'parables' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
With what can we compare the kingdom of God…It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs…” vss. 30-32 Mark 4:30-34 When Jesus came into Galilee he proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand, and he then devoted his teaching to describing the nature of that kingdom and how its power…
Daily Devotions
He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.’” vss. 26-27 Mark 4:26-29 Jesus frequently talked about the kingdom of God in his teaching. He understood it as a present reality in our world and used parables to describe what it was like. Those parables frequently used metaphors about ordinary things that…
Daily Devotions
When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.” vss. 3-5 Matthew 25:1-8 First century Christians believed that Jesus was going to return to earth and complete the work that he had begun. As the years went by and that didn’t happen, it was simply assumed that he had been delayed, but that didn’t mean…
Daily Devotions
But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” vs. 23 Matthew 13:18-23 Even though Jesus used parables to describe the Kingdom of God, most people did not understand what he was talking about… and the parable of the sower, as he explained it to his disciples, was a way to…
Daily Devotions
Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow.’” vss. 2-3 Matthew 13:1-9 According to scripture Jesus regularly made use of parables as he spoke to the crowds who gathered to hear him teach. The form wasn’t necessarily unique to him, but he polished it for regular use. Parables differ…
Daily Devotions
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” vs. 8 Genesis 3:8-10 Every ancient civilization had creation myths, stories that were told to successive generations describing how the world had come into existence, and how human beings ultimately made their appearance. We’re familiar with many of these tales,…
Daily Devotions: June 17 , 2018
June 17, 2018 Mark 4:30-34…“With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” vss. 33-34 As a teacher, Jesus regularly used parables to pass on the great truths of the kingdom of God. For the most part they’re short and uncomplicated, and use familiar examples to give glimpses of God’s work. They’re similar to…