Favorite Parable?

[Guest Bethany]

Just curious what everyones favorite parable is and why?

I like the story of the Great Feast. Luke 14:15-23 Their excuses for not coming are ridiculous. "I bought a field and now I must go see it" ...you didn't see it before you bought it? Or "I just got married, so I can't come"...did you not know you were going to be getting married before accepting the invitation? So they simply did not want to come! So he invited the poor and sick. He had his servants go out to dangerous areas (country lanes) and call in the travelers. Some may not accept his invitation, but those who did would be forever associated with the man who invited them to dinner. The man never asked them to bring any gifts for the dinner party...but he did ask them to come then ...not on a later date. The people who went to the dinner were grateful for the dinner and enjoyed the dinner...but the people who rejected the invitation were not allowed to enter the party after they rejected the invitation. Jesus calls all kind of people to follow him...rich and poor, young and old, powerful and oppressed people. Some people are so rich and involved in their own fleshly desires that they foolishly exclude themselves from the Kingdom of God. While some of the strictly religious rebuked Jesus for welcoming those they considered sick and sinners. God is generous and the invitation is open to everyone. The dinner is open to everyone...but he doesn't force any of us to come to it. The invitation is for today...the invitation may not be around tomorrow.

 

[Starry]

the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra266 olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time,267 they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour”

This parable illustrates the need for our readiness.We don't know the day or the hour that He will come and so it talks about the state of being in constant alertness.

[Guest Bethany]

the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra266 olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time,267 they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour”

This parable illustrates the need for our readiness.We don't know the day or the hour that He will come and so it talks about the state of being in constant alertness.

Yes thats a great one starry

[JTC]

I have so many favorite parables picking one is hard. But ok, off the top of my head. The man who was traveling and was mugged. He was left naked, bleeding, and dying. Almost everyone crossed the street to ignore the man. One was a priest and another a Levite. Then a Samaritan came along and he helped the man. Samaritans weren't considered good people back then. But the Samaritan was a neighbor to the bleeding man. This is in Luke 10, when Jesus was challenged with who's your neighbor. Basically the Lord was saying everyone is. And to be a good neighbor to someone you have to help them (assuming you can). You can't just feel sorry for the person and go your way.

[coheir]

Luke 15:11-32

About the son who wanted his portion now and went away, later to come home.

[ravindran]

Just curious what everyones favorite parable is and why?

I like the story of the Great Feast. Luke 14:15-23 Their excuses for not coming are ridiculous. "I bought a field and now I must go see it" ...you didn't see it before you bought it? Or "I just got married, so I can't come"...did you not know you were going to be getting married before accepting the invitation? So they simply did not want to come! So he invited the poor and sick. He had his servants go out to dangerous areas (country lanes) and call in the travelers. Some may not accept his invitation, but those who did would be forever associated with the man who invited them to dinner. The man never asked them to bring any gifts for the dinner party...but he did ask them to come then ...not on a later date. The people who went to the dinner were grateful for the dinner and enjoyed the dinner...but the people who rejected the invitation were not allowed to enter the party after they rejected the invitation. Jesus calls all kind of people to follow him...rich and poor, young and old, powerful and oppressed people. Some people are so rich and involved in their own fleshly desires that they foolishly exclude themselves from the Kingdom of God. While some of the strictly religious rebuked Jesus for welcoming those they considered sick and sinners. God is generous and the invitation is open to everyone. The dinner is open to everyone...but he doesn't force any of us to come to it. The invitation is for today...the invitation may not be around tomorrow.

Each parable is so rich! My favorite would be prodigal son. So many things to learn from that.

[blue gem]

I love the story of the prodigal son, its so true to life.

 

The wayward son who made a mess of things, but who was so ashamed he hardly dare to return home, and the forgiveness graciously given out by the father.

 

Then there was the faithfully good son, who felt no one noticed all the things he did, maybe he felt unappreciated and that no one was

bothered about him. But he stood to inherit everything and was loved just as much by the father.

[Willa]

The lost sheep.  That the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 to find and rescue the one that is lost.   I always remember this when I pray for the lost.  Jesus is in the business of finding these.     

I was told in a sermon that when one that is prone to wondering off, the shepherds would break a leg and then carry the injured one.  

[momthebomb]

Parable of Judging Others

Can a blind man lead a blind man?  Will they not both fall into a pit?  A student is not above 
his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.  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, "Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you 
yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your 
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Luke 6:39-42

[Samonee]

Just some of my thoughts about some of these parables:

The Great Feast:

"…servants go to dangerous areas…"

Reminds me of present day missionaries who are in dangerous countries witnessing for Christ & bringing the gospel of Christ to people.

The wise and foolish virgins:

Be ready in your Christian life, don't procrastinate & put off til tomorrow.

Good Samaritan:

I think in a way it's to convict or reprimand the Christian. To show them that the Christian doesn't always do what he should, and that sometimes the outcasts in life are there to do what needs to be done and to teach us.

There are so many good parables and we can learn from all of them. I think at one point or another in our lives these parables apply to us and what we've been through in our lives.