Matthew 24 (along with the parallel chapters of Mark 13 and Luke 21) is one of the very important portions of Scripture dealing with the “last days” where Jesus tells us conditions and things that would be happening on earth just before and leading up to His return. He begins by predicting the destruction of […]
Jesus often used parables emphasizing the same truth but from a different viewpoint; perhaps this way more people would understand these truths, then too, repetition of a thing emphasizes its importance. Today we are returning to Matthew 13:44-46 where in our previous meditation we noted two parables pertaining to the value of the kingdom of […]
In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus gives us two examples in parable illustrating the superior value of the kingdom of heaven. In verse 44 He likens “the kingdom of heaven (to) treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys […]
From the times of ancient past viticulture (cultivation of grapes) has played an important role in Israel’s history, with their region having very favorable terrain and climate for this crop which was an important contributor to their life. In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus uses these facts as the focal point of a parable teaching us that […]
With agriculture being an important part of Israeli life Jesus uses it more than once in His teaching about the kingdom of heaven, i.e. kingdom of God. In Matthew 13:24-30, He portrays a farmer that sowed good seed in his “wheat” field; then during the night an enemy came and sowed “tares” (a weed that […]
In Matthew 25:14-30 is one of Jesus “the kingdom of heaven is like” parables. Here He tells the story of a wealthy householder with several servants; calling them, he put them in charge of his affairs while he himself went to a distant country, possibly to conduct some sort of business. They were not all […]
Another parable Jesus used likens the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. The mustard seed referred to here is apparently not the annual plant we likely think of immediately today, but a much larger specimen, whose seed was very small but grew very large. The combination of these provide an appropriate […]
God has so arranged it that the natural and spiritual work parallel to each other. With the people of Israel being very familiar with the process of agriculture and livestock, Jesus often used parables from these to teach the spiritual truths of the kingdom of God. In Mark 4:26-29 He speaks of one scattering or […]
Another parable of Jesus is recorded in Luke 14:16-24 where He tells the story of a host that was giving a great banquet; the custom was that the invitations would be sent out in advance and when the feast was ready a notice would be sent out. His friends had received the invitation, apparently accepted […]
Another parable of Jesus is recorded in Luke 14:16-24 where He tells the story of a host that was giving a great banquet; the custom was that the invitations would be sent out in advance and when the feast was ready a notice would be sent out. His friends had received the invitation, apparently accepted […]