ears “to hear”, Jesus uses the parable to bring revelation of His deeper truths. But to those who DON’T have ears “to hear”, Jesus uses the parable as a way of hiding the truth. So parables weren’t simply used to make the deeper truths of what our Lord was teaching more CLEAR to everyone; they were also used to HIDE what He taught to those “outside” that were not given the understanding of the Kingdom of God. Wow, that sure doesn’t sound like the popular modern image of “Hippy Jesus” who’s just floating around and smiling and begging on His hands and knees for people to come to Him.

So: Jesus not only came to help people understand the Kingdom of God (for those who have ears to hear) but He also came as a judgment against those who have NOT been given an understanding and who don’t care and don’t want to hear the truth. Remember, particularly in the New Testament, we are described as people BY NATURE (in our fallen, corrupt, natural state) who don’t want to hear God’s word and who don’t have a built-in desire to WANT to follow Him. And because of that, whenever God speaks His word, which is redeeming for some, it is an expression of judgment against others. 

Let’s look at the 6th chapter of Isaiah. We recall how Isaiah had seen just a glimpse of the holiness of God. And how he heard the seraphim singing the song which began “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts…”. And you’ll remember that he then pronounced a curse upon himself and declared that he was a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips. And how God then sends an angel to him to cauterize his lips and purify him with a coal from the altar of God. 

And so as Isaiah is standing there trembling in terror before the holiness of God, he hears a voice from heaven asking “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”. And Isaiah responds with “Here I am! Send me!”. And what does God say? “[9] Go, and say to this people: 

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 

[10] Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah is being sent to SHUT the eyes of the people. To CLOSE the ears of the people. That the hearts of the people might be HARDENED; LEST they repent and be healed. So Isaiah was sent by God to be His instrument of judgment. A judgment where God says [PARAPHRASING], “The people don’t want to hear my word? Fine. Then I’m going to give them over to exactly what they want. They don’t want to look at me? Fine. I’m going to close their eyes. They don’t want to hear my word? Good. I’m going to shut their ears. Lest they repent and be healed.”

Isaiah responds by asking, “Lord: How long will I have to go and preach to a people who don’t want to hear it?”. And what does God say? He says in verse 11, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, [12] and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. [13] And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.” God saves a remnant of His people for Himself, who WILL hear and be given ears to hear. Who will be given understanding, to embrace His truth. In order that they might repent and believe and be healed (or converted). 

So now we see that Jesus came as a Savior to some but as a judgment to others. He came for a rising and a falling of many. Many would rise with Christ and many would fall before Him. He even said of Himself that He came not to bring peace but a sword. To set children against parents, and husband against wife, and so on. 

A number of different themes in the parables but the chief theme in the parables that Jesus used was the “Gospel of The Kingdom of God”. Now what is meant by the word “Gospel”? The word was used with regard to the proclamations of John the Baptist AND Jesus. And in both cases, the term “Gospel” refers to the “Good News” of the Kingdom of God. And later in the epistles of the New Testament, for example the letters written by Paul and Peter, will refer to the “Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” such that the actual content of that Gospel is the very Person and Work of Jesus. And over and over throughout His parables, Jesus will use the words “…and the Kingdom of God (of the Kingdom of heaven) is likewise” or “like unto this”. And He would throw alongside that announcement of truth, a parable, so that we might come to understand the “mystery” of the Kingdom of God. 

A very important note about the interpretation of the parables: 

• The early church fathers used the “allegorical method of interpretation” which was such that they would try to find some hidden meaning in every single element within a parable. 
• John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is allegorical (each character that Christian meets along the way is understood to be representative of a type of person that we might encounter in our own lives). That’s how the church fathers attempted to interpret the parables. However, that method of interpreting parables has become almost universally discredited. In other words, since that time we interpret the meaning or significance of a given parable as one, central, decisive point or theme. They are NOT to be handled as allegory. They are not to be interpreted allegorically where we attempt to find some hidden significance in every item noted within the parable. 

Let’s look at the parable of “The Good Samaritan” in Luke 10:25-37: 

• Probably the most famous of our Lord’s parables
• The term “Good Samaritan” is frequently used by society as an idiom for good works
• Most States in the U.S. have laws known as “Good Samaritan” laws
• There are lots of hospitals across the country called, “Good Samaritan Hospital” 

“[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” [27] And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” [28] And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”. [30] Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Jesus is questioned by a lawyer who challenged Jesus about the Law (as a way to trap Him rather than being genuinely interested in His wisdom). It’s obvious that our Lord knew that the Pharisees, etc prided themselves on what they viewed as their flawless adherence to the Law of God and (by virtue of following the Law) would then have cause to merit their entrance into God’s Kingdom. 

But the Law exposes our sin (Paul later said that the Law is our tutor, leading us to Christ). So when we view the Law correctly, we should be driven to despair and therefore see our needfulness of a Savior. But the lawyer wasn’t finished and he asked our Lord, “Who is my neighbor?”. For the Pharisees, the idea of “neighbor” was narrowly defined as a fellow righteous Jew and they differentiated themselves as “righteous men” from the “people of the land”, those who they viewed as lesser than themselves, the lower classes. That includes those who were seen as “outside” of the nation of Israel because they would have been seen as outside the “neighborhood” of God. The most reviled and hated of those “outside” would have been the Samaritans. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans because there was a tremendous amount of historic enmity between them. 

Jesus then answers this lawyer’s question by giving this parable. He speaks of a man traveling to Jericho from Jerusalem. The road between would have been a prime location for thugs and thieves and robbers to lie in wait for lone travelers to wander by to attack. Jesus describes a man attacked by thieves who robbed and beat him badly and left him for dead. 

A certain priest, seeing the poor guy, crossed the road and passed by on the other side. Why? There were laws among priests & Levites having to do with touching a dead body. So rather than take a chance, he walked to the other side of the road and kept walking. In like manner, a Levite (a priest of the Jews) came upon this man and he too passed by the poor guy on the road. These two men were set apart for the work of the Ministry. And yet they gave no care to this man on the road. 

But now we read of a man that Jesus identifies as a Samaritan. The parable says that when he saw the man lying there he had compassion. The Samaritan would end up doing everything he could to render aid to this poor soul. The Samaritan bandages his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And after having done that, picked him up and put him ON HIS ANIMAL. He gave up HIS seat so that this half-dead guy would have a place to ride. And then we’re told that the Samaritan took the man to an Inn. He buys him a room, makes sure he gets everything he needs, food, etc. and even stays the night with the guy making sure he’s ok. The next day before he left, he even gave the Innkeeper money and said to take care of the guy and if he should require more money for additional care or food or nights at the Inn, then he would be back to take care of the bill. 

Jesus then asks the lawyer, “[36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”. And of course he responds “The one who showed him mercy”. He didn’t just feel a sense of compassion – he actually SHOWED him mercy. Remember the whole point of this parable was to answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?”. And it’s clear from the parable that there are no limitations on the Kingdom of God. 

There’s no such thing as a universal brotherhood with the world. But there is a universal neighborhood. Which is to say that every human being created in the image of God is our neighbor. And that means that we are called to love every human being on the face of the earth as much as I love myself. Pretty convicting stuff for me personally. 

And with that, we will close our introduction to the parables of our Lord. 

Let’s start with some questions:

• What is a “parable”? 
• Is it the same as an allegory or metaphor? 
• What does the word “parable” mean? 
• Why did Jesus use them so frequently? 
• Did Jesus invent parables? 
• How do we properly interpret them? 
• Do parables come with any interpretive challenges? 
• Are there many ways to interpret what Jesus was saying in them? 

We’ll be examining the Parable Of The Unjust Judge (also known as the Parable of The Persistent Widow). But let’s set something straight before we do so: Jesus was the greatest teacher in human history (though He was so much MORE than that). We know that was the case because Jesus was the actual embodiment of Truth itself (being that He was fully God). Therefore the content of His teaching was perfect, since He was Divine. And even stylistically, Jesus was an amazing teacher. The way He spoke, the way He taught, etc. 

We read in the Gospel accounts of Matthew and John in the 7th chapter(s), that the crowds were astonished by the way He taught. Even the Pharisees commented that, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). They even said of Him that, “…He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes [and religious leaders].” (John 7:29). The word used here in the Greek for “authority” (“exousia”) can also be translated as “power”. That is to say that the teachings of Jesus were not trivial or casual or shallow. Rather, His teaching was profoundly significant. He spoke with authority and power. Every word He spoke had substance. 

Another memorable aspect of the teachings of our Lord (besides His style of speaking) was His use of parables (though Jesus didn’t “invent” parables). The parables of Jesus were designed to illustrate NEW revelation about the Kingdom of God that wasn’t yet understood.

A couple other interesting points to note: 

• In the New Testament, parables are only found in the Gospels (the teachings of our Lord). 
• They are rare in the Old Testament (Nathan’s parable to King David of “The Rich Man And The Poor Man’s Lamb” for example)

The word “parable” means: 

• “Comparison”
• Comes from the Greek word where we get the word “parabola” 
• “Para” is the prefix which means something that is alongside something else. 
• The root of the word from where we get the word “parable” means “to throw”. 

Jesus used parables this way: 

• He’s teaching some important idea and in order for Him to clarify His meaning, He “throws” the parable alongside of it to illustrate and explain the truth that He is giving. 
• So a “Parable” means “to throw something alongside something else”. 

But there’s actually another important thing to consider about the parables Jesus used:

• “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). He’s talking about people that have an ability to “hear” to UNDERSTAND and to grab ahold of the truth that Jesus is speaking. He understood that some of the people who were present DID understand and there were people present who DIDN’T understand. It never really penetrated their hearts. And so Jesus was making a distinction between those who “hear” and those who “don’t hear”. 

Also of note, In Mark 4, verses 10-12, He says “[10] And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. [11] And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, [12] so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven”.” 

So to those that have ears “to hear”, Jesus uses the parable to bring revelation of His deeper truths. But to those who DON’T have ears “to hear”, Jesus uses the parable as a way of hiding the truth. So parables weren’t simply used to make the deeper truths of what our Lord was teaching more CLEAR to everyone; they were also used to HIDE what He taught to those “outside” that were not given the understanding of the Kingdom of God. Wow, that sure doesn’t sound like the popular modern image of “Hippy Jesus” who’s just floating around and smiling and begging on His hands and knees for people to come to Him.

So: Jesus not only came to help people understand the Kingdom of God (for those who have ears to hear) but He also came as a judgment against those who have NOT been given an understanding and who don’t care and don’t want to hear the truth. Remember, particularly in the New Testament, we are described as people BY NATURE (in our fallen, corrupt, natural state) who don’t want to hear God’s word and who don’t have a built-in desire to WANT to follow Him. And because of that, whenever God speaks His word, which is redeeming for some, it is an expression of judgment against others. 

Let’s look at the 6th chapter of Isaiah. We recall how Isaiah had seen just a glimpse of the holiness of God. And how he heard the seraphim singing the song which began “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts…”. And you’ll remember that he then pronounced a curse upon himself and declared that he was a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips. And how God then sends an angel to him to cauterize his lips and purify him with a coal from the altar of God. 

And so as Isaiah is standing there trembling in terror before the holiness of God, he hears a voice from heaven asking “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”. And Isaiah responds with “Here I am! Send me!”. And what does God say? “[9] Go, and say to this people: 

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 

[10] Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah is being sent to SHUT the eyes of the people. To CLOSE the ears of the people. That the hearts of the people might be HARDENED; LEST they repent and be healed. So Isaiah was sent by God to be His instrument of judgment. A judgment where God says [PARAPHRASING], “The people don’t want to hear my word? Fine. Then I’m going to give them over to exactly what they want. They don’t want to look at me? Fine. I’m going to close their eyes. They don’t want to hear my word? Good. I’m going to shut their ears. Lest they repent and be healed.”

Isaiah responds by asking, “Lord: How long will I have to go and preach to a people who don’t want to hear it?”. And what does God say? He says in verse 11, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, [12] and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. [13] And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.” God saves a remnant of His people for Himself, who WILL hear and be given ears to hear. Who will be given understanding, to embrace His truth. In order that they might repent and believe and be healed (or converted). 

So now we see that Jesus came as a Savior to some but as a judgment to others. He came for a rising and a falling of many. Many would rise with Christ and many would fall before Him. He even said of Himself that He came not to bring peace but a sword. To set children against parents, and husband against wife, and so on. 

A number of different themes in the parables but the chief theme in the parables that Jesus used was the “Gospel of The Kingdom of God”. Now what is meant by the word “Gospel”? The word was used with regard to the proclamations of John the Baptist AND Jesus. And in both cases, the term “Gospel” refers to the “Good News” of the Kingdom of God. And later in the epistles of the New Testament, for example the letters written by Paul and Peter, will refer to the “Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” such that the actual content of that Gospel is the very Person and Work of Jesus. And over and over throughout His parables, Jesus will use the words “…and the Kingdom of God (of the Kingdom of heaven) is likewise” or “like unto this”. And He would throw alongside that announcement of truth, a parable, so that we might come to understand the “mystery” of the Kingdom of God. 

A very important note about the interpretation of the parables: 

• The early church fathers used the “allegorical method of interpretation” which was such that they would try to find some hidden meaning in every single element within a parable. 
• John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is allegorical (each character that Christian meets along the way is understood to be representative of a type of person that we might encounter in our own lives). That’s how the church fathers attempted to interpret the parables. However, that method of interpreting parables has become almost universally discredited. In other words, since that time we interpret the meaning or significance of a given parable as one, central, decisive point or theme. They are NOT to be handled as allegory. They are not to be interpreted allegorically where we attempt to find some hidden significance in every item noted within the parable. 

Now let’s examine “The Parable of The Unjust Judge” also known as “The Parable of The Persistent Widow” which we will find in Luke 18, “[1] And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. [2] He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. [3] And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ [4] For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”[6] And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. [7] And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? [8] I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”. Thankfully we have the explanation given at the front of the parable where Jesus gives us the central theme: Jesus spoke a parable to them in order that they “…ought always to pray and not lose heart”. 

This parable is about persistent prayer in the face of: 

• Trouble
• Difficulty
• Misery
• Calamity
• Sickness
• Injustice 

Jesus tells the story of two people:

1. A widow who is totally alone and who has no one to stand up for her; no one to defend her against whoever it is that is coming against her in some matter of justice. God has a special place in His heart for widows. They were extremely vulnerable in Jesus’ day and we’re told in James 1:27, that pure and undefiled religion is the care of widows and orphans. So He decides to tell a parable using such a person whose only hope is to try and find justice by way of the court.
2. A judge. Jesus says in verse 2, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man”. This judge didn’t care about God and he didn’t care about people. Combining the lack of regard he had for those two things, how much do you suppose he cared about justice? Here’s this judge whose job it is to provide justice for this helpless widow who had no one to plead for her, no one to represent her, no one to defend her. Jesus describes how this widow comes to this judge asking for justice and how the judge refuses to intervene. But Jesus notes that the judge refused “FOR A WHILE”. 

In verses 4 & 5 we read that “…afterward [this judge] said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming”. Rather than out of a sense of morality, the judge eventually relented. She had finally worn him out. 

Jesus gives us this parable to demonstrate that we ought to be persistent in our prayers and to not faint. Usually we find a contrast in the parables between how fallen people respond and behave and how God responds and behaves. Usually that contrast shows up in the phrase, “How much more…”. And we know our God is the embodiment of perfection. He can do nothing wrong. He cannot make a mistake. 

And Jesus uses that principle here. In verse 7 he says, “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”. Now isn’t it amazing to know that God vindicates and avenges His people? The God we serve, the God we belong to metes out justice on behalf of His people. And knowing the end of the book helps tremendously in providing us with comfort and confidence in our walk with the Lord. He WILL return. He WILL gather His church to Himself. He WILL come again to judge the earth. 

We see this played out in the Exodus. And THAT Exodus was an amazing foreshadow of the greater Exodus that will come with the New Covenant, where God delivers His people from sin.

God’s vindication of His people is a wonderful promise from our Lord and it should give us tremendous comfort to know that sometimes though it might seem that He doesn’t hear our prayers or that He doesn’t seem to care about how we’re treated maliciously, or how we suffer, that we remember that we don’t serve a God who’s senile or deaf and can’t hear us and who doesn’t care. It is true that God often doesn’t answer our prayers according to our timeline or as expeditiously as we would like. But be encouraged: for reasons that are wise and perfect, God sometimes delays answering our prayers. Yet we are to continue to pray with persistence and to avoid losing faith. 
Jesus ends the parable in verse 8, “I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”. Although it’s a question that the Lord asks, He clearly knew the answer. He knows that when He returns that He will find faith on the earth and that He will find faith in His church. And it’s definitely NOT because we are so faithFUL! Rather it is because HE is faithful to keep those of us whom the Father has given Him. So be encouraged not to lean on your own power, but rather to lean on the Holy Spirit’s power to maintain your faith and your persistence in prayer and to KEEP you from fainting in the midst of your troubles.