“People Are Revealed Almighty’s Beautiful Lessons
Emancipating Souls!(P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S)”
By Ramesh
C.Reddy Pittsburgh Standard
March
10,
2008
Editors Note: The devotional has a background song by called 'Don't Let
Your Heart Be Hardened' which can be heard if you use Internet
Explorer.
SCRIPTURE:
“Again Jesus began to
teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that
he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people
were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by
parables, and in his teaching said: "Listen! 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. 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, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed
fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying
thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." (Mark 4:1-8, NIV)
“Then
Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." When he 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 forgiven!'" (Mark
4:10-12, NIV)
“Then
Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will
you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are
like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear
it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others,
like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it
with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When
trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall
away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the
worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for
other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others,
like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a
crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark
4:13-20, NIV)
Observations:
I asked
myself what did Jesus decide to do?
-
Jesus began to teach by the lake.
-
The crowd got so large that Jesus got into a
boat.
-
Jesus sat in it out on the lake.
-
While all the people were along the shore at
the water’s edge, He taught them many things by parables.
Interpretations:
I asked
myself what is a parable?
I learned three things about a
parable:
-
It is a transliteration of the Greek “parabole”,
(para-bow-LAY) which means “to place beside, to cast alongside”! If
you look at the parables carefully, you would realize there is
always some kind of comparison.
-
It can be seen as an extended
metaphor or illustration:
.
a. An
illustration turned into a tale.
b. A
tale elaborated on the spur of the moment by a gifted teacher.
c. A
gifted teacher who used common everyday events that made up life to make
a main point.
-
It can be a sermon hidden
inside of it for those who diligently seek to understand the
parable.
Observation:
I asked myself what happens
after Jesus tells the parable?
Let us remember that a large crowd had gathered to
hear Jesus and they heard this parable. Jesus does something very
interesting after telling the parable:
“Then
Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:9, NIV)
I asked myself what is the
outcome?
No one in the large crowd asked Jesus what the
parable meant except His disciples and the others around Him.
“When
he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the
parables.” (Mark 4:10, NIV)
Jesus does not even answer them right away
regarding the parable but makes two puzzling statements:
-
“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…” (Mark 4:11,
NIV)
-
“so that," 'they may be ever seeing but never
perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they
might turn and be forgiven!'" (Mark 4:12, NIV)
Observation/Interpretation/Application:
I asked myself what point
was Jesus trying to get across by answering them this way?
I believe there were four reasons why Jesus spoke
this way and can be remembered by the acronym: CARE!
-
To Conceal
-
To Appeal
-
To Reveal
-
To
Excitedly fulfill prophecy!
Reason 1:
“It was to CONCEAL to those who were not genuinely interested in the
‘meaning of the parables’”
I believe, when Jesus spoke to large crowds with
his parables he did not want to force his truth on those whose hearts
were already hardened.
In v. 9,
“Then Jesus
said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:9, NIV)
Jesus wants those who are there to hear Him and
take to heart what is being said. Those who just hear a message may not
necessarily understand what it means. A parable weeds out those who are
not seriously interested in the message being given (v. 12)
“So
that," 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing
but never understanding;” (Mark 4:12, NIV)
Jesus wants his message to sink into the hearts of
the people. Jesus is calling each person and wants that person to take
his illustration very seriously.
If their hearts were hardened, they would not
grasp what the parable meant nor ask what it meant. They would just
ignore it. In that way, though they see Jesus’ illustration they would
not really perceive what it means and though they hear they would not
really understand what it meant. So, they cannot be forgiven because
they have not acted upon what Jesus has told them because their hearts
have been hardened. There is a cyclical effect here.
Reason 2:
“It was to APPEAL to those genuinely interested in ‘meaning of
the parables’
On the other hand if their hearts were not
hardened such as the disciples and those around Him, they would be more
curious about what the parable meant and ask Jesus to explain it to
them. This way it would be of their free choice learning about the
secrets of the Kingdom of God rather than being forced to learn it. They
would have gained more understanding but also realize the cost of
following Jesus.
Reason 3:
”It was to REVEAL to those genuinely interested in the ‘meaning
of the parables’”
Those
who were interested in what Jesus was saying would ask Jesus about it
and Jesus would then reveal the meaning to them so they could
understand. I saw that with the Parable of the Sower or four soils.
Reason 4:
“It was to fulfill prophecy”
People there who knew their Scriptures would know
that this was a fulfillment of prophecy given in Isaiah.
In the Book of Isaiah chapter 6, v. 9 we learn,
"Go and tell this people: `Be ever hearing, but
never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' (Isaiah 6:9,
NIV)
Observation:
I asked myself what is the
explanation Jesus gave to the disciples?
I remember that every parable has a ‘central point
or theme to it and read the explanation:
“Then
Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will
you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are
like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear
it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others,
like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it
with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When
trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall
away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the
worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for
other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others,
like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a
crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark
4:13-20, NIV)
Interpretation:
I asked myself what does the
parable relate to?
I learned that the parable can be categorized into
four types:
-
Relating to God’s Kingdom
-
Relating to Israel and Judaism
-
Relating to the Christian Walk
-
Relating to Christ’s Return and
the Final Judgment.
I also learned that many parables could overlap especially with
‘Relating to God’s Kingdom’. The one the Lord has been teaching me today
has to do with God’s Kingdom and our Christian Walk.
Interpretation:
I asked myself how should
parables be interpreted?
There are four questions to keep in mind:
-
What is the setting of the
parable? (Who, what, where, and why) The setting helps us see who
Jesus is specifically addressing with the parable, what is being
addressed, where, and why it is being addressed?
-
What is Jesus concerned with
when He tells the parable?
-
What is the central theme
behind this entire parable?
-
How am I to apply Jesus’
parable in my own life?
There is no need to interpret the "Parable of the
Sower" because Jesus already explained it. Interpretation is needed for
parables that have not been explained.
Source: Most of the bulleted points
I shared regarding parables came from the IVP Dictionary and IVP study
guide on parables.
I ask you now dear friend,
what do parables mean to you?
Dear friend, parables have a central theme and
meaning. Even this parable has a central theme and meaning, especially
our walk with the Lord. We can learn a lot about parables by
interpreting them the right way. To do that we need the help of the Lord
as we allow Him to guide us and lead us. May we understand the parables Jesus gives us and
apply them to our own lives.
To be continued......
“People Are Revealed
Almighty’s Beautiful Lessons Emancipating Souls!” (P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S)/”What
do parables mean to you?”
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for helping me learn about parables
and why you speak in parables. Thank you for the parables you have
taught. Help us to learn what you would have us learn from each parable.
Thank you Jesus! Thank you that you hear us and answer us. Please
forgive us our sin and help us Oh Lord for the glory and honor of your
Name. Teach us your ways Oh Lord and help us to learn from you. Cleanse
us with your cleansing blood and we will be clean again, wash us and we
will be whiter than snow. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you for your
mercy and your grace. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior.
You know the times I have messed up and the times I would mess up and
you still chose me to be your child. Thank you so much Jesus. I love you
Jesus. Thank you for dying for my sin and coming back to life to save
me. Thank you that you have heard our prayer and answered us. In Your
Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.
Dear Jesus,
thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. You set him
free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know
everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is
that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a
paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin.
I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me
of my sin everyday. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know
you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that
forgiveness. Thank
you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed
to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and
pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for
me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for
doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your
healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem
humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us
Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I
love you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you
into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your
home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live
for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus
for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for
living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal
Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my
Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when
God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment
passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me.
Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit.
Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will
always be with me and have given me Salvation. In Your Name I Pray
Jesus! Amen!
Friend, if you have prayed this
prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and
all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may
feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your
new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave
you nor forsake you! Amen!
No matter what you feel in your heart,
know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To
make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him
as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the
Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into
prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel
of John or Gospel of
Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord
show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to
help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches
the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our
crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But
beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but
there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.
As a
student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus too this
blessed New Year of 2008! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His
love now and forever! Amen!
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible,
pray with, talk about spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My
number is 412-720-4579.
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
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Mark 1:1-4: "How
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Mark 1:5-8:
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Mark 1:9:
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Mark 1:12-13: "How
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Mark 1:14-15:
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Mark 1:16-18:
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Mark
1:19-20:
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(Jan 29, 08,
10:44 a.m.)
Mark
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Mark
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Mark
1:23-28:
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01, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 4:3-20:
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02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 1:29-31:
"Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (Feb 05,
08, 11:44 a.m.)
Mark 1:32-34:
"Where do you need an A.N.S.W.E.R?" (Feb 06,
08, 11:16 a.m.)
Mark 1:35-39:
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07, 08, 11:41 a.m.)
Mark 1:40-42:
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Mark 1:43-45:
"What do your actions C.A.U.S.E?" (Feb 11, 08,
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MARK CHAPTER 2:
Mark 2:1-2:
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12, 08, 9:52 a.m.)
Mark 2:2-5:
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13, 08, 11:49 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
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15, 08, 7:42 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"What are you thinking in your M.I.N.D?" (Feb
16, 08, 11:08 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
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Mark 2:13-15:
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Mark
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08, 9:57 a.m.)
Mark
2:18-20:
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Mark 2:21-22:
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Mark 2:23-28:
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Mark 2:23-28:
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CHAPTER 3:
Mark 3:1-6:"Whose
N.E.E.D.S do you meet?" (Feb 26, 08,
9:54 a.m.)
Mark 3:7-8:
"What is your I.M.P.A.C.T?" (Feb 27, 08,
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Mark 3:9-11:
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Mark 3:11-12:
"How do you fight E.V.I.L?" (Feb 29, 08,
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Mark 3:13-16:
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Mark 3:17-19:
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Mark 3:20:
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Mark 3:21:
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Mark 3:22-27:
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Mark 3:28-30:
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Mark 3:31-34:
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