“…A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’” ~ Luke 14:16-17 REFERENCE: Luke 14:16-24 Without being prompted to, but according to his status and royal generosity, this man prepared a great supper and invited people he considered worthy of such an assembly. Listen to the language of the invitation, “Come, for all things are now ready.” That’s power! He expected the invitees to consider themselves privileged to be the called ones in the city, but they seemed not to know the...
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” ~ Luke 10:33 REFERENCE: Luke 10:30-37 Our love often discriminates based on race, tribe, gender, or color. Jesus used this parable to challenge our prejudices and to stir us to reach across dividing walls to show God's love to those desperately in need of it. This ‘certain man’ fell into hard times – he was attacked, robbed, stripped, wounded, and on the verge of dying. Hence, anybody can find himself in a place of desperately needing love from another person. Life happens, and...
“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.” ~ Matthew 13:3 REFERENCE: Matthew 13:3-9 A more familiar word for a sower today is ‘farmer.’ Jesus taught here what farmers in His days went through during harvest – productivity is different for seeds sown; there are harvests that are worth the while, and there are disappointing ones. This is because of the type of soil they grow in. Jesus used this parable to show the link between our capacity to receive truth, instruction, training, etc., and our productivity in life. Two students sit under the same...
Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? Job 1:10a The story of Job is often used to illustrate the point that God’s people are not immune from trials and tribulations that afflict the rest of humanity. However, it is noteworthy that out of all the reports Job received about the terrible things that had happened to him and his household, none mentioned the devil’s involvement. Why? Because those who brought the reports only witnessed the physical manifestations of things that were happening in the spiritual realm. Similarly, when...
“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as the clay is in the potter’s hand…” Jeremiah 18:6 In the portion of scripture above, God is reminding the people of Israel that He has the capacity to transform His creations in the same way a potter can improve an imperfect artefact he made. He is, in effect, asking the Israelites if they have enough faith to believe that He can change their negative circumstances. The question is still relevant to us as believers today. This story of the potter and his pottery is often used to teach us...
As we continue to follow Jairus on his journey to a miracle in Mark 5: 22-43, we remember the 3 things we learnt from Jairus journey so far. In summary, to take every problem to God, to wait on Him in simple trust and finally, to let the testimonies of other people encourage us while we wait to receive ours. Sadly, while Jesus was having a conversation with the woman who got healed, bad news was heading to Jairus. The news of his daughter’s death came to meet them right there where Jesus had stopped! Oh the feelings of Confusion, Sadness,...
“…You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” ~ Matthew 18:32-33 REFERENCE: Matthew 18:23-35 This parable will test all your relationships. It is the story of a servant who owed his master a huge sum of money (Greek: uncountable sum), and when he could not pay it back, his master forgave him because he asked him to. This same servant met a fellow servant who owed him a hundred pence, and although the guy begged his forgiveness and patience, he...
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind…” ~ Matthew 13:47 REFERENCE: Matthew 13:47-51 Jesus used this parable to teach that the gospel net will always bring different people into the church, some with a heart for God, and others, just there to serve their purpose. The world is the sea in which the net is cast, and when the fisherman (preacher) draws it back into the boat, it drags in the good and the bad. Jesus taught that at the end of all things, God, through His...
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and…goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” ~ Matthew 13:44 REFERENCE: Matthew 13:44-46 Precious treasures are not easy to come by – diamonds are buried in rocks, crude oil is in the depth of the earth, and so is gold. They often have to be mined or extracted and passed through laborious processes before they can be of benefit. Pieces of diamond jewelry are also not sold in just any shop, and where you find them, they are in secured displays or...
The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” ~ Matthew 13:33 REFERENCE: Matthew 13:33 Leaven is a substance, typically yeast, used in dough (baking flour mixed with water or milk) to make it rise. A unique characteristic of leaven is its ability to affect the particles of any substance it comes in contact with and changes it to its nature. When leaven is introduced into a lump of dough (irrespective of its size and nature), the dough behaves contrary to its nature and becomes larger as the leaven...