Lesson#21

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #21
THE PARABLE OF SPARROWS AND HAIRS (MAT 10:29-31) AND
THE PARABLE OF THE SWORD AND THE FOES (MAT 10:32-38)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 10:39

• READ MAT 10:16-42 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE TWO PARABLES.
• BOTH OF THESE PARABLES WERE SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES AS JESUS IS SENDING THEM ON THEIR FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY.(MAT 10:3)
• THE DISCIPLES ARE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT GOING WITHOUT JESUS’ PRESENCE WITH THEM.

• THE PARABLE OF SPARROWS AND HAIRS (MAT 10:29-31)
• CONSIDERING THE CONTEXT OF THE TWO PARABLES, WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE SPARROW AND HAIRS?
• IF WE ARE DOING GOD’S WILL IN BEING A LIVING WITNESS TO ALL MEN, THEN, IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE, HE WILL BE CONCERNED OVER THE SMALLEST DETAILS OF OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO HIM.
• WHY DID JESUS USE THE ILLUSTRATION OF SPARROWS AND HAIRS?
• THE SPARROW:
• THE COMMON SYRIAN SPARROW WAS VERY CHEAP, VERY COMMON, AND OF LITTLE VALUE. YOU COULD BUY TWO SPARROWS FOR A FARTHING. THE FARTHING WAS THE SMALLEST ROMAN COIN.
• JESUS SAID THAT WHEN A SPARROW FALLS AND DIES, IT DIES UPON THE BOSOM OF GOD. HOW TENDERLY HE CARES FOR THE SMALLEST, SUPPOSEDLY MOST WORTHLESS OF HIS CREATURES.
• WE CANNOT IMAGINE SUCH A GREAT LOVE FOR EVEN THE SMALLEST AND MOST WORTHLESS, MUCH LESS SUCH SUPREME KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERY CREATURE AT EVERY MOMENT.
• THE HAIRS OF THE HEAD:
• A NORMAL HEAD HAS 600 TO 700 HAIRS PER SQUARE INCH OF SKIN. THAT MEANS THERE ARE 30,000 TO 50,000 HAIRS ON THE AVERAGE HEAD.
• THEREFORE, THE MOST TRIVIAL DETAILS ARE NOT BEYOND HIS WATCHFUL CARE.

• THE PARABLE OF THE SWORD AND THE FOES (MAT 10:32-38)
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?
• BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST WILL CAUSE DIVISION AND EVEN CREATE ENEMIES THAT YOU DID NOT HAVE BEFORE YOU HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
• NOTICE THAT THIS IS WHY WE NEED THE WISDOM OF A SNAKE AND THE HARMLESSNESS OF A DOVE. (LESSON #20)
• JESUS IS PREPARING HIS DISCIPLES FOR CERTAIN OPPOSITION THAT WILL SURELY COME.
• WHAT DOES THE SWORD REPRESENT IN VERSE 34?
• A DECISION FOR JESUS CHRIST IS THE SWORD.
• MAKING A DECISION TO HAVE JESUS CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE WILL DIVIDE YOU FROM THOSE PEOPLE WHO DECIDE TO REJECT CHRIST. OFTEN TIMES WE THINK PEOPLE ARE REJECTING US, WHEN IT IS CHRIST THEY ARE REJECTING.
• READ HEB 4:12
• THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINGDOMS IN THIS WORLD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD OF WHICH SATAN IS THE GOD OF IT.
• READ 2COR 4:4
• WHEN JESUS BECOMES YOUR SAVIOR, THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO BELONG TO IT BECOME YOUR ENEMY IN THE SAME WAY THAT SATAN AND GOD ARE ENEMIES.
• WHO DO THE FOES REPRESENT? (36)
• THE FOES ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ENEMIES OF JESUS CHRIST. IT MEANS THAT SOMETIMES THEY ARE MEMBERS OF YOUR OWN FAMILY.
• READ ROM 9:33
• JESUS CHRIST IS A ROCK OF STUMBLING.
• READ 1PET 2:6-8
• JESUS CHRIST IS A STONE OVER WHICH MANY PEOPLE STUMBLE.
• READ MAT 16:24-27
• JESUS CHRIST REQUIRES SELF SACRIFICE.
• OUR CROSS IS NOT DAILY BURDENS OR IRRITATIONS. IT IS MAKING A PERSONAL STAND FOR CHRIST AMIDST RIDICULE, PERSECUTION, SUFFERING, AND DEATH.
• READ JOH 15:20
• BECAUSE JESUS WAS PERSECUTED, HIS BELIEVERS WILL ALSO BE PERSECUTED.
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• IN THE FIRST PARABLE WE HAVE SEEN HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, CARES FOR US, AND PROTECTS US.
• IN THE SECOND PARABLE WE HAVE SEEN THAT OUR DECISION FOR CHRIST MAKES ENEMIES WHO WILL PERSECUTE US.
• DISCUSSION:
• HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THE CENTRAL TRUTHS OF THESE TWO PARABLES AND THE FACT THAT ALL THE DISCIPLES WERE MARTYRED EXCEPT FOR JOHN WHO WAS IMPRISONED? WHY DIDN’T GOD PROTECT THEM?
• IN OTHER WORDS, HOW FAR DOES GOD’S PROTECTION GO?
• THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS MUST CONSIDER:
• GOD’S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY.
• GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN.
• GOD’S UNEQUALLED LOVE.
• MAN’S FREE WILL.
• SATAN’S ADVERSARIAL POSITION.

• USUALLY CHRISTIANS CONSIDER THE PARABLE OF THE FALLEN SPARROW TO BE ONE OF PHYSICAL PROTECTION. THE PARABLE DOES NOT SAY THAT. IT SIMPLY INDICATES THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL. GOD WILL DO WHAT IS BEST WITH OUR LIFE. THAT IS WHY THESE TWO PARABLES SHOULD BE STUDIED TOGETHER.
• THE CONTEXT OF THESE TWO PARABLES IS CONCERNED WITH DISCIPLES GOING OUT TO WITNESS FOR CHRIST IN THE WORLD.
• AS THE BELIEVER IS IN THE WORLD WITNESSING FOR CHRIST, GOD WILL GUIDE HIM. GOD WILL SURELY PROTECT THE BELIEVER WHEN IT IS IN HIS WILL TO DO SO, FOR GOD CERTAINLY HAS THE POWER TO DO SO.
• HOWEVER, GOD WILL NOT PREVENT SUFFERING, PERSECUTION, AND EVEN DEATH AT THE HANDS OF NON-BELIEVERS WHEN IT WILL BRING ULTIMATE GLORY TO GOD.
• THE MESSAGE OF THIS LESSON IS THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES IF WE HAVE GIVEN OUR LIVES TO HIM.
• READ GAL 2:20 MY LIFE BELONGS TO CHRIST.

• FINAL CONCLUSION:
• GOD IS IN LOVING CONTROL OF THOSE OF US WHO FEEL THE MOST WORTHLESS OF CREATURES. HE IS IN LOVING CONTROL OF THE MOST TRIVIAL OF DETAILS OF OUR LIVES. BUT GOD DOES NOT HAVE THE JOB OF PROVIDING FOR OUR COMFORT AND EASE. HE IS NOT A SANTA CLAUS NOR IS HE AN INSURANCE POLICY AGAINST ACCIDENTAL DEATH. GOD IS BUILDING A KINGDOM AND IT MAY COST US.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE REED AND THE SOFT CLOTHING (MAT 11:7-8)
THE PARABLE OF THE GENERATION AND OF CHILDREN (MAT 11:16-17)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF SPARROWS AND HAIRS (MAT 10:29-31) AND THE PARABLE OF THE SWORD AND THE FOES (MAT 10:32-38)
• WRITE A PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING HOW YOUR LIFE AND YOUR ATTITUDES TOWARD YOUR PHYSICAL LIFE CONFORM TO THESE TWO PARABLES.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE REED AND THE SOFT CLOTHING (MAT 11:7-8) AND THE PARABLE OF THE GENERATION AND OF CHILDREN (MAT 11:16-17)
• THE PARABLE OF THE REED AND THE SOFT CLOTHING (MAT 11:7-8)
• READ MAT 10:40-11:15 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THIS PARABLE
• TO WHOM WAS THIS PARABLE SPOKEN?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REEDS?

• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE USED THE WORD, REEDS?

• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE USED THE TERM, SOFT CLOTHING (RAIMENT)?

• THE PARABLE OF THE GENERATION AND OF CHILDREN (MAT 11:16-17)
• THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT PARABLE SO READ CAREFULLY.
• READ MAT 11:7-24 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• (A CLUE: FROM THE DEFENSE OF THE CHARACTER OF JOHN, JESUS MOVES TO DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER OF THE AGE. (12))
• WHO ARE THE “WE” IN VERSE 17? (SEE VERSES 18 AND 19)

• READ THE LAST PART OF MAT 11:19 AND THEN READ PRO 4:1-9.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE IN MAT 11:16-17?

• WHAT IS THE “PIPING” IN VERSE 17?

• WHAT IS THE “MOURNING” IN VERSE 17?

• WHO ARE THE CHILDREN IN THE MARKETPLACE THAT DO NOT DANCE OR LAMENT (17)?

• MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 1:7