Jesus' Teachings, as

Told in the Gospels

A Summary of the Teachings of Jesus
During His Three Years of Earthly
Ministry

Cliff Leitch
 Copyright © 2000, 2011, 2018 by Cliff Leitch. All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1717278661
ISBN-10: 1717278663

Scripture marked NAS taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD

BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked NIV taken from the Holy Bible, New International
Version,® NIV,® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The scripture quotations marked NRSV contained herein are from the New
Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of
Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New
Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Cover art: Carl Bloch, The Sermon On the Mount, oil on copper, 1877
 PREFACE
In this book I have tried to categorize and present the major themes
that Jesus emphasized over and over to His disciples and to others
who listened to His teachings. Nearly all this material is derived from
the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. An earlier edition
of this material was published on the internet in 2000.

The Bible was written a long time ago in a different language and in a
culture very different from the modern Western world. Jesus
probably spoke in the Aramaic language, but the New Testament was
originally written entirely in Greek. The styles of writing, nuances of
the language and figures of speech are unfamiliar to modern readers.
No translation into English can fully capture the richness and detail
of the original writings. To truly understand Jesus’ teachings, we need
to understand the background of life and literature in the first century
A.D. as the Gospels were being written.

Therefore, to accurately present Jesus’ teachings, I have relied heavily

on reference materials and commentaries written by experts in the
languages, culture and history of the time and place Jesus lived and
taught. The goal of Bible interpretation is to understand the author's
originally intended meaning and how it was understood by the
original audience. Then we can better understand and apply the
principles Jesus taught to life in the modern world. There is a list of
the main reference works I used at the end of the book.

It is my hope that this work will be useful as an aid to understanding

the ministry of Jesus, what He taught about our relationship with
God and each other, and how He is guiding us toward eternal life in
God's kingdom. Throughout this work, I have highlighted Jesus'
words in red, in the tradition of many Bible editions.

I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of my wife, Helen, who

proofread and edited this work and made many needed corrections
and improvements in clarity.

Cliff Leitch
April, 2018
 CONTENTS

1 Introduction - The Gospels 1

2 Who is Jesus? 3

3 God's Love for Mankind 7

4 The Kingdom of God 9

5 Love the Lord Your God 16

6 Love Your Neighbor as Yourself 26

7 Ethics and Morality 34

8 The Parables of Jesus 43

Epilogue 69

Appendix: Events of Jesus' Life and Ministry 70

References 73
 1 INTRODUCTION - THE GOSPELS

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of

the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the
beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have
handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having
investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it
out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so
that you might know the exact truth about the things you have
been taught. (NAS, Luke 1:1-4)

Nearly everything we know about the life and ministry of Jesus

comes from the Bible's four Gospel books - Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John.1 The Gospels existed in oral tradition in the young
Christian communities for some time before they were finally set in
written form. As the eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus' life began to
pass away in the latter part of the first century, it probably became
more urgent that these events be preserved in writing.

The Bible's New Testament, which includes these four Gospels, was
originally written entirely in Greek, the common language of the
Mediterranean lands in Roman times. The first of the Gospels was
probably Mark, written around 70 A.D., about 40 years after Jesus
was crucified. Matthew and Luke were written between 80 and 90
A.D. Finally, The Gospel of John appeared in its final form around
95 A.D.

All four Gospels are anonymous in the sense that none includes the
author's name. The traditional names - Matthew, Mark, Luke and

1 Much of the information on this page comes from Marshall and Lockyer (see
references).

1
 Cliff Leitch

John - did not become associated with these writings until the second
century. In the early centuries of Christianity, our four Gospels
coexisted with a number of other Christian writings, many of which
have not been preserved. Finally, the Synod of Carthage adopted the
present twenty-seven New Testament books, including the four
Gospels, as the canon of the New Testament in the year 397.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as

the Synoptic Gospels because they are strikingly similar. Bible scholars
believe the authors of Matthew and Luke were aware of the Gospel
of Mark and incorporated much of it in their own writings, along
with material from another common source that has not been
preserved, plus unique material of their own.

The Gospel of John is very much different from the Synoptic

Gospels in the way it presents and interprets the events of Jesus'
earthly life. The Synoptics portray Jesus traveling about and
preaching in parables about the coming kingdom of God, while John
presents a more spiritual and meditative picture of Jesus. Both John
and the Synoptics present many of the same events of Jesus' life,
including His trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Because of the differences among the Gospels, we are tempted to ask

which, if any, is the correct portrayal of the events of Jesus' life.
However, each of the four is a unique view of Jesus, drawn from
different eyewitnesses and different traditions, and we are fortunate
to have these four "windows" to see four views of these central
events of Christianity.

2
 2 WHO IS JESUS?

Jesus the Man

Although we number our years from the beginning of the Christian
era, scholars believe Jesus was actually born between 6 and 4 B.C.
Both Matthew and Luke recount Jesus' birth in the city of Bethlehem,
in what is now southern Israel. Jesus was born into a Jewish family
and remained faithful to Judaism all His life.

Jesus spent his youth and early adulthood in the city of Nazareth, in
the land of Galilee. Almost nothing is known of this period of His
life, except for the incident at the Temple told in Luke 2:41-51.

At about age 30, Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the
Baptist and began His public ministry. He selected 12 disciples who
would carry on his ministry after Him. He traveled through the
regions of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, teaching in the synagogues
and speaking to the crowds of people who followed wherever He
went. He preached about the kingdom of God, repentance, and love
for all people. The gospels tell how He healed the sick wherever He
went and performed many other miracles.

Jesus' public ministry lasted about three years, and He found many
followers among the Jews of Palestine. However, He had enemies,
too. Jesus was very critical of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of
His time. He said they observed the letter of the Jewish law, but
defiled its spirit by living lives of greed and sin. These religious leaders
plotted to kill Jesus, and eventually forced the Roman governor,
Pilate, to order His crucifixion on Friday, the eve of Passover, in
about the year 30 A.D.

3
 Cliff Leitch

The Bible tells that Jesus arose from the dead on the following
Sunday, and He remained on Earth another 40 days before ascending
into heaven. Jesus, Himself, said He was the Son of God, the Christ,
the Messiah awaited by the Jews. He said His death and resurrection
were all part of God's mysterious plan of salvation.

Jesus the Good Teacher

It is impossible to read the Gospels without getting a sense of the
intensity and passion of Jesus' teachings. He spoke with great
authority on spiritual matters, often leaving his detractors tongue-tied
and looking foolish. Many of His teachings are disturbing and shake
us out of our comfort and complacency. He spoke of loving God
above all other things, caring about all other people as much as we
care about ourselves, the coming kingdom of God and eternal life.

Jesus often spoke in parables, using common images of nature and

agriculture, to deliver His spiritual messages. Many people, often
including His disciples, were left baffled by the parables. Jesus
explained His parables to his disciples in private, but many of the
explanations have not been recorded in the Gospels.

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them (the
crowds that followed Him), as much as they could understand.
He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But
when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained
everything. (NIV, Mark 4:33-34)

Why did Jesus speak in parables? Why not just explain everything in
plain language? Jesus, Himself, had this explanation:

When (Jesus) was alone, the Twelve and the others around him
asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the
kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the
outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever
seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never
understanding; otherwise they might turn and be

4
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

forgiven!'" (NIV, Mark 4:10-12)

It seems that Jesus constructed His parables so only those who were
pure of heart and receptive to His teachings could understand them.
Jesus' enemies and the merely curious were left baffled. This
seemingly harsh attitude may be Jesus' way of making His message
available and inviting those who wish to understand and believe while
never forcing anyone to know and accept His truths. If Jesus had
spoken in plain language, the sheer power of His personality and
message might have forced many to believe, even against their own
will. By speaking in parables, Jesus made it possible to decline the
invitation to understanding and commitment found in the parables.
(Marshall, p. 869)

The parables serve a second purpose as well. How can you explain to
someone an experience they have never had? How would you explain
the beauty of a sunset to someone who had never seen one? The
parables are skillfully painted mental "pictures" to help us understand
the kingdom of God and other spiritual things we have never
experienced ourselves. The New Bible Dictionary expresses it this
way:

The parables are the appropriate form of communication for

bringing to men the message of the kingdom, since their
function is to jolt them into seeing things in a new way. They are
a means of enlightenment and persuasion, intended to bring the
hearers to the point of decision. Jesus, as it were, stands where
his hearers stand, and uses imagery familiar to them to bring new
and unfamiliar insights to them. (Marshall, p. 867)

Jesus the Savior

For those who have accepted the gift of faith, Jesus is much more
than a historical figure and a good teacher. He is the Christ, the
Savior, the Son of God, who came to Earth to redeem us from sin,
establish His spiritual kingdom of God on Earth, and to offer the
promise of eternal life. Although He is not now on Earth in bodily
form, He is present with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. He

5
 Cliff Leitch

is our guide and savior, the source of all our strength, who will lead
us through this earthly life and into eternal life beyond. We can talk
to Him in prayer. He speaks to us through the Bible and our
consciences. He strengthens us with His love.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your
hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV, John 14:26-27)

Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing

them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all the
commands I have given you; and be sure of this- that I am with
you always, even to the end of the world. (TLB, Matthew 28:19-
20)

6
 3 GOD'S LOVE FOR MANKIND

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of
them is forgotten before God. "Indeed, the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than
many sparrows. (NAS, Luke 12:6-7)

Jesus often referred to God as "the Father" or "the heavenly Father."

Our relationship to God is like the loving relationship between
parent and child. Like a loving parent, God knows and cares deeply
for each of us.

God is pure Spirit. We cannot see or touch Him. We can only dimly
understand Him, but we can know Him through prayer, through the
teachings of the Bible, and through our faith. In His teachings, Jesus
presents a picture of a very loving God who wants everyone to be in
harmony with Him. He is seeking to awaken a loving response in
each of us. God knows and loves each of us personally, as parents
know and love their children. God will give good things to those who
ask:

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to
him who knocks it shall be opened. "Or what man is there
among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a
stone? "Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake,
will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your Father who is in
heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (NAS, Matthew
7:8-11)

Like children, some of us return God's love, and some do not.

Nevertheless, He loves all of us. God's gifts of love and salvation are
7
 Cliff Leitch

freely offered to all, even to those who choose the path of

wickedness.
... He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (NIV, Matthew 5:45)
God is also merciful. He is always willing to forgive a truly repentant
sinner and give him or her another chance. Even when we sin, we
can be assured that God still loves us and seeks to bring us back into
harmony with Him. However, it is up to us; we can accept or reject
God's love. No matter how far our lives have drifted away from God,
we must never be discouraged and think we are beyond hope!
"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost
one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture,
and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? "And when
he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when
he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors,
saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep
which was lost!' "I tell you that in the same way, there will be
more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (NAS,
Luke 15:4-7)
One day Jesus was speaking with the Pharisee, Nicodemus, who was
intrigued by Jesus' teaching but was more than a bit skeptical. Jesus
told Nicodemus that God loved the people He had created so much
that He sent Jesus to save them from the forces of evil and their own
sinful ways. Those who put their trust in Jesus and His teachings
could be born again spiritually and be part of God's spiritual
kingdom. They could even defeat the power of death and attain
eternal spiritual life! It was in this conversation with Nicodemus that
Jesus spoke one of the most loved and quoted verses of the Bible:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to
judge the world, but that the world should be saved through
Him. (NAS, John 3:16-17)
Related verses: Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 6:25-30, Matthew 10:29-
31, Luke 6:35-38, John 10:11-12.

8
 4 THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Introduction
The kingdom of God is the very centerpiece of Jesus' teachings.
Matthew speaks instead of the "kingdom of heaven." However, a
number of passages in Matthew are virtually identical to those in
Mark and Luke, except for the substitution of "kingdom of heaven"
for "kingdom of God." Thus, the same reality is intended. The
Gospel of John mentions the kingdom only twice but refers many
times to the closely related concept of eternal life.

For hundreds of years, the Jews had been expecting the decisive
intervention of God to restore the glory of Israel and defeat its
enemies. When John the Baptist and then Jesus proclaimed that the
kingdom was at hand, it was certainly understood in terms of this
expectation. (Marshall, p. 647)

However, the kingdom initiated by Jesus is not the earthly kingdom

that was widely inferred from the Old Testament prophesies. It is a
spiritual kingdom that is now growing in the hearts of men and
women, and it will find its fulfillment in the eventual sovereign rule
of God and defeat of all evil. Those people who choose to belong to
God's kingdom and serve Him are those who are destined to inherit
eternal life in God's presence.

The Kingdom of God Is Among Us

The kingdom of heaven is not some faraway place in a faraway time
that we can only dream about. It is here and now, among and within
us. Jesus put it this way:

9
 Cliff Leitch

One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of
God begin?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isn't ushered
in with visible signs. You won't be able to say, 'It has begun here
in this place or there in that part of the country.' For the
Kingdom of God is within you." (TLB, Luke 17:20-21)

Good and Bad Soil

Jesus often compared the kingdom of God to a seed planted in the
hearts of men and women. Each of us has the seed of the kingdom
within us, but it will grow only if we give it the proper "care and
feeding." Jesus tells of this aspect of the kingdom in His
famous Parable of the Sower:

Jesus left the house and went down to the shore, where an
immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat and taught
from it while the people listened on the beach. He used many
illustrations such as this one in his sermon: "A farmer was
sowing grain in his fields. As he scattered the seed across the
ground, some fell beside a path, and the birds came and ate it.
And some fell on rocky soil where there was little depth of earth;
the plants sprang up quickly enough in the shallow soil, but the
hot sun soon scorched them and they withered and died, for
they had so little root. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the
thorns choked out the tender blades. But some fell on good soil
and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred
times as much as he had planted. (TLB, Matthew 13:1-8)

Jesus' disciples were often just as baffled by His parables as the huge
crowds of people who came to hear Him preach. Later, when he was
alone with His disciples, Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to
them in plain language:

"Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer
planting grain: The hard path where some of the seeds fell
represents the heart of a person who hears the Good News
about the Kingdom and doesn't understand it; then Satan comes
and snatches away the seeds from his heart. The shallow, rocky
soil represents the heart of a man who hears the message and

10
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

receives it with real joy, but he doesn't have much depth in his
life, and the seeds don't root very deeply, and after a while when
trouble comes, or persecution begins because of his beliefs, his
enthusiasm fades, and he drops out. The ground covered with
thistles represents a man who hears the message, but the cares of
this life and his longing for money choke out God's Word, and
he does less and less for God. The good ground represents the
heart of a man who listens to the message and understands it
and goes out and brings thirty, sixty, or even a hundred others
into the Kingdom." (TLB, Matthew 13:18-23)

According to Jesus' explanation, three things are needed to belong to

God's kingdom: understanding, commitment, and total devotion to
God's Word above all else. Like the seed that falls on the hard path, a
person who does not understand the Word and the Commandments
will fall into the temptation of evil and lose sight of God's kingdom.
Like the seed that falls on the shallow, rocky soil, a person lacking a
strong commitment will drift away from faith because of peer
pressure, inconvenience, embarrassment or persecution. Like the
seed that falls among thistles, the faith of a person who is not totally
devoted will succumb to the pettiness of worldly life and the desires
for wealth, power and status.

The Mustard Seed

In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32), Jesus again
compared the kingdom of heaven to a seed, this time a mustard seed.
He said the mustard seed is the tiniest of all seeds, but it can grow
into the largest of plants. In other words, the kingdom of heaven is
like a tiny seed within each of us. We cannot see it or touch it and we
are free to ignore it. However, if we choose to nurture it, it can grow
into a powerful and wonderful force within us.

Humility
We are all God's children, and if we wish to be a part of His
kingdom, we must humble ourselves before God like small children.
We can enter only by the grace of God. God is not "required" to
admit anyone because of faith proclaimed, church services attended,

11
 Cliff Leitch

good deeds done, wise words spoken, or hardships suffered. We

must come on God's terms, leaving our pride, arrogance, rebellion
and self-centered desires behind:

The disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the

kingdom of heaven?" And He called a child to Himself and set
him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are
converted and become like children, you shall not enter the
kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this
child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (NAS,
Matthew 18:1-4)

Spiritual Awakening
We Must Be Born Again
The Gospel of John tells of the kingdom of God in terms of a
spiritual birth. Just as we were born and grow in the flesh, we must
be "born" and grow in the Spirit. Speaking to the Pharisee
Nicodemus, Jesus said we must be born again spiritually to enter the
kingdom:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man
be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his
mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of
the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born
again.' (NAS, John 3:3-7)

Saul's Conversion
Saul was a well-educated young man, a Jew and a Roman citizen. His
Jewish heritage meant everything to Saul, and he saw the rise of
Christianity as a threat to all that he held dear. He was present at the
stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and he became a fierce
persecutor of the early Christians. He was determined to destroy the

12
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

young church, and went from house to house arresting Christians

and sending them to prison. (Lockyer, pp. 805-6)

Sometime around the year 34 A.D., while on the road to Damascus,

Saul was blinded by a bright light:

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up
and go into the city, and you will be told what you must
do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they
heard the sound but did not see anyone. (NIV, Acts 9:4-7)

Saul was born again that day and became known as the Apostle Paul.
He became the first and most influential interpreter of Jesus' message
and teachings, a passionate missionary, founder of many Christian
communities, and author of several New Testament letters.

Like Saul, a few people have a sudden, intense spiritual rebirth that
instantly changes their whole lives. However, for most of us, spiritual
rebirth is not so much an event as it is a process of becoming more
and more focused on spiritual things and less on selfish material
things. Not that we drop out of the world, but we think more and
more of how we can do God's work on earth instead of just living for
ourselves.

Wheat and Weeds

God's kingdom will not come to total fulfillment in the present age.
The kingdom will continue to exist and grow among the powers of
evil. This is told in Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and Weeds:

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like

a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was
sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,
and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads,
then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to
him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where
then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,' he replied.

13
 Cliff Leitch

"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them
up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters:
First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned;
then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (NIV,
Matthew 13:24-30)

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples
came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in
the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is
the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands
for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil
one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is
the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. "As the weeds
are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of
the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will
weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who
do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will
shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has
ears, let him hear. (NIV, Matthew 13:36-43)

The Parable of the Wheat and Weeds tells us that, like the farmer
who sowed good seed, Jesus has brought God's kingdom into the
world. However, it will not be totally fulfilled in this age. Like wheat
growing among weeds, God's kingdom will exist and grow amidst the
forces of evil that are so prevalent in our world.

We should not look for ease or perfection in this life. Those who
belong to the kingdom and serve God will continue to live among
those who (knowingly or unknowingly) serve the powers of evil. In
the end, though, if we are able to cling to our faith despite all the
surrounding evil, we will be freed from the evil of the world and live
in perfect harmony with God. The ultimate fate of those who serve
the forces of evil, whether by design or neglect, will be grim to say
the least.

14
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Conclusion
Being born again and entering the kingdom of God is a process of
gradually coming to obey God's commandments instead of a "sin
now, pray later" attitude. It is learning to truly obey Jesus' great
commandment to "Love God with all your heart and soul and love
your neighbor as yourself." It is listening to our consciences and
spending time in prayer to ask for guidance and wisdom. It is feeling
secure that God will give us the strength to face whatever challenges
come our way and will take care of us in the end.

Related verses: Matthew 3:11, Matthew 5:8, Matthew 7:13-14,

Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 11:12, Matthew 11:25-26, Matthew 13:23-
29, Matthew 5:20, Matthew 13:11-23, Matthew 13:33, Matthew 13:44-
50, Matthew 16:8-12, Matthew 18:23-35, Matthew 19:13-14, Matthew
19:16-26, Matthew 20:20-28, Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 23:11-12,
Mark 4:1-20, Mark 4:30-32, Mark 9:35-37, Mark 10:17-27, Mark
10:42-44, Luke 8:1-18, Luke 9:48, Luke 11:9-13, Luke 12:22-31, Luke
12:49-53, Luke 13:22-28, Luke 15:24, Luke 18:15-16, Luke 18:18-30,
Luke 19:1-10, Luke 21:10-11, John 6:57-58, John
6:63, John 8:12, John 14:16-17, John 18:36.

15
 5 LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD

Introduction
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked
him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most
important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind and with all your strength.' (NIV, Mark 12:28-
30)

Jesus said loving God is the most important of all the

commandments. But what does loving God really mean? Here are six
ways that Jesus taught us to express and demonstrate our love for
God:

 Know and Obey God's Commandments

 Trust in God and Jesus
 Put God Above All Else
 Be Committed
 Be Humble before God and Other People
 Make Time for Prayer

Know and Obey God's Commandments

"..., blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe
it." (NAS, Luke 11:28)

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who

loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I
too will love him and show myself to him. (NIV, John 14:21)

16
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

In both testaments, the words for obey also carry the idea of hearing.
The two concepts are inseparable. The Hebrew shama means both "to
listen to" and "obey," as does the Greek word hupakouo. The biblical
concept is, then, of a hearing that takes place and the need to comply
with what is heard ... Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God
(1 Samuel 15:22-24), or, as the NT puts it, "Faith without works is
dead" (James 2:14-26). Thus obedience and faith are always very
closely linked in the Bible (Young, p. 396).

Jesus repeatedly called for obedience to God's commandments and

to His own teachings; we are called to put our faith into action. The
commandments we are called to obey are best summarized by the
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), Jesus' Great Commandments
to Love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as
yourself (Mark 12:28-31), and the teachings of Jesus' Sermon on the
Mount (Matthew 5:1 - 7:29).

It is abundantly clear throughout the Bible that this is not an area

where we are free to live by our own feelings of right and wrong. The
principles that must guide our lives every minute of every day are set
out in no uncertain terms. Perfect obedience must be our constant
goal.

In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says that simply calling on Him is not

sufficient to enter the kingdom of heaven; we must also do God's
will. In the Parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46-49),
Jesus compares a man who hears His words and puts them into
practice to a house built on a solid foundation or rock; it will weather
any storm. On the other hand, a man who hears His words and does
not put them into practice is like a house built without a foundation;
the first storm will cause it to collapse and be destroyed.

Despite our best efforts, however, we are only human and will fail
again and again to live up to the ideals set forth by Jesus. Fortunately,
God is always willing to forgive and forget our sins and failures as
long as we are sincerely sorry and are willing to also forgive those
who sin against us.

17
 Cliff Leitch

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their
sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV, Matthew 6:14-
15)

"... heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to
God than over ninety-nine others who haven't strayed
away! (TLB, Luke 15:7)

Related verses: Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 5:18-19, Matthew 5:48,

Matthew 6:24, Matthew 7:15-20, Matthew 7:21-27, Matthew 12:46-
50, Matthew 13:2-23, Matthew 23:27-28,Mark 3:31-35, Mark 4:1-20,
Luke 6:46-49, Luke 8:4-18, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 11:27-28, Luke
11:33-36, John 8:51, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:9-10, John
15:14, John 15:17

Trust in God and Jesus

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in
me. (NIV, John 14:1)

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God

requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe
in the one he has sent." (NIV, John 6:28-29)

We live in an age of rational thought, scientific knowledge, secular

government and cultural diversity. Can there be any room in our lives
for simple faith? Yet, simple child-like faith is exactly what Jesus calls
us to. Just as a small child trusts completely in his or her parents,
Jesus calls us to trust completely in Him and His Father in heaven:

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch

them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this,
He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to
come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God
belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.
" And He took them in His arms and began blessing them,
laying His hands upon them. (NAS, Mark 10:13-16)

18
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Rationality, logic, and science are useful tools for understanding and
controlling the material world. Faith is different. It operates in the
spiritual realm, not the material realm. Things of the material world
cannot invalidate the truths of our faith, nor does our faith invalidate
the truths of the material world. There is no conflict between the two
realms as long as we understand that true faith is a freely given gift
from God; it is not derived from science, logic, or rational thought.

Everywhere around us there is war, prejudice, crime, exploitation and

all kinds of suffering. How can we maintain our faith in the face of
such overwhelming evil? Jesus simply calls us to trust God and
maintain our faith in spite of all the incomprehensible evils of the
world. We can (and should) try to make our world a better place for
all of us to live. However, bringing it to perfection is a job only God
can do, and it will happen only on His timetable. Speaking of the
trials and evils to come, Jesus said:

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray
and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and
deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the
love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved. (NIV, Matthew 24:10-13)

We are called to simple, sincere, freely chosen faith. God will not give
any miraculous sign that would force us to believe against our own
will:

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him,

they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and
said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell
you the truth, no sign will be given to it." (NIV, Mark 8:11-12)

Maintaining our faith in the face of all of life's disappointments,

suffering, and cynicism is a daily challenge. But, if we can meet that
challenge, we can rise above all those evils. Then we can be at peace
with God, with our fellow men, women and children of the world,
and with ourselves.

19
 Cliff Leitch

Related verses: Matthew 4:18-20, Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 6:25-34,

Matthew 7:7-8, Matthew 9:18-19, Matthew 9:20-22, Matthew 9:23-26,
Matthew 9:27-30, Matthew 12:38-40, Matthew 16:1-4, Matthew 18:1-
4, Matthew 21:16-22, Mark 1:16-18, Mark 9:17-27, Mark 10:13-16,
Luke 5:4-6, Luke 5:18-26, Luke 7:36-47, Luke 10:38-42, Luke 12:22-
31,Luke 17:5-6, Luke 17:11-14, Luke 18:15-17, John 1:40-41, John
1:47-49, John 6:28-29, John 6:66-69, John 8:28-32, John 10:11-12,
John 10:30, John 10:38, John 11:25-26, John 11:32-45, John 12:44,
John 14:8-11.

Put God Above All Else

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (NIV, Luke
16:13)

There is nothing evil about owning the things we need. However,

when we strive to collect wealth or possessions beyond our need, we
may neglect our duty to God, to our families, and to mankind.

Jesus said that serving God and serving wealth are incompatible
goals. It is all too easy to become obsessed with wealth and
possessions. Because technology has provided such an abundance of
consumer goods, the quest for possessions may be an even stronger
temptation now than in Jesus' time. We may work long hours at
stressful jobs so we can afford a luxury car, a larger house, designer
clothing, and countless other items.

When a rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit

eternal life (Matthew 19:16-24, Mark 10:17-25), Jesus probably knew
the man was obsessed with wealth. He told the man to sell his many
possessions and give the money to the poor. Sadly, the man could
not bring himself to give up his great wealth, even for the promise of
eternal life from Jesus, Himself!

An obsession with wealth is not the only thing that can come
between God and us. Any desire that becomes too important in our
lives can cause us to lose sight of God's love. While speaking to a

20
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

group of religious leaders, Jesus mentioned a number of things that

can separate us from God:

And then he added, "It is the thought-life that pollutes. For from
within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft,
murder, adultery, wanting what belongs to others, wickedness,
deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly. All
these vile things come from within; they are what pollute you
and make you unfit for God." (TLB, Mark 7:20-23)

To keep Jesus' commandment to "Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all
your strength," we must always keep the things of God foremost in
our minds.

Related verses: Matthew 4:8-10, Matthew 5:3-11, Matthew 6:19-21,

Matthew 6:24, Matthew 16:26, Matthew 21:33-43, Matthew 23:37-39,
Mark 8:36-37, Mark 12:1-10, Mark 13:31-37, Luke 6:24-26, Luke 9:25,
Luke 10:41-42, Luke 11:23, Luke 12:13-34, Luke 13:34-35, Luke 20:9-
18.

Be Committed
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me." (NAS, Matthew 16:24-26)

Jesus had little patience for half-hearted or hypocritical followers. He

was totally and passionately committed to fulfilling His earthly
mission, and He expected the same of His followers. We can never
fully live up to Jesus' example, but we can do our best to live our faith
every hour of every day.

Not only must we be committed, we must be committed to the right

cause. We must be sure, through study and prayer, that we are
following God's agenda and not our own. We must be sure to follow
the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), Jesus' Great
Commandments to Love God with all your heart and soul and love

21
 Cliff Leitch

your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31), and the teachings of Jesus'

Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48, 6:1-34, 7:1-29).

We may find commitment to be inconvenient and difficult. We could

suffer loss of wealth, power and prestige. It could even be dangerous.
Jesus promised the burden will never be too great to bear, though:

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give
you rest. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your
souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." (NAS,
Matthew 11:28-30)

Commitment to carrying out God's plan may be may be inconvenient

and may conflict with our own desires. However, the peace of mind,
purposefulness of life, and eternal rewards will be immeasurably
great.

Related verses: Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 10:37-38, Matthew 8:18-

22, Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 16:24-26, Mark 4:1-20, Mark 10:29-31,
Mark 12:41-44, Luke 8:1-18, Luke 9:23-24, Luke 9:61-62, Luke 12:35-
48, Luke 14:26-27

Be Humble before God and Other People

... the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him
stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you
change and become like little children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like
this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (NIV,
Matthew 18:1-4)

Humility before God means realizing that all we have and all we are
is a gift from God. We are God's children and should show Him our
complete faith and trust. It also means realizing that God has a plan
for each of us, and it is our job to follow that plan, not to follow our
own agendas. Each of us has been given unique talents that we can
(and should) use to improve our lives and the lives of others.

22
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Humility before other people is a quality of being courteously

respectful of others. It is the opposite of aggressiveness, arrogance,
boastfulness, and vanity. It is the quality that lets us go more than
halfway to meet the needs and demands of others. Jesus said that
wealth, power, status and pride will count for nothing in the kingdom
of God. Faith, humility and service to others are the qualities of true
value:

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts
himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted. (NIV, Matthew 23:11-12)

In our age of instant communication, jet travel, and massive

migrations of people, we are becoming more and more a worldwide
society rather than a number of isolated groups as in the past. Our
different beliefs and cultures often clash with one another. How
should we deal with people of different faiths? Jesus calls us to spread
the good news to all peoples. However, we are not called to impose
our faith, beliefs and values on others. (Forced faith is no faith at all!)
Rather, like a light shining on a hill, we should let the goodness of
our lives demonstrate the validity of our faith:

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden ... Let your light shine before men in such a way that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven. " (NAS, Matthew 5:14,16)

Being humble means focusing more on God and others than on

ourselves. Acting with humility does not in any way deny our own
self-worth. Rather, it affirms the inherent worth of all persons and
our trust in God. Some would consider humility to be a psychological
malady that interferes with "success." However, wealth, power or
status gained at the expense of others brings only anxiety - never
peace and love.

Related verses: Matthew 5:3-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 18:1-5,

Matthew 20:25-28, Matthew 23:11-12, Mark 9:35-37, Luke 14:10-11,
Luke 17:7-10, Luke 18:9-14, Luke 20:46-47

23
 Cliff Leitch

Make Time for Prayer

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened to you. "For everyone who asks
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall
be opened. "Or what man is there among you, when his son
shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? "Or if he shall ask
for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? "If you then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good
to those who ask Him! (NAS, Matthew 7:7-11)

Prayer is loving communication with God. Prayer may be long or

short, alone or in a group, silent or aloud, but should be a true
communication with God and not done for public recognition.
Important aspects of prayer include: (Lockyer, pp. 866-7)

 Expression of faith and trust in God

 Worship and adoration of God
 Confession of sins
 Praise of God's mighty deeds
 Thanksgiving for all the good things we have received
 Dedication to service to others
 Requests for our needs and the needs of others

God promised to answer our prayers and give us everything

we need and more. But a wise parent will not give a child everything
he or she wants. Similarly, prayer is not a magical trick to get anything
we want or a "quick fix" for problems that we should be solving
ourselves. God answers prayer requests in His own way in His own
time, and will not grant requests that are against His holy and wise
purposes, are selfish in nature, are not in our best long-term interest,
or those made with impure motives. Often, we must be persistent in
prayer. The answer, when it comes, may be in a form radically
different than we expected, and we must be alert to that possibility.
Sometimes, the answer must come from within ourselves and
persistent prayer will help us find that answer. We may need a new
attitude or a different way of looking at things, or we may need to
make amends with somebody.

24
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Jesus spent a lot of time praying. He often went to a solitary place

and prayed for hours at a time, especially at difficult times in His
ministry. The famous Lord's Prayer is Jesus' model of the perfect
prayer:
"This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, (NIV, Matthew 6:9)
First, we call God by the affectionate term "Father," and praise His
holy name.
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. (NIV, Matthew 6:10)
We ask that God's will be done on earth and in our lives.
Give us today our daily bread. (NIV, Matthew 6:11)
We ask to be given the things we need, but we don't ask for things
we merely desire.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors. (NIV, Matthew 6:12)
We ask forgiveness of our sins and acknowledge that we must also
forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one.' (NIV, Matthew 6:13)
Finally, we ask for the strength to resist the temptation to follow the
path of evil.

Prayer is the expression of our inner spiritual needs. Through prayer

we can find strength of spirit, guidance and wisdom, joy and inner
peace.

Related verses: Matthew 5:44, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 14:23,

Matthew 26:36-41, Mark 1:35, Mark 11:24-25, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12,
Luke 6:28, Luke 9:18-20, Luke 9:28-29, Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-14,
Luke 22:40.

25
 6 LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

Introduction
And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and
recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What
commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The
foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
"The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than these." (NAS,
Mark 12:28-31)

In Jesus' teachings, our relationship with our fellow men, women and
children is inseparable from our relationship with God. Love of God
and love of our neighbors are two aspects of the same calling:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV, John
13:34-35)

Who Is My Neighbor?
We commonly think of neighbors as the people who live near us, but
Jesus meant it to include all mankind - even our enemies! Jesus told
His famous parable of the Good Samaritan to make it clear that "love
your neighbor" means to love all persons, everywhere - not just our
friends, allies, countrymen, etc.:

26
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

One day an expert on Moses' laws came to test Jesus' orthodoxy

by asking him this question: "Teacher, what does a man need to
do to live forever in heaven?" Jesus replied, "What does Moses'
law say about it?" "It says," he replied, "that you must love the
Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must
love your neighbor just as much as you love
yourself." "Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you shall
live!"The man wanted to justify (his lack of love for some kinds
of people), so he asked, "Which neighbors?" Jesus replied with
an illustration: "A Jew going on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho
was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and
money, and beat him up and left him lying half dead beside the
road. "By chance a Jewish priest came along; and when he saw
the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and
passed him by. A Jewish Temple-assistant walked over and
looked at him lying there, but then went on. "But a despised
Samaritan came along, and when he saw him, he felt deep pity.
Kneeling beside him the Samaritan soothed his wounds with
medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his
donkey and walked along beside him till they came to an inn,
where he nursed him through the night. The next day he handed
the innkeeper two twenty-dollar bills and told him to take care of
the man. 'If his bill runs higher than that,' he said, 'I'll pay the
difference the next time I am here.' "Now which of these three
would you say was a neighbor to the bandits' victim?" The man
replied, "The one who showed him some pity." Then Jesus
said, "Yes, now go and do the same." (TLB, Luke 10:25-37)

The Jews and Samaritans had been enemies for hundreds of years.
The Jews of Jesus' society considered the Samaritans to be
ceremonially unclean, socially outcast, religious heretics (Mays, p.
1029). Yet, the Samaritan took pity on the poor man who had been
robbed and beaten. He gave freely of both his time and his money to
help this Jewish man who was not only a stranger, but also an enemy
from a foreign country. In His parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus
challenges us to "Go and do the same."

27
 Cliff Leitch

To reinforce that "love your neighbor" applies to everyone, Jesus

extended the rule of love to even our enemies!

"There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.'

But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in
heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only
those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that
much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you
different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you
are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (TLB,
Matthew 5:43-48)

Like the unselfish Samaritan man of Jesus' parable, we are called to

extend our love and concern to all persons everywhere, as our
neighbors. We should not exclude anyone or any group because of
social status, a supposed character fault, religious difference, racial
difference, ethnic difference, citizenship difference, etc.

Related verses: Matthew 22:34-39, Luke 6:27-38

Forgive Others
Jesus calls us to remember that we are all God's children. Just as He
loves all His people and is willing to forgive their sins, we must be
willing to forgive others who have done wrong to us:

For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV,
Matthew 6:14-15)

Anger can consume us with hatred and block out the love of God.
Whether between parent and child, spouses, friends, or nations,
expressions of anger divide us and drive us toward open hostility.
More often than not, our angry feelings are based on a
misinterpretation of what someone said or did. A grudge clouds our

28
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

judgment and may lead us to an act of revenge that can never be

undone.

The Old Testament law specified equal revenge for equal wrong: "an
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (Exodus 21:23-25, Leviticus
24:19-20.) But this rule was too harsh for the new age of the kingdom
of God. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said the right thing to do
is to take no revenge at all.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth.' "But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other
also. (NAS, Matthew 5:38-39)

The need to forgive is not some ideal that we cannot hope to attain.
Forgiveness is necessary to free us from the dark cloud of anger and
resentment that can literally destroy our own lives. We cannot afford
to wait for the other person to repent and apologize. Unless we let go
of our anger and the desire to punish or get even, the love of God
cannot enter our lives.

Related verses: Matthew 6:12, Matthew 5:21-24, Matthew 5:38-48,

Matthew 18:21-35, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37, Luke 17:3-4

Help the Needy

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels
with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. "And all the
nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them
from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on
the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come,
you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry,
and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave
Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and
you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison,
and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him,
saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or
thirsty, and give You drink? 'And when did we see You a

29
 Cliff Leitch

stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'And
when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And
the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the
extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the
least of them, you did it to Me.' "Then He will also say to those
on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire
which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was
hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you
gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not
invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also
will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or
thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Truly I
say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least
of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NAS,
Matthew 25:31-46)

Jesus could hardly have made things plainer than in His Parable of
the Sheep and Goats, above. We are not meant to live hard-hearted
or self-centered lives. We are called to put our faith into practice and
truly love our neighbors, especially those less fortunate.

God has given each of us unique talents and gifts to use in His
service. His work for us on earth is to use our gifts and talents in the
service of others! Each of us has something to offer to someone in
need. We can give our money and our time to charity, be a friend to
someone who is sick or lonely, do volunteer work, or be a
peacemaker. We may give unselfishly of our time to our spouse,
children or parents. We may choose a service-oriented occupation, or
we may just do our everyday jobs with integrity and respect for
others.

It would seem that the more we give to others, the poorer we

become, but just the opposite is true! Service to others brings
meaning and fulfillment to our lives in a way that wealth, power,
possessions and self-centered pursuits can never match. As Jesus
said,

30
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full
and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to
make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you
use to give- large or small- will be used to measure what is given
back to you." (TLB, Luke 6:38)

Does this mean we can't satisfy Jesus' command unless we have

abundant wealth to give, or extraordinary talents to serve other? No!
It is not how much we give, but the spirit in which we give that counts
with God. Each of us is called to give generously of what wealth and
talents we have been given - whether it is a little or a lot. Jesus
compared a poor widow, who gave only a little, to the wealthy men
who gave much more. The wealthy men had only given a token
amount from their great wealth. In God's eyes, the widow gave much
more because she gave from the heart:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put
and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple
treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor
widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only
a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I
tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury
than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out
of her poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on." (NIV,
Mark 12:41-44)

Each of us has something to give. Some have wealth, some have

talents, and some have time. Whatever gifts we have been given -
large or small - we should share generously. When we do, we make
the world better for someone else and find true meaning and
satisfaction in our own lives.

Related verses: Matthew 6:1-4, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:17-27, Mark

12:41-44, Luke 6:30, Luke 14:12-14, Luke 12:33-34, Luke 14:12-14,
Luke 19:1-9, Luke 21:1-4.

31
 Cliff Leitch

Follow the Golden Rule

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to
you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (NIV, Matthew
7:12)

The Golden Rule, spoken by Jesus, is possibly the best-known quote

from the Bible, and sums up Jesus' ethical teachings in one short
sentence. If we wish to be loved, we must give love. If we wish to be
respected, we must respect all persons - even those we dislike. If we
wish to be forgiven, we must also forgive. If we wish others to speak
kindly of us, we must speak kindly of them and avoid gossip. If we
want strong marriages, we must be loyal and faithful to our spouses.
If we wish to be fulfilled in our lives, we must share generously with
others. If we wish to reap the rewards of our Heavenly Father's love,
we must truly love all His people.

If we do not wish to be judged harshly, then we must not judge

others harshly. Often we are tempted to call someone else a "sinner"
or to think of ourselves as holier. However, we are called to correct
the faults within ourselves, not to criticize or condemn others:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way
you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you
use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck
of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the
plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let
me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a
plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of
your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
from your brother's eye. (NIV, Matthew 7:1-5)

Jesus' comical story tells of a man trying to remove a speck of

sawdust (a minor fault) from his friend's eye while he is blinded by a
huge plank (a major fault) in his own eye. Jesus says that as long as
we have our own faults and sinfulness (which we always will), we do
not have the right to criticize others.

The golden rule - treat others as you would want to be treated - is the
standard Jesus set for dealing with other people.

32
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Related verses: Matthew 5:22-28, Matthew 12:34-37, Matthew 20:25-

28, Mark 9:35-37, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 6:37-38, Luke 12:57-59, John
8:3-11

Conclusion
In His sermons and parables, Jesus seeks to shock us out of our
selfishness and worldliness and create in us a true passion for the
welfare of our fellow men, women and children around the world.
Universal love is at the very heart of Jesus' teachings; it is God's
earthly work for us.

What matters to God is our love for Him and our love for each
other. Wealth, power and status count for nothing in the kingdom of
God. When we truly love our neighbors, we do our part to make the
world a better place, and we find our own fulfillment in life.

33
 7 ETHICS AND MORALITY

Introduction
Ethics are principles that govern a person's actions. Ethics define
right and wrong conduct. The words "ethics," "morals" and
"morality" may be applied in different contexts, but they have
essentially the same meaning.

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) was the standard of

conduct in Old Testament times. Jesus did not abolish the moral and
ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He
affirmed and expanded on those principles, but what matters most to
God is our inner lives (attitudes and motives) rather than any
outward show of holiness. Jesus taught that we should live by two
great principles: 1) humble obedience to God above all else and 2)
sincere respect and kindness for all people of the world (Matthew
22:34-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28, John 13:34-35).

Not only must we not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), we should

avoid entertaining even the thought of it (Matthew 5:27-28). Not only
must we not steal (Exodus 20:15) and not envy what others have
(Exodus 20:17), we should focus our lives on God, not on earthly
possessions (Matthew 6:19-21). Not only must we not give false
testimony (Exodus 20:16), we should even avoid evil thoughts and
speech (Matthew 12:35-37). Not only must we be considerate to the
poor and outcasts of the world (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), we should
treat them as we would treat Jesus Himself! (Matthew 25:31-46).

34
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the

Plain
Jesus gave many examples of how to apply His ethical teachings in
His "Sermon of the Mount" (Matthew Chapters 5-7) and the shorter
"Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:20-49). These are the highlights:

The Beatitudes
3
“Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. The kingdom of
heaven belongs to them.
4
Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted.
5
Blessed are those who are free of pride. They will be given the
earth.
6
Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right.
They will be filled.
7
Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be shown mercy.
8
Blessed are those whose hearts are pure. They will see God.
9
Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called sons of
God.
10
Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The
kingdom of heaven belongs to them. (NIrV, Matthew 5:3–10)

The Beatitudes describe the values of the kingdom of God. At the

same time, they describe the "blessed" results of keeping God's
commandments and being part of that kingdom.

Anger
21
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not
murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to
judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you
are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in
danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse
someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. (NLT, Matthew
5:21–22)

35
 Cliff Leitch

Anger is an emotion we all feel sometimes, but the anger here

(Greek orgizo) implies extreme anger, perhaps a brooding anger that
could lead to hostile words or acts of revenge. We must forgive
others (Matthew 6:14-15) and not hold onto the anger that spoils our
relationship with God and other people.

Adultery
27
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit
adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his
heart. (NIV, Matthew 5:27–28)

Jesus affirmed the prohibitions in the Ten Commandments against

adultery (Exodus 20:14), and covetousness (Exodus 20:17). We must
not commit adultery, but we must also avoid the evil desires (lust or
covetousness) that may cloud judgment and lead to an actual act of
adultery.

Divorce and Remarriage

6
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and
female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God
has joined together, let no one separate.”10 When they were in
the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He
answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another
woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her
husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” (NIV,
Mark 10:6–12)

Many people marry for love. But when love fades, they divorce and
marry another. However, Jesus taught that marriage should be a
sacred bond forever. Each spouse must love and honor the other and
not give up on the marriage when troubles arise.

Truthfulness and Honesty

33
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago,

36
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you
have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: ... 37 All
you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this
comes from the evil one. (NIV, Matthew 5:33–34, 37)

At the time of Jesus, people often made vows or took oaths to

convince someone of their sincerity. But instead of making vows, we
must be known for our complete honesty so that our simple "yes" or
"no" will be believed as truth.

Retaliation and Revenge

38
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match
the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I
say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the
right cheek, offer the other cheek also. ... 43 “You have heard the
law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I
say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In
that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in
heaven. ... 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is
there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If
you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from
anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect,
even as your Father in heaven is perfect.(NLT, Matthew 5:38–
39, 43–48)

At the time of Abraham, unlimited revenge for a wrong done was

considered normal and proper (Genesis 34:1-2, 25-29). Later, the
Law of Moses limited revenge to an equal injury for any injury done,
"an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" (Leviticus 24:18-20). But
Jesus said we should not take any revenge at all. We must extend our
Christian love (Greek agape = kindness, respect, benevolence) to all
people, even enemies.

Forgiveness
14
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly
Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others,

37
 Cliff Leitch

your Father will not forgive your sins. (NLT, Matthew 6:14–15)

Just as God is merciful and forgives our sins, we, too, must be
merciful and forgive those who do us harm. Holding a grudge
separates us from God's love and robs all joy from life.

Money and Wealth

19
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not
break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also. ... 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will
hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the
one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and
money. (NIV, Matthew 6:19–21, 24)

Lust for more wealth or possessions than we really need is the cause
of all kinds of evils (1 Timothy 6:10). Greed is one of the most
frequently mentioned sins in the Bible. Those of us who are blessed
with more wealth than we need are obligated to share generously
with those in need.

Judgment and Self-righteousness

1
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you
will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in
judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (NLT,
Matthew 7:1–2)

Jesus taught by word and example not to be self-righteous or shun

those we consider to be "sinners" (Matthew 9:10-13, Luke 7:36-48)
because we are all sinners in our own ways (Romans 3:21-
24, 5:12, 1 John 1:8).

The Bible's moral and ethical teachings are intended to help us live
according to God's will. They are not intended to be used to criticize
or condemn other people. We are never to take upon ourselves the

38
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

task of judgment that belongs to God alone (Matthew 22:37-

40, Hebrews 10:30, Romans 14:10-13, 1 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus said
that if we judge other people harshly, we will, in turn, be judged
harshly.

The Golden Rule

12
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.
This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the
prophets. (NLT, Matthew 7:12)

The Golden Rule is a one-sentence summary of all of Jesus' ethical

teachings. In all aspects of life, we must treat others as we would like
to be treated – never taking advantage or holding a grudge or doing
harm; always being kind, compassionate and helpful when needed.

Do I Really have to Obey All of Jesus' Ethical

Teachings? Are there Exceptions?
Jesus sets a very high standard of conduct for both private and public
life. Some people feel that that these high ethical standards are too
difficult or even unrealistic, and there have been many attempts to
soften His teachings or limit their scope.

Did Jesus Intend His Teachings only for His Disciples?

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount was directed primarily to His disciples
(Matthew 5:1-2, Luke 6:20). But the crowds of people were also
present and listening (Matthew 7:28-29, Luke 7:1), and the language
of His teachings implies that they apply to all people (Matthew
5:19, 5:32, 6:24, 7:13-14, 7:24-27). It was always Jesus' plan for His
disciples to spread His teachings to the rest of the world (Matthew
28:16-20, Mark 3:14, Mark 16:14-15).

Do Jesus' Teachings Apply to our Relations with all People?

Some say that Jesus' teachings only apply to personal relationships
with family and friends, not to relations with people of other
religions, races, nationalities, ways of life, etc. However, Jesus never
spoke of any such exceptions. In His Parable of the Good Samaritan,

39
 Cliff Leitch

He made it clear that we must extend our "Christian love" to people

of all races, religions and nationalities. He also said,
43
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and
hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those
who persecute you!45 In that way, you will be acting as true
children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to
both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the
unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward
is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If
you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from
anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect,
even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (NLT, Matthew 5:43–
48)

Do Jesus' Teaching Apply to all Situations?

Some say that Jesus' teachings only apply to private life, not to public
life, business or politics. However, Jesus did not make any such
exceptions. Jesus presented these principles as applying to all people
belonging to the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:9, 5:46-48, 6:24, 20:25-
28, 21:12-13, Mark 12:38-40, Luke 12:33-34).
12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do
to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (NIV,
Matthew 7:12)

24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one
and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (NIV,
Matthew 6:24)

Do Jesus' Teachings Apply Here and Now?

Some argue that Jesus' ethical teachings are unrealistic ideals just
intended to show us how sinful we are, not commandments we must
obey. Still others say Jesus was describing the ethics of the kingdom
of God of the future rather than a code to live by in this life.

40
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

However, Jesus presented His ethical teachings as God's

commandments for here and now, and He never spoke of any
exceptions. As people who aspire to belong to the kingdom of God,
we must be "in the world, but not of the world" (John 17:11-14).

21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your
name drive out demons and in your name perform many
miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.
Away from me, you evildoers!’ (NIV, Matthew 7:21–23)
48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NIV,
Matthew 5:48)
46
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell
you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man
building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on
rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but
could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one
who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on
the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it,
immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that
house.” (NRSV, Luke 6:46–49)
13
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the
road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who
take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to
life, and there are few who find it. (NRSV, Matthew 7:13–14)
17
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is
only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you
want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” (NLT,
Matthew 19:17)
15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (NRSV,
John 14:15)
41
 Cliff Leitch

What if We Fail to Keep Jesus' Commandments?

We are all imperfect humans, and we are all sinners in our own ways
(Romans 3:21-24, 5:12, 1 John 1:8). We will never be able to
completely comply with the high ethical standards Jesus set. But that
is hardly an excuse for not trying our very best! (Matthew 25:24-
30, Romans 2:1-4) When we do fail, we can take comfort in knowing
that God is merciful and is always willing to give us another chance
when we sincerely repent.

Conclusion
Old Testament ethics were based on following hundreds of rules
based on scripture as interpreted by the professional scribes. But
Jesus taught a higher standard of conduct and a better way to
determine what is right and what is wrong. The examples Jesus gave
in the Sermon on the Mount do not cover all possible situations, but
His "Golden Rule" and "Greatest Commandment" are the principles
we should use to decide any ethical question:
28
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with
one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked
him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus
answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the
Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all
your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater
than these.” (NRSV, Mark 12:28–31)

Jesus' ethical teachings show us the way God wishes for all people to
live together in peace (1 John 4:16-21), and they serve as a guide for
all we say and do.

42
 8 THE PARABLES OF JESUS

Introduction
Bible scholar Madeline Boucher writes,

The importance of the parables can hardly be overestimated.

They comprise a substantial part of the recorded preaching of
Jesus. The parables are generally regarded by scholars as among
the sayings which we can confidently ascribe to the historical
Jesus; they are, for the most part, authentic words of Jesus.
Moreover, all of the great themes of Jesus' preaching are struck
in the parables. (Boucher, p.9)

What is a Parable?
Jesus' parables are short stories that teach a moral or spiritual lesson
by analogy or similarity. They are often 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.

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.

Jesus was the master of teaching in parables. His parables often have
an unexpected twist or surprise ending that catches the reader's
attention. They are also cleverly designed to draw listeners into new
ways of thinking, new attitudes and new ways of acting (Getty-
Sullivan, pp. 2-4).

43
 Cliff Leitch

Each of Jesus' parables teaches only one or two important lessons. It

is a mistake to look for meaning in every sentence or detail of the
story (Lockyer, Parable). If we get bogged down analyzing the details
of the parable, we may miss the central point, as in the proverbial
saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees."

Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the
twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To
you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for
those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that ‘they
may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but
not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’
” (NRSV, Mark 4:10-12)

Jesus' explanation seems harsh and out of character. Was He

deliberately trying to hide the truth by speaking in parables? Were the
mysteries of the kingdom of God to be known only by the disciples?
Both experts and lay persons are puzzled, and many different
explanations have been proposed.

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10. The prophet Isaiah had found that
people were so lost in sin that they resented hearing God's Word and
deliberately turned away. Jesus experienced the same disappointment
and frustration. Thus, the most common interpretation of Jesus'
saying is that the people's hardness of heart (pride, arrogance and
prejudice) prevented them from understanding and accepting Jesus'
teachings. Barclay explains it this way:

When Isaiah spoke, he spoke half in irony and half in despair

and altogether in love. He was thinking, ‘God sent me to bring
his truth to this people; and for all the good I am doing I might
as well have been sent to shut their minds to it. I might as well
be speaking to a brick wall. You would think that God had shut
their minds to it.’

So Jesus spoke his parables; he meant them to flash into people’s

minds and to illuminate the truth of God. But in so many eyes
he saw a dull incomprehension. He saw so many people blinded

44
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

by prejudice, deafened by wishful thinking, too lazy to think. He

turned to his disciples and he said to them: ‘Do you remember
what Isaiah once said? He said that when he came with God’s
message to God’s people Israel in his day they were so dully un-
understanding that you would have thought that God had shut
instead of opening their minds; I feel like that today.’ When
Jesus said this, he did not say it in anger, or irritation, or
bitterness, or exasperation. He said it with the wistful longing of
frustrated love, the poignant sorrow of a man who had a
tremendous gift to give which people were too blind to take.

If we read this, hearing not a tone of bitter exasperation, but a

tone of regretful love, it will sound quite different. It will tell us
not of a God who deliberately caused blindness and hid his
truth, but of people who were so dully uncomprehending that it
seemed no use even for God to try to penetrate the iron curtain
of their lazy incomprehension. God save us from hearing his
truth like that! (Barclay, commentary on Mark 4:1-12)

Interpretation
By nature, a parable invites the reader or listener to supply the
interpretation, and some of Jesus' parables have been interpreted in
more than one way. Jesus, Himself, supplied the interpretation for
some of His parables. But in other cases, it is left to us to determine
the meaning and lesson.

Some of the parables are difficult to interpret, but the meaning is

clear in most cases. Even Jesus' enemies often understood His
parables, even though they did not accept the lesson (Matthew 21:45-
46). Jesus' original audience in first century Palestine probably knew
exactly what He was saying in most cases. Those of us who are far
removed from that time and place need some help from historians
and Bible scholars to understand the original cultural context and
issues involved.

From historical knowledge and Jesus' other teachings, there is a

broad consensus within the mainstream of Christian thought about

45
 Cliff Leitch

the meaning of most of the parables. Those are the interpretations we

give here.

Related verses: Matthew 13:10-17; Luke 8:9-10

The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is the centerpiece of Jesus' teachings. Matthew
speaks instead of the "kingdom of heaven." However, a number of
passages in Matthew are virtually identical to those in Mark and Luke,
except for the substitution of "kingdom of heaven" for "kingdom of
God." Thus, the same reality is intended. The Gospel of John
mentions the kingdom only twice but refers many times to the closely
related concept of eternal life.

For hundreds of years, the Jews had been expecting the decisive
intervention of God to restore the glory of Israel and defeat its
enemies. When John the Baptist and then Jesus proclaimed that the
kingdom was at hand, it was certainly understood in terms of this
expectation. (Marshall, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven)

However, the kingdom initiated by Jesus is not the earthly kingdom

that was widely inferred from the Old Testament prophesies. It is a
spiritual kingdom that is now growing in the hearts of men and
women, and it will find its fulfillment in the eventual sovereign rule
of God and defeat of all evil. Those people who choose to belong to
God's kingdom and serve Him are those who are destined to inherit
eternal life in God's presence.

The Parable of the Sower

Jesus often compared the kingdom of God to a seed planted in the
hearts of men and women. Each of us has the seed of the kingdom
within us, but it will grow only if we give it the proper "care and
feeding." Jesus tells of this aspect of the kingdom in His Parable of
the Sower:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the

seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

46
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It
sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the
sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which
grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil,
where it produced a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what
was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.” (NIV, Matthew 13:3-
9)

This is one of the Parables that Jesus explained privately for His
disciples, and here is His explanation:
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When
anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not
understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was
sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one
who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who
hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has
no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution
comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who
received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who
hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness
of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who
received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the
word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (NIV, Matthew
13:18-23)

There are many ways of responding to God's word. Some may hear it
but reject it. Some may accept it but not act on it. The lesson of this
parable is that we must hear, accept and act on God's word.

Just as the farmer scatters seed throughout the field, God gives His
word to the entire world.

Just as the seed cannot take root on the trampled and hardened path,
God's word is rejected by people having hearts hardened by pride
and hatred.

47
 Cliff Leitch

Just as the seed that falls on shallow soil wilts in the sun, some people
have shallow faith. They are enthusiastic about God's word until it
becomes inconvenient or makes demands on them. Then they fall
away.

Just as the seed that falls among thorns is crowded out, God's word
can be crowded out by worries and pursuit of wealth.

Just as the seed that falls on good soil yields a bountiful crop, God's
word is fruitful in people who listen, understand and obey. The
kingdom of God yields great results in and through these people.

Related verses: Matthew 5:16, 6:25, 10:22, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10,

James 2:14-17, John 3:36, 1 Peter 4:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, 1
Timothy 6:10, James 1:22-25, 1 John 2:9.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

[Jesus] put before them another parable: “The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in
his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown
it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds
of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (NRSV,
Matthew 13:31-32)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is also in Mark 4:30-32 and Luke
13:18-19. The Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21)
and the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) are similar.

There are different opinions about the meaning of this parable. Most
commonly, the seed is seen as representing the kingdom of God
initiated in the world by Jesus. Just as the tiny seed grows into a large
tree, the kingdom of God will grow into a powerful spiritual
kingdom. Similarly in Matthew 13:33, just as a small amount of yeast
grows to leaven an entire loaf of bread, the kingdom of God will
grow large and powerful until it eventually controls the entire world.
In both cases, great results come from tiny beginnings.

Yeast is used as an evil symbol other places in the Bible (Mark

8:15, 1 Corinthians 5:6). That has led to an alternate interpretation

48
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

that the seed represents evil introduced into the Church by Satan
(Boice pp. 24-27). The evil will grow to corrupt and undermine the
Church. However, this interpretation does not fit well with Jesus'
other teachings, and the yeast could just as well be a symbol of
anything, good or bad, that permeates whatever it touches
(Lockyer, Leaven).

Related verses: Matthew 3:2, 10:7, 17:20, Mark 1:15, 4:30-32, 9:1,
Luke 10:9, 13:18-21, 17:20-21

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and The Parable of the

Pearl of Great Price
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which
someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that
he has and buys that field.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of

fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold
all that he had and bought it.” (NRSV, Matthew 13:44-46)

In both parables, a person was willing to give up all his worldly

possessions to obtain something of even greater value. In a similar
way, the kingdom of God has more value to us than any worldly
things - possessions, pleasures, prejudices or pride.

It is sometimes noted that the buyer acted deceitfully in the Parable

of the Hidden Treasure. He was morally obligated to inform the
owner of the field about the treasure. However, we have to keep in
mind that there is only one lesson in the parable; it is a mistake to
look for meaning in every detail of the story.

Related verses: Daniel 2:44, Luke 1:33, Romans 14:17, Colossians

1:13, 2 Peter 1:10-11, Philippians 3:8-9.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like
a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was
sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,
and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads,

49
 Cliff Leitch

then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to

him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where
then did the weeds come from?’ “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he
replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull
them up?’ “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters:
First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned;
then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”(NIV,
Matthew 13:24-30)

Then [Jesus] left the crowd and went into the house. His
disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the
weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the
good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the
good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are
the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the
devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are
angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it
will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his
angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that
causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the
fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (NIV, Matthew 13:36-43)

There is a weed named darnel that closely resembles wheat in the

early stages of growth. There was no way to determine which was
wheat and which was darnel until both had matured and it was time
for the harvest. Then the poisonous darnel had to be laboriously
separated from the wheat (Barclay, Commentary on Matthew 13:24-30).

Just as both wheat and weeds grow together in a field, there are both
good people and evil people in the world. Some people do God's
work in the world and some people do Satan's work.

Just as it is difficult to distinguish the darnel from the wheat, we

cannot accurately determine who is truly good and who is truly evil.

50
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

With our limited human understanding, an evil person may appear to

be good, and a good person may appear to be evil.

Just as the owner of the field prohibited his servants from pulling up
the weeds, it is not our privilege to judge other people. That is God's
privilege alone.

Just as the harvesters separate the weeds from the wheat in the end,
God will determine who is truly good and who is truly evil at the final
judgment.

In this parable, Jesus warns us against substituting our judgment for

God's judgment. Our inability to see into another person's heart as
well as our fears, jealousies and prejudices prevent us from making
accurate judgments about other people. Only God knows all the facts
about a person. Even evil people have an opportunity to repent until
the time of death. We must be tolerant of other people and leave the
task of judgment to God.

Related verses: Matthew 7:1-5, 13:47-50, Romans 14:10-14, 1

Corinthians 4:3-5, James 4:11-12.

God's Love, Mercy and Forgiveness

The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke
15:8-10) and The Parable of the Prodigal Son all tell of God's infinite
mercy and love, even for sinners.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost
one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture
and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has
found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he
comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors,
saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep
which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be
more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (NAS,
Luke 15:4-7)

51
 Cliff Leitch

Just as the sheep is lost and in danger, many among us are separated
from God and lost in sin.

Just as the owner of the sheep makes every possible effort to find his
lost sheep, God makes every possible effort to bring sinners to
repentance and forgiveness.

Just as a person rejoices when a long-lost treasure is found, God

rejoices when a lost sinner repents.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

This is actually two parables combined in one - the parable of the
younger son and the parable of the older son.

The younger son:

Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger
son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before
you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his
sons.

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and
moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in
wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine
swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a
local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to
feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the
pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one
gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At

home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and
here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say,
“Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no
longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a
hired servant.” ’

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and

52
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven
and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe
in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and
sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We
must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and
has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So
the party began.

The older son:

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he
returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he
asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is
back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf.
We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father
came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve
slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you
told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one
young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of
yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes,
you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed
by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this
happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life!
He was lost, but now he is found!’ ” (NLT, Luke 15:11-32)

In this parable the younger son represents people who are lost in sin
and the father represents God.

The younger son's demand to take his share of the inheritance early
showed his youthful arrogance and disrespect for his father. Only the
harsh reality of life away from his father's protection brought him to
his senses. Just as the immature young son found by hard experience
that his life of wild living led to desperation, we may find by hard

53
 Cliff Leitch

experience that the lures of wealth and pleasure lead us to a life of

emptiness separated from God.

But the father's love is the main topic of this parable. Just as the
father loved his disrespectful son and longed for his return, God
loves all sinners and waits patiently for them to repent and return to
His love and protection.

Just as the father rejoiced when his son repented, God rejoices when
a lost sinner repents.

Just as the father forgave his son and welcomed him back with full
status in the family, God will forgive sinners and welcome them back
with full status in the kingdom of God.

The older son represents people who are self-righteous and critical of
others.

Unlike the disrespectful and foolish younger son, the older son had
been loyal to his father his entire life. It is easy to understand why he
felt angry and jealous about the attention his father lavished on the
returning younger son. But he was also disrespectful to his father and
resented the mercy his father extended to his brother.

Jesus may have originally directed this parable at the Pharisees, a self-
righteous religious group that would rather see a sinner punished
than saved. But we have to be aware of the "Pharisee" in ourselves
when we are tempted to criticize, shun, exclude or punish people we
think of as sinners. That is God's privilege alone (Matthew 7:1-
5, Romans 14:10-13, 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, James 4:11-12).

Related verses: Ezekiel 34:16, Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 6:32-36, John

3:16, Romans 5:8, 10:12, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 1 John 4:8-10.

Christian Love
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

54
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you
will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is

my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to

Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped
him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half
dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and
when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a
Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on
the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the
man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went
to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then
he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and
took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave
them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I
return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man

who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (NIV, Luke 10:25-37)

"Love your neighbor as yourself" was part of the Old Testament law
(Leviticus 19:18). But the Jewish teachers had often interpreted
"neighbor" to include only people of their own nationality and
religion. The expert in the law was looking to Jesus for justification
for that interpretation, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In response, Jesus told His famous Parable of the Good Samaritan.

55
 Cliff Leitch

Samaria was a region of central Palestine that was once the capital of
Israel. The Assyrians captured Samaria in 721 B.C. They deported
many of the inhabitants and replaced them with foreign colonists
(2 Kings 17:24-33). The colonists were pagans who eventually
intermarried with the remaining Jews. They adopted the religion of
Israel, but they also continued to worship their pagan idols. The Jews
considered the Samaritans to be religious heretics of a foreign
nationality and inferior race. The Samaritans offered to help rebuild
the Jewish temple, but their offer was rudely rebuffed (Ezra 4:1-3).
Finally the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim and
proclaimed it, rather than the Jewish temple, to be the true house of
God. By the time of Jesus, the Jews and Samaritans had hated each
other for hundreds of years.

With that background, it is easy to understand that there was no one

that the Jewish expert in the law would have considered to be less of
a "neighbor" than a Samaritan. If a Samaritan man could be a
"neighbor" to the Jewish man who was robbed and beaten, then the
definition of "neighbor" would have to include all people of the
world.

In this parable, Jesus tells us that anyone in need is our neighbor,

regardless of race, religion, nationality or any other artificial
distinction.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times
shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven
times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven

times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to

settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a
man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to
him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he
and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay
the debt.

56
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’
he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master
took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him
and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he
demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient
with me, and I will pay you back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown
into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants
saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went
and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he
said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I
had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers
to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless

you forgive a brother or sister from your heart.” (NIV, Matthew
18:21-35)

Jesus told this parable in response to Peter's question, “Lord, how

many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up
to seven times?” Jewish tradition required forgiving another person
three times, so Peter probably thought he was being generous to
offer seven times. But Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times,
but seventy-seven times." In other words, forgiveness must be
unlimited.

The servant owed the king an absurdly large amount of money; he

could never hope to pay it back. But just as the king was merciful and
forgave his servant's impossibly huge debt, God is also merciful and
will forgive our sins, no matter how many or how large.

57
 Cliff Leitch

But just as the king angrily revoked the unforgiving servant's pardon,
God will not forgive our sins unless we extend our mercy to others
and sincerely forgive them for any wrongs they have done to us.

The lesson is clear: we must forgive if we wish to be forgiven by

God. There is no room in the Christian life for revenge, retaliation,
getting even or holding a grudge.

Related verses: Proverbs 19:11, Matthew 5:44-45, 6:12, 6:14-15, Mark

11:25, Luke 6:37, 17:3-4, Romans 12:14, 12:17-19, Ephesians 4:31-
32, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Peter 3:10, James 2:13, 1 John 4:20-21.

Persistence in Prayer
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always
and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge
who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city
there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant
me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but
later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no
respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me,
I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by
continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the
unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen
ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping
them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. (NRSV,
Luke 18:1-8)

This parable tells us that we must be persistent in prayer and not give
up. The Parable of the Friend Who Came at Midnight (Luke 11:5-8)
is similar.

The parable compares God to an unjust judge and shows Him to be

much more caring. If the unjust and uncaring judge can eventually be
persuaded to give justice to the widow, then God, who is both just
and loving, will surely give us the things we need.

58
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

God has promised to answer our prayers and give us everything we

need and more (Mark 11:24, John 15:7). But a wise parent will not
give a child everything he or she wants. Similarly, prayer is not a
magical trick to get anything we want or a "quick fix" for problems
that we should be solving ourselves. God answers prayer requests in
His own way in His own time (Psalms 40:1-3), and will not grant
requests that are against His holy and wise purposes (1 John 5:14-15),
are selfish in nature, are not in our best long-term interest, or those
made with impure motives (Psalms 66:18, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah
29:13, Isaiah 59:2, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:3). The answer, when it
comes, may be in a form radically different than we expected, and we
must be alert to that possibility (Deuteronomy 3:23-27, 2 Corinthians
12:7-9). Sometimes, the answer must come from within ourselves and
persistent prayer will help us find that answer. We may need a new
attitude or a different way of looking at things, or we may need to
make amends with somebody.

Related verses: Psalms 18:6, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 6:9-13, 7:7-

11, Luke 11:9-13, Ephesians 3:20-21, James 1:5-6, 5:13-16.

Self-Righteousness and Humility

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[Jesus] also told this parable to some people who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with
contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying
this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other
people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even
unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast,
saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the

59
 Cliff Leitch

other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he

who humbles himself will be exalted.”(NAS, Luke 18:9-14)

The Pharisees were an influential Jewish sect known for their strict
observance of Jewish laws related to ritual purity and tithing. In
conventional wisdom, no one would be thought of as more righteous
than the Pharisees.

Tax collectors were Jews employed by the Roman Empire to collect

taxes. Not only did they collect for the hated Roman Empire, they
often cheated their own people by collecting more than was due and
keeping the extra for themselves. In conventional wisdom, no one
was a more despised sinner than a tax collector.

Jesus no doubt shocked His audience when He said the sinful tax
collector was justified (declared not guilty of his sins by God) instead
of the Pharisee!

But when the Pharisee prayed, he was very confident of his own
righteousness. He heaped praise on himself and contempt on the tax
collector. He failed to recognize that he, himself, was guilty of the
sins of pride, self-righteousness and contempt for a fellow human
being.

In contrast, the tax collector did not claim any merit of his own. He
fully recognized his own sinfulness and his need for God's mercy.

Like the tax collector, we must recognize that we are all imperfect
sinners by God's standards (Romans 3:23), and we must depend on
God's mercy for our justification. Anyone who is self-righteous and
looks at other "sinners" with contempt is actually committing a
serious sin!

Related verses: Proverbs 26:12, Matthew 5:5-9, 7:1-5, 9:10-13, 18:10,

20:25-28, Mark 9:35, Luke 6:32-42, 7:36-50, 14:11, John 8:1-8,
Romans 2:1-4, 3:23, 14:10-12,1 Corinthians 4:5, 10:24, 13:1-7, 16:14,
Ephesians 4:1-6, Galatians 6:1-3, Philippians 2:2-8, 2 Timothy 2:22-
25, James 2:12-13, 4:11-12, 1 John 1:8

60
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Stewardship
The Parable of the Talents
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his
servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five
talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one
talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

“The man who had received the five talents went at once and
put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one
with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had
received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and
hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and

settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five
talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted
me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you
entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’
he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you
have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.
See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that
I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not
scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on

61
 Cliff Leitch

deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have

received it back with interest.’

“‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the
ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will
have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has
will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant
outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’”(NIV, Matthew 25:14-30)

A talent was a very large sum of money worth something like 15

years wages for a laborer.

The three different sums of money entrusted to the servants in this

parable represent the differing wealth and abilities God has entrusted
to us. In fact, the English word "talent," meaning a natural ability,
comes from the symbolism in this parable.

The first two servants invested the money that had been entrusted to
them wisely and earned a return for their master. The master praised
them greatly.

However, the third servant simply kept the money and did not put it
to good use. The master was very angry with this servant for his
laziness.

Like the money entrusted to the servants, the gifts we have received
are not ours alone. God gave them to us for the purpose of serving
Him and serving other people.

Like the master in the parable, Jesus has departed from earth and
entrusted His work to us. But also like the master in the parable,
Jesus will return someday to judge how well we have performed our
duties.

The lesson is that Christ will judge us for what we have done or not
done with the abilities and wealth we have been given. It is not
sufficient for us to merely live without sinning. We must actively use
the gifts we have been given to serve God and to serve other people.

62
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Each of us must honestly evaluate our gifts and prayerfully decide

how they can be put to the best use. Some of us have been given
small gifts and some great gifts, but we must all do our best with
what we have:

... From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be
required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted,
even more will be demanded.(NRSV, Luke 12:48)

Each of us has something to give. We can give our money and our
time to charity, be a friend to someone who is sick or lonely, do
volunteer work, or be a peacemaker, teacher or minister. We may
give unselfishly of our time to our spouse, children or parents. We
may choose a service-oriented occupation, or we may just do our
everyday jobs with integrity and respect for others.

Related verses: Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 20:25-28, Mark 12:28-31,

12:41-44, Luke 6:38, 12:42-48, 19:11-27, 21:1-4, Acts 3:6, 20:35,
Romans 12:5-8, 12:11, 1 Corinthians 1:24-30, 3:7-9, 4:1-2, 7:7, 12:4-
11, 12:27-31, 14:12, Galatians 5:13-14, 6:9, Ephesians 4:10-12, 1 Peter
4:8-10, 2 Peter 1:5-7, Hebrews 6:10-12, James 1:22-27.

Preparation for the Future

The Parable of the Rich Fool
Then [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against
all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance
of his possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich

man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I
do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is
what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones,
and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to
myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.
Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be
demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared

63
 Cliff Leitch

for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up

things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (NIV, Luke
12:15-21)

The rich man was wise and successful by worldly standards. He had
enough wealth to keep him comfortable for many years, and building
bigger barns would show everyone how very wealthy he was.

However, the rich man was a fool by God's standards. He let himself
be blinded by his wealth. He never realized that his wealth was a gift
from God to be used in God's service. He thought of many things to
please himself, but he never thought about sharing his abundant
harvest with the poor. He prepared for his material well-being, but he
never thought about being spiritually prepared for death and eternal
life. He had become greedy and his wealth had become his god.

The lesson is that we must be rich in spiritual things, which are

eternal, as opposed to being rich only in material things, which are
temporary. Money, itself, is not evil. But greed and preoccupation
with wealth can blind us to our duties to God and to other people.

Related verses: Leviticus 19:9-10, Psalms 119:36, Proverbs 23:4-5,

28:27, Isaiah 58:10-11, Matthew 6:19-21, 6:24-25, 16:26, 19:24, Mark
7:21-23, Luke 16:19-31, John 6:27, Ephesians 5:5, 1 Corinthians 6:10,
1 Timothy 6:9-11, 6:17-19, Hebrews 13:5, 1 John 2:15-17, 3:17.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids
took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them
were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their
lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil
with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them
became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout,
‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all
those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish
said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are
going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! There will not be enough
for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy
some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the

64
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into
the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other
bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he
replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (NRSV,
Matthew 25:1-13)

Historians say this is a realistic portrayal of a first century Jewish

wedding. It could have actually happened. The wedding procession
would come to the bridegroom's home at an unexpected time. Once
the wedding party had entered, the doors were locked and no one
else would be admitted (Barclay, Commentary on Matthew 25:1-13).

Jesus is sometimes described figuratively as a bridegroom (Matthew

9:15, Mark 2:19-20, Luke 5:34-35, John 3:29). In this parable, the
coming of the bridegroom represents the second coming of Jesus and
the Final Judgment of all people. Just as the bridegroom in the
parable arrived at an unexpected time, Jesus will return unexpectedly
and without warning (Matthew 24:36, 24:42-44, Mark 13:32).

The wise bridesmaids represent those people who are always

spiritually prepared for judgment. The foolish bridesmaids represent
those people who put off preparations until it is too late. The
necessary preparations cannot be made at the last minute.

The wedding feast represents the kingdom of God or eternal life.

Once Jesus returns, there will be no more opportunities to repent.
Those people who are spiritually unprepared will be locked out
forever.

The lesson is that we must always be spiritually prepared for

judgment. When Jesus returns or when we die, there will be no more
opportunities to repent. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke
16:19-31) teaches a similar lesson.

The Parable of the Final Judgment

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will
be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one

65
 Cliff Leitch

from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who
are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was
hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison
and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for
me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who
are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and
you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe
me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and
did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one
of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous

to eternal life." (NIV, Matthew 25:31-46)

66
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

In this parable Jesus gives us the amazing idea that whatever we do to

help people in need, we do for Jesus, Himself! Conversely, when we
fail to help those in need, we also fail in our duty to Jesus.

Jesus makes it crystal clear that unselfish acts of charity are a

requirement for salvation. Works of kindness for anyone in need are
the true evidence of our faith.

Some Christians feel uneasy about this parable because they have
been taught that salvation is by faith alone, not by good works. As a
result, there have been a number of alternate interpretations
proposed which restrict the meaning of "all the nations" or "the least
of these brothers and sisters of mine" such that there is no
requirement to help anyone alive today.

The doctrine of salvation by faith alone originated with Martin

Luther (1483-1546), a Catholic monk and professor of Scripture at
the University of Wittenberg in Germany. Luther taught that we can
be justified (made acceptable to God) only by faith.

But Luther did not deny the importance of good works. He wrote,
"For grace and faith are infused apart from our work, and when they
are infused, then the works follow." In other words, when one is
saved by the grace of God, he or she will practice good works as a
result of that transformation.

Most Christian churches of today, both Catholic and Protestant,

believe that faith and good works are inseparable aspects of salvation.
Many churches, following the lead of Luther, teach that salvation is
by faith alone, but good works follow as the necessary result and
evidence of that salvation.

In his commentary on this parable, Presbyterian pastor James

Montgomery Boice writes,

Does this mean that we are saved by works after all? Does it
mean that the theology of the reformation is wrong? No, but it is
a statement of the necessity of works following faith - if we are
truly regenerate. ... We are not justified by works. But if we do

67
 Cliff Leitch

not have works, we are not justified. We are not Christians.

(Boice, p. 204)

So, there is no real conflict between mainstream Christian beliefs and

the plain meaning of this parable. A person who has truly
experienced God's saving grace will willingly, unselfishly and joyously
do what he or she can to help others in need.

Different people have different amounts of wealth and different

abilities to help others. It does not matter that some people do more
than others. It does matter that we diligently do what we can (Luke
12:48).

Related verses: Leviticus 19:9-10, 25:35, Deuteronomy 14:28-29,

Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Isaiah 58:6-7, Psalms 41:1-3, Proverbs 11:25,
14:21, 19:17, 22:9, 28:27, Isaiah 58:10-11, Matthew 5:42, 6:1-4, 19:21,
Luke 3:10-11, 6:38, 11:41, 12:33-34, 21:1-4, Acts 20:35, Romans 12:6-
8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 13:1-13, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Galatians 2:10,
1 Timothy 5:16, 6:17-19, Hebrews 13:3, 13:16, James 1:27, 2:2-9,
2:15-16, 1 John 3:17-18

Conclusion
Jesus was the master of teaching in parables. His parables often have
an unexpected twist or surprise ending that catches our attention and
drives home the parable's lesson. The parables give us a feeling and
insight into heavenly and spiritual concepts that cannot be expressed
in mere words. They also give us a much richer understanding of the
kingdom of God and its values, which are often the opposite of
worldly values. Without understanding the parables, it is impossible
to fully understand Jesus and His teachings.

68
 EPILOGUE

Jesus radically changed the world. He was a new kind of leader, a new
kind of king. Instead of power and wealth, universal love was His
standard of worthiness. Instead of the sword, the word of God was
His "weapon."

Instead of the proud, worldly king, He was the humble bearer of the
kingdom of God. Yet, no one in history has had the impact on world
affairs that Jesus has. His teachings and principles have made their
way into human thought throughout the world, far beyond the
bounds of formal Christianity.

The essence of Jesus' message to us is this: God loves you. Love and
respect Him in return. Love and care for all your fellow men, women
and children around the world as much as you care for yourself.

The kingdom of God is still growing within and among us. The news
headlines constantly remind us of all the very real evil surrounding us.
However, millions and millions of men, women and children around
the world are quietly, in their own ways, worshiping God, loving their
neighbors, making the world a better place, and finding their personal
peace and fulfillment as part of God's kingdom.

69
 APPENDIX: EVENTS OF JESUS' LIFE AND
MINISTRY

Top: Palestine at the time of Jesus. Bottom: Modern Palestine.

Satellite imagery provided by NASA.

70
 Jesus' Teachings, as Told in the Gospels

Event Approx. date Location

Jesus is born (commemorated on
6-4 B.C. Bethlehem
Christmas Day)
Jesus grows up in Nazareth Nazareth
Jesus is baptized by John the
26 A.D. River Jordan
Baptist
First miracle -- turns water into
26 A.D. Cana
wine at the wedding in Cana
Talks with the Samaritan woman at
the well -- many Samaritans 27 A.D. Sychar
become believers as a result.
Chooses the 12 disciples 28 A.D. Capernaum
Preaches the Sermon on the Mount 28 A.D. Capernaum
Raises a widow's son from the dead 28 A.D. Nain
Quiets the storm 28 A.D. Sea of Galilee
John the Baptist beheaded by order
28 A.D. Machaerus
of Herod
Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes --
feeds 5000 men plus women and near
29 A.D.
children with 5 loaves of bread and Capernaum
two fish.
Walks on water 29 A.D. Sea of Galilee
The Transfiguration -- Jesus' face Caesarea
29 A.D.
shone like the sun Philippi
Raises Lazarus from the dead 29 A.D. Bethany
Restores sight to two blind men 30 A.D. Jericho
Withdraws temporarily from public
ministry with disciples because of 30 A.D. Ephraim
threats to His life.

71
 Cliff Leitch

Triumphal entry to Jerusalem 30 A.D.,

Jerusalem
(commemorated on Palm Sunday) Sunday
The Last Supper Thursday Jerusalem
Arrest, trial, and crucifixion Friday,
Jerusalem
(commemorated on Good Friday) Passover Eve
Resurrection from the dead
Sunday Jerusalem
(commemorated on Easter Day)
during
Appears to disciples following Jerusalem
week
Mount of
40 days after
Ascends to Heaven Olives, near
resurrection
Jerusalem
Much of the above table abstracted from (Zondervan, pp. 719-720)

72
 REFERENCES

William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, Revised Edition, Westminster

Press, Philadelphia, various dates.

Bruce Barton, ed., Life Application Bible Study Notes, Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL, 1991.

James Montgomery Boice, The Parables of Jesus, Moody Bible Institute,

Chicago, 1983

Madeline I. Bouchard,The Parables, Michael Glazier, Inc., Wilmington,

DE, 1981

Mary Ann Getty-Sullivan, Parables of the Kingdom, Liturgical Press,

Collegeville, MN, 2007

Herbert Lockyer, Sr., ed., Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary,

Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.

I. Howard Marshall, etal, eds., New Bible Dictionary, third edition,

Intervarsity Press, 1996.

James L. Mays, ed., Harper's Bible Commentary, Harper, 1988.

G. Douglas Young, ed., Young's Compact Bible Dictionary, Tyndale

House, 1989.

(Zondervan) Bible Study Helps, 1984. (Included in NIV Bible

editions published by Zondervan Publishing House.)

73
 Cliff Leitch

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cliff Leitch is the founder and General Editor of The Christian Bible
Reference Site (www.ChristianBibleReference.org), one of the major
Bible study sites on the internet since 1996. He has also written
Summary and History of the Bible, Bible FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
about the Bible, Wisdom of the Bible and Bible Stories which are published
on the website. In addition, he has developed Bible studies and Bible-
themed crossword and word search puzzles

Cliff, a retired electrical engineer, is also head of the Ushers Ministry

and leads two Bible study groups at his church in Coral Springs, FL.
He and his wife, Helen, have two grown sons and one grandson.

74