Lesson#09

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #09
THE PARABLE OF MOTHS AND THIEVES (MAT 6:19-20)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 6:21

• READ MAT 6:1-21 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE OF MOTHS AND THIEVES (MAT 6:19-20)
• TO WHOM WAS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
• THE AUDIENCE IS THE DISCIPLES.
• THEREFORE, THE PARABLE HAS TO DO WITH THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• THERE IS FUTILITY OF AN EARTH-CENTERED LIFE, AND A REWARD FOR A LIFE SPENT FOR CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM.
• WHAT DO THE TREASURES REPRESENT?
• EARTHLY TREASURES ARE THINGS THAT THE WORLD SYSTEM VALUES:
• THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN ISRAEL CONSIDERED A MAN WEALTHY IF HE WORE ELABORATE CLOTHING, IF HE HAD GRAIN, OR IF HE HAD GOLD.
• TODAY THE WORLD SYSTEM MEASURES A WEALTHY MAN BY HIS MONEY, HIS LAND, HIS POSSESSIONS, HIS STOCKS, HIS PRESTIGIOUS JOB, OR HIS POWER.
• THE WORLD SYSTEM ALSO CONSIDERES THE FOLLOWING THINGS VALUABLE:
• GOOD LOOKS, BEAUTY, YOUTH, AND PHYSICAL LIFE ITSELF.
• HEAVENLY TREASURES ARE THE THINGS THAT GOD VALUES:
• GOD VALUES MOST THE SOULS OF MAN WON FOR CHRIST.
• GOD VALUES THE SOULS OF MAN DISCIPLED FOR CHRIST.
• GOD WILL REWARD GOOD DEEDS DONE IN HIS NAME (LUK 12:33)
• GOD VALUES GOOD CHARACTER QUALITIES:
• THOSE THAT JESUS MENTIONED IN THE BEATITUDES (MAT 5-7)
• THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (GAL 5:22-23)
• GOD VALUES GODLY WISDOM.
• GOD VALUES STRONG FAITH (JAM 2:5)
• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE CORRUPTION OF MOTH AND RUST?
• ANYTHING THAT MAKES THE TREASURE USELESS OR STEALS THE VALUE FROM SOMETHING.
• MOTHS MAKE EXPENSIVE CLOTHING USELESS. (JAM 5:1-3)
• RUST MAKES EXPENSIVE METALS USELESS:
• THE GREEK WORD FOR “RUST” IS brosis WHICH MEANS = EATEN AWAY. THE WORD PRIMARILY REFERS TO GRAIN EATEN BY RODENTS.
• MOTHS AND RUST ATTACK PERISHABLE THINGS.
• EVERYTHING ON THIS EARTH IS PERISHABLE EXCEPT FOR THE SOUL OF MAN THAT HAS AN ETERNAL NATURE.
• WHAT DO THE THIEVES REPRESENT?
• THE THIEVES REPRESENT ANYTHING THAT STEALS SOMETHING OF VALUE.
• A JEWISH RICH MAN’S HOUSE WAS MADE OF BAKED CLAY. HE WOULD KEEP HIS VALUABLES IN AN UNDERGROUND ROOM.
• THE THIEF WOULD DIG DOWN AND THROUGH THE CLAY WALL TO ROB THE UNDERGROUND ROOM.
• THIEVES ROB TO GAIN PERISHABLE THINGS.
• IF WE CONSIDER OUR LIST OF TREASURES THAT THE WORLD SYSTEM VALUES, WE CAN IDENTIFY THEM AS PERISHABLE OR IMPERISHABLE OR BOTH.
• MONEY:
• MONEY HAS BOTH PERISHABLE AND IMPERISHABLE ASPECTS:
• THE PAPER DOLLAR IS PERISHABLE BUT THE GOLD COIN IS IMPERISHABLE IN THAT, EVEN IF YOU MELT IT, IT IS ALWAYS GOLD.
• HOWEVER, BOTH THE DOLLAR BILL AND THE COIN CAN LOSE THEIR VALUE. IN THAT WAY, WEALTH PERISHES.
• STOCKS ARE PERISHABLE:
• THE STOCK CERTIFICATE IS PAPER AND WILL EVENTUALLY ROT AWAY.
• THE VALUE OF THE STOCK CAN DECLINE TO NOTHING.
• THE THIEF CAN STEAL THE STOCK CERTIFICATE.
• A PRESTIGIOUS JOB IS PERISHABLE:
• A DECLINE IN THE COMPANY CAN SUDDENLY WIPE OUT THE NEED OR VALUE OF A COMPANY POSITION.
• A PERSON CAN SUDDENLY LOSE HIS JOB.
• LAND IS PERISHABLE:
• LAND CAN LOSE IT VALUE MAKING IT PERISHABLE.
• LAND CAN BE DESTROYED OR WASHED AWAY MAKING IT PERISHABLE.
• THE THIEF CAN STEAL THE DEED TO THE LAND.
• POSSESSIONS ARE PERISHABLE:
• THE THIEF CAN STEAL POSSESSIONS.
• POSSESSIONS CAN LOSE THEIR VALUE.
• WE SPEND OUR LIVES DESIRING, WORKING FOR, DREAMING OF, PLANNING FOR, BUYING, AND BUILDING, SO THAT WE CAN SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES FINDING ROOM FOR THEM, CLEANING THEM, POLISHING THEM, AIRING THEM, WASHING THEM, DRYING THEM IRONING THEM, GREASING THEM, OVERHAULING THEM, REPAIRING THEM, TRIMMING THEM, CUTTING THEM FERTILIZING THEM, WATERING THEM, PAINTING THEM, DRAINING THEM, REFILLING THEM, AND REPLACING THEM BECAUSE WE CAN’T GET ALONG WITHOUT THEM SINCE THEY ARE SO VALUABLE!
• POWER IS PERISHABLE:
• POWER CAN BE EASILY LOST OR RENDERED USELESS.
• GOOD LOOKS, BEAUTY, AND YOUTH ARE PERISHABLE:
• OLD AGE IS THE MOTH.
• DISEASE IS THE RUST.
• DEATH IS THE THIEF.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY STEALING?
• THE MEANING OF STEALING IS WHATEVER CAUSES A LOSS.
• IS THERE EVER AN ETERNAL LOSS FOR CHRISTIANS?
• THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS, SADLY YES.
• WHAT CAUSES A LOSS IN THE ETERNAL SCHEME OF THINGS FOR THE CHRISTIAN?
• READ 1COR 3:11-15
• READ REV 3:11
• EVIDENTLY IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE THIEF TO STEAL YOUR HEAVENLY TREASURE. HOW?
• THE SPIRITUAL THIEF IS SATAN.
• SATAN STEALS YOUR HEAVENLY TREASURE BY DECEIVING YOU INTO THINKING THAT IT IS NOT IMPORTANT TO EARN HEAVENLY REWARDS.
• WHAT IS THE PROPER CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE?
• WHERE YOUR HEART IS, THERE WILL YOUR TREASURE BE. (21)
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
• YOU SPEND YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENERGY ON ACQUIRING TREASURE.
• IF YOU SPEND IT ACQUIRING WORLDLY TREASURES, YOUR HEART WILL BE IN THE WORLD AND YOU WILL BE SERVING SATAN, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD SYSTEM.
• IF YOU SPEND IT ACQUIRING HEAVENLY TREASURES, YOUR HEART WILL BE ON ETERNAL THINGS VALUING THE THINGS GOD VALUES.
• THE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE SHOULD BE BASED IN ETERNITY:
• WE MUST HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
• IF YOU VALUE ETERNAL THINGS, YOU WILL LOVE ETERNAL THINGS, BECAUSE, HUMAN BEINGS LOVE WHAT THEY VALUE.

• APPLICATION:
• “LAYING UP” (STORING)
• IT IS NOT THE LAYING UP OR STORING TREASURES ON EARTH THAT IS SINFUL, FOR WE ARE TOLD TO BE DILIGENT AND WORK FOR A LIVING.
• IT IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE HEART THAT IS IMPORTANT.
• IF YOU EARN A GOOD LIVING AND GOD PROSPERS YOU MATERIALLY, USE IT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO BLESS OTHERS.
• IN THAT WAY, YOU WILL BE LAYING UP OR STORING TREASURES IN HEAVEN.
• THE CHOICE:
• ACCORDING TO VERSE 24, YOU CAN’T SPEND YOUR LIFE’S BLOOD WORKING FOR BOTH WORLDLY TREASURE AND HEAVENLY TREASURE. YOU MUST CHOOSE TO SPEND YOUR LIFE ON ONE OR THE OTHER.
• IF YOU DON’T ACTIVELY CHOOSE TO SPEND YOUR LIFE STORING HEAVENLY TREASURE, BY DEFAULT, YOU HAVE CHOSEN PASSIVELY TO SPEND YOUR LIFE STORING UP EARTHLY, PERISHABLE TREASURE.
• IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND STILL WORK FOR WORLDLY TREASURES, BUT YOU WILL SUFFER LOSS IN ETERNITY.
• READ 2COR 5:10 THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
• THIS IS A JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING REWARDS FOR FAITHFULNESS TO THE TASK GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.
• THE CHRISTIAN’S TREASURE THAT IS JUDGED AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST: (1COR 3:11-15)
• ACCORDING TO 1COR 3:11-15, SOME CHRISTIANS WILL HAVE STORED TREASURE OF GOLD, SILVER, AND PRECIOUS STONES.
• THESE REPRESENT THE IMPERISHABLE THINGS THAT GOD VALUES.
• ACCORDING TO 1COR 3:11-15, SOME CHRISTIANS WILL HAVE STORED TREASURE OF WOOD, HAY, AND STUBBLE.
• THESE REPRESENT THE PERISHABLE, WORLDLY THINGS THAT MAN VALUES.
• THE REWARDS FOR STORING IMPERISHABLE TREASURE (GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS STONES) IN HEAVEN:
• A COMMENDATION, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
• POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
• AN INVITATION TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.
• A NEW ROBE.
• VARIOUS CROWNS:
• AN INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN (THE VICTOR’S CROWN) (1COR 9:25)
• A CROWN OF REJOICING (THE SOUL WINNER’S CROWN) (1THE 2:19-20)
• A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (FOR A CLEAN LIFE) (2TIM 4:2
• A CROWN OF GLORY (A CROWN FOR SERVICE) (1PET 5:2-4)
• A CROWN OF LIFE (THE MARTYR’S CROWN) (REV 2:10)

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES (MAT 6:22-24)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF MOTHS AND THIEVES (MAT 6:19-20)
• EXAMINE YOUR ATTITUDE IN LIGHT OF WORLDLY VALUES AND HEAVENLY VALUES:
• WHAT DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME DOING?
• OTHER THAN FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS OF FOOD, CLOTHING, AND HOUSING, FOR WHAT DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR MONEY?
• WHAT IS YOUR BASIC, UNDERLYING MOTIVE IN LIFE?
• IF JESUS WERE TO SPEND THIS WEEK WITH YOU PHYSICALLY, WHAT CHANGES WOULD HE MAKE:
• IN TIME SPENT?
• IN MONEY SPENT?
• IN YOUR MOTIVATIONS?
• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES (MAT 6:22-24)
• READ MAT 6:19-34 FOR BACKGROUND.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY, “THE LAMP OF THE BODY IS THE EYE”? (22)

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE WHOLE BODY BEING FULL OF LIGHT BECAUSE OF A HEALTHY (SINGLE) EYE? (22)

• WHAT IS AN EVIL EYE? (22)

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE BODY BEING FULL OF DARKNESS BECAUSE OF AN EVIL EYE? (23)

• WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VERSE 24 AND THE PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: JAM 1:2