Tag Archives: parables

Team 6, Question 2

Posted on by under matthew

In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, Matthew talks about how five of the bridesmaids were wise and five were foolish. The bridesmaids all took lamps and the wise brought oil to refuel them and the foolish did not. The bridegroom, or Jesus, was delayed so the ten ladies slept but when Jesus came the five wise bridesmaids re lit their lamps while the foolish bridesmaids did not. They left to refuel their lamps, and while they were gone Jesus took the wise bridesmaids to the Kingdom of Heaven and when the foolish bridesmaids came knocking he would not let them in only calling out “Truly I do not know you. Keep awake therefore, for you neither know the day nor the hour” (MT, 11-13). This parable is explaining that we should always be prepared for the arrival of Jesus because we don not know when he is coming so we must always follow the preaching’s of Jesus and the Word so we can be prepared like the wise bridesmaids.

In the parable the Judgment of the Nations, Jesus separates the good and the accused into groups. He explains to the good that they were always their to help him, fed him when he was hungry, clothed him when he was naked and visited him when he was sick. To the accused he explains they did none of these things and shall be punished by the fires of Hell. This parable helps to signify how important it is to help others, to love thy neighbors as oneself, and that those who don’t will not be excepted into the Kingdom of Heaven.

I believe these stories would have functioned well in Mathean society. These parables would have taught the Mathean Christians it was okay to follow the orders of the society but not to get comfortable and become like the society. The parables helped teach them that they must be always prepared for the arrival of Jesus because we do not know when he will arrive.

TEAM 4 QUESTION 2 (5/18)

Posted on by under matthew

In The Parable of the 10 Virgins (Bridesmaids), Matthew’s author is emphasizing that we must be prepared for the Son of the Man’s return at any moment and that your soul is not necessarily guaranteed a place in heaven just because you attend church. The term ‘lamp’ can also be understood as a tool to light the way and escape darkness in a spiritual sense. From this perspective, the oil cannot actually be shared even if the five wise women wanted to, because the oil that will light your path to salvation is not interchangeable. Then when the bridegroom (Jesus) arrives, only the five wise woman are able to leave with him while the five foolish woman are left out in the darkness. When the foolish woman finally arrive and beg entrance into his house (Kingdom of Heaven), he says “Truly I tell you I do not know.’ Keep awake therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt 25:1-13).

In the Parable of Talents which follows directly after, the author’s attitude shifts from preparation to faithfulness and risk. First it should be understood that this parable is not supposed to focus on any economic gain, but rather on risking one’s own talents for the good of the Kingdom of Heaven and in service of the lord. In (Mt 25:21-22), the first two slaves were able to double what they had received previously, and they used their talents to faithfully serve their masters, in return they receive praise, promotion, and are able to ‘enter into the joy of their master’. The third slave however, has less faith in his ability and fears his master’s backlash and the punishment his physical body might endure. Even though the third slave was given less than the first two, he did not try to do anything with what he was given and his lack of faith led to his master’s dissatisfaction.

Following the harsh denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees in Ch. 23 and the temple’s destruction in Ch. 24., the parables in (Mt 24:45-25:-46) continue to point out that Jesus’s arrival could be at any time, and it is very possible to miss the opportunity into the Kingdom of Heaven if you aren’t prepared spiritually and mentally. We must not attach ourselves to this material world because not of it will matter in the next realm and we must use our faith and our abilities in the name of the lord.

Written to a primarily Jewish audience thought to be located in Upper Galilee, the gospel of Matthew was produced to help Matthean Christians who were conflicting with the majority sect of Jews (Rabbinic) and Gentiles. These parables would have let the community know that it was okay to be teach and follow in the way of the Pharisees, but never ‘be’ like them. Also that faith and preparation will be key factors in gaining access to heaven. If you are not prepared when Jesus returns, then you have missed your opportunity forever, therefore you must always be prepared spiritually, never attached to the material world and constantly using your abilities in the name of the good lord. You do not know when Jesus’s judgement is coming, but you know he is coming so you must be pious and good to others.

Team 1, Question 1

Posted on by under mark

 

This part of Mark is portraying Jesus as having a connection with God. In Mark 1:22 it says “They were astounded at his teachings for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes did”.   Right after that in Mark it briefly describes Jesus casting out an unclean spirit.  But even the unclean spirit is given a chance to connect Jesus with God; in verse 24 the unclean spirit says “What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”  When Jesus forgives the sins of the Paralytic, the people question to themselves how this person had authority to forgive sins, because only God could forgive sins.  Giving another connection to the divine being, and Jesus responds to their questioning in their hearts by performing the more difficult task of telling the man to get up and walk.

 

Jesus often didn’t conform to the traditional customs of the land, like feasting when John the Baptist and his disciples as well as the Pharisees were fasting, he also ate with people who were sinners, and he and his disciples broke the Sabbath day by eating forbidden grain and healing people.  For not feasting Jesus responded to the people by saying “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?… .”  In this statement Jesus is referring to himself as the bridegroom, which probably did not make sense to a lot of people who heard him say it. But later in Mark Jesus says that his parables were intended so that the outsiders would not understand what he was saying.   In response to eating with the sinners Jesus says “I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  A pretty logical response that if you want more people to be righteous you should go to the ones who aren’t.  And in response to breaking the Sabbath he says in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” And in response to healing on the Sabbath he says “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”  and then it says they were silent, meaning that essentially Jesus won that argument.  

 

The parable of the sower tells of someone sowing seeds, and his seeds fall on different places determining which seeds will sprout, and grow and produce lots of grain, the ones that fall on good soil, grow and produce 30, 60 or even 100 fold.  And then Jesus finishes the parable by saying in Mark 4:9 “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”  Then Jesus goes on to say in Mark 4:21-23 Jesus follows up the parable of the sower with an analogy of a lamp saying “I s a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lamp stand?  For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret except to come to light.  Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” The symbolism of the light, is a connection to Jesus as the light of the world.  And this analogy is saying that if you know the word then you need to go sow it somewhere instead of hiding it, but a lot of people who hear it are not going to get well rooted in it. The comparison of the mustard seed to the kingdom of heaven means that from something small the kingdom of heaven will grow into the greatest kingdom.  Similar to how the seeds which fell on the good soil end up producing up to a hundredfold.  

RoJ: 5/10 Question 1 by Group 3

Posted on by under mark

In Mk 1:21 – 3:6 Mark portrays Jesus as someone who has authority but “not as the scribes”, someone who commands unclean spirits and they obey him, some who heals the sick, paralytic, and leper, someone who has authority to forgive people of their sins, and as someone in command of the Sabbath. Mark even paints him calling people who are hated members of the community like Levi the tax collector. Also Mark connects Jesus to King David when he tells the story of Jesus telling the Pharisees that King David fed his people similar to what he’s doing now. The crowds seem to be fascinated by Jesus and his healings and follow him around wherever as suggested by “people came to him from every quarter” (Mk 1:45). His early disciples just blindly followed him with not much thought when Jesus said “follow me” and Levi “got up and followed him” so simply. And lastly the leaders like the scribes and Pharisees didn’t seem excited about Jesus and his ministry. They would question his decision to eat with the tax collectors, his fasting and Sabbath practices. They questioned his authority to forgive, calling it a “blasphemy”. And ultimately they had hardness of heart and “conspired with Herodians . . . to destroy him” The words and deeds of Jesus are consistent aretological devices that argue for his divinity. And the Good News or Gospel, of the Kingdom of God that Mark presents doesn’t seem to be in line with the Jewish leaders at the time. The kingdom of God and the good news is for the sick, sinful, hated, and is something that requires “new wine skin” so that you may acquire it and the Jewish leaders weren’t happy about this.

The motif of secrecy and Jesus as source of misunderstanding is evident in the passage found in Mark 4:1-34. The soils of the parable even highlight the secrecy of his ministry and the reason why people will “look but not perceive and . . . listen but not understand” his parables. The path, rocky ground, thorns and the good soil represent the different types of people who will hear this words or see his teachings and not understand or perceive it. The parable highlights that only the good soil will bear fruit and increase the yield, and I liken the good soil as those who do understand. The mission is to proclaim the good news at any cost. Those who don’t take hold are simply people who heard the call but didn’t bear fruit for various reasons. Those that hear the word and proclaim the good news despite the cost, which in John the Baptist’s case is arrest” are those who landed on good soil and bore 30, 60, and even 100 fold. This message was crucial for the context in which Mark was writing too. After the fall of the temple and the rise of the early Christian persecution many were falling away because of fear i.e. thorny/rocky soil. Mark is charging the early Christians to take root and be good soil and to multiply. The mission is to proclaim the Good News despite the turmoil they face. The following seed parable even highlights this, the obedience of a single person aka mustard seed, will grow to be the branches on which birds nest on. The image of a promise of harvest was hope for the early Christians at the time.

Parables // TEAM 5, QUESTION 3

Posted on by under words

There are substantially more details included in Matthew’s Parable of the Weeds, recorded in verses 24-30 of chapter 13, than in Mark’s Parable of the Seed Growing. Both begin by comparing the Kingdom of God/Heaven to a man sowing seed/scattering seed on the ground of a field. Matthew goes another direction with his parable, though, and makes the distinction that the seed is good. Mark makes no distinction between the quality of the seed because, it seems, the point of the parable is not to address the quality or lack thereof.

The point of Mark’s parable seems to be, in contrast to expectations that the last judgment (sickle and harvest) would come soon, instead that the commencement of the Kingdom of God would inconspicuous and its growth would be slow (first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear) but come to fruition in due season (when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come), and then the Kingdom of God will come. Matthew’s parable, on the other hand, draws a distinction between good and bad seed. With the bad seed (sons of the evil one) come weeds, sown among the good seed of wheat (sons of the Kingdom). The bad seed are sown by the enemy (the devil) of the man (Son of Man). At early growth, the weeds and the wheat are indistinguishable, but as they reach maturity you can tell them apart. Attempting to gather the weeds would harm the wheat, so they are allowed to grow together (in the world) until harvest (the end of the age, Day of Judgment). The prolonged coming of the Kingdom of God isn’t the point here, but the fact that there are good and bad seed, and the explanation for why the bad seed are allowed to continue. This could be seen as an expansion on Mark’s parable, but the clearest reason for Matthew’s parable being different is that the point the parable is making is different. The two parables are both talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, but they’re making completely different points.

Matthew’s account of Jesus explaining the Parable of the Weeds has a much more explicitly elevated view of Jesus than Mark’s parable. Jesus is the Son of Man, and he is the one sowing sons of the Kingdom and the one inaugurating the Kingdom of God. Clearly this is a portrayal of the scene in Daniel 7, after the Ancient of Days gives everlasting dominion over the Earth, glory, and a Kingdom to one like a Son of Man. Matthew, in his account, is clearly identifying Jesus with this Son of Man figure.

Matthew’s Parable of the Treasure continues the theme of talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. Here another point is made as to the inconspicuous or hidden nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. However, the main thrust of this parable seems to be more about the surpassing worth, as treasure, of the Kingdom of God compared to any sacrifice one could make to get it. Matthew’s Parable of the Pearl of Great Value is also talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, but unlike the man who stumbled on hidden treasure, this man was is a merchant is earnestly searching for fine pearls. But when he found the pearl of great value (the Kingdom of Heaven), he has the same reaction as the man in the field and sacrificed all he had to get it. Matthew’s Parable of the Net is essentially making the same point as his parable of the weeds. Making the same point that good and bad fish won’t be sorted until the final harvest, and evil won’t be totally removed from the world until the end of the age. Making these points about the Kingdom of Heaven would do well to explain Jesus’ rejection by the Jews and his movement’s seeming defeat at his death.

Team Six, Question 3

Posted on by under words

Mathews addition of the parable of the weeds expands upon Marks parable of the seeds to better show the destruction of the followers of Jesus by just one bad seed, or the weeds. In Mathew 13:37-40 its stated, “The one who sows the good seed is The Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels”. So, as stated above, it only takes one “enemy” to sow a bad seed in the field and corrupt the the growth of the good seeds or the children of God. I believe the addition of Mathews parable of the weeds effects his description of Jesus because this shows in a way that Jesus is warning us against Gods judgment. Just as the harvester and the reaper, the angels, will separate the weeds from the wheat and throw the weeds in the fires of the furnace, God will do the same at the final judgment, he will separate the truly good and truly evil and the truly evil will burn in the fires of Hell.

I think the parable of the treasure and the pearls is Jesus trying to represent how important the kingdom of Heaven truly is because once we know of it we would give up everything in order to possess it. In the two parables the man gives up everything he has to get the kingdom. I think the catch is that the in both the parables the treasure and the pearl are hidden, so that is trying to represent how many people miss the word of Jesus and the chance to possess the ability to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Maybe on of the reasons these two small parables are “sandwiched” between the parable of the weeds and the net is because both these two parables talk of the evil being “weeded” out by the angels either in the term of weeds or fish and being “ thrown into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mathew 13:50). The treasure and pearl parable is almost the explanation of how to avoid the fires of the furnace, in terms of search for the treasure of the Kingdom of God and you shall receive it.

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