Lesson#22

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #22
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)

• MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 1:7

• THESE TWO PARABLES WERE SPOKEN TO THE GENERAL MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE, BOTH BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS.
• THE BACKGROUND FOR THESE TWO PARABLES:
• JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD A PROBLEM. HE HAD PREACHED THAT THE MESSIAH, JESUS, WOULD COME AND BRING A FAN OF JUDGMENT, THE AXE OF RETRIBUTION, AND THE FIRE TO CONSUME EVIL.
• NOW JOHN IS IN PRISON SUFFERING, AND HE WONDERS WHY JESUS DOESN’T BRING THE PROMISED JUDGMENT.
• JOHN HAD HEARD ABOUT THE ACTS OF LOVING MERCY THAT JESUS DID. HE WONDERED IF HAD MADE A MISTAKE ABOUT JESUS. HE BEGAN TO HAVE DOUBTS.

• READ MAT 11:1-15
• IN VERSE 5 JESUS SENDS JOHN THE PROPHECY FROM ISA 61:1-3 ABOUT THE MESSIAH AS PROOF THAT JESUS IS TRULY THE MESSIAH.
• JOHN’S DOUBTS POINT OUT THE PROBLEM THAT MOST JEWS HAD AT THAT TIME. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR TWO MESSIAH’S:
• MESSIAH BEN-JOSEPH = A SUFFERING SERVANT.
• MESSIAH BEN-DAVID = A REIGNING KING BRINGING JUDGMENT.
• JOHN DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS JUST ONE MESSIAH WHO WOULD FULFILL BOTH ROLES. THAT IS WHY JOHN ASKS IF THEY ARE TO LOOK FOR A SECOND.
• JOHN DID NOT GRASP THE FACT OF THE SEPARATION OF TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST COMING OF THE MESSIAH AND THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH.
• IN JESUS’ FIRST COMING, HE FULFILLED THE ROLE OF SUFFERING SERVANT.
• AT JESUS’ SECOND COMING, HE WILL FULFILL THE ROLE OF THE REIGNING KING.
• WISELY JOHN TOOK HIS DOUBTS TO JESUS. THAT IS THE PROPER PROCEDURE. IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS, QUESTIONS, OR PROBLEMS, TAKE THEM TO THE ONE WHO HAS ALL THE ANSWERS.
• REMEMBER IN OUR LAST LESSON, WE LEARNED THAT GOD WATCHES OVER HIS CHILDREN, BUT HE DOES NOT PROMISE BELIEVERS A LIFE OF COMFORT AND TOTAL PROTECTION WHEN IT IS AGAINST HIS OVERALL PLAN AND WILL.
• THEREFORE, JOHN THE BAPTIST IS NOT FREED FROM PRISON AND MUST SUFFER DEATH.

• THE PARABLE OF THE REED AND THE SOFT CLOTHING (MAT 11:7-8)
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• A PROPHET MUST NOT BE WEAK OR SELF-INDULGENT.
• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF REEDS?
• REEDS ARE THIN AND BEND WITH EACH WIND THAT COMES ALONG.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE USED THE WORD, REEDS?
• JESUS IS SAYING THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST IS NOT A REED THAT BENDS TO COMPROMISE THE WORD OF GOD. HE STANDS STRONG WHEN PERSECUTION COMES.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE USED THE TERM, SOFT CLOTHING (RAIMENT)?
• THE WORD FOR “SOFT CLOTHING” IS SYMBOLIC OF ONE LACKING STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, EFFEMINATE.
• THEY WERE THOSE WHO CODDLED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN ORDER TO STAY IN A LEADER’S GOOD GRACES.
• TO DO THAT ONE MUST COMPROMISE HIS STANDARDS.
• JOHN THE BAPTIST IS NOT SUCH A PERSON. JESUS USES THIS FIGURE OF SPEECH THAT IS ESPECIALLY PICTURESQUE BECAUSE OF THE WAY JOHN DRESSED. REMEMBER, JOHN THE BAPTIST WORE VERY ROUGH CLOTHING.
• THERE IS ALSO AN INTERESTING PLAY ON WORDS IN THE GREEK:
• THE WORD FOR “REEDS” AND THE WORD FOR “SOFT CLOTHING: HAVE THE SAME LETTERS IN GREEK, ONLY REARRANGED DIFFERENTLY:
• REEDS = kalamos
• SOFT CLOTHING = malakos

• APPLICATION FOR THE PARABLE:
• THERE ARE TWO CHARACTERISTICS THAT DISQUALIFY A PERSON FROM BEING A STRONG WITNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST.
• =1= WEAKNESS THAT YIELDS TO EVERY PASSING WIND OF DOCTRINE.
• THIS WEAKNESS COMES FROM NOT KNOWING THE WORD OF GOD…NOT KNOWING WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
• =2= SELF-INDULGENCE AND COMPROMISE.
• SELF-INDULGENCE AND COMPROMISE COMES FROM EGOTISM AND PRIDE.
• WHEN PEOPLE HEARD THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS IN PRISON SUFFERING PERSECUTION, THEY WERE TO UNDERSTAND THAT SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN A LACK OF FAITH OR THAT GOD DOES NOT PROTECT HIS CHILDREN.

• THE PARABLE OF THE GENERATION AND OF CHILDREN (MAT 11:16-17)
• THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT PARABLE.
• READ MAT 11:16-24
• FROM THE DEFENSE OF THE CHARACTER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, JESUS MOVES TO DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER OF THE AGE.
• VERSE 12 SAYS, “…FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST…”
• WHO ARE THE “WE” IN VERSE 17? (SEE VERSES 18 AND 19)
• THE “WE” REFERS TO JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.
• THE LAST PART OF MAT 11:19 SAYS, “WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN.”
• READ PRO 4:1-9
• DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU THINK PRO 4:1-9 RELATES TO THE PARABLE?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE IN MAT 11:16-17?
• PEOPLE GENERALLY ARE SO CAUGHT UP IN THEIR OWN DAILY ACTIVITY THAT THEY FAIL TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, TRUTH AND WISDOM, EVEN WHEN IT IS PRESENTED TO THEM BY JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.
• WHAT DOES THE “PIPING” REPRESENT IN VERSE 17?
• THE “PIPING” REFERS TO JESUS’ MESSAGE THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME TO EARTH TO THEM.
• WHAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND IS A MENTAL PICTURE OF A SWEET, CATCHY MELODY THAT MAKES YOU SUDDENLY STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN ORDER TO LISTEN. THE CATCHY MELODY HAS A SUPERNATURAL DRAWING QUALITY. OF COURSE, THAT IS THE ACTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHAT DOES THE “MOURNING” REPRESENT IN VERSE 17?
• THE “MOURNING” REFERS TO JOHN’S MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE.
• REPENTANCE MEANS THAT YOU SEE YOUR SINS FROM GOD’S VIEWPOINT, AND THAT MAKES YOU EXTREMELY SAD BECAUSE YOUR SIN HAS SEPARATED YOU FROM GOD.
• WHAT DOES THE MARKETPLACE REPRESENT?
• THE MARKETPLACE REPRESENTS THE WORLD SYSTEM.
• THE WORLD SYSTEM PRESENTS AND ENTICES YOU WITH A CAFETERIA OF PLEASURES, INDULGENCES, LUSTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES OF WHICH MOST ARE SINFUL.
• WHO ARE THE CHILDREN IN THE MARKETPLACE THAT DO NOT DANCE OR LAMENT (17)?
• THE CHILDREN IN THE MARKETPLACE ARE THE NON-BELIEVERS WHO CHOOSE NOT TO HEAR THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. THEY CHOOSE NOT TO MOURN IN REPENTANCE OVER THEIR SINS. THEREFORE, THEY REFUSE TO RECEIVE CHRIST AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR.
• IN THE PARABLE, THE CHILDREN ARE DEPICTED AS SURLY CHILDREN WHO WILL NOT PLAY AT ANY GAME AND THEN BLAME OTHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE BORED.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN IN THE LAST PART OF MAT 11:19 WHERE IT SAYS, “WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED BY HER CHILDREN”?
• THE “CHILDREN” IN THIS VERSE REFERS TO WORKS OR DEEDS. IT IS THE SAME AS JESUS’ PREVIOUS STATEMENT THAT YOU CAN TELL A TREE BY ITS FRUIT.
• DID YOU EVER DO SOMETHING THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS REALLY WISE AT THE TIME, THEN LATER HAVE IT TURN OUT TO BE SOMETHING REALLY STUPID?
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE END RESULT WILL DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS REALLY DONE IN WISDOM.
• READ PRO 1:5-9
• WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND WISDOM?
• KNOWLEDGE.IS INFORMATION THAT IS USEFUL BASED ON THE PERCEPTION OF REALITY.
• UNDERSTANDING IS INTELLIGENCE AND DISCERNMENT.
• WISDOM IS TO USE CORRECTLY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE.
• THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE.
• IF YOU WANT KNOWLEDGE, YOU START WITH WHAT GOD THINKS ABOUT THINGS. YOU DISCOVER KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S TRUTH IN HIS WORD, THE BIBLE.
• READ PRO 1:22-25
• THESE VERSES ARE A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF OUR PARABLE, SPECIFICALLY OF THE “CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE FIELD WHO REFUSE TO DANCE.”
• READ PRO 2:1-5
• THESE VERSES TELL US WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LISTEN TO THE SWEET, DRAWING SOUND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT BRINGS US TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
• READ PRO 4:7
• WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IS FEAR OF THE LORD. PRO 4:7 TELLS US THAT IF YOU HAVE A DESIRE FOR WISDOM, GET UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE.

• THE PROGRESSIVE CYCLE TO WISDOM

 HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND A PIT (MAT 12:10-13)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF 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)
• EXAMINE YOUR OWN LIFE AND WITNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST. ARE YOU A “REED”, BENDING TO CONFORM TO THE MORALITY AND WORLDLY OPINIONS OF OTHERS?

• ARE YOU IN “SOFT CLOTHING”, COMPROMISING GOD’S STANDARDS SO AS TO APPEAR LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?

• IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES TO EITHER QUESTION, PRAY AND ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO STAND UP FOR CHRIST AND HIS WORD.

• HOW ARE YOU DOING AT ARRIVING AT GOD’S WISDOM?

• WHERE IN THE 4 STEP CYCLE DO YOU USUALLY FAIL?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND A PIT (MAT 12:10-13)
• READ MAT 12:1-13 FOR CONTEXT.
• READ 1SAM 21:1-6 FOR BACKGROUND
• TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE?

• WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY IN MAT 12?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE IN MAT 12:10-13?

• WHAT DO THE SHEEP REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE PIT REPRESENT?

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 13:10