Bible Study The Purpose of The Harvest Story

[Not_Now.Soon]

One last thing about this parable is that though Jesus gives this parable and explains the meaning, the explaination is seperated by the apstoles asking for an explaination and Jesus first explaining why he speaks in parables. Since this is done in all of the gospels that hold this parable I think the explaination for why Jesus speaks in parables relates to this parable of how the Word is spread and reacted to people.

In the explaination Jesus says that he speaks this way to fufill a prophesy in Isaiah.

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." This explaination is further explained as a being like a judgment on Isreal and on the rebellious people among the nations.

Mathew 13:14-15:

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

One last thing about this parable is that though Jesus gives this parable and explains the meaning, the explaination is seperated by the apstoles asking for an explaination and Jesus first explaining why he speaks in parables. Since this is done in all of the gospels that hold this parable I think the explaination for why Jesus speaks in parables relates to this parable of how the Word is spread and reacted to people.

In the explaination Jesus says that he speaks this way to fufill a prophesy in Isaiah.

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." This explaination is further explained as a being like a judgment on Isreal and on the rebellious people among the nations.

Mathew 13:14-15:

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

Okay, but I still don't understand the answer to my last question.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Well thank you for taking the time to explain all of that to me but I still have a question First of all, I want to understand the Word of God but sometimes I don't, although what I do understand I try to keep. That, and I do sometimes feel like I worry too much but whenever I feel like my worries and problems are choking me I keep running to God instead of away from Him. So what category do I fall underneath?

I think that we all could understand the gospel better, and understand the Old Testiment better too. You're not alone in that one. But I think that first by accepting God's word as His Word and then retaining it and persevering with God's word throughout our lives, then we will continue to understand it better also.

Your doing good by running to God instead of away from Him. Other people think of themselves as better prepared for the world or understand it better, so instead they try to handle it themselves and don't always turn to God until it gets really bad. In this way you're already ahead of many people. You know your struggles and depend on God through them. You're struggling with your fiencee not being with you, but you're staying loyal to him and turning to God in your troubles, in your time of testing as Luke put it.

Based on what I've read from you April, you are keeping your roots deep with God, and your worries aren't tearing you away. Instead their bringing you closer. I think right now you seem to be in good shape. Keep it up, and keep trying to understand, keep praying, and just being close to God running to Him first.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Okay, but I still don't understand the answer to my last question.

Sorry. I was in the middle of writting that part and posted it before I saw your response. Hope the answer I posted a second ago helps.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

... I can't speak from what God knows, but as best I can tell April, your on the right path. I really believe that.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

... I can't speak from what God knows, but as best I can tell April, your on the right path. I really believe that.

Alright thank you I feel a lot better now. Do you think that you can tell me more about the second thing you posted about rich men hiring workers?

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Alright thank you I feel a lot better now. Do you think that you can tell me more about the second thing you posted about rich men hiring workers?

Sure, but I'll have to do it later. Maybe tonight or tomorrow morning. For now I have to get ready for work and do that for a while. In the mean time if someone else want to they can share their understanding of that scripture. WIP explained the parable of the mustard seed better then I would, because I've struggled understanding that parable an really understanding the different interptations offered.

For reference, the parable of the rich man hiring workers is Mathew 20:1-16.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Sure, but I'll have to do it later. Maybe tonight or tomorrow morning. For now I have to get ready for work and do that for a while. In the mean time if someone else want to they can share their understanding of that scripture. WIP explained the parable of the mustard seed better then I would, because I've struggled understanding that parable an really understanding the different interptations offered.

For reference, the parable of the rich man hiring workers is Mathew 20:1-16.

Thanks but I already gathered my own interpretation of the mustard seed one although I really liked his. My interpretation of it is if you try to make it into Heaven on your own it's pretty impossible to do which is why fewer people will gain entrance. I know for a fact that Jesus is the only way there and that I need Him which is why I literally just told Satan to shut the BEEP up when he tried to tell me otherwise. That's right, no more miss nice girl when it comes to dealing with him!

 

[for_his_glory]

Well thank you for taking the time to explain all of that to me but I still have a question First of all, I want to understand the Word of God but sometimes I don't, although what I do understand I try to keep. That, and I do sometimes feel like I worry too much but whenever I feel like my worries and problems are choking me I keep running to God instead of away from Him. So what category do I fall underneath?

Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

1. Seeds (the Gospel) that fell by the way side means those who was given the gospel really did not care to hear it.

2. Some seeds fell on stoney places meaning a little soil that allowed the Gospel to become a sprout in them, but soon withered away as what they heard had no root (growth) in them.

3. Some seeds fell among thorns that choked out the Gospel meaning they heard it, but never let themselves be grounded in the word of God.

4. Other seeds fell into good ground meaning the word was well received and started growing into maturity within the one who heard it and began to share it with others.

April you are #4 as you are allowing the word of God mature in you even though you feel like you are being choked at times. We are all growing towards maturity, but yet will never learn it all.

As for the harvest, that belongs to the Lord who will someday bring in His crop after the Gospel has been preached to everyone then the end will come when Christ returns and sends His angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather together all who are His own and will evermore be with the Lord in the New Jerusalem, Matthew 24:14; 24:29-31.

1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 

[WIP]

Sure, but I'll have to do it later. Maybe tonight or tomorrow morning. For now I have to get ready for work and do that for a while. In the mean time if someone else want to they can share their understanding of that scripture. WIP explained the parable of the mustard seed better then I would, because I've struggled understanding that parable an really understanding the different interptations offered.

For reference, the parable of the rich man hiring workers is Mathew 20:1-16.

Here's my take from this parable. I get a couple messages from it. Remember that Jesus is using a metaphor to explain the kingdom of heaven.

In His parable He talks about how each laborer agreed to his pay when he got hired. As the day progresses and more are hired, each agreed to their pay. Unknown to the first ones hired, the last ones were offered the same pay.

How often do we compare ourselves to others when we consider our own pay? We are perfectly happy with our pay until we find out that a fellow employee is being paid more for the same job. All of a sudden, our pay is not adequate. Why is that? It is jealousy.

We need to learn to be content with our wages just as John the Baptist told the soldiers when they asked him what they should do in Luke, chapter 3, be honest in our dealings (they agreed to what they got paid so they should accept it), and be grateful for what we do get.

The way I understand this relates to the kingdom of heaven is that we are all sinners. Some of us are worse than others. Some of us accept Jesus as Lord much earlier in life while others maybe don't until they are on their death bed. All who accept Jesus as Lord are able to be covered by His righteousness. There is no place for jealousy among us. God grants salvation to whomever He wishes and it has nothing to do with how much time we spent working for Him for we all agree to the same price; to give up ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

1. Seeds (the Gospel) that fell by the way side means those who was given the gospel really did not care to hear it.

2. Some seeds fell on stoney places meaning a little soil that allowed the Gospel to become a sprout in them, but soon withered away as what they heard had no root (growth) in them.

3. Some seeds fell among thorns that choked out the Gospel meaning they heard it, but never let themselves be grounded in the word of God.

4. Other seeds fell into good ground meaning the word was well received and started growing into maturity within the one who heard it and began to share it with others.

April you are #4 as you are allowing the word of God mature in you even though you feel like you are being choked at times. We are all growing towards maturity, but yet will never learn it all.

As for the harvest, that belongs to the Lord who will someday bring in His crop after the Gospel has been preached to everyone then the end will come when Christ returns and sends His angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather together all who are His own and will evermore be with the Lord in the New Jerusalem, Matthew 24:14; 24:29-31.

1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Well it looks like I am doing rather well even though I still feel lost at times especially since lately the devil has been trying to convince me that God's not real, my salvation is a joke, and there is no Heaven which all I know to be nothing but lies. *Satan's head here*

Here's my take from this parable. I get a couple messages from it. Remember that Jesus is using a metaphor to explain the kingdom of heaven.

In His parable He talks about how each laborer agreed to his pay when he got hired. As the day progresses and more are hired, each agreed to their pay. Unknown to the first ones hired, the last ones were offered the same pay.

How often do we compare ourselves to others when we consider our own pay? We are perfectly happy with our pay until we find out that a fellow employee is being paid more for the same job. All of a sudden, our pay is not adequate. Why is that? It is jealousy.

We need to learn to be content with our wages just as John the Baptist told the soldiers when they asked him what they should do in Luke, chapter 3, be honest in our dealings (they agreed to what they got paid so they should accept it), and be grateful for what we do get.

The way I understand this relates to the kingdom of heaven is that we are all sinners. Some of us are worse than others. Some of us accept Jesus as Lord much earlier in life while others maybe don't until they are on their death bed. All who accept Jesus as Lord are able to be covered by His righteousness. There is no place for jealousy among us. God grants salvation to whomever He wishes and it has nothing to do with how much time we spent working for Him for we all agree to the same price; to give up ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

I like that explanation.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Alright now how about Luke 12:16-21?

 

[WIP]

Alright now how about Luke 12:16-21?

That parable is about greed and gluttony. It's one thing to set aside in preparation for a rainy day as Joseph did for Egypt but an entirely different thing to horde.

So this guy hordes not knowing that he will die soon. Some say this parable speaks against saving for retirement but I'm not convinced of that. It may depend on why one retires and what one does in retirement. The reason I say this is in the parable the man says, "I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" He is hording so he can live the wild life for a time. This is a selfish way to live.

 

[WIP]

Another thought just came to me. I know someone that likes to keep things. For example, one day she came home from a rummage sale with a small box of what I saw as junk. I didn't see anything in that box that could possibly have any real value. I remember she didn't pay much for it, maybe $5.00. I asked why she bought it and she said that someone else told her one of the items was worth some value, I'll use $50.00 because I don't remember what that value really was. I know this person well enough to know that it will just be put on a shelf and forgotten so I told her, "Did you offer to sell it to him for $40.00?

This person has also kept other things. Her basement and another shed on her property is full of things she kept because "They might be worth money one day." The problem is, she could never part with them because "They might be worth more money one day." See where I'm going with this? She doesn't collect these things because they have some sentimental value to her but because they might have monetary values "one day." Without a doubt, she will never know if they ever do have value because she'll die before she'll ever part with them.

 

[ezra]

That parable is about greed and gluttony.

he was more concerned about his riches than his soul