Lesson #45

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #45
THE PARABLE OF THE OVERLADEN BEASTS OF BURDEN (MAT 23:1-4)
THE PARABLE OF THE BLIND GUIDES, THE GNAT, AND THE CAMEL (MAT 23:16-24)

• MEMORY VERSE: JAM 3:17

• READ MAT 23:1-36 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE TWO PARABLES.
• JESUS SPOKE THESE TWO PARABLES TO A MIXED MULTITUDE OF BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS.
• TO HIS DISCIPLES (23:1)
• TO THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES (23:13), WHO WERE OBVIOUSLY PART OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE.

• THE PARABLE OF OVERLADEN BEASTS OF BURDEN (MAT 23:1-4)
• WHO DO THE BEASTS REPRESENT?
• THE BEASTS REPRESENT HUMAN BEINGS.
• WHO IS IT THAT PUTS HEAVY BURDENS ON MEN’S SHOULDERS?
• JESUS IS REFERING TO THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES.
• THEY SAT IN THE SEAT OF AUTHORITY OF MOSES BECAUSE THEY TOOK ON THEMSELVES THE AUTHORITY TO WRITE GOD’S NEW LAWS FOR THE PEOPLE.
• WHAT ARE THE HEAVY BURDENS?
• THE MENTAL PICTURE WE GET IN THIS PARABLE IS A BURRO SO OVERLADEN WITH A BURDEN THAT THE ANIMAL SINKS TO THE GROUND UNABLE TO WALK.
• THE HEAVY BURDENS IN THE PARABLE ARE THE LEGAL DETAILS ADDED TO THE LAW BY THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.
• THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ADDED HUNDREDS OF MINUTE DETAILS TO GOD’S LAW TELLING THE PEOPLE THAT THESE ADDED DETAILS WERE EQUAL TO GOD’S LAWS.
• =1= THESE LEADERS PREACHED BUT THEY DID NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACHED (23:5a)
• JESUS MENTIONED PHYLACTERIES CALLED “TEFILLIN”:
• THIS WAS A SMALL BOX TIED TO THE FOREHEAD AND FOREARM CONTAINING PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE.
• READ DEU 6:4-9
• THE ONE ON THE ARM WAS PLACED JUST ABOVE THE ELBOW OF THE WEAKER ARM WITH THE BOX POINTED TOWARD THE HEART. THE LEATHER STRAP IS WRAPPED AROUND THE ARM 7 TIMES. ASHKENAZIC JEWS (EASTERN EUROPEAN ANCESTRY) WRAP THE STRAP CLOCKWISE. SEPHARDIC JEWS (MEDITERRANEAN ANCESTRY) WRAP THE STRAP COUNTERCLOCKWISE. THE STRAP IS THEN WOUND 3 TIMES AROUND THE RING AND MIDDLE FINGERS FORMING THE HEBREW LETTER FOR SHADDAI WHICH MEANS = GOD ALMIGHTY.
• THE BOX ON THE FOREHEAD IS PLACED JUST BELOW THE HAIRLINE. A SPECIAL KNOT IS MADE TO SECURE IT TO THE HEAD.
• THE SCRIPTURES INSIDE ARE EXO 13:1-6 DEU 6:4-9 AND DEU 11:13-21.
• WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PRACTICES?
• THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE PRACTICE IN ITSELF. THE POINT JESUS IS MAKING IS THAT THESE ARE OUTWARD LEGALISMS. THEY PUT THE WORD OF GOD ON THEIR ARM AND FOREHEAD, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS WHERE IT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE ACTIONS OF THEIR LIVES.
• =2= THE LEADERS ABUSED SPECIAL PRIVILEGES (5b-7)
• THEY ENLARGED THE BORDERS OF THEIR GARMENTS:
• THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WORE SPECIAL ROBES SO THAT WHEN THEY WALKED DOWN THE STREET, PEOPLE WOULD RECOGNIZE THEM AND CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE TO ALLOW THE RELIGIOUS LEADER PLENTY OF ROOM.
• THEY TOOK THE UPPERMOST PLACES AT FEASTS AND SPECIAL SEATS IN THE SYNAGOGUE:
• THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS INSISTED ON SPECIAL PRIVILEGES EVERYWHERE THEY WENT.
• THEY INSISTED PEOPLE CALL THEM, “RABBI”, WHICH WAS A TITLE OF HONOR.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE OVERLADEN BEASTS OF BURDEN?
• EXTERNAL LEGALISMS OF RELIGIOSITY DON’T PROVE WHAT IS IN A PERSON’S HEART, NOR SHOULD A PERSON RELY ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, A PASTOR, A PRIEST, OR A TEACHER TO ENSURE ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
• A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS A PERSONAL THING BETWEEN GOD AND AN INDIVIDUAL’S HEART.
• ALSO WE SHOULD NOT PUT RELIGIOUS LEADERS ON A PEDESTAL FOR THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN AND SUBJECT TO FAILURE.
• WE CAN SHOW THEM LOVE AND RESPECT AND HONOR WITHOUT MAKING THEM LITTLE GODS.
• A GODLY LEADER IS ONE WHO SERVES THE PEOPLE WITHOUT EXPECTING THE PEOPLE TO SERVE HIM..

• THE PARABLE OF THE BLIND GUIDES, THE GNAT, AND THE CAMEL (MAT 23:16-24)
• WHO ARE THE BLIND GUIDES?
• THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ARE THE BLIND GUIDES BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE GOD IN THEIR HEARTS.
• WHAT DID THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DO THAT JESUS CONDEMNS?
• THESE LEADERS SHUT UP THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (13)
• THEY DID NOT DEVELOP THEIR OWN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD NOR DID THEY ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO DO SO.
• THEY COVERD UP SHADY BUSINESS DEALS WITH PIETY. (14)
• THEY PRETENDED TO HELP WIDOWS WHEN IN FACT THEY SWINDLED WIDOWS OUT OF LAND AND PROPERTY FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
• THEY MADE BIGOTS OF PROSELYTES. (15)
• THEY LED GENTILES CONVERTING TO JUDAISM INTO A WAY OF DESTRUCTION INSTEAD OF A WAY OF TRUTH.
• THEY DECIDED ON LEGALISTIC TERMS AS TO WHAT OATHS WERE BINDING AND WHAT WERE NOT SO AS TO COVER UP THEIR OWN LIES. (16-22)
• FOR EXAMPLE: A CHILD WILL SAY, “I DON’T HAVE TO KEEP MY PROMISE BECAUSE I HAD MY FINGERS CROSSED WHEN I MADE THE PROMISE.
• JESUS SAYS THAT ALL PROMISES OR OATHS ARE BINDING.
• READ MAT 5:37
• JESUS EXPECTS US TO DEVELOP A REPUTATION OF HONESTY AND TRUTHFULNESS SO THAT NO OATH IS NECESSARY.
• THEY PAID TITHES ON THE SMALLEST THINGS LEGALISTICALLY BUT PAID NO ATTENTION TO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS SUCH AS JUSTICE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, MERCY, AND FAITH.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “STRAINING AT A GNAT AND SWALLOWING A CAMEL?
• THE MENTAL PICTURE IS ONE OF STRAINING OUT THE SMALLEST BUG FROM A DRINK BUT SWALLOWING SOMETHING MUCH LARGER THAT POLLUTES.
• IN REALITY, SOME STRICTER JEWS STRAINED THEIR WINE, VINEGAR, AND OTHER LIQUIDS THROUGH LINEN OR GAUZE SO THEY WOULD NOT SWALLOW SOME INSECT AND VIOLATE THE LAW IN LEV 11:20, 23, 41, AND 42.
• THE GNAT WAS THE SMALLEST INSECT KNOWN TO THE JEWS AT THAT TIME, AND A CAMEL WAS THE LARGEST ANIMAL. BOTH THESE WERE CONSIDERED “UNLEAN” ACCORDING TO THE MOSAIC LAW.
• THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ARGUED AS TO WHAT WERE THE HEAVIER OR WEIGHTIER MATTERS AND WHAT WERE THE LIGHTER OR LESSER MATTERS OF THE LAW.
• ONE SCHOOL OF JUDAISM DECIDED CIRCUMCISION, SABBATH, AND NOT PROFANING THE NAME OF GOD WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF GOD’S LAW.
• ANOTHER SCHOOL OF JUDAISM HAD A LIST OF 613 THINGS THEY CONSIDERED WERE THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW.
• NOTICE THAT JESUS DOES NOT SAY THEY SHOULD NOT BE TITHING, NOR DOES HE SAY THEY SHOULD. JESUS’ POINT IS THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHOULD BE KEPT IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE.
• HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT?
• WE KNOW BY THE WEIGHT PLACED ON IT IN THE WORD OF GOD.
• WE KNOW BY THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE BLIND GUIDES, THE GNAT, AND THE CAMEL?
• SO AS NOT TO BE A HYPOCRITE, WORK ON YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, LETTING HIS WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK IN YOUR HEART TO PUT A PROPER BALANCE ON YOUR LIFE. DEVELOP CHARACTERISTICS OF HONESTY AND TRUTHFULNESS BEFORE OTHERS SO AS TO BE A WITNESS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
• APPLICATION OF THESE TWO PARABLES:
• WE DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES. THEN WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THEM?
• MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, AND THAT YOU GROW IN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
• MAKE SURE YOU ALLOW THE WORD OF GOD TO WORK IN YOUR HEART AND LIFE, CHANGING AND PURIFYING YOU.
• MAKE SURE YOU STRESS THE THINGS GOD STRESSES IN HIS WORD AND NOT MAJOR IN OUTWARD LEGALISMS.
• LIVE HONESTLY BEFORE GOD AND BEFORE OTHERS.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE CUP AND THE PLATTER (MAT 23:25-26) AND
THE PARABLE OF WHITED SEPULCHERS (MAT 23:27-32)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE OVERLADEN BEASTS OF BURDEN (MAT 23:1-4) AND THE PARABLE OF THE BLIND GUIDES, THE GNAT AND THE CAMEL (MAT 23:16-24)
• JESUS SPOKE IN VERY SPECIFIC TERMS ABOUT WHAT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE DOING THAT THEY SHOULD CHANGE SO AS NOT TO BE HYPOCRITES. WE ALL HAVE INCONSISTENCIES IN OUR LIVES THAT THE LORD WANTS TO CHANGE.
• MAKE A LIST OF THE MOST OBVIOUS ONES IN YOUR OWN LIVE THAT THE LORD BRINGS TO YOUR MIND.
• COMMIT THEM TO THE LORD IN PRAYER, ASKING FOR FORGIVNESS AND STRENGTH TO CHANGE THEM.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE CUP AND THE PLATTER (MAT 23:25-26) AND THE PARABLE OF WHITED SEPULCHERS (MAT 23:27-32)
• FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE TWO PARABLES, READ MAT 23:1-36
• THE PARABLE OF THE CUP AND THE PLATTER (MAT 23:25-26)
• TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THIS PARABLE?

• WHAT WERE THEY DOING THAT JESUS CONDEMNS?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• THE PARABLE OF WHITED SEPULCHERS (MAT 23:27-32)
• WHAT ARE WHITED SEPULCHERS?

• WHAT DID THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DO THAT JESUS CALLS THEM, “WHITED SEPULCHERS”?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: 1THE 4:12