Lesson #35

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #35
THE PARABLE OF THE PUPPIES (MAT 15:21-28) AND
THE PARABLE OF WEATHER FORECASTING (MAT 16:1-4)

• MEMORY VERSE: ZECH 4:6 (LAST HALF OF THE VERSE) “…NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.”

• THE PARABLE OF THE PUPPIES (MAT 15:21-28)
• READ MAT 15:21-28
• SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW:
• IN VERSE 22, THE WOMAN CALLS JESUS, “SON OF DAVID”. THIS NAME REFERS TO THE DAVIDIC COVENANT THAT GOD MADE WITH DAVID. IN THIS COVENANT, THE JEWS WERE THE HEIRS OF THE COVENANT.
• WHEN SHE USED THE NAME, “SON OF DAVID”, SHE WAS TELLING HIM THAT SHE RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE MESSIAH.
• READ 2SAM 7 :11-16
• TO WHOM IS THIS PARABLE SPOKEN?
• JESUS IS SPEAKING TO THE WOMAN WHO IS A GENTILE AND PROBABLY AN UNBELIEVER.
• THIS WOMAN GREW UP IN IDOLATRY WHERE HER PEOPLE WORSHIPPED ASHTORETH (DIANA).
• THEREFORE, WHEN SHE ASKED JESUS FOR HELP, SHE WAS ASKING FROM A WRONG POSITION BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT A JEW.
• SHE USED A JEWISH NAME FOR THE MESSIAH THAT REFERRED TO A JEWISH COVENANT OF WHICH SHE WAS NOT A PART.
• JESUS SAW HER FAITH AND THEN TESTED IT.
• WHO ARE THE CHILDREN IN THE PARABLE?
• THE CHILDREN ARE THE JEWS, THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL, WHO ARE HEIRS OF THE DAVIDIC COVENANT.
• WHO ARE THE DOGS?
• THE GENTILES ARE THE DOGS.
• THE JEWS COMMONLY CALLED GENTILES “DOGS” IN A VERY DEPRECATING AND DERROGATORY WAY.
• HOWEVER, JESUS DID NOT USE THE COMMON WORD FOR DOGS. THE WORD, DOG, IN THE PARABLE IS A PUPPY, A HOUSEHOLD PET. THEREFORE, JESUS IS NOT SPEAKING IN A DEPRECATORY WAY.
• THE WOMAN RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT USE THE COMMON DERROGATORY WORD. SHE SAW THE POTENTIAL OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
• THE WOMAN AGREES THAT SHE IS OUTSIDE THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE SHE IS A GENTILE AND HAS NO CLAIM ON HIM.
• HOWEVER, THE WOMAN PRESSES HER CLAIM BY FAITH.
• WHAT ARE THE CRUMBS?
• THE CRUMBS ARE PART OF THE “CHILDREN’S BREAD”. (26)
• “THE CHILDREN’S BREAD” REFERS TO GOD’S BLESSINGS THROUGH THE SPOKEN WORD OF JESUS.
• REMEMBER THAT JESUS SAID IN JOH 6:35 THAT HE WAS THE BREAD OF LIFE.

• WHAT DOES THE MASTER’S TABLE REPRESENT?
• THE MASTER’S TABLE REPRESENTS THE KINGDOM OF GOD THAT HOLDS ALL GOD’S BLESSINGS.
• IN OTHER WORDS, TO PARTAKE OF THE BREAD OF LIFE, YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. YOU HAVE TO BE SAVED.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• GOD HONORS A SIMPLE, HUMBLE FAITH ABOVE ALL THINGS. HE MAY TEST IT, BUT TRUE FAITH WILL STAND STRONG. TRUE FAITH IS NOT INTIMIDATED INTO ACCEPTING LESS THAN GOD’S VERY BEST.

• THE PARABLE OF WEATHER FORECASTING:
• READ MAT 15:32 – 16:4
• IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE, THE PEOPLE HAD JUST EXPERIENCED THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 PEOPLE. NOW THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES COME AND SEEK A MIRACULOUS SIGN THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH.
• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “SIGNS OF THE TIMES”? (3)
• THE PHRASE REFERS TO SPIRITUAL SIGNS OF THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH.
• EVIDENTLY THE MIRACLE OF THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 PEOPLE WAS TOO EARTHY A SIGN…NOT SPIRITUAL ENOUGH.
• THEREFORE, THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES DID NOT ACCEPT THE SIGN OF THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 PEOPLE.
• JESUS’ WEATHER PROVERB:
• JESUS USED A WEATHER PROVERB THAT WAS VERY COMMON IN HIS DAY AND IS STILL WITH US TODAY.
• “RED SKY AT NIGHT, SAILOR’S DELIGHT.

RED SKY IN THE MORNING, SAILORS TAKE WARNING.”

• SAILORS USED THIS PROVERB TO PREDICT THE NEXT DAY’S WEATHER AS TO THE SAFETY OF VENTURING OUT ON THE WATER IN A BOAT.

• WHAT WAS THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH?
• WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH IN LESSON #24.
• REMEMBER THAT IT WAS THE PROPHECY THAT JESUS WOULD BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE TOMB BEFORE THE RESURRECTION.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF WEATHER FORECASTING?
• JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, WHO CAME FROM HEAVEN IS THE GREATEST SIGN, BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL.
• PHYSICAL = JESUS’ INCARNATION, HIS VIRGIN BIRTH, HIS DEATH, HIS RESURRECTION, AND HIS ASCENSION.
• SPIRITUAL = THAT HUMANS CAN INVITE JESUS INTO THE HEART AND BE BORN AGAIN SPIRITUALLY.
• IF YOU WANT TO BE AWARE OF WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE SPIRIT, THEN PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
• READ JOH 14:9-11
• READ JOH 16:13
• IF YOU WANT TO BE AWARE OF GOD’S TIMETABLE, THEN PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT GOD IS DOING WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
• READ MAT 24:26-33
• DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU THINK A PERSON IS TO “DISCERN THE FACE OF THE SKY? (3) IN OTHER WORDS, HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE SPIRIT?
• READ JOH 3:5-8
• READ JOH 8:47
• READ JOH 10:4

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE PUPPIES (MAT 15:21-28) AND THE PARABLE OF WEATHER FORECASTING (MAT 16:1-4)
• CONSIDER YOUR FAITH. IS IT STRONG LIKE THAT OF THE GENTILE WOMAN OR DO YOU SEEK SIGNS AND MIRACLES IN ORDER TO HAVE FAITH?

• WE COULD ALL HAVE STRONGER FAITH. READ HEB 11:6 AND ROM 10:17 TO DISCOVER HOW TO GET FAITH.
• MAKE A COMMITMENT TODAY TO PUT THESE VERSES INTO PRACTICE. WRITE YOUR COMMITMENT HERE.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE ROCK AND THE KEYS (MAT 16:15-19)
• THIS IS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL PARABLE. THEREFORE, WE WILL CONSIDER ONLY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS AND NOT DENOMINATIONAL INTERPRETATIONS.
• READ MAT 16:13-20 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• READ 1PET 2:6-8
• READ 1COR 10:4
• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD, “ROCK”?

• WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE PHRASE, “THE GATES OF HELL”? (18)

• WHAT DO THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM REPRESENT?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK JESUS MEANT BY “BINDING AND LOOSING”?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 31:3