One thing I am reminded of while I was reading through your messages was, not hiding the lamp under the bowl, but letting the light shine. Does everyone remember the concept of not hiding the light and letting our light shine? The last servant was scorned because he had buried into the world whatever the master had entrusted.
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Sinning through work on the Sabbath for the sake of my other message, I must reply here first. You have confounded the general riches and plain gifts of rich lost folk with their offerings and sacrifices. Only their offerings and sacrifices are an abomination to the Lord.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is unwilling to accept their terms. Why, in the fifteenth century, rich folk bought false salvations without their repentance or faith when a monk named Johann Tetzel sold them indulgences! Our Lord, however, is unwilling to grant salvation in exchange for the willful offerings and sacrifices of rich lost folk: just read the story of the rich young man! (Matt. 19:16-26 ) The seeker of salvation who trusts in his or her wealth to purchase salvation even today still is to be told to sell everything he or she may own before returning to follow Christ.

I conclude that although Jesus plans for us Christians to use wealth from the rich folk of this world, never will He acquiesce in becoming thoroughly beholden to them. And so it is that our command from Him in Luke 16:9 is to make friends with the rich folk of this world without mention of keeping them. If we as congregations should deplete the favor of rich folk in our midsts, He will call us to flee the resulting persecution (Matt. 10:23) -- not necessarily for reasons explicitly of our faith. Jesus Christ can call groups of at least two Christians to flee, together or whither the first has taken refuge, just because psychiatry is coming after two of them, or just because psychiatry pursues one while another finds no welcome for his witness of Christ, or just because nobody among the lost people nearby will listen to the Word, or just because the rich folk never give freely but instead seek what Jesus in truth always denies them, or even because the rich folk of this world there see fit to give only what they most please, such as earrings, rather than what can be made useful for Christian ministry! I tell you, it is easy for groups of genuine Christians to get called by Christ to flee together!

In the name of Jesus Christ I warn you strongly not to use the Lord's Name in vain. By lumping the wealth of the wicked which they keep and their plainest gifts to the poor with offerings and sacrifices and calling it all "an abomination to the ****", Patsy, you have profaned the Name of the Lord. Please repent now! As for me, I am miserable, and we serve the Lord mostly in order to be happy. I need hearkenings to my requests for a congregation already faithful even in (with) the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16 as soon as possible to have any chance whatsoever to be happy and keep His commandments. Please read my newest posting.

+++Kevin Douglas Rosenberg
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The only perfect response in each of the three parables in Luke 15 is God's response. He seeks to save the ignorant and helpless. He seeks to find an carelessly lost inheritance. He affirms the right of man to choose. He rejoices in the results of shepherd, the woman and the return of his son.

Neither the younger or older son respond perfectly to the situations they are confronted by. Only when the youngest son's life style drops below that of the father's servants does he decide to return home.

His repentance was perfect, though.

The older son is obedient and hard working. In fact he is working at earning and preserving his inheritance. Nothing in his life would have taught him to respond as the father did. Only a father can understand the joy of a child returned to him. The oldest son should have joined in the celebration but could not. His obediance was without fault.

Today our churches don't have the excuse of not knowing the true nature of God. Today we have the presence of the Holy Spirt, and still many believers cannot rejoice at the salvation of repentant sinners. They too have led lives of hard work and obedience.

We seek a simple straight-forward understanding of things; even in God. We seek to hold a complete understanding of God in three short stories; It isn't meant to be. Use these stories to understand God's love and his desire for a relationship with each one of us.

Thesis topic: The evolution of the meaning of the prodigal son; How context can change the classic understanding of this story. Or how different cultures relate to this story;
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I am a catholic teacher and would love a copy of the mustard tree as we are looking at how our faith grows from a little seed. I want to use the parrable in our class prayer service.
Thanks and God bless Liz
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all these responses helped me a million. im suppose to give a lesson tomorrow for my honors eng. class about the prodigal son and all these points of views gave me a variety on which to present to the class. :)
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Sounds like a very interesting view but I don't know how to make a connection to the original story. Are you saying all 100 sheep were actually "lost" but only 1 was willing to admit ?
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teaching grandchildren faith is as a mustard seed

please send info as described

greatly appreciated

louise

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Greetings,

Are you the same Chris Godwin who lived in Dunwoody and went to Peachtree High in Georgia?

Please respond,

--Jay Sawyer
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AM NONYE I WILL LIKE TO TELL OTHER CHILDREN LIKE ME THAT IT IS GOOD TO SAVER GOD WITH SPIRIT AND TRUET, COS IT IS WAS MAKE LAZARUS TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD TODAY, PRAY ALWAYS AND HAVE THE FAITH, THANK GOD BLESS U AS YOU DO.
AMEN.
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picture
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I was recently asked if this parable referred to lost people or backslidden christians. I think both. This, to me, is a story of God's unconditional love. I will not get into as to whether or not we lose our salvation. I believe that the point is we are allowed to make our own decisions and that if we are willing to repent, God will accept our return with great love and understanding. We will never be perfect in this life and will always be guilty of sin.
Thank for letting share my opinion.

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The sharing of our blessings with those who are already blessed with the comforts of life is an empty and meaningless gesture. Often those who have a lot take their blessings for granted Their focus is on maintaining what they have and acquiring more. Often this is because they believe that they will be respected because of their wealth and power. They bolster their own self-esteem.

Those who give away money, food, kindness, shelter, and other necessaries to those who have not and cannot return the gift, need not worry about respect and self esteem. This is because when we give to those in need, without conditions, we are getting power greater than any money can bestow. We are getting the power to make a tremendous difference in another life. We are changing the life of those who are ignored by all but God.

In return God grants the giver a sense of peace and happiness that material goods cannot provide.
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I have food for thought for anybody interested in the Mark Chapter four or the seed parables. Allow me to put this in the form of a question: Might the thing that we are growing in this mystical garden be faith? Found below is an excerpt from Luke’ account, it’s chapter eight. Notice that I’ve emboldened and italicized-if it came across that way-the words “believe” in verse 12, and “a while believe” in verse 13.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Notice that in verse 12 the devil took the word out of a person’s heart “lest they believe and be saved”. Why the lest? Maybe because the “believing” (belief, faith) is the actual thing that were cultivating, and that will eventually produces results. They received the word of God on a matter, “faith cometh by hearing…” and a belief began to grow. Had they maintained it, it would have produced fruit. It would have manifested. But if there’s any truth to this idea of faith (belief) being likened unto a plant, then we know that the plant will have to grow until harvest time (a while).

Notice verse 13. There were people who’s hearts were likened unto rock (hard hearted) that received the word just fine, and also notice that they “believed” for “a while”. What determined when the “a while” was over? How about when they let go of the word of God? They probably did this: they prayed “father I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I accept him into my heart by faith-I believe that I’m now saved ”! But when Satan launched a campaign to convince his senses that nothing happened, he opened his mouth and said, “dang, I’ll never be saved, just when I try may hardest to get serious with god, for some reason I end up doing all these things that I haven’t done in years. I am so pathetic. Is there any help for me? Man, I don’t deserve any grace-the way I’ve been acting. What on earth happened? Oh, just skip this stuff. It’s too hard”.

What happened? He said something contrary to the prayer he prayed when he accepted (received) Gods word. Satan convinced him to call it off. Now, what if he would have responded this way: “Man I can’t believe the stuff I’ve been doing. I don’t know why all this crud is just attracted to me. But it doesn’t daunt my faith in the least. I stand firm on what I said and I don’t care what I do or how bad it gets, I BELIEVE THAT I’M SAVED! CASE CLOSED. Come hell or high water Jesus lives in my heart by faith and I AM A BELIEVER. And If I die from being pathetic, I’ll die believing that Christ lives in my heart by faith”. This man is good ground, because he’ll see this thing through unto the end-harvest time.

The thing I want you to notice is this: There is a time in which a believer is indeed “believing” and yet the cycle hasn’t been completed-no manifestation. Remember we don’t plant a seed one day and reap the next. Patience is involved. But as long as he held fast to the word that was “believed” by verbally receiving it (“if you had faith as a grain of Mustard seed you might say… whosoever shall say unto this mountain…. I believed therefore have I spoken-the spirit of faith” (2nd Cor. chapter 4:13) “, the person was meeting the requirements set forth by God. HE WAS DOING IT. And yet it was not manifested.

I once did some studying of the Mustard plant. I even bought some seeds to see how long they took to grow. Most packages say that in forty days it’s mature, one said about fifty days. I don’t know if that was indeed the plant that Jesus talked about, but I find it interesting, the growing time of the Mustard plant.

Did you know that in Gematria-the biblical study of numbers, that forty means a time of trial, chastisement or probation (Jesus was tempted forty days of the devil)? And fifty means rest or completion due to the perfect consummation of time and it denotes deliverance after that period of time? As in the day of Jubilee, or Pentecost. I’m still undecided about the numbers thing, but isn’t it interesting that the growing time of Mustard coincides with biblical numbers that have relevance?

Could there be a God appointed growing time to faith? It makes sense to me that there would be. What farmer doesn’t know the growing time of the crop that he plants? However, that being said it’s still just speculation.

I believe that the parables of the Kingdom pertain to faith or to “believing”. This being said I think it’s a good idea to learn to use that expression often in prayer. “I BELIEVE” such and such. It conveys to the inner man that your not basing these things upon anything that can be seen, but your choosing to use this God given mechanism given to every man-to cultivate an inner picture in your heart. That picture being faith, which is based purely on what God says is true, but what the senses say isn’t-at that time. But held fast to, we can manifest it to the world around us.








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1. why is this parable only recorded by luke?
2. Why is there no mother in the story?
3. Could this parable refer to the story of Jacob in Genesis? There seem to be many parallels.
4. Many of us do what the prodigal son did--leave home and misuse our inheritance. I know of many cases. But was the son completely restored to his former priveledged position after he came home, or was he treated as a guest?
5. It seems unfair that the older son was never given a party--but God is a God of justice--there seems to be a contradiction between the justice of God and the mercy of God.
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I believe GOD was the Father in the story of the prodigcal son and He taught His child to love uncondionally by loving Him uncondional
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The rich man and Lazarus is a prophetic parable. It comes before and after parables from Jesus. It is actually one of the most astonishing prophesies Jesus spoke. In a nutshell, the rich man, Israel, and the Lazarus, gentiles. It is prophesy of the role reversal that will be played out in the coming mellenia. The jews will not have the place of honor and blessings they once had and to the gentiles it will be given. The death in the parable is symbolizing the death and resurection of Christ. The 5 brothers are further evidence. The scriptures record for us the sons of Jacob through Leah were six, thus Judah had five brethren, all full-blood brothers. Those who would have heard Jesus 2,000 years ago would have understood as they lay great store in their ancestry. This rich man then was Judah the southern kingdom of the Jews. I could go on and on but, with this in mind now, read and study the parable again and see what God is showing you.
This parable is RICH with prophetic knowledge and understanding, and to take this incredible and powerful scripture and use it as some proof text for eternal torment in hell is small minded and missing the point all together.
Think people! God asks us to come and "reason" with Him.
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Just seems like a good farmer to me. the tree is barren because of the poor ground that the dressser selected for the planting. the owner of the vinyard wonders why thre is no fruit and suggest that the dresser cut the tree down and maybe plant somethhng usefull in its place.
the dresser wants to wait another year after he fertilizes the tree and see if fruit is then carried.

I cannot see what else there is there. this is a story about a good farmer and his Land lord.
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the parable of the ten vgirgins is a warning for all the christians and for all christians to come that we should be ready,coz any time could be the day of Jesus' 2nd coming....

like in our generation,we can see that churches had begun to lose their fire for God's word to be told to eveyone.... some assume that Jesus will not come back until another century or so,not realizing that they are fulfilling the prophecy, bacause the parable is about the churches who got tired waiting for God and they were not prepaired when Christ came.

I hope that you won't be one of the foolish virgins,and so for me....
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KB: it wasn't the coin's fault in getting lost, thus God would drop everything to find it. Sheep didn't know any better when they were getting lost.. thus God, our Shepherd, came to save us from the wolves.
But in this parable, God, our Father, doesn't follow after us because he wants us to be "highly effective people" (Steven Covey).
If the father was to follow the son, it would have been rebuking his son's decision & it would have been like saying "You aren't smart/wise enough to make decisions for yourself". This would have hindered the son's pride and self-esteem. (Better to learn the lesson to fully get it out of the system.)
This is also a thankful reason for God not representing himself too much in today's world!
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I haven't noticed if anyone else has noted this but Luke does not talk about the stories in Luke 15 as being three parables. In 15:3 it states "He told them this parable..", but in the rest of the chapter, each of the other stories is not called a new parable. I believe they are all together as three different aspects of the same parable, a harmony or chorus written as a trilogy under one suggested heading That Which Was Lost, and Was Found.

Since this parable was not directed at His disciples, but rather at the tax-collectors, sinners, Pharisees and scribes, I don't think we should interpret it as being for Christians. Although there are aspects of reconciliation there, the parable seems to be about the "Lost and Found" and the joy of the One who is the finder.

Both sons were "lost" but only one realized it, and admitted it. He was restored. There is no suggestion that the older brother was willing to admit his sins. He was dishonoring to his own father. He was self-righteous in his suggestion that he "never neglected a command of yours". This echoes the words of that unfaithful young man from Matthew 19:20.

So since this parable was expressed to the Pharisees, I suggest that He was trying to show them that their own unrighteous arrogance made them blind to their need. Unlike the sinners and tax-collectors who "drew near to Him" (15:1), these men were scrutinizing Him, "watching Him closely" (14:1) and "plotting against Him, to catch Him in something He might say" (11:54).

It's ironic that they murmured quitely under their breath about how Christ received sinners "and eats with them". Christ had a meal with the Pharisees, just a few hours before! (14:1)


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I hope by now you have found some of the peace you were seeking. I never understood the parable of the prodigal son until I had one. The argument of the dutiful son always made sense to me. But now that I have a younger child who has gone off to waste and destroy his God-given talents through drug abuse, crime, problem relationships...I fully understand how gladly I would celebrate his return to us, not expecting any favored treatment from us. All the time I love both my children, but more of my prayers have been for the wayward one. The celebration would be for the answer to my prayers.
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Jesus uses leaven in some parables to explain how evil can quickly take over a person but in the parable in Matt 13 he is using it to describe how the Spirit of God causes the values of the kingdom of God to permeate in a Christian. Jesus does not have to tie his symbols down to one idea.
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i think it is a real tribute i do that you people can love god so mutch
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Note; The parable of the ten virgins immediately following begins with the word "THEN " pointing back to the parable of the Householder and His servant. Note that by comparing Matt 24:45-51 with the parallel section in Luke 12:42-46, it is clear that one servant is in view throughout. The servant either remains faithfull or he becomes unfaithfull. The parable of the ten virgins then begins and covers the same subject matter, providing additional information from a different perspective; and the parable concludes in a similar fashion by showing that which awaits both those who are ready and by showing that which awaits both those who are ready and those who are not ready at the time of the Lord's return
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i am trying to do a research thesis on the prodigal son, and was looking for a good topic to concentrate on.....anyone have any ideas?
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The talents were entrusted to the servants.
The servant with the one talent hid the talent in the earth(Holy Land) did the right thing as according to the Jewish Law. In verse 24 to 26 showed that the master was the devil. This is another REVERSE PARABLE.
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No, this is not a parable about the mustard seed. Rather, it is a parable about Kingdom of Heaven.

In this sense, this simply tells us that the so-called Kingdom of Heaven is not -- repeat, is not -- a place. It's just like a small mustard seed that humanity can (indeed, does) overlook. But this same seed has the potential to get nourished until it grows into a full-grown tree.

It is that little "spark" of divinity that has been planted by God (the sower) in man. It is little in the sense that it cannot manifest itself easily since our material existence often overshadows it, as we oftentimes neglect it in favor of materialism and all that this world has to offer.

But it can grow (The choice is ours). If we select the righteous way of life and let that divine spark reign supreme in our life, we actually let it grow. And when it grows into a tree, when it has grown so large and tall enough as to "dwarf" the wordly desires of our flesh, then the birds will start lodging upon its branches -- the spiritual words of God will have all the chances to come freely to us, as we can now more deeply appreciate them.
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Tare's love liberal idea's, and organizations of destruction....they "tare" things apart. Also, are found in the 4 agencies, Polictic, Econmics, Education, Religion.....that reglious teaching that is destructive and compromising....."falls short"....they twist the scripture to meet their agendas.....They appear very sweet....yet their teeth are sharp.
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Selvino,

You can contact me or you can enroll in World Bible School over the internet at http://www.wbschool.org/

Thanks

Jason
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The ten virgins represent those to whom the offer of the kingdom of heavens is presently being extended. They, thus, could only represent ALL of the saved ["ten"showing ordinal completion] during the present despensation [ all of the saved ], would represent those who will form the bride[those called out of the called]. All ten of the virgins possessed lamps with oil.The request of the five foolish virgins in Matt. 25:8 should read," Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out'[ ref,ASV, NASB,NIV]. The difference between the wise and foolish virgins lay, not in the thought that the foolish had no oil[ otherwise, their lamps could not be "going out"], but in the fact that the wise virgins possessed an extra supply of oil. "OIL" is symbolic of the Holy Spirit[1Sam. 10:1,6;16:13; Lev.8:10-12;21:12]. The five wise virgins possessed an extra supply of oil typify Christians possessing an extra supply of the Holy Spirit , i.e., Christians filled with the Holy Spirit; and the five foolish virgins lacking the extra supply of oil typify Christians lacking an extra supply of the Holy Spirit, i.e.,Christians not filled with the Holy Spirit. All ten of the virgins in Matt.25 went forth to meet the bridegroom together- just as all Christians will go forth will go forth to meet the bridegroom together. But only those five wise virgins with an extra supply of oil entered into the marriage festivties [v.10]. Thus, will it be in the future experience of Christians relative to being filled or not being filled with the Holy Spirit
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Please help me find congregations already faithful in the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16. I call on another Scripture passage for help:

"Ask [keep on asking] and it will be given to you; seek [keep on seeking] and ye shall find; knock [keep on knocking] and the door will be opened unto you. For everyone who asks [continues to ask] receives, and everyone who seeks [continues to seek] finds, and everyone for everyone who knocks [continues to knock] the door is opened unto him." (Matt. 7:7; I read in Greek)

I am at a loss for where to turn to find a congregation already faithful even in the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16, and I continue to knock on my keyboard despite medical hindrances so that doors from your replies may open up for me. Such a congregation must not be full of members who claim not to know any rich people, and it must not turn its bankrupts over to unbelieving lawyers out in the world. Our God is great with His rich heart, yet the vast majority of American churches professing faith in Him remain severely limited financially because they are trying to earn almost all the wealth for Christian endeavors. Budgets are tight because most of today's building-based ministries have served Mammon rather than God. Now, brethren, I ask you where this is not so, and I am willing to look far away, so far as to have to flee, if such a congregation have welcome and great wealth to give me.

I despair of becoming a bankruptcy lawyer because I believe that Jesus will return too soon. If I do not know where or how to meet rich people somewhat near me, that leaves me a horrible search for a church or Christian gathering or organization which already has done as I have written that the churches should have done to assure plenty of wealth, for if I must strike out in search, I can expect to run into many tens or even hundreds of wrong churches still financially limited and unwilling to be taught Luke 16:1-13. Each of these has a terrible surprise or a concealment of their limitations in store for me when I press on and persist for faithfulness according to Jesus Christ (Luke 16:1-13). Obviously, I refuse to waste Sunday morning attendance on them out of tact (Matt. 7:6). Overwhelmed, I ask you for guidance which the Lord has not given me clearly.

After establishing ties to such a group of Christians mostly obedient according to Jesus (Luke 16), I shall at long last possess the wealth for my ministry and be free of many worries (Matt. 6:24) which have plagued me ever since I was browbeaten and harmed and ruined by the evil servants Richard Smith and William Meier of Twin City Bible Church in Urbana, IL in 1993 (Matt. 24:45-51). I have had to pursue the education for ruined careers before because God's people failed me; please help me build my life on the solid Rock of faith by showing me where to turn for a congregation you know to be already faithful in the unrighteous mammon as I have described.

Please post your replies here because oppressive spam has forced me to acquiesce in exclusively filtered e-mail. If you do not happen to be aware of any congregation already faithful according to Luke 16:1-13, please ask around. Great will be your reward in heaven. Amen.
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I was searching for the pic of brassica to do my botony proj. I wonder if u have... (at least accoring to google description u do)...can u send me one?..
By the way, wat type of min is this?.. christians right?
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Biblical Text: Luke 19:11-27

Title of Message:

Accountability and the Kingdom of God

Central Point or Truth:

There are three central truths, that judgment will come upon the unfaithful stewards and leaders of God’s people; that the Kingdom of God is present now; and the need for faithfulness and obedience. “The parable of the pounds is certainly not, as Luke 19:11 assumes, an announcement of the delay of the Parousia…” (Jeremias, The Parables, 99). Jesus had acquired the kingdom during the present time of his ministry, this being declared or manifested by his majestic triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The power and authority of the Kingdom of God is in operation now. “The kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history” (Ladd, A Theology , 91). The kingdom of God is not only a future realm but the present dynamic power and dominion of Jesus in this present history as it is known. This parable conveys the point that “the ‘kingdom’ in question was not a realm or a people but the right to reign as king. According to this passage, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God in terms of the exercise of divine royal power” (Ladd, Jesus and the Kingdom, 132). This is contrary to traditional opinion that the parable’s central truth is about faithful stewardship after Jesus’ ascension and until the second coming of Christ. “Everything gets carried out with the dispatch. The ‘getting of the kingdom’ is not an unrealized event of the future, but one already accomplished in the story. The reward to those who have handled their charge well does not consist in some future overseeing of possessions, but present, and consist in power over cities within the Kings realm” (Johnson, 144). The kingdom of God now is not only God’s rein, which is similar to the concept that rabbinic Judaism held, “it is rather a dynamic power at work among men” (Ladd, 235). The power as demonstrated in the person and mission of Jesus the Christ. Those who did not recognize the present power and rule of the kingdom would be condemned at the future consummation of God’s kingdom. Johnson suggest that “we must take seriously the possibility that Luke intended his parable to confirm 19:11, for the progress Luke’s story after the parable shows us in fact a ‘manifestation’ of God’s kingdom ‘immediately’” (Johnson, 152).



Context:

The scribes had been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of the nation. These leaders did not accept Jesus’ authority. A recent political incident was a part of their memory. “This parable closely parallels the details of the trip of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, to Rome in 4 B.C. to receive imperial ratification of his hereditary claim to rule Judea, along with the Jewish embassy which opposed him and Archelaus’s subsequent revenge of the Judeans” (Blomberg, 218). This parable is a warning of judgment.. “The sanguinary revenge inflicted upon the people by Archelaus after his return had never been forgotten; Jesus appears to have used this incident in a crisis-parable as a warning to his audience against a false sense of security” (Jeremias, The Parables, 59).
There was an expectation by some that the kingdom of God would appear immediately (Luke 19:11). Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and it was there that some possibly believed he might set up the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the talents, particularly in Luke’s account, relates to his triumphant entry into Jerusalem as king. “The progression towards Jerusalem takes place ‘after he had said this’. These words establish a link with the preceding periscope. That periscope has indicated that the kingdom will not appear immediately in Jerusalem. However, the subsequent story has an almost immediate declaration of Jesus’ kingship in Jerusalem. The apparent futurity of the kingdom in v. 11 must be read in the context of the presence of the kingdom in v.38” (Guy, 128). Not only is the event after the parable significant. The event prior to the parable is also important to understand the parable. “Luke’s introductory clause, ‘as they were listening to this’ v. 11, counsels against making any significant structural separation after v 10 and deans that we grapple with the relation of the parabolic teaching in vv 12-27 to the preceding account of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus (vv 1-10)” (Green, 674). Salvation arriving at the present time to the life of Zacchaeus is a notable reference that Luke makes about the presence of salvation, today. The parable was told, according to Luke, for two reasons, he was headed towards Jerusalem and because they expected the Kingdom immediately.

Content / Exegesis:

Jesus was possibly speaking to the crowd, the disciples, and the scribes, his opponents. “In the journey narrative, Luke is generally careful to specify Jesus’ audiences, and purposefully. To the disciples, he has Jesus address teachings on discipleship; to the crowd, calls for repentance, and warnings; to the opponents, sayings of rejection and judgment. His failure to make this audience clearer to his reader leads one to think that the group to whom the parable was spoken was meant to consist in all those with Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, with the parable addressing each segment in diverse ways” (Johnson, 145).
The parable being addressed to the spiritual leaders of Israel is a warning of Judgment. Joachim Jeremias refers to this parable as being against the opponents of Jesus as being the claimant to the throne. “God has entrusted them (scribes) with much – the spiritual leadership of the nation, the knowledge of his will, the key to the kingdom. Now God’s judgment is at hand; now it will be decided whether the theologians have justified or abused this great trust, whether they have made good use of his gift or turned it to their won advantage and to the imposition of burdens on their fellow-men, whether they have opened the door to the kingdom, or shut it their judgment will be specially severe” (Jeremias, Rediscovering, 131).
The traditional view of the parable is that it is about parousia (return) of Jesus. There are some who do not hold to this traditional view. This may be because it is interpreted in light of the Matthean account of the parable. The other view under investigation is that the parable is about Jesus’ immediate Kingship, and the kingdom of God being present immediately, yet not in the form of the future consummation. “There is little in the parable itself which demands considering it an allegorical tale about the ascension-parousia. In particular, there is nothing in Luke’s version to indicate a temporal delay. Matthew’s Parable of the Talents appears to have affected the reading of Luke’s story” (Johnson, 143). Johnson also states that the getting of the kingdom is not a future event not yet realized but one that is already accomplished in the story (Luke 19:15). He also states that the reward do not relate to some future overseeing of possessions. “They (the rewards) play a present leadership role within the kingdom gained by the nobleman” (Johnson, 144).
The traditional opinion of Luke 19:11 is that Jesus is refuting the expectation of the kingdom. It is interesting to consider the view that 19:11 is not refuting but confirming instead of confuting. The verb “appear’ may have different meanings apart from only a full-scale, visible realization of the kingdom. “It is not al all impossible that Luke intended to mean that ‘the Kingdom of God was going to be declared.’ This would find immediate confirmation in the proclamation of Jesus as King in 19:38” (Johnson,150).
Fitzmyer argues that Luke intentionally altered Mark’s reference to the David kingdom to Jesus being just king. “It is not the kingdom of David that is coming, but Jerusalem’s ‘king’ himself” (Fitzmyer, 289). Fitzmyer does so because he understands that a declaration of a kingdom here would be incompatible with the postponement of the kingdom’s appearance in 19:11. Yet it is wise to consider that “king” implies “kingdom”. “19:11 is not a distancing by Luke from an imminent or present kingdom. Rather 19:38 is to be read in conjunction with 19:11. There is not yet a kingdom, but there is a king, and so by implication there is a kingdom” (Guy, 134).
Guy states that when it is argued that 19:11 is clearly futuristic and that consequently all the other present-oriented statements must be interpreted in a futuristic sense that may be an imposition of our twentieth century western understanding with its dichotomous approach to logic and thought upon first century Lukan thought (Guy, 136).
The parable of the talents is about the present kingdom of God in the life and ministry of Jesus. The key verse of this parable is 19:11: “While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.” The parable of the pounds does not deny the expectation but confirms it. “Jesus is proclaimed as a King and does exercise rule through his apostles in the restored Israel. This is a ‘manifestation’ of God’s kingdom” (Johnson, 157).
The parable is not only about the timing and manifestation of God’s kingdom but also about faithfulness. “Jesus underscores the certainty of the ‘appearance’ of the kingdom, but characteristically shifts the focus from the question of when to the issue of faithfulness in anticipation” (Green, 674). The kingdom of God is associated with faithfulness to its King. The message of the kingdom is associated with faithfulness to God’s revelation of his word entrusted to the leaders of Israel. Because of the lack of faithfulness judgment was approaching.

Practical Application:

The Kingdom of God’s authority may be exercised now. The future consummation and all of its glory is not an excuse to not use the dynamic power of the kingdom now. Faithfulness to God is not only being a good steward in holding the correct teachings and revelation of God but it also involves living a life of power manifested by godly character as well and ministering to others the powers of the world to come. The pounds that are now entrusted to believer is the preaching of the cross with its message of salvation, the healing of sick bodies, setting free from satanic bondage, and the other works that Jesus and his disciples performed.
The pound entrusted to Israel was the revelation of God’s redemptive plan and correctly representing the character of God. The teaching of the coming Messiah as a suffering servant was hid and exchanged for a mean legalistic Lord (“For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow” 19:21). The Gospel of grace must be preached and lived. This is only possible as long as the church is alert to the deception of legalism. The natural tendency of religious bodies it towards legalism and self effort instead of the grace and inner transforming power of God.
The futuristic aspect of the kingdom is a challenge for watchfulness and accountability. Because of the impending judgment Jeremias states that the primitive church interpreted and applied the parable of the talents as one of the five Parousia-parables. “The five Parousia-parables were originally a group of crisis-parables. They were intended to arouse a deluded people and their leaders to a realization of the awful gravity of the moment” (Jeremias, The Parables, 63). The other four crisis-parables are the nocturnal house-breaker, the bridegroom arriving, the master of the house returning, the merchant returning from his far journey. Ministry must be done today in light of the judgment seat of Christ.
The church, especially each individual Christian, must be burdened for the horrible punishment that awaits, the citizens (Luke 19:14, 27), those who do not serve Christ. Compassion for the lost will change the eternal future for some who do repent. If the church does not have compassion then that many more people will face an eternal catastrophic ending.
The parables illustrate the mystery of the kingdom of God. “the Kingdom of God has come into the world , but it comes with persuasion rather than power and must be accepted to be effective, even as the ground must receive the seed” (Ladd, Jesus and the Kingdom, 238). As agents of the kingdom of God believer should continually persuade others towards Christ.


WORKS CITED

Blomberg, Craig L. Interpreting the Parables. Downers Grove Inter Varsity Press, 1990.

Fitzmyer. The Gospel II. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1990.

Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke (Word Bible Commentary).
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Guy, Laurie. “The Interplay of the Present and Future in the Kingdom of God.” Tyndale Bulletin 48.1 (119-137) 1997.

Jeremias, Joachim. The Parables of Jesus. New York: Scribner’s,
1954.

Jeremias, Joachim. Rediscovering the Parables. New York:
Scribner’s, 1966.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. “The Lukan Kingship Parable.” Novum Testamentum 24.2 (139-158) 1982.

Ladd , George Eldon. Jesus and the Kingdom. Waco, Tx: Word, 1964.

Ladd, George, Eldon. A Theology of the New Testament.
Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1974.

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1. Story of the strayed sheep
2. Story of the lost coin
3. Story of the Prodigal son
Could these three parables have the same message from different circumstances.
Strayed sheep or lost sheep, I see a member of the church caught up with the temptation of the world which is good for the eyes and good for the taste But far from the truth, the Pastor or Sheperd then must reach out or seek out to correct his/her way get him/her back on the right path.
Lost coin or misplaced coin, a member of the church family is backsliding because of some miscommunications or hurt by another church member. Again, the leader or some headfigure of the church seek out and make right with this lost member.
Prodigal son, he was in tune with everything about the church, still chose to leave God behind to find the worldly happiness, left home/church, father did not go out to seek him out as he (prodigal son) knew fully well what he was doing yet chose the world thinking he knew better. When there was no place else to go, home came to mind where peaceful rest always found, returned and was welcomed with open joyful arms. Shouldn't we seek out the son/daughter who do so choose to leave in their own free will knowing fully well after being told the consequence they'll meet if leave the truth? Is is biblical? The Holy spirit is always with us trying to guide us back home, the Father is always thinking and waiting with open arms to welcome us back home.
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I hear your words and what you say could be true if that is what the scripture is talking about. My belief is that the 10 virgins are more of an example of being ready to meet the Lord than that. Some will be taken up in the rapture and some will not be ready. 5 were ready to go in to the Bridegroom and 5 were not ready.--I believe that the rapture will take place and it will happen before the 7 years of tribulation. Some of the people will be ready and some will not be. Here is an example of those not ready.

Years ago I did a research paper recounting the people who might be alive at the time of the tribulation. I am a pre-tribulation person and believe in the rapture. Very simply put, the paper was like this. If all of the people on earth stood in a group and then the tribulation started, I believe it would go like this.—
1. The first to leave the group would be those taken out in the rapture at the beginning of the seven years.

2. Of those left behind, there would be those who accept the mark of the beast and the bible says that they are lost.

3. There will also be those who will not have anything to do with believing on God so lets put all of these off to the side as those who will be judged and go to the Lake of fire.

4.. Of those left behind, The Anti Christ will require them to take his mark in their for heads or their right hand. If they refuse, they will be slain for their faith and they become those who are under the altar.

5. Of those left behind, there will be those who the bible says will make it through the 7 years of tribulation and will be accepted so lets just add those who go to heaven.

5. Then there are the Jews. They will be those who are mentioned as having signed a 7 year peace treaty under false pretenses. When the Anti Christ stands in the new temple that will be built and declares that he is God, the Jews will realize that they made a big mistake and they will pull out of the peace treaty and head for the hills for protection. Probably to the city of Petra which is carved in the rocks. At the end of the 7 years, Christ will return to earth for the beginning of the 1000 years of peace.

5 virgins were watching and waiting for the Lord's return and 5 were not. There are those waiting and watching to go be with the Bridegroom at rapture time and there are those who say
it is all nonsense and will not be ready.
I hope you won’t be out looking for oil when that time comes.

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There are many opinions and debates on the true meaning the the collective parables. What do they really mean? This parable is definitely one of the most cryptic parables and can't be truly understood, unless we ask Jesus himself, if these are infact his exact words (translation errors, etc)
Maybe these stories are things that he had witnessed upon his travels and experiences throughout his life? Maybe he is actually some of the characters in the parables he tells? One thing we do know is that he had a message for humanity that somehow has travelled through the ages to answer some of the questions in life we could not ask ourselves. I find it wierd how most people today don't appreciate the words of the wise, choosing to trust science or nothing at all because it feels safer.
But perhaps this is what the parable means:
The ground could represent anything from society, down to the your own family or employees that you rely on. Jesus does not mention anything else about the 'rich man' (who could represent the ignorant and distrusting members of society, etc) other than the fact that he is concerned about his goods. This shows the error of his ways, because the rich man doesn not appreciate how he got the land, who worked to make it the way it was, who harvested his 'goods', which in the end are truly irrelevant to true happiness in life. The joy in life, the meaning and the way God wishes us to truly live our lives is to share with others and ultimately to share out time and effort with god e.g. prayer and ceremonial offerings, etc. In this way, the goods could possibly represent all the tings in life that distract us and hinder us from recieving God's word. The 'rich man' is the embodiment of greed and self indulgience. He represents those in society who only think for themselvesl.
Looking into the words of the parable, although we are being encouraged to be truly kind to each other and most importantly show self respect, God at the end of the parable could represent the government of those times and because of this, could also represent temptation in some small way for who truly benefits in life when others feed off of our greed? By following christ and trying our best to be free of greed and helping those in need we have recognised a few of the important steps towards entering the Kingdom of God.
In the parable there is a part where the rich man talks to his 'soul'. What does the soul represent? God and his will? Or perhaps human compassion and the will to be servants to society and God himself? Who knows? All i know is that it is saying that when we slack off and deviate from God's will, when our time of death comes ("this night thy soul shall be required of thee") or when the times comes to prove our worth and commit an act of kindness(this night thy 'compassion' shall be required of thee), we will not be ready and we will not enter the Kingdom of God. The rich man desperately sought for a place to store his fruits and did not think of those who he might be able to help by giving his fruits, so they might survive. He took down his barns and built a big barn solely for the fruits. Maybe this implies that maybe in his greed he cast out those that initially lived in those barns? In his greed, he completely neglected those who needed and deserved his kindness.
If these are in fact stories from Jesus' life, then what happened to these people he speaks of? We can never be sure of where we will end up in the afterlife, but if one thing is for sure, it is our duty as humans to respect the lives of others and to assist humanity in making this world a better place, because with God, we are never alone.
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Understanding the Prodigal Son parable requires understanding why Jesus told the parable in the first place. He was speaking to a very mixed crowd. In Luke 15:1-2 there are at least 4 groups, sinners, tax collectors, Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus tells this series of three parables to drive home a simple point: God loves the lost and His heart's desire is to find all those separated from Him. Each parable gives a little different spin on His point.
In the third parable, Jesus gives two parts to the parable. In the first part, the younger son is the object of the parable. In the second half, the elder brother is the focus. Each of these parts speaks to the two classes of people to which Jesus was speaking i.e. the sinners and the Pharisees. The first would speak to those who had been separated from God (were prodigal in their relationship with God). The second half would be directed toward the Pharisees and Scribes (those who hadn't departed from God physically).
As I study this parable, it becomes apparent to me that neither son understood the father. The younger son thought that doing righteous things makes you worthy of the father's love. Wrong!
The older brother thought the same thing. Instead, the father was not focusing upon the behaviors of either son. He wanted to have a relationship of love with both brothers. He demonstrates this when he doesn't listen to the smooth lines the younger brother has rehearsed. He also says it to the older brother when he says, " Child, (a different term in the Greek than the word for son, "hwion") you are always with me, and all my things are yours. But it was necessary to kill the fatted calf and celebrate because your brother was dead and is now alive, he was lost and now he is found.
The father's heart desired whole relationships with both his sons. Neither understood. Could it be that in our attempt to be worthy of God's love, we miss what God is really trying to say to us: that we have a priceless value to Him, clearly demonstrated upon the cross.
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The web linke to Ched Meyer's article does not work. Error 404... web page not found!

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Hello-
I have taught a women's Bible Study for many years, and my lesson next week is on mustard seeds. I would love a picture of a mustard tree to show the ladies. Thank you. Bea Heid
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Please can you send me the picture of the mustard tree with the boy standing in front of it. Or else the e-mail address. I would like it for my Bible College.

Thanks alot.

Lynne




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Jesus is " the author of eternal salvation [' salvation for the age'] unto all them that obey him"
[Heb.5:9,cf.Gen.42:55,56;
Matt.7:24-29;John.15:1-15]. A Christian must follow that which the Lord has commanded [which will result in his keeping himself unspotted by the world].

Sin is disobedience to that which the Lord has commanded. And though Christians- presently in a body of flesh, housing the old sin nature-may fall, cleansing is available. That's why Christ is presently exercising the office of High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary [cf.John 13:8-10; Heb. 10:19-22; 1 John 1:6-2:2].

Sin must be dealt with prior to the battle. Then, believing that the Lord will do exactly what He has promised,victory after victory can ensue as the person moves forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the goal. There can be no such thing as defeat if one moves in accord with the Lords instructions.
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I am sorry that somehow the last clause of paragraph 2 was missing from my post in my second paragraph. I meant to send

"The Judgement of the Good and Evil Servants in Charge is coming right up! (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ) Should these judgements occur on this earth, the evil servants will be most thoroughly chastened with amputations, assignments of their portions with the hypocrites, rejections of their pleadings with weeping and gnashing of teeth, and floggings according to their former knowledge of their moral wrong before Christ, and only if afterwards they repent Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour for real ***will they be saved indeed.***

Thank you for your patience as I struggle with carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes in both arms, poverty and dependence upon my parents outside the Lord, and computer viruses such as the source of smiley faces replacing final verse numbers. I have no help save Jesus Christ in this.

Yours in Christ,

+++ Kevin Douglas Rosenberg
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Had adult bible study about the small mustard and the large tree that it grows into. Thanks Dick Welch
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I see the difference between the foolish and wise in this way. The lamp represents God's word (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet). The oil is the truth in the word revealed, empowered and enlightened by the Holy Spirit. I see the wise and the foolish historically as well as in a contemporary and yet even in a personal application. For all through history and even now, there are religious movements which hold the bible, but the foolish ones empty thier bible of it's power (for they have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof). They deny miracles, they excuse and interpret away the holy commands and warnings of judgment. They dismantle prohecy of end times events by academic interpretation instead of spiritual. The foolish virgins are dead religion! Empty lamps. Empty Pulpits. Whitewashed tombs full of dead mens bones. They attend what they call "church", but they do not want Jesus to confront sin or the preacher to stand up for truth. They love a religious social club. They will miss the rapture and be left in the tribulation, whille the true body of Christ-the believers who take Gods word as absolute and who hold to the doctrines of the apostles and who let Jesus deal with daily and sanctify them- not perfect, mind you, but neither deceived either. The follish are the decieved religious who think they know what christianity is, but do not.
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When asked about eternal life Jesus affirms the "Teacher" on his understanding that unadulterated love for God is the basic requirement for eternal life. In todays vernacular that would be "Christian". What situation in your life would make you think otherwise?
Len
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Go to the church where you received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and ask them to explain it further. Tongues is a devine language that God understands. A direct communication line to him that the Devil can not understand. Also, check out..
http://www.bible.com/answers/ahsbaptiz.html
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This is simple. The seed is Jesus which is planted in the world. The birds are the people of the world whom are given the chance to eat of the tree which is planted for them.
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I have not overlooked the last verse of the Parable of the Unjust Steward, that is, Luke 16 : 13. On the contrary, I have explained on the Unjust Steward site that most churches today are trying to serve both God and mammon. They have overlooked this verse by ignoring its context.

Our Lord Jesus Christ never expected His people to live completely providently. His way was that we would give freely to one another (Matt. 5 : 42 ), blow off our concerns (Matt. 6 : 24 ff ), continue to ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7 : 7 ), and He likened whoever heard or read Him and would do so to a man who built his house upon the rock rather than to the man whose house built on sand fell with a great crash (the Parable of the Wise / Foolish Builders). On that page I have posted my stand that the things to be obeyed to be like the wise builder consist entirely of the Sermon on the Mount, yet it slipped my mind to include whatever may be needed to follow Jesus' teachings from it. In contrast, our Modern English speaking culture clearly ignores the Sermon on the Mount even at the pulpit. Americans today scarcely give to the needy who come to ask from them. Next, I show that it is this stinginess which shows that someone is serving Mammon in preference to God.

By condemning the servant of two masters as inadequate and refusing to acknowledge service of God as valid from those serving Mammon (wealth), Jesus Christ makes clear to us that any excuses of ours for withholding our wealth will anger Him (Luke 16 : 13 ). We should not rely upon prudent earnings of our own, but, rather, have the security of the favour of rich folk to lean on because they are more prudent than followers of Christ (Luke 16 : 8 ). Jesus went on in verse 13 to explain the two outcomes of trying to serve both God and Mammon:

"Either he [the servant] will love the one and hate the other," as happens when an unbelieving man cannot understand his wife's faith in Jesus Christ and thus makes ungodly choices, "or he will cleave to the one and despise the other." This latter result happens at churches all across the English-speaking world every time church staff hews to its Budget to withhold money from one who asks while at other times in the week professing strong faith in Jesus Christ.

I conclude that we cannot serve God on a budget. Still, if we have not yet obeyed Luke 16 : 9 - 12 and thus have not even met any rich friends of the members of our congregations, the predictable result of such genereosity is a totally unfair exploitation of our wealth by the needy until we have practically nothing, whereupon we shall be called by Christ to ask, seek, and knock despite the many martyrdoms of such persons among the churches run by evil servants today (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ).

I will never forgive the evil servants in charge of so many contemporary churches, the evil staff who are swift to get angry and to call the police and to complain about a presumed mental illness. If I must share heaven with them, they will be absolutely chastened first as I have requested -- or left behind to be martyred when I am raptured into heaven, or fast for forty days and pray together on their knees, and if any one of them have turned ten men or boys over to psychiatry, he or she has no chance whatsoever for heaven without amputations anyway. For example, evil servant Bill Meier in charge of Twin City Bible Church in Urbana, Illinois, known to defend sophisticated English manners in preference to Jesus, already stands with "a who...le WEE...k of RE...PEA...TI...NG 'terribly sorry beyond [b]wyrds for what I did to Kevin' " demanded of him by telephone as of May 2001, before his lawyers notified me of their threats. Where shall I post the messages to doom the evil servants? I need help to find the most visited Christian forum to doom the evil servant so that world evangelism might be accomplished for Jesus' sake under truer leadership.

Yours in Christ,

+++Kevin Douglas Rosenberg

a martyr for asking, seeking, and knocking (
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By Alexander Viktorov

The 1917 Socialist Revolution in Russia is nearing its centennial in 2017. The antiglobalization movement, actually anticapitalist, is growing world over. Three fourths of the world do not seem to be willing to live on $1 a day by 2015, as the UN report predicts... And Russia is Russia...

2017. THE PRODIGAL SON FLEES HOME AGAIN

His comeback seems now to be made in vain,
And the prodigal son leaves home again.

In vain the fatted calf was for him slaughtered -
He got only a snippet of it and a cup of water.
And the bulk was devoured less than in an hour
By those who were not prodigal any
And who had stayed at home to save every penny,
Who skin prodigal sons and daughters
Having taken them alongside with calves to slaughter.

The prodigal son's father got stuffed to the gills and preaches:
"Look, only at home you can find real riches.
Together with you we can slaughter calves twofold
Then skin them, sell skins and get tenfold in gold.
What good is seeking other ways across life?
You had hardly half a cake a day - now you can have five!
All our folks will be glad:
Our business will thrive!
To our business you were dead,
And now you are back alive.
You've got a robe, a ring, and Le Monti shoes now.
All you must do, paying back, is to take a vow
That you stay and help me and your elder brother
Market our calves,
In that business we'll go halves:
You'll get more shoes, rings, and robes
Provided you live up to our hopes."

The elder brother came scowling and grinning:
«It seems to be paying - not working but sinning:
Behold, a fatted calf has been killed in your honor
And me - I am looked at as if I'm a donor..."
But the father cut his elder son short:
"Stop seeing a mote in your brother's eye!
He is back to become yours and mine ward
To stop him for ever from saying "good-bye"...
Well, I've had enough, 1 am tired and gonna couch...
But I don't want you to have a fight with your brother,
I am too old now to organize you another...
Since for peace this night neither of you can vouch
I'll put you, my prodigal boy, under lock and key
In our guest room so I have a guarantee
That I find you alright tomorrow,
You have given me, quitting once, enough sorrow..."

So the prodigal son got accommodated,
But all familial cares now come to him belated.
He can't sleep because of his heartfelt battle:
No, he's unprepared to skin and sell cattle,
He'd left his home for a freedom's mock...
And then he heard someone tamper with the lock,
He heard a key-turning rattle
And he readied himself for a home battle.
He turned to face the comer - one or another,
And the comer came to be his eider brother,
Who smirked a grin: "Brother, now it's my sin.
You won't anyway bring any grist to our mill,
You have got your own flagpole to shin
Who knows, maybe one day you'll win...
So you may go or do as you will."
"Thank you, brother, I thank you for that brotherly cup.
It was my error to have returned
To disturb you and our father and what you have earned...
Now I have to go - the time is up
To see again plains and trees, and waters, and birds,
And walk on, on and on
Along mountain paths and in all kind of dirts
To see in the very end The Kingdom of John ."*

“Okay, brother, you may go
To spare our family another woe...”
They parted without kiss,
And the prodigal son walked
Across the pain trying not to miss
The path so the East that people had talked
To be the path to the real bliss.

As he was just in the very start,
He heard a voice as if it was a dart:
“Stay, brother, don't be that speedy!
Share your way with me, be not so greedy.
I want also to see plains and trees, and waters, and birds,
To hear other nations talk, to learn foreign words.”
The prodigal son delayed and waited
For his elder brother to join him.
They had never been indeed closely related
And he believed his elder brother's word just a whim.
But the elder brother put his hand on the younger one's shoulder
And they walked on and on, the younger and the older...

The prodigal son's new history yet has not got much renown.
Maybe you have seen the two brothers passing thru your village or town?

*The Kingdom of Presbyter John was a legendary kingdom in the medieval East believed to be a hypothetical "Golden Age" state founded by a British crusader..

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What is the significanceofparables to people today?

Jesus used parabolic language so that the audience could make links to the story. do you think that converts of today can still make the links to the parables as they did 2,000 years ago? Do you not think that interpretation ruins the message of God?
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