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THE PARABLES OF JESUS

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 30, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 38.

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THE PARABLES OF JESUS.

Lesson III.—The Stray Sheep, and Other Parables.

(Sabbath, October 16.)
1. By what parable did our Lord represent the growth of grace in the heart?
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.” Matt. 13: 31.
2. How does he describe the growth of this plant?
3. What may be said of this plant as grown in the East?—It attains in Palestine a height of ten feet, and the linnets and finches settle on it in great flocks for the sake of its seeds.
4. What other parable seems to be given to illustrate the same thing as that of the mustard?
“Another parable spake he unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Matt. 13: 33.
5. How does our Lord illustrate the development of Christian character in a parable recorded in St. Mark?
“And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Mark. 4: 26-29.
6. What is here given again as the first step in the work? Verse 26.
7. What is said of our inability to trace spiritual growth? Verse 27.
8. How are its successive stages illustrated? Verse 28.
9. What follows as soon as the fruit reaches perfect maturity? Verse 29.
10. What warning does Jesus give against despising the little ones of his kingdom?
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. 18: 10.
11. What does Christ say of his mission upon earth?
“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Verse 11.
12. By what parable does he illustrate his love and care for those who stray from the path of duty?
“How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Verses 12-14.
13. In giving this parable, what question does he ask concerning the course of a shepherd toward a sheep that had gone astray? Verse 12.
14. What are a shepherd’s feelings when he has recovered a lost sheep? Verse 13.
15. What conclusion is then drawn? Verse 14.
16. In harmony with the principle of love and forbearance taught in this parable, what course should one Christian take toward another that has injured him?
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” Verse 15.
17. What course must be pursued when the offender will not be thus conciliated?
“But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Verse 16.
18. What must be done if this means fail?
“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” Verse 17.
19. What question did Peter ask?
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Verse 21.
20. How did Jesus answer the question?
“Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.” Verse 22.
21. By what further parable did Jesus illustrate the spirit of love and forbearance which prevails in the kingdom of Heaven?
“Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.” Verse 23.
22. Who was brought to the king as he was reckoning with his servants?
“And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.” Verse 24.
23. What command did the king give with regard to him?
“But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.” Verse 25.
24. How did the servant humble himself before his master?
“The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.” Verse 26.
25. How was the king affected by the poor man’s condition?
“Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” Verse 27.
26. What kindness did the king show him? Same verse.
27. Describe the course pursued by this servant toward one of his fellow-servants who owed him only an hundred pence.
“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.” Verses 28-30.
28. How did the other servants feel when they saw such cruelty practiced by one who had been so kindly treated by the king?
“So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.” Verse 31.
29. What did they do? Same verse.
30. When the king had called the wicked servant to him, what did he say to him?
“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?” Verses 32, 33.
31. What just retribution was inflicted upon this wicked servant?
“And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.” Verse 34.
32. How did Jesus apply this parable?
“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Verse 35.
ONE would naturally suppose that if a poor man had received a present of ten million dollars he would not hesitate to give a poor fellow-servant a few shillings. In the parable, the servant whose debt was forgiven had virtually received that sum, yet he refused to do a kindness to his fellow-servant. We see the same thing acted over and over again in spiritual things. People who have received the free gift of the grace of God often refuse to forgive a brother for some slight offense. Says one, “All I want is my rights; I simply want justice done me.” That is all the man in the parable wanted. The hundred pence belonged to him; he had a right to demand it; if he had received it, he would have received only his due. But people who are so strenuous for their “rights” should stop to consider whether or not they are willing and anxious to grant other people all their rights. When the Lord of that wicked servant demanded his rights, the poor man was in a pitiable condition. We are commanded to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” and the Lord has said that he will do so. Therefore when we are unyielding with our brethren, and insist on their rendering to us our just due in everything, let us remember that we are virtually saying that we wish to have God deal so with us.
THE apostle says: “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Eph. 4: 32. How does God forgive sinners? “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5: 8. He prepared the way for man’s repentance. Although he had been despised, rejected, and insulted, he took the first steps toward reconciliation. Then if we would obey the divine injunction we must not say, when a brother trespasses against us, “Well, if he makes matters all right, and shows that he is really sorry, I will forgive him.” If God had dealt so with man the world would have been hopelessly ruined. We must be anxious
to forgive; we must not harbor any resentment, but must desire only the good of the offending one.
MORE than this, God doesn’t hold a grudge against those who have sinned against him, and have repented. He never taunts the contrite one by recounting his past errors or present weakness. He “giveth liberally, and upbraideth not.” He says of his people, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:34. “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18, 19.
BEHOLD in this parable a faint representation of man’s utter helplessness and God’s infinite grace. The servant owed his lord ten thousand talents, but he had nothing. A cipher is a very poor sum from which to take ten thousand. What could he do? Nothing, but say, Have patience with me. So the sinner can only say, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” But suppose the man will not receive pardon, or, having received it, shows himself unappreciative, and unworthy of it, by cherishing hard, resentful, and unforgiving feelings towards his fellows. In the parable the man was delivered to the executioners (or cast into jail, see Matt. 5:25, 26) till he should pay the whole. Now if the man had nothing wherewith to pay an immense debt, and was then cast into prison, when could he pay it. Never; he would eternally be a debtor. So the unrepentant sinner who dies a debtor to the law of God, will never be able to discharge that debt. Only Christ could discharge it, and Christ’s sacrifice avails only in this present life. The expression “it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come,” does not mean that some sin that is not forgiven here may be forgiven in the world to come, but that it never has forgiveness. But there is scarcely any end to the lessons that might be learned from the parable in Matt. 18: 23-35. The one, however, on which we ought to meditate much is the forgiveness of God, and the condition of heart and soul that his love and mercy ought to beget in us. “O give thanks unto the God of Heaven; for his mercy endureth forever.”