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This study will look at two familiar parables from the Gospel of Luke in order to show the incredible wisdom with which Jesus conveyed his message. Throughout the Gospels, we are constantly shown the amazing wisdom of Christ in the way he interacts with people, answers their questions and presents his message.
Opening discussion point: What is wisdom? [Wisdom is putting our knowledge into action – it’s when we live our lives in accordance with sound principles.]
In today’s discussion, we will witness the incredible wisdom of Jesus in the way he taught people through parables.
Read Luke 10:25-37: The Parable of the caring Samaritan (only God is good!)
What is a parable? [A fictional story with certain direct parallels to the real world which makes a moral or theological point.]
v25: What are we told about this lawyer? [He is trying to test Jesus – his motives are not pure.]
v27: He answers exactly how Jesus would have answered. He knows all the answers – he’s an “expert” in these matters, hence Jesus’ rather dismissive answer in v28.
v29: What kind of answer could he be looking for? [Who knows? Probably a very technical, exacting list of requirements.] In response, however, Jesus just tells a story.
v30-35: Let’s think about the man travelling to Jericho. How did the robbers view him? [As someone to use and exploit.] How did religious men view him? [He was a problem to avoid.] How about the innkeeper? [A customer to serve for a fee.] What about the lawyer Jesus is talking to – how would he view the man? [A subject to discuss.]
How did the Samaritan view the man? [A fellow human being worth being cared for. This is a simple example of the Golden Rule being followed (do unto others…).]
v37: The lawyer answers the question correctly, and then says no more. He has been silenced. What is it about this story that would have made the lawyer uncomfortable? [This story illustrates the heart of New Testament morality: It’s not about lists of rights and wrongs; it’s not about legalistic requirements – it’s simply about having a heart for people; living a life of love. The lawyer recognises that Jesus’ teaching is about mercy and love, not rules and regulations. He is silenced; the error of ways has been revealed.]
Read Luke 20:9-19: The Parable of the Vineyard.
Refer to Luke 20:1: Jesus is teaching in the temple, speaking to chief priests, scribes and elders.
v9: Who is the man planting the vines? [God.] What is the vineyard? [The Kingdom of God – the great Gospel theme!] Who are the farmers? [The people of Israel.]
Do the farmers own the land? [No – it is only being rented to them.] What does this imply for our lives today? Can we claim ownership over our lives? [We are stewards (caretakers) of all that God has given us. All of our money and possessions belong to God, but he has entrusted them to us to see if we will be faithful with what we have been given.]
v10-12: Why are the farmers acting this way? [The master has been gone a long time. They have started thinking that they own the place and that these servants have no right to take the fruit of their harvest.]
Why does the master keep sending servants? [He is eager to reap the fruits of his own vineyard, and is giving the farmers every opportunity to act justly.]
Who do the servants represent? [The prophets] What is the fruit that Jesus is talking about? [This could open a kettle of fish, but it is very clear that the fruit of the kingdom in this parable is focused on is righteousness; the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). All the prophets came to call people to repentance and righteousness – a transformed life that shines God’s love is the fruit of God’s grace. Because they lacked the fruit of righteousness, the nation of Israel persecuted the prophets.]
v13: The master here risks his own son, instead of simply punishing the farmers, which he has every right to do. Obviously, this would never happen in real life – and that’s the point – God is not like us; his compassion reaches to the highest heavens.
v14: Is their anything flawed about their reasoning here? [What they’re saying makes absolutely no sense! If they kill the son, the master will severely punish them – there’s no way they will receive the master’s inheritance, it’s more likely they’ll receive their own death sentence. Their thinking here is truly pathological.]
In what way does v14 relate to the thinking of the Pharisees in the arrest and crucifixion of Christ? [By killing God’s prophet and high priest, they thought they were ensuring that they (the Pharisees) would remain in control of the religious order, and continue enjoying their reign over God’s chosen people.]
v16: This story has had beatings, insubordination, irrationality and murder. Yet, at what point do the priests gasp? [When Jesus says that the master will give the vineyard to others.] Who are these “others”? [The Gentiles. Jesus is talking about the transformation of Kingdom from a nation into a world-wide family. This is the one thing that the Pharisees cannot accept – that they will no longer be the sole “chosen people.”]
v17: What relevance does this Psalm have here? [The Psalm says that the Messiah will be rejected by his people. Since the nation of Israel will forsake their own Saviour, Jesus is saying that he will turn to the people who trust in Him.]
v18: Many of us are probably familiar with this powerful verse. What is its meaning? [If we fall in humility on Christ, we will be broken and contrite, but not crushed – instead, God will restore us to a relationship with Him.]
v19: This is amazing! All that Jesus has done is tell a story – no challenges, no commands, no prophesies, no condemnations – just a story, that’s all. And yet, they want to arrest him and probably put him to death! This shows the incredible power of parables to convict our heart, even though they are just stories. Jesus had done nothing but expose their hypocrisy, and his subtle yet powerful methods show his incredible wisdom.
In both these Scriptures, Jesus tells a story which cuts to the heart of his audience. Even though he often spoke in parables, he always conveyed his message powerfully and clearly. Jesus presented his message with incredible wisdom, and there is much to learn from the way he interacted with people.
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