Well, our long journey this Summer through the Parables of Jesus has come to an end. Today I’d like to quickly touch on the major themes of the series, and how they are all brought together in the last set of parables recorded in Matthew. We began the series by defining parables and exploring what … Continue reading Kingdom Stories: Concluding Thoughts
The final parable Jesus utters in Matthew is not actually much of a parable. We call it the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, but other than referring to them in passing, the sheep and the goats have nothing to do with it and he’s almost entirely devoted to explaining it. It’s as though … Continue reading The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
In Matthew’s Gospel, as Jesus’ time with his disciples winds down, he tells his disciples three parables about the last judgment (or, God’s ultimate justice). Last time, we looked at the Parable of the Bridesmaids, with its message to be prepared. Today we’ll look at the second of the three, the Parable of the Talents … Continue reading The Parable of the Talents
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem turned up the heat on everyone, from Jesus himself to his disciples to the religious authorities, to the crowds, to the Romans. In this context, Jesus has gotten into a battle of will and wits with the Temple leaders and Pharisees, as though he’s trying to make every moment count … Continue reading The Parable of the Bridesmaids
The last couple of parables we’ve looked at here in Matthew have threaded the line between grace and judgment. But today we move headlong into the parables of judgment, with the Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard. It’s a text that’s important to me, but also one that has a long history of antisemitic … Continue reading The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard
