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RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #11
THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 6:33

• READ MAT 6:19-34 FOR BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT.
• IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES IN MAT 6:25-34.
• =1= DON’T BE UNNECESSARILY CONCERNED ABOUT DAILY PROVISION (25)
• =2= GOD CONSIDERS US AS VERY VALUABLE (26) (30)
• =3= DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE THINGS YOU CANNOT CHANGE (27)
• =4= GOD CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING FOR YOU THAN YOU CAN (29)
• =5= DON’T PUT YOUR WORRIES INTO WORDS (31)
• =6= BE SINGLE MINDED, SERVING GOD FIRST, AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU (33)
• THE CONTEXT IS ONE OF CHOICES:
• WE ARE TO LAY UP FOR OURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN (6:20)
• WE ARE TO HAVE A SINGLE FOCUS TO OUR LIFE (6:22)
• WE CAN’T SERVE TWO MASTERS (6:24)
• =7= DON’T HAVE ANXIETIES ABOUT TOMORROW.
• ANXIETIES ARE WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN BUT USUALLY NEVER OCCUR.
• THE WORD, “ANXIOUS”, MEANS = ABUNDANT CONCERN, DISTRACTING CARE
• WORRY INVOLVES FEAR AND FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH
• READ JAM 1:6-8
• READ HEB 11:6
• THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE (25-30):
• IF I PUT GOD AS MY TOP PRIORITY FOCUS AND SPEND MY ENERGIES SERVING HIM, HE WILL PROVIDE EVERYTHING I NEED. BECAUSE I BELONG TO HIM, I AM VERY VALUABLE TO HIM. THEREFORE, I WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FOOD AND CLOTHING AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR (25-26)?
• BIRDS DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL GET THEIR NEXT MEAL OR ABOUT WHAT COVERS THEIR BODIES.
• GOD KNOWS THAT FOOD AND CLOTHING ARE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE.
• IF GOD TAKES CARE OF THE BIRDS THAT ARE A PART OF HIS CREATION, HOW MUCH MORE HE WILL CARE FOR YOU. WHY?
• THE SOUL OF MAN IS MORE VALUABLE TO GOD THAN ANY ANIMAL.
• BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST HAVE MADE A SPECIFIC DECISION TO SERVE GOD OUT OF LOVE. ANIMALS DO NOT HAVE THAT CHOICE.
• SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF BIRDS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE PARABLE:
• EVERY BIRD MIRACULOUSLY HATCHES FROM AN EGG.
• THE NEW BIRTH OF THE BELIEVER IS A MIRACULOUS EVENT, AS WELL.
• EVERY BIRD IS CLOTHED WITH FEATHERS.
• THE BELIEVER IS CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
• PROVISION IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO BIRDS, BUT THEY HAVE TO WORK FOR IT.
• PROVISION IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO BELIEVERS, AND THOUGH WE SHOULD WORK, GOD’S ABUNDANCE EXCEEDS OUR EFFORTS.
• BIRDS DON’T STORE FOOD THINKING THAT NONE WILL BE AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY.
• BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT OR FOCUSED ON THE NEXT DAY’S PROVISION THINKING THAT MAYBE GOD WILL FAIL TO PROVIDE.
• BIRDS DON’T WORRY OR GET ULCERS.
• BELIEVERS ARE TOLD TO WALK BY FAITH. THAT MEANS THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE FOR WORRY.
• BIRDS HAVE A HIGH, LOFTY VIEW OF THINGS.
• BELIEVERS SHOULD HAVE A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE OF THIS LIFE AND THE WORLD.
• BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FARMER BECAUSE THEY EAT THE SEEDS OF WEEDS AND THE INSECT PESTS.
• THE BELIEVER IS IMPORTANT TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BECAUSE HE RESTRAINS EVIL AND HOLDS BACK THE DARKNESS IN THE WORLD.
• SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF LILIES AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE PARABLE:
• THE huleh LILY OF CANAAN IS KNOWN FOR ITS BRILLIANT COLORS FROM SCARLET DEEP PURPLE.
• THE BELIEVER IS CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, WASHED IN THE SCARLET BLOOD OF THE LAMB.
• THE BLOOM OF THE LILY HAS A SHORT LIFE.
• IN THE SCHEME OF THE AGES, A PERSON’S LIFE ON EARTH IS VERY SHORT BY COMPARISON.
• LILIES ARE ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL.
• GOD CONSIDERS THE BELIEVER TO BE MORE BEAUTIFUL.
• LILIES THRIVE IN THE LIGHT.
• BELIEVERS LIVE AND GROW IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S TRUTH IN THE BIBLE.
• WHEN LILIES ARE DEAD, THEY ARE BURNED AND FORGOTTEN.
• WHEN THE BELIEVER IS DEAD, HE IS NEITHER FORGOTTEN NOR WILL HE BURN IN THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE.
• READ PHI 4:4-13, 19-20
• DISCUSSION: HOW DO THESE VERSES IN PHI 4 RELATE TO THE PARABLE?
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE INTEGRATION OF THIS PARABLE WITH THAT OF MAT 6:19 AND MAT 6:22 AND MAT 6:24:
• THE PREVIOUSLY STUDIED PARABLES ALL RELATE ONE TO THE OTHER IN THAT THEY ALL TELL US WHAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SHOULD BE LIKE:

SCRIPTURE:	THE PARABLE:	THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
MAT 6:19-20	THE PARABLE OF MOTHS AND THIEVES	THE BELIEVER HAS A CHOICE OF WHAT HE VALUES IN LIFE AND WHERE HE STORES HIS TREASURE
MAT 6:22	THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES	THE BELIEVER HAS A CHOICE CONCERNING HIS FOCUS AND PURPOSE IN LIFE
MAT 6:24	THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES	THE BELIEVER HAS A CHOICE OF WHAT GOD HE WILL SERVE
MAT 6:25-34	THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES	THE BELIEVER HAS A CHOICE OF WHETHER HE WILL LIVE BY FAITH OR BY SIGHT

 

• IF WE MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR NEEDS BECAUSE WE HAVE PLACED OUR WHOLE FAITH IN HIM.
• SINCE HE IS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO GIVE US IMPERISHABLE, ETERNAL LIFE, HOW MUCH MORE WILL HE SUPPLY THE LESSER, TEMPORAL, PERISHABLE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN THIS LIFE.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE MOTE AND THE BEAM (MAT 7:1-5)
THE PARABLE OF DOGS AND SWINE (MAT 7:6)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)
• EVALUATE YOUR LIFE IN REGARDS TO:
• WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN LIFE?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE?

• WHICH GOD DO YOU SERVE?

• WHAT CHANGES SHOULD YOU MAKE IN THE NEXT MONTH?
• SPECIFICALLY, HOW WILL YOU MAKE THESE CHANGES?

• MAKE A LIST OF YOUR GREATEST WORRIES AND ANXIETIES:

• IN PRAYER LAY THEM AT THE FEET OF JESUS. DETERMINE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO TRUST HIM FOR THESE THINGS.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE MOTE AND THE BEAM (MAT 7:1-5) AND THE PARABLE OF DOGS AND SWINE (MAT 7:6):
• REMEMBER THAT THESE PARABLES ARE STILL PART OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND ARE SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES.
• READ MAT 6:34-7:8 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE PARABLES
• MAKE A LIST OF IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES IN THESE VERSES.

• THE PARABLE OF THE MOTE AND THE BEAM (MAT 7:1-5):
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• WHAT DOES THE MOTE AND BEAM REPRESENT?

• WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED THIS ANALOGY?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISCERNMENT AND JUDGING?

• THE PARABLE OF DOGS AND SWINE (MAT 7:6)
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• WHAT IS “THAT WHICH IS HOLY”?

• WHAT DO THE “DOGS” REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE “PEARLS” REPRESENT?

• WHAT IS MEANT BY “TRAMPLE UNDER FEET”?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 7:1-2