Lesson #65

PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #65
THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (LUK17:7-10)

• MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 3:8

• THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (LUK 17:7-10)
• READ LUK 17:1-10 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• WE STUDIED THE PARABLE OF THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED (MAT 17:19-21) IN LESSON #37.
• REMEMBER THAT THE USE OF THE MUSTARD SEED TO INDICATE SOMETHING QUITE SMALL WAS A COMMON METAPHOR. A SEED CONTAINS LIFE AND GROWTH POTENTIAL.
• THE FLOW OF THE NARRATIVE:
• JESUS IS SPEAKING TO HIS DISCIPLES. (1)
• AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE, PEOPLE WILL BE OFFENDED BY YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK AND WILL PERSECUTE YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS. (1) HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT, BECAUSE THEY WILL EVENTUALLY REAP THEIR OWN REWARD FOR THE EVIL THAT THEY DO TO YOU. (1)
• IN REALITY, THEIR JUDGMENT WILL BE GREATER IF THEY HARM CHILDREN, OR IF THEY HARM BABY CHRISTIANS (2).
• HOWEVER, IF YOUR FELLOW CHRISTIAN DOES SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, YOU MUST FORGIVE HIM MANY TIMES OVER. (3-4)
• AT THIS POINT, THE DISCIPLES ASK FOR MORE FAITH TO ENDURE ALL THIS PERSECUTION AND THE GRACE TO FORGIVE. (5)
• JESUS’ RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAD ENOUGH QUANTITY OF FAITH, BUT THEY NEEDED TO WORK ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR FAITH. (6)
• REMEMBER THAT JESUS CHRIST GIVES EACH OF US A TINY MEASURE OF FAITH WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN. (ROM 12:3) IT IS UP TO US TO EXERCISE THAT FAITH TO MAKE IT GROW IN CONJUCTION WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
• REMEMBER THAT THE WAY TO MAKE FAITH GROW IS BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD. (ROM 10:17)
• AS WE ACT ON THE WORD OF GOD APPLYING IT TO A SPECIFIC PROBLEM IN OUR LIFE, OUR FAITH GROWS WHEN WE SEE GOD ANSWER. WE CAN THEN TRUST HIM FOR BIGGER PROBLEMS. FAITH IS TO DRAW US CLOSER TO THE LORD TO DEPEND UPON HIM MORE. FAITH IS NOT TO BE A BLANK CHECK FOR GETTING WHATEVER WE THINK WE WANT!
• THEN JESUS BEGINS THE PARABLE WITH THE PHRASE, “WHO IS IT AMONG YOU” (7)
• IF THEY HAD MORE FAITH, THEY WOULD PRIDE THEMSELVES IN THEIR VICTORIES OF FAITH AND EXPECT GREATER AND GREATER REWARDS.
• REMEMBER WHEN JESUS SENT OUT THE 70 AND THEY RETURNED FILLED WITH PRIDE SAYING, “EVEN THE DEMONS ARE SUBJECT TO US.” (LUK 10:17)
• IN THE PARABLE, WHO DOES THE SERVANT REPRESENT? (7)
• FOR BACKGROUND, READ EXO 21:1-6 AND ROM 1:1
• THE OLD TESTAMENT “BOND SLAVE”:
• THE BOND SLAVE WAS LEGALLY FREE TO LEAVE HIS MASTER BUT REMAINED IN HIS MASTER’S SERVICE BECAUSE OF LOVE.
• THE BOND SLAVE WAS PHYSICALLY MARKED SO EVERYONE WOULD KNOW HE FREELY SUBMITTED TO HIS MASTER’S SERVICE.
• THE SERVANT REPRESENTS THE COMMITTED BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.
• PAUL SPOKE OF HIMSELF AS A “LOVE SLAVE” OR A “BOND SLAVE”.
• WE ARE LOVE SLAVES OF JESUS CHRIST BY RIGHT OF CREATION AND BY RIGHT OF REDEMPTION. HE CREATED US AND HE PURCHASED US WITH HIS BLOOD.
• WHEN WE RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO OUR HEARTS, WE BECOME HIS LOVE SLAVES. (GAL 2:20)
• DISCUSSION: GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SERVANT OR A SLAVE?

• THE SERVANT OR SLAVE OBEYS QUICKLY WITH ENTHUSIASM.
• THE GOOD SERVANT OR SALVE IS HAPPY DOING HIS MASTER’S WILL.
• THE GOOD SERVANT OR SLAVE DOES MORE THAN IS EXPECTED IN ORDER TO DO A GOOD JOB
• A SLAVE’S WORK IS NEVER DONE. HE IS AT HIS MASTER’S USE 24 HOURS A DAY.
• THE SLAVE OR SERVANT MUST HAVE HIS MASTER’S INTERESTS AT HEART.
• THE SLAVE HAS NO EXPECTATIONS OF REWARD OR PAYMENT FROM HIS MASTER.
• THE SLAVE KNOWS THAT BECAUSE HE IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS MASTER, HIS MASTER WILL FEED HIM, CLOTHE HIM, AND CARE FOR HIM BECAUSE OF HIS VALUE.

• WHO DOES THE MASTER (IMPLIED IN THE PARABLE) REPRESENT?
• THE IMPLIED MASTER REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT DOES THE “PLOUGHING AND FEEDING CATTLE” REPRESENT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? (7)
• READ 1PET 5:2
• READ ACT 20:28
• THIS PHRASE REPRESENTS THE ACTIONS OF WORKING AMONG PEOPLE TO PLANT THE WORD OF GOD BY HELPING THEM, TEACHING THEM, MEETING THEIR NEEDS, AND WITNESSING TO THEM.
• WHY ARE WE ALL “UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS”? (10)
• WE ALL FALL SHORT OF WHAT WE COULD DO FOR THE LORD. WE ALL MISS OPPORTUNITIES TO DO HIS WILL, TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE ABOUT CHRIST, OR TO HELP SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP.
• FROM TIME TO TIME, WE ALL DO THINGS WITH A MOTIVE OF GETTING SOMETHING IN RETURN.
• IF WE EXPECT THANKS FOR DOING OUR DUTY, OUR HEART IS NOT REALLY ON OUR MASTER.
• THE SLAVEOWNER NEVER SAYS THANKS TO HIS SLAVE BECAUSE HE EXPECTS HIM TO DO HIS DUTY.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• THIS PARABLE IS A CAUTION TO BELIEVERS NOT TO PRESUME UPON OUR POSITION OF THE POWER OF FAITH AND OF A RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE SIMPLY BOND SLAVES OF JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE HERE TO SERVE HIM BY SERVING OTHERS.
• IN ALL MATTERS, WE MUST BE SUBJECT TO GOD. ALL OUR ENERGIES MUST BE USED IN HIS SERVICE. WE HAVE NO CLAIMS FOR ANY SPECIAL PRAISE OR REWARD.
• THE SLAVE OR SERVANT IS ALWAYS A DEBTOR OF SERVICE WHILE THE MASTER IS NEVER A DEBTOR OF REWARD.
• WHILE THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT REWARDS ARE COMING, WE DO NOT WORK FOR REWARD BUT BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM AND WANT HIM TO GET THE GLORY.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN (LUK 18:9-14
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS (LUK 17:7-10)
• EXAMINE YOUR ATTITUDES TOWARD SERVING THE LORD:
• WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES?

• HOW WELL DO YOU PERFORM YOUR DUTIES?

• WHAT CHANGES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE IN YOUR ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS TOWARD SERVICE TO THE LORD?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN (LUK 18:9-14)
• READ LUK 18:9-14
• BACKGROUND:
• REMEMBER THAT THE PHARISEES WERE A RELIGIOUS PARTY BELIEVING IN A STRICT AND FORMAL ADHERENCE TO THE LETTER OF THE MOSAIC LAW AND ALL THE MAN-MADE ADDITIONS TO IT. THEY WERE THE RELIGIOUS POWER OF THE TIME AND SUPPORTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE.
• A PUBLICAN WAS A RENEGADE JEW WHO WORKED AS AN UNDER-COLLECTOR OF ROMAN TAXES. HE WAS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE ROMAN TAX COLLECTORS. AMONG THE JEWISH POPULATION, HE WAS CONSIDERED A TRAITOR OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AS HE COLLABORATED WITH THE ROMANS.
• TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?

• MAKE A CONTRASTING CHART COMPARING THE ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS OF THE TWO MEN:

• WHO WERE THOSE WHO “TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES” IN VERSE 9″?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• WHAT IS THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE IN VERSE 14?

• MEMORY VERSE: PRO 15:33