13. Let Me Tell You a Story . . .

8/12/2019 13. Let Me Tell You a Story . . .

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Lesson #13Let me tell you a story . . .

(Matthew 13: 1 53)


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In Lesson #12 those closest to Jesus begin to doubt him: John the

Baptist; the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum; and

even Jesus own family.

In Lesson #12 Jesus takes on a decidedly sharper edge, antagonizing

the religious leaders by picking grain and healing on the Sabbath,

and then engaging them in a heated dialectic argument; byridiculing the religious leaders when they accuse him of driving out

demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons; and by targeting the

crowds with scathing criticism when they ask for a sign from him, a

sign that would validate his authority.

Lesson #12 closes in tension and frustration when Jesus refuses toacknowledge his mother and brothers who have come to see him,

saying that his disciples are his mother and brothers.


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Lesson #13 offers a much-needed reprieve, a chance for thereader to take a deep breath as the tension and urgency, so

prominent in Lessons 11 & 12, dissipate. In Lesson 13 we

move into Great Discourse #3, Parables of the Kingdom of

Heaven, a series of stories that both surprise and delight.


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The Gospel according to Matthews overall

mirrored chiastic structure

A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, Son of God (1-4)

Minor discourse: John the Baptist identifies the authority of Jesus (3:7-12)

B Great Discourse #1: Demands of true discipleship (5-7)

C Narrative: The supernatural authority of Jesus (8-9)

D Great Discourse #2: Charge and authority of disciples (10)E Narrative: Jews reject Jesus (11-12)

F Great Discourse #3: Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (13)

E Narrative: Disciples accept Jesus (14-17)

D Great Discourse #4: Charge and authority of church (18)

C Narrative: Authority and invitation (19-22)

B Great Discourse #5: Judgment on false discipleship (23-25)A Narrative: Jesus as Messiah, suffering and vindicated (26-28)

Minor discourse: Jesus identifies the authority of the church (28:18-20)


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This section displays an elegant 3-part structure:1. Parable of the Sower

Why teach in parables?

Explanation of the Parable of the Sower

2. Parable of the Weeds among the WheatParable of the Mustard Seed

Parable of the Yeast

Explanation of the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat

3. Parable of the Buried Treasure

Parable of the Pearls of Great Price

Parable of the Net

Conclusion: Treasures Old and New


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And we learned that Jesus teaching methods consist of:

1) Expository teaching (with the outstanding example of

the Sermon on the Mount);

2) Dialectic teaching (with the examples of Jesus engaging

the religious leaders on the topic of working on

the Sabbath); and3) Teaching through Parables


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The word parable is a compound of two Greek words:para= along side (as inparamedic orparalegal) and bollo

= the verb to throw.

A parable is a succinct, didactic story thrownalongside a common, ordinary truth to

illuminate that truth in a striking and

memorable fashion. Parables are meant to

illuminate, not to hide or obscure.


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Jesus did not invent the parable as a teaching device.

Parables are a type of mashalim, a form of comparison

used in the Old Testament, such as Nathans story of the

ewe-lamb in 2 Samuel 12: 1-7 and the story told by the

woman of Tekoa in 2 Samuel 14: 1-13. Indeed, Greek

rhetoricians used the term to describe a brief fictionalnarrative used for comparison, much like an extended

metaphor.

Although Jesus did not invent the parable, he was a

master at using it. Jesus parables are clever andmemorable, often delighting his audience with surprise

and insight.


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1. Parable of the SowerWhy teach in parables?


2. Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat

Parable of the Mustard SeedParable of the Yeast



Parable of the Pearls of Great PriceParable of the Net



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Parable of the Sower (fresco). Sts. Konstantine and Helen Orthodox Church,

Cluj, Romania.


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Northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas


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1. Some seed fell on the path, and the birds came

and ate it (13: 4);

2. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil

. . . and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it

withered for lack of roots (13: 5-6);

3. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns

grew up and choked it (13: 7);

4. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced

fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold (13: 8).


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Why teach in parables


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1. Some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it (13: 4).

The person who hears the word and doesnt understand it; the evil one comes and

takes it away.

2. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil . . . and when

the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots (13:

5-6).

The person who hears the word, accepts it at once with joy, but has no root and it

lasts only a short time.

3. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked

it (13: 7).

The person who hears the word, but worldly concerns choke it off.

4. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or

sixty or thirtyfold (13: 8).

The person who hears the word, understands itand produces fruit.


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The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . .

1. Man who sowed good seed Son of Man

2. His field the world

3. Good seed children of the kingdom4. Weeds children of the evil one

5. The enemy the devil

6. The harvester the end of the age

7. The harvesters the angels


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During spring and fall the Sea of Galilee is a way station for the migration of

over 500 million birds from more than 400 species; it is a Mecca for

Ornithologists!


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Yeast is always a negative image in Scripture:

For seven days no leaven may be found in your houses; foranyone, a resident alien or a native, who eats leavened food

will be cut off from the community of Israel. You shall eat

nothing leavened; wherever you dwell you may eat only

unleavened bread (Exodus 12: 19-20).

Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew

16: 11).

Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a

little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, sothat you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you

are unleavened (1 Corinthians 5: 6-7)


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The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . .


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1. Parable of the SowerWhy teach in parables? ONE INSERT



Parable of the Mustard Seed TWO INSERTSParable of the Yeast


3. Parable of the Buried Treasure THREE INSERTS




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1. Why does Jesus teach in parables?

2. If Jesus is fluent in expository and didacticteaching, as well as in parables, under whatcircumstances do you think he would choose

to use parables?

3. Why does Jesus not use parables whenteaching his inner-circle of disciples?

4. What do birds represent in Jesus parables?

5. What does Jesus mean when he says that agood teacher brings from his storeroomboth the new and the old?


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Copyright 2014 by William C. Creasy

All rights reserved. No part of this courseaudio, video,

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