of God's grace
In Luke’s gospel, we find a strange short story, the parable of the barren fig tree. Jesus often told stories to illustrate a point, but what is the meaning here? Was this just a message for Jerusalem and the people of Israel at that time? Or does the story of the fruitless fig tree have meaning for our lives today?
Continue reading “The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree – Finding Hope”
In His lifetime Jesus told many parables, these were stories about familiar situations and everyday objects. This was a great way to get the attention of His listeners, while indirectly making a spiritual point. Those who were interested in what Jesus had to say, would reflect on the story and try to understand the deeper message. The prodigal son story is one of the most well-known of the parables and there may be times when we see ourselves, or those that we love, in this story in unexpected ways…
Continue reading “The Prodigal Son Story – 7 Things You Need To Know”
Jesus loved to teach through parables because of the richness and depth of the message often hidden in the story. The parable of the laborers in the vineyard seems at first like a straight-forward account, but it raises so many questions. It confronts us with the counterculture of the kingdom of God and our natural inclination to comparison and competitiveness. Does this story offend our sense of justice or is it more about the generosity of God?
Continue reading “The Laborers in the Vineyard – Justice or Generosity?”
Jesus told many parables, and this particular one is about a farmer building bigger barns. But it is titled the parable of the rich fool. In Scripture, it follows a warning about hypocrisy and precedes the command not to worry about what we need in life. It appears that in this short story there are challenges for us to consider carefully. What is Jesus saying exactly and what is the meaning of the parable of the rich fool?
Continue reading “The Meaning of The Parable of the Rich Fool”
John chapters fifteen and sixteen record the last in-depth conversation that Jesus had with His disciples. It was time to leave the upper room, where they had shared the last supper together. Maybe they were gathering themselves together to leave, or they were already out on the road walking to Gethsemane. Jesus knew that His time had come to fulfil His purpose. In these last hours, Jesus said; “I am the true vine.”
This is the seventh I AM statement of Jesus. It brings to perfect completion His description of His ministry and purpose. It is the most intimate statement – spoken to those who were His closest disciples. In the final moments of Jesus’ earthly ministry He makes a plea to stay connected to Him!
Continue reading “I Am The True Vine – Stay Connected”
Jesus often spoke to the crowds of people who followed Him in parables. These were stories with hidden meanings and He rarely interpreted them. But there is one well-known story where Jesus not only explains what it means but also why He chose to speak in parables. As we explore the meaning of the parable of the sower, we dig deeper into the relevance of Jesus’ words for our lives today.
Continue reading “The Meaning of the Parable of the Sower Today”