Parables Episodes

You have been told this parable is about corruption. Look again. One sentence. That is all Jesus gave 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 (Matthew 13:33). No story. No explanation. He explained the Sower. He explained the Tares. This one He left in silence — and the silence was the point. He was speaking to the multitude. Ordinary people who ate leavened bread every day of their lives. People whose ...

A seed you could lose in the crease of your palm. A tree so large the birds of the air move into its branches. And a quiet, centuries-long argument over what those birds are doing there. Jesus told the Parable of the Mustard Seed to the crowds, and three Gospels carry it. He explained the Sower. He explained the Wheat and the Tares figure by figure, in private, at His disciples’ request. This one He never explained at all. He handed the picture over — seed, man, garden, tree, birds — and moved ...

Jesus explained this parable Himself. Symbol by symbol. And His explanation dismantles the chart on your church wall. The crowd got a story: a man sowed good seed in his field, and while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. The disciples got more. They came to Him privately, in the house, and asked. And He answered with a key no other parable receives. The sower is the Son of man. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. Th...

There is a verse that makes people close their Bibles. Jesus, explaining why He teaches in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them (Mark 4:12). Read it plainly. It sounds like He tells stories so people won't understand. So they won't repent. So they won't be forgiven. It sounds like concealment by design — and the design sounds like damnation. M...

“He knoweth not how.” That is what Jesus says about the man at the center of this parable. A farmer. He plants the seed. He brings in the harvest. And everything that matters in between — the growing — happens without him. By a power he cannot see. Cannot explain. Cannot control. Read that again. The man does not know how. Jesus said this to a crowd that wanted a kingdom they could watch arrive — by force, by effort, by visible power. He handed them a seed growing in the dark instead. He sle...

You think you know this one. Four soils. Sunday school flannel-graph. Heard it a hundred times. Jesus says if you get this parable wrong, you get them all wrong. Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? (Mark 4:13). His words. This is the key. Misread it and every parable after it breaks in your hands. So look at who He's talking to. Great multitudes on a shoreline — so many He has to teach from a boat. Same day the religious elite looked at the power of God and called...

I think sometimes we think, like, I've crossed the bridge. I've professed my belief. I'm baptized. I'm a Christian! That's cool, but you're not finished. I think we've all been taught the Parable of the Sower, but Mark takes us to the next phase, the growth. And that is not of your doing. You didn't cause yourself to grow in your mother's womb, and you don't cause your spiritual growth. That's not to say that you don't play a part. You do. You're the thing that grows, but the spirit grows with y...

With yesterday being Tax Day in the US we thought it would be appropriate to dig deeper into the tax trap presented to Jesus. I just did my taxes yesterday. I always wait because I always owe money. After putting in a solid 10 hours just trying to complete the forms and forage through my financial maze, it got me to thinking about how much money really does rule our lives! Often the first thing that comes to mind when you're do your taxes is "I earned this, why isn't it mine?" Then you think abo...

We've read the Parable of the 10 virgins over and over. We cite it. We talk about readiness! We've just spent days in the valley between the destruction of the old temple and the final return. And what are we doing in the valley? I read the Parable of 10 virgins this morning, and, well it left me wondering. I know that when the Bridegroom arrives, 5 are ready and 5 are not. The five that are ready cannot share the oil in their lamp. They end up going off with the bridegroom while the 5 others a...

We've heard the Parable of the Great Banquet or Wedding Banquet probably a lot in our bible studies. Both Matthew and Luke tell the story and both help ground the meaning. In our Red-Letter journey, we find this parable told by Jesus early on Tuesday morning in Passion Week. Luke's version is the same parable told at an earlier event.... which is one of the reasons we've seen this story before. I came into this passage reflecting on that wedding feast we are all going to attend after the return...

We are on the temple courts during Jesus' last week. The Parable of the Evil Vine-Growers is perhaps the most scathing indictment that Jesus has ever given confronting the religious elite head on. No stone is left unturned (pun intended). It should be no secret that we use AI in our Bible study with strict guardrails to only use scripture and not external interpretations or commentary. That is what we have commonly referred to as our Berean Filter. We let the Bible speak for itself and we us...

Jesus is on the temple court speaking to the pharisees and he tells the Parable of the two sons. Jesus is pretty explicit about the different between professing belief and walking in faith. There's a famous expression that says that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Thousands of preachers preach the sinners prayer as if that moment in a person's life is all that is needed for salvation. Many people do exactly as asked. They stand or even approach the altar; they pray the sinner'...

I think we all remember the curse of the fig tree. It's a passage that sticks with you. Often though, we tend to skip right over the meat and jump straight into the dessert. As I reflect back to my own Bible studies with seasoned disciples, even they got this wrong! This is how almost all Christians hear Jesus' explanation: "...whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Or the short version is "You can move mountains". We want that to be true! That puts the very powe...

We are with Jesus leaving Jericho on the way to the cross. There is this expectation within the disciples that when Jesus gets to Jerusalem that the Kingdom will just magically appear. Jesus answers this concern with Luke: the Parable of the Tin Minas and a parallel passage in Matthew. We study this out and come away with a very clear understanding of judgement and expectations. This is about the believers, the unbelievers and the fruitless inbetweeners. These parables offer truth on so many ...

Let’s face it, we don’t want to be called unworthy. We don’t like the word servant. We take an honest look at this tension as we explore Luke 17: 7-10. I actually came away from this feeling good about being the unworthy servant! https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vvf9ua67y9f7msqs/Unworthy_Servants6ll9s.pdf Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/unworthy-servant/

I think we can all relate to this on worldly terms. You get hired by the owner of a business and agree to $100 for the day. Then you put in a full 12-hour day. A new hire has just come on an hour ago. The guy who is paying your wages pays that new hire $100. You're thinking, wow... I'm about to make out like a bandit! You start doing the multiplication in your head but when the owner gets to you, he gives you the same hundred bucks. If that's how you're thinking, you're not alone. Step into the...

After the rich young ruler walks away sadly, you can imagine that the disciples have some pretty pointed questions. And if you want to summarize, it's basically "ok, what about us?". Jesus answers Peter, who is asking this question. If you're like me, that left me with more questions. "Jesus, what do you mean by 'the regeneration'?" and deeper questions that come from this deep dive. If the Apostles and the Saints are there to reign with Christ, who are they reigning over? This is the r...

As we continue along on our red-letter journey, we encounter Jews asking Jesus who will be saved. Will it be many or just a few? The beauty of following along chronologically is that we just heard Jesus discussing the narrow door over in John 10. There he was addressing the religious leaders. Well, that doesn't mean that their followers get off the hook and Jesus makes it abundantly clear. Some will suggest that this can be one of the scariest passages to hear Jesus utter. Luke 13:25-27. Once ...

We drop into a conversation between some Galileans and Jesus in Luke 13:1-9. This is a fascinating discussion that is enriched with some historical backdrop. This is the first time we have encountered Pilate in the Red-Letter journey. He's not a good guy! What unfolds are some very pointed questions that Jesus answers and the answers do not make the one who asked the question any more comfortable. In fact, it leaves them with a question (unasked) that Jesus answers with the Parable of the Fig Tr...

Did it ever occur to you to ask why Jesus arrived at this point in history? Why did Jesus show up when he did? What would have happened if he had waited. When we arrive on the scene in the New Testament, John the Baptist is already calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers. That particular term is used again by John and twice more by Jesus. Why the Jews first? I would argue that the entry of Jesus in the first century begins as a rescue mission. First to save the sheep that are not just lost but ...

You hear this all the time, right? "I'm a Good Person". or "I have a Good Heart". or this one: "Well, I'm only human!" I have to be truthful, I've said these things! The fact is, most of us would consider ourselves to be pretty good people. Here's the thing. I used to think that every decision I made in life could be traced back to a decision leading to life or death, no matter how trivial the subject. That was just a core philosophy. That original thought was rooted in my secular lifestyl...

Feel like you're being a pest sometimes? God doesn't look at it that way. He loves your persistence! Never stop asking. I think if you read the notes today, you'll see how we like to read scripture. One might be inclined to just plough through a set of passages; but if you don't have thoughts and questions along the way, you probably are not reading scripture the way it was intended. As you read, let your mind wander into questions. If you're inclined to want to finish the passage, write down...

On its surface, the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is simple enough. But with it are some profound statements that will lead you down rabbit holes. And we love rabbit holes! It is here that we come to understand that Purgatory is not in scripture! With all deference to the faithful Catholics, you don't get a do-over! If you die in your sin, you stay in your sin. If you die in Christ, you're in paradise. Notes to You Don't Get a Do Over Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditatio...

Just when you think we were finished with the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus gives us the epilogue! We are back following Jesus on our Red-Letter journey with The Parable of the Shrewd Manager. This parable is often discussed and debated. We'll get into that confusion. Perhaps part of the confusion is the reader often reads this parable in isolation. I think that is a huge mistake. We left the Parable of the Prodigal son with many unresolved questions. We can look at this parable's relati...