JESUS' PARABLES (1)

1. Jesus' Parables

a) There are 43 parables that Jesus used. The Lord Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning.

b) Jesus' parables are short stories based on the agricultural life that was intimately familiar to His original first century audience. Some aspect of an unfamiliar concept, such as the kingdom of God, was compared to something from everyday life that could easily be understood.

c) It has been said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Each of Jesus' parables teaches only one or two important lessons. It is the lesson of a parable that is important to us. The story is not important in itself; it may or may not be literally true.

d) My prayer will be "Lord, for Your glory, help me understand these parables, and apply their principles to my everyday life."

2. Parable: Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:28-33 New International Version (NIV)

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.