Week 1 The Parable of the Alert Servant Mark 13: 33-37
The master of the house is leaving on a journey. The servants are given work and authority. The master lets them know that they will not know the hour or time in which he will come back. The porter is specifically assigned to watch. None are to wait, but to do the work, to be sure that They are told to "watch".
The master=Jesus Christ
The servants= each of us
the work
Week 3
The Parable of the Sower of Seeds
soil= hearts of man
seed= gospel
receiveth seed by the wayside (matt 13:19)
stoney place= no nourishing of the gospel
sun= challenges that can wither faith
fowels of the air= dissenters
thorns= not doing the daily things like living commandments, reading scriptures, saying prayers
good soil= faith enought to progress in learning the gospel
The Parable of the Sower pt 2
Matt 13: 18-23
In this parable, the examples are directly related to people and their reaction when they hear the word of God. Some hear but do not understand, the wicked one catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
others receive the word and are glad but when tribulations or persecution arise because of the word, they are offended. Others receive the word but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. Finally, there are those that hear the word, understand it and it bears fruit some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
What does that mean today?
I was thinking about this first in terms of people being introduced to the gospel of Christ. In that case, I can put myself with the man that hears the word and loves it and produces fruit. There is also the alternative to hearing the different doctrines. SOme doctrines I easily grab onto, other doctrines, I am less faithful to and, unless I work to find a way to connect to and love that specific doctrine, I may let it offend me and may not produce the intended fruits as a result. If I want to stay away from the rocky, stony, thorny path, I must hear the word and find a way to love it and live it.
week 4 Matthew 13: 3-8; 19-32
This parable was given in answer to the disciples that wanted to rid the church of corrupt docterines and people in the early days of the church. The Saviour, now ing all things, did not allow the cleansing to be done at that time. The Church was in its infancy and , by taking a rash step, they could have destoyed the good and faithful in the Chrurch with the tares. Christ indicated that it would be better to let them grow together until the harvest or end of the world (paraphrased from Teachings, pp 97-98). In the JST, it is the righteous or the wheat which is gathered first.
The sower sows the seed and 4 things happen
1. the seed fallys by the wayside. Which means that when anyone hears the word of the gospel and doesn't understand it, the "wicked one" catcheth away the bit of the gospel that the person heard (v 19)
2. the seed falls in a stony place is a person that hears the word and has joy in the word but does not let the word take root in it, but dureth for a whole but when hard times come, he is offended and goes away
3. the seed is received among the thorns is someone that hears the word and understands it but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he is unfruitful
4. the seed falls on good ground hears the word, understands the word and lives the word-- thus bearing fruit of the word some an hundrefold, some sixty and some thirty.
wheat and tares
wheat- righteous of the Church
tares- corrupt
harvest-end of the world
when to harvest- if they harvested too early, the wheat and the tares look too much alike and the wheat could be accidentally pulled up and destroyed. Also, the roots of the wheat and tares were often intertwined and so, by pulling out the tares, the wheat can be destroyed
the gatherers- the angels at the end of the world or destruciton of the wicked.
gather and burn- tares or the corrupted and corruption fo the church
gather and keep- the
St. Augustine pointed out that the invisible distinction between "wheat" and "tares" also runs through the Church:
O you Christians, whose lives are good, you sigh and groan as being few among many, few among very many. The winter will pass away, the summer will come; lo! The harvest will soon be here. The angels will come who can make the separation, and who cannot make mistakes. ... I tell you of a truth, my Beloved, even in these high seats there is both wheat, and tares, and among the laity there is wheat, and tares. Let the good tolerate the bad; let the bad change themselves, and imitate the good. Let us all, if it may be so, attain to God; let us all through His mercy escape the evil of this world. Let us seek after good days, for we are now in evil days; but in the evil days let us not blaspheme, that so we may be able to arrive at the good days.[7]Augustine, Sermon #23 on the New Testament.
Source. Translated by R.G. MacMullen. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/160323.htm>.
6Budding fig tree matt24:32-35 mark 13:28-32 luke 21:29-33
The Budding Fig Tree
When the branch of the fig tree is tender and brings forth leaves, summer is near.
There are signs that tell us that Christ's coming is near. No one knows when Christ comes again except for God. We must watch and pray always and not be discouraged at doing good and following Christ every day.
5Children in market matt11:16-19 luke 7:31-35
Children in Jesus' time played a game where one team played music and the other team danced. One team pretended to mourn and go to a funeral and the other team mourned too. In this parable, the children played the music but the other team wouldn't dance and wouldn't mourn and didn't follow the rules of the game. Jesus compared that to the people that complained that John did not eat or drink and so that was enough for them to not believe in him. Jesus came eating and drinking and they called him gluttonous and would not believe him. They complained instead.
In our day, we need to remember to be prayerful in our beliefs and to look for the goodness. It's not wise to complain about everything.
6Christian light matt5:14-16 mark 4:21-23 luke8:16-18 6Budding fig tree matt24:32-35 mark 13:28-32 luke 21:29-33
The Budding Fig Tree
When the branch of the fig tree is tender and brings forth leaves, summer is near.
There are signs that tell us that Christ's coming is near. No one knows when Christ comes again except for God. We must watch and pray always and not be discouraged at doing good and following Christ every day.
5Children in market matt11:16-19 luke 7:31-35
Children in Jesus' time played a game where one team played music and the other team danced. One team pretended to mourn and go to a funeral and the other team mourned too. In this parable, the children played the music but the other team wouldn't dance and wouldn't mourn and didn't follow the rules of the game. Jesus compared that to the people that complained that John did not eat or drink and so that was enough for them to not believe in him. Jesus came eating and drinking and they called him gluttonous and would not believe him. They complained instead.
In our day, we need to remember to be prayerful in our beliefs and to look for the goodness. It's not wise to complain about everything.
Matthew 5:14-16 (King James Version)
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven
If there is light, it is not to be hidden but will be shown to all.
Be good, do kind things and people will recognize the goodness and thank God for goodness in their world.
A friend at midnight.
A man goes to his friend's house to ask for three loaves of bread at midnight because someone is coming and visiting and he has no bread. The friend is already in bed and his family is also in bed. He
A Year in Parable
11 parables are taught in the Primary lesson manual
If you have children in Primary, try to coordinate the family parable of the week with the parable they are talking about in class
Lesson 17 The Sower The Wheat and the Tares
Lesson 19 The Lost Sheep
The Lost Coin
The Prodigal Son
Lesson 20 The Good Samaritan
Lesson 22 The Unmerciful Servant
Lesson 23 The Good Shepherd
Lesson 24 The Widow’s Mite
Lesson 25 The Ten Virgins
Lesson 26 The Talents
Lesson 27 The Sheep and the Goats
Alert servants mark 13:33-37
2Barren fig tree luke 13:6-9
3Bread of life john 6:31-38
4The Sower (part 1) Matt 13:3-9 4:3-20 8:4-15
5The Sower (part 2) 13:18-23
6Budding fig tree matt24:32-35 mark 13:28-32 luke 21:29-33
5Children in market matt11:16-19 luke 7:31-35
6Christian light matt5:14-16 mark 4:21-23 luke8:16-18
7Dinner guests luke 14:15-24
8Divided kingdom matt12:24-30 mark3:22-27 luke11:14-23
9Feast invitations mark14:12-14
10Friend at midnight luke 11:5-13
11Good Samaritan matt 10:25-37
12Good shepherd mark 10:1-18
13Great physician matt 9:10-13 mark2:15-17 luke5:29-32
14Grooms attendants matt9:14-15 mark2:18-20 luke5:33-35
15Growing seed 4:26-29
16Hidden treasure 13:44
17Householder 13:52
18Humbled guest 14:7-11
19King's war plans 14:31-33
20Laborers in vineyard 20:1-16
21Landowner 21:33-46 12:1-12 20:9-18
22Leaven 13:33 13:20-21
23Lost coin 15:8-10
24Lost sheep 15:4-7
25Marriage feast 22:1-14
26Mustard seed 13:31-32 4:30-32 13:18-19
27Net of fish 13:47-50
28New cloth 9:16 2:21 5:36
29New wine 9:17 2:22 5:37-39
30Pearl of great price 13:45-46
31Pharisee and tax collector 18:9-14
32Prodigal son 15:11-32
33Rich man & Lazarus 16:19-31
34Rich fool 12:16-21
35Salt without taste 5:13 9:50 14:34-35
36Servant's duty 17:7-10
37Sheep and goats 25:31-46
38Sign of Jonah 12:38-42 11:29-32
39Tares in field (part 1) 13:24-30
40Tares in field (part 2) 13:36-43
41Ten Minas 19:11-27
42Ten talents 25:14-30
43Ten virgins 25:1-13
46Two debtors 7:41-43
47Two sons 21:28-32
48Unclean spirit 12:43-45 11:24-26
49Unjust judge 18:1-8
50Unjust steward 16:1-13
51Unmerciful servant 18:21-35
52Unprepared builder 14:28-30
53Vine and branches 15:1-17
54Watching servants 12:35-40
55Wise builder 7:24-27 6:47-49
56Wise servant 24:45-51
57Wise steward 12:42-48
