592. The parable of the lost sheep, in Matthew 18, is one of the sweetest stories of Jesus. In it He tells of a loving shepherd caring for one hundred sheep. If one gets lost, he will leave the ninety-nine to go find the one that is missing. In the same way, God is concerned about each person and He doesn't want anyone to be lost.
593. The parable of the lost coin likens a poor woman's rejoicing when finding a lost coin to the rejoicing in Heaven when a sinner repents and turns to God. This parable can be found in Luke 15.
594. The parable of the unmerciful servant relates the story of a man who owes a great debt to his master. Falling on his knees, he pleads for mercy and it is granted. But moments later the servant sees a man who owes him a small amount and has him thrown into debtors' prison. When the master hears of this, he is outraged and has the servant arrested and punished until he can pay back his entire debt. Forgiveness should be in direct proportion to the amount forgiven-since the servant had been forgiven much, he should in turn forgive others. Since Christians have been forgiven for all their sins, they should in turn be willing to forgive the failings of others.
595. The parable of the workers in the vineyard, found in Matthew 20, tells the story of a landowner hiring workers to help in his fields. Some are hired in the morning, some at noon, and others near the end of the day, but they are all paid the same amount. Jesus used the parable to explain that rewards are under the sovereign control of God. Some prominent people will be demoted while some lowly people are exalted. The Lord's evaluation is all that matters in the final accounting of our lives.
596. The parable of two sons is about asking two boys to work in a vineyard. One says he will, but fails to go. The other says he won't, but goes anyway. The one who eventually obeyed was righteous-a point Christ used to explain why prostitutes and tax collectors who turn to God will make it into Heaven, while the Pharisees and religious leaders will not because they have not repented and believed.
597. The parable of the tenants may have been Christ's most powerful story. In Matthew 21 He tells of a careful landowner who rents out his vineyard. When he sends servants to collect the rent, the tenants beat them. Then he sends his own son, whom the tenants kill. Jesus used this illustration to depict a loving God caring for Israel yet being rejected by them. Eventually God sent His own Son, whom they would crucify. The result is that the Kingdom of God would be taken from Israel. The religious leaders of the day, completely misunderstanding Christ's meaning, were enraged by the parable.
598. The parable of the wise and foolish builders contrasts a wise man who builds his house on a rock foundation with a foolish man who builds his house on sand. When a storm comes, the house on sand falls apart, while the house built on rock stands firm. In other words, the quality of the foundation determines the strength of the building. The firm foundation represents Christ's work of transforming lives from inside out, contrasted with the Pharisees' religion, which relies on a merely outward appearance of righteousness. This parable, following a story about choosing which fruit to eat and which road to walk, reveals that there is always a wise choice that leads to God and a foolish choice that leads from Him.
599. The parable of the wedding banquet tells the story of a king trying to invite people to his son's celebration. Since the invitations are ignored or rejected by most, he angrily sends his army to punish those who snubbed him and invite people off the street to fill the wedding hall. The parable illustrates that Israel had rejected their Messiah, so Gentiles would be welcomed into the Kingdom of God. An interesting detail is that one guest is expelled for not wearing wedding clothes that were given by the king-an illustration that we must not only respond to God outwardly, but inwardly by appropriating what God provides.
