Parable Revision

[0:00] Why does Jesus use parables? That is why I use these parables, Jesus said. For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.

[0:14] This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, when you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.

[0:25] For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear. And they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see. And their ears cannot hear.

[0:36] And their hearts cannot understand. And they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

[0:51] Now I said earlier on at the start of the service that I sort of decided to use this as a revision type service. Now, unfortunately, I've not been the teacher of the classroom for the last eight, nine weeks.

[1:07] And I've not even been present for all the lessons up here for the last eight or nine weeks. So you are going to have to help me, I'm afraid. First, first, first, first, let's remind ourselves of the parables we have looked at.

[1:22] Okay, now, I do a session with healthcare assistants, and I very quickly learnt that, if you're not careful, the same person sticks their hand up really quickly and dominates the whole discussion.

[1:36] So stick your hand up if you can remember one of the parables we've looked at in the last eight, nine weeks. But once you've answered once, I don't want you to answer again, please.

[1:48] So, it doesn't have to be in order. Someone tell me one of the parables. Yes, Rob, thank you. The talents. I wonder why you remembered that one. Yeah, the Good Samaritan, the talents, the workers in the vineyard, the Good Samaritan.

[2:05] The lost sheep. The lost sheep. The prodigal son. Mustard seed, yep. The pause there a second, just so we can keep track.

[2:20] The talents. The workers in the vineyard. The Good Samaritan. The lost sheep. The prodigal son. The missing top.

[2:31] The prodigal son. The unmerciful servant. The sower. The mustard seed. Any others? Yes. The lost coin.

[2:44] Yep. Sorry. So, the lost coin and the lost sheep went with the prodigal son, or the lost son. Any others?

[3:00] At least one person should be thinking of one other because they were the person that actually taught on this one. They weren't sure whether it counted as a parable or not, but apparently it does.

[3:20] Salt and light. Yes. I had it as the lamp under the bushel, but salt and light was probably the main... Or... The part I remembered was the lamp under the bushel part.

[3:33] Particularly, yep. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Let me just check. Work in the vineyard.

[3:44] Lost sheep. Lost coin. Lost son. The talents. Unmerciful servant. Mustard seed sow. Light under a bushel. The Good Samaritan. Yes, I think that's it. Anyone think... Remember anything else, either falsely or otherwise, that we did?

[3:58] Lovely. So now you've been reminded of what the titles were of what we looked at. I want you to dig into the recesses of your brain and see if you can remember any of the points or lessons that struck home for you from those...

[4:17] from that teaching. Okay? I have a few pointers of my own. But I have the benefit of having spent yesterday evening trying to remember what we learnt.

[4:30] So again, what I want is a short sentence or maybe even one word. So stick your hand up if you can remember something that you learnt from one of these parables we looked at.

[4:43] Yes. Peter is a five o'clock worker. Would you like to explain what you mean by that, Peter? Okay. Thank you. Very honest.

[4:55] Anyone else? Any of the... Yes. All right. So the oldest son that stayed behind felt left out. Okay. Okay. You can feel left out if we have been faithful and others haven't.

[5:16] Yep. Anyone else? Yes. Yes. You like to think of it more as the parable of the merciful father.

[5:31] Merciful father. Yep. The prodigal son was the merciful father. Yes. The mustard seed thrived in wild places.

[5:47] So the mustard seed was a picture of the kingdom of heaven. The mustard seed thrived in wild places.

[5:59] Yep. Anyone else? We've got a bit of room to finish. I'm not going to go over any more pages, but anyone else got any particular learning points or things they particularly remember?

[6:15] Someone... Yes? Yes? Attitude of gratitude.

[6:25] There's a... There's a sound bite if ever there was one. Lovely. Anyone else?

[6:36] Yes? Unexpected people.

[6:56] Right. I'm going to abbreviate that as your help can come. from... from...

[7:06] unexpected people. Yeah. Okay. I might... Yes, thank you, Chris, because I can squeeze in one more. You're never too young or insignificant to do something amazing for God.

[7:23] Insignificant. To do something amazing for God? Yeah. And you'll be very pleased I've reached the end of the page.

[7:42] Just... Just a few others, which may overlap with some of those that were there. God provides us with everything that we need.

[7:58] He's mindful of our dignity if you are a worker in the vineyard. God has forgiven us. And he does not want anyone to be excluded. He kept going back. So if you feel excluded, God still wants you to come and join in.

[8:14] Rob said, be wholehearted, but also be faithful in small things. God has forgiven us everything.

[8:30] Forgiven us for going away from him and trying to insist on doing it our way. But he forgives us everything. And he expects us to forgive other people in the same way.

[8:45] If we've run away from God, he still cares and keeps looking for our return. He's not just sitting there just sort of doing other things. And if we turn up, oh, hello, it's you again.

[8:57] He's there every day looking. Are you coming back yet? Are you coming back yet? Are you coming back yet? If we've remained faithful, I think we've said that one, don't be tempted to jealousy.

[9:11] The kingdom of God may start small like the mustard seed or the action you do might seem very tiny. It might seem as nothing. But God can make it grow into something important.

[9:26] The Good Samaritan, we are to be the unexpected helper for other people. Okay. Let's finish our other activity.

[9:38] So, I need my, I need a reaper this time. A volunteer reaper. It can be the same person. No, he's gone. I need a reaper, please. Someone to gather up the wheat and the weeds, please.

[9:52] Thank you. From the table. Find the right reading. Somehow it's disappeared completely.

[10:05] Oh no, here we go. And what you need to do is, at that time, we'll tell the harvesters, first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles.

[10:18] So, if you could sort out the weeds, please. And if anyone wants to come and help weed out the weeds, feel free. Collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned.

[10:31] And when you've done that, gather the wheat together, please, and bring it into my barn. What I'd like to do is we'll finish by standing and singing a song together.