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Why Jesus’s Parables Are Purposefully Offensive
00:43:30
Whether people felt outraged or liberated, Jesus’s teaching always exposed hearts, confronted assumptions, and called people to true discipleship. Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Walter Strickland, and Bob Hiller survey Jesus’s teachings and...
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- [00:00]
Host/Announcer
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- [00:36]
Michael Horton
Good night I asked ChatGPT to summarize the Good Samaritan and the tone and theology of Michael Horton, and it says Jesus tells this parable not just to encourage kindness, but to expose our inability to fulfill the law's demands. Just like the priest and Levite who failed to love their neighbor, the Good Samaritan, the unexpected hero reflects the radical mercy of Christ, who rescues sinners when they are helpless and pays the cost for their restoration. Rather than being merely a moral lesson, this parable ultimately drives us to see that Jesus is the true Good Samaritan who fulfills the law on our behalf.
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Bob Hiller
Wow, you said.
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Michael Horton
I felt what they say.
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Bob Hiller
That's better than anything I wrote.
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Host/Announcer
Applying the riches of the Reformation to the Modern Church this is White Horse Zinn, a weekly roundtable discussion about theology and culture.
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Bob Hiller
What is the kingdom of God in the Old Testament? Of course, God's kingdom is Israel as creator, provider and judge. Yahweh is sovereign over the whole world, but he's made the land of Israel his footstool. Here, the transcendent God of majesty condescended to human finitude and made himself accessible in mercy to the people he chose. But Israel didn't want God for its king. Instead, it wanted a king like the nations. And it got exactly that after King David, things went downhill fast, and the people broke the covenant and were sent into exile. But God wouldn't let his purposes fail. From Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria, the uttermost parts of the earth, God enlarged his his kingdom to include Jews and Gentiles. It's like a tiny mustard seed, says Jesus, that grows and spreads its branches throughout the world. So don't look for it in the earthly Jerusalem today, much less in Vatican City, Salt Lake City, the White House or the megachurch in town. My kingdom is not of this world, jesus said. But it's definitely in this world. And that's what we're talking about as we learn more about the kingdom in Jesus. Parables with Bob Hiller, pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido In San Marcos, California, Walter Strickland, Theology professor at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, author and a teaching elder, Justin Holcomb, Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida, Professor, Reformed Seminary in Orlando and author of many books. And I'm Mike Horton. Brothers, first of all, how should we think of Jesus teachings in parables in the Gospels?
- [03:24]
Walter Strickland
I think one of the main things that you've already mentioned is the subject matter of Christ's teaching. I think we're tempted to look at the parabolic nature of Jesus teaching and miss the continuity of the reality that he's proclaiming the kingdom. I mean, the reality that the kingdom is present in Jesus and then also that there is a not yet aspect of the kingdom that's to come as well. So if we're thinking about what is his teaching, what is he teaching about in his parables? If we zoom way out, that's the answer. But then we can also have lots of nuances based upon each individual parable.
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Bob Hiller
What about parables specifically? Why does Jesus use parables? His own disciples said, why don't you speak plainly instead of all these parables?
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Justin Holcomb
Well, as every good preacher knows, you need sermon illustrations that the people can identify with, right? So heavenly, heavenly teachings with earthly meanings. That's like always what I used to hear when preachers say, oh, I'm using these illustrations because Jesus used parables. Actually, when you go to the parables and Jesus is explaining the answer to your question, Mike, and the answer to the disciples question, why are you speaking in parables? Just speak plainly. Jesus suddenly sounds an awful lot like Yahweh there in Isaiah 6 when he says, I want you to. I'm going to preach so they don't understand. Give them so they will not see, lest they turn and repent like he's. There's a sense in which these parables enact judgment of sorts to those who he has in the kingdom. He explains them to them what the parable means. And to those who don't understand or perhaps better don't repent upon hearing the parables. These parables come down as acts of judgment in a certain sense. So there's, there's more to it than just Jesus using earthly illustrations to make his stuff more meaning or more understandable.
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Michael Horton
The stereotype, the stereotype of Jesus doesn't. The stereotype of Old New Testament doesn't fit. And that's why I love that you brought that up, Bob, because many people think, oh, the Old Testament is all about wrath and anger of God and holiness, and the New Testament is all about happy, nice Things like grace and mercy. And that's. First of all, that's just not how to read the Bible. But that's actually just not true by the emphasis. So the fact that Jesus is talking like Yahweh in the Old Testament, but it doesn't fit because we're thinking, well, Jesus is over here talking about wrath to come, brood of vipers, gnashing of teeth. Like, he's not going around sticking flowers in, you know, gun barrels type of thing. He's. He's doing something else. And it's shocking. I still remember when, because I'm a kid and you're hearing the parables, I'm like, yeah, that's a great question. Then Jesus says, you're like, that's not what I was expecting. This doesn't fit my stereotype of what we've been given of who Jesus is.
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Bob Hiller
I think that we make a mistake when we think of the parables as a sort of teaching aid. Actually, what Jesus is doing, the parables are an extension of his ministry. What Jesus is saying in the parable is actually happening. The parable is provoking it. What I think he's talking about us, you think of. It's the same experience that David had when Nathan told the parable of a rich man who had everything that he could possibly want, but he wanted this one ewe lamb that this poor man had in the property next to him, and he stole it. What would you do to a man like that who did such a thing? And David, in all of his indignation, said, I'd string him up. And Nathan says, you are the man. The parables provoke exactly the same reaction from the Pharisees. You are the man. I think he's talking about us.
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Justin Holcomb
Yeah, right.
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Bob Hiller
And it actually pushes them more and more to plot his death. So these parables are serious business. And I think the best way of interpreting it. I don't know what you guys have to say. The best way of interpreting all of the parables. The key, I think, to interpreting all the parables is they're all about Christ's kingdom, not being the Israel of his day. That the religious leaders are the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal Son. The religious leaders are the bad tenants, the wicked tenants who want to kill the Son after massacring the prophets sent to Israel. I mean, you could go down the whole list. And if you think of that, if you think that that is what he's doing. He's pushing the religious leaders to the brink now of wanting to crucify him, then they all make sense.
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Walter Strickland
Yeah. And there's a function within the parables is that there's a revealing of those who understand them, and there's also a concealing of the realities that are going on. And so there's sort of way in the background of this, there is like some echoes of the doctrine of election. Those who are able to have eyes to see and then those who don't. And so that's one reason why I think the disciples were prone to ask the question, why don't you just speak plainly while he was revealing some things to some people and also doing the work of concealing those who were. Who were misunderstanding his message.
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Justin Holcomb
But isn't there, like. I mean, what is the parable where. I think it's the one where Jesus says something to the effect at the end and they will be cast out, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, and I forget which parable it is exactly. But the religious leaders respond by saying, no. Like, whoa, what are you saying? Like, they're right on with what you're saying here, Mike. Like, wait a minute. You're describing us, and we're the children of the kingdom, and you're saying we're the ones who are going to be judged.
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Bob Hiller
And it's the parable of. In the parable, they're supposed to have a wedding garment, and they don't have a wedding garment. That's why they're cast out. They don't have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.
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Michael Horton
It's fun hearing a question from Mike when my answer is something I learned from Mike. So you asked about why is Jesus teaching like this in the kingdom of God? Mike and I, with Liz and Buru have a book called Prophet, Priest and King. And this is from your work, Mike, on the prophetic office Jesus Prophet is that the prophet doesn't just foretell the. But Jesus as the prophet actually makes it the thing happen. He's not instructing, he's performing. He's making the kingdom of God be. He's not saying, oh, it might one day show up. And so it's. The teaching is not the reason. We're like, hey, why isn't it simple? Is cause he's not trying to instruct. Sometimes he does try to instruct. And when he's instructing, it's pretty accessible. When he's trying to do something more than simply instruct, that's where this seems to be happening. And.
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Bob Hiller
And so he's speaking the church into existence.
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Michael Horton
Yes. And so he tells us about the kingdom of God, and in telling us about the kingdom of God, he's actually bringing it near. He's announcing that something decisive has happened. And he's then pointing to what he's. So he's not simply instructing or pointing toward morality. He's saying things that pierce the heart. He's piercing the heart. And, or. And this is what's fascinating is that they're not just like illustrations that people could, you know, easily remember because sometimes it's confusing to them. He's their, their kingdom declarations. Like, he's. He's dividing the parables by. What he's doing is dividing those who respond and hear in faith and those who harden their hearts. So he tells a parable that does this. It's. It's Matthew 13, the parable of the sower, going right back to the example you all gave, where they're like, wait, don't do that. I mean, the, the actual teaching of the parable seems to provoke the very response he just talked about. So same thing with the sower, where he's creating the response. Some are hardened and others are awakened. And in this sense they function as acts of judgment and grace, revealing those whom the spirit has given ears to hear. So going right back to your earlier point, Bob, is we could probably look at a whole bunch of these parables. As Mike was saying, some are being awakened and some are being hardened. Which when Bob said, it seems like you're hearing echoes of the doctrine of election. I think. Absolutely think so.
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Justin Holcomb
I think when, when I teach the parables, I do think that there. I do want to say that there is some. There are some parables where there. There does seem to be some instruction taking place. So there, There seems to me to be two categories of parables. And I'm taking this from a book called what does this Mean By Jim Velt. He says there's two types of parables. There are the kingdom parables and then there are the piety parables. The kingdom parables, kind of like the sower and the seed here, the. See the soils, I should say it's describing and as we've been saying, enacting the nature of the kingdom of God. So this is the way things work in the kingdom of God. Jesus's word is going to be proclaimed. The devil's going to take it from some. Some are going to love their money more than they love the word. Some are going to cower at. At persecution, and some are going to believe and produce fruit. 30, 60, or 100fold. It's just, it's laying out how the kingdom works and what God is doing in the kingdom. Others piety parables are spoken to evoke a response of faith. So think of Jesus's parable about the persistent widow in prayer. I mean, it literally says Jesus said this to them so they would remain persistent in prayer. It was a parable provoking them to live in a particular way as members of the kingdom of God. You think of the parable of, oh, the guy who. I forget the exact title of it, but the master forgives him, you know, millions and millions of dollars of debt. And then he go out and finds the guy who owes him beer money from the night before and throws him into prison. And the people see this and they say, this is, this is awful. Well, that's describing the nature of the religious leaders in the way in which they're not showing mercy towards those who need the mercy. At the same time, it's demonstrating how you should not act in the kingdom of God. Like, this is not the way you should conduct yourself upon receiving loads of mercy from the Lord. So there is a, there is a behavioral impact that comes from these parables, but primarily what they're doing is describing the nature of the kingdom that's come upon people.
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Walter Strickland
I think it's a helpful dance for us to be able to understand that there's that piety sort of element of it. Because I know when I first started to have a more Christological hermeneutic and understanding about the kingdom and the teachings of Christ, I really began to downplay the piety so much because I didn't really want to be a moralist. And so I really appreciate that sort of two category, the kingdom parables and the piety parables to help, you know, to, to help us have a more fully orbed understanding of what's going on, what's going on here. And so, you know, there, there has been several different sort of schools of thought in, well, at least in the broader Christian discussion about how to interpret parables. And I think it might be a little bit helpful for us to sort of explore these just very briefly, I think, because there is a. This is essentially sort of allegory. These are realities that Jesus is describing that are pointing to things that are outside of the story. And so to make a point. And so for us in our interpretive traditions, we would say let's avoid allegory, but here we're sort of thrust into a genre that sort of requires it in some ways. But there's very responsible ways to do so. So there is this sense that we have seen people throughout history, they over allegorize. So for example, you know, inappropriate way of doing this is the Father. Yes, he is a gracious God. The Son is a wayward sinner. The older brother is a jealous religious leaders. But there also is, you know, what is the robe that is put onto the older brother? Yeah, you know, there's, there's a, there's a fatted calf that's killed. Is that Jesus? Or, you know, there's a ring that's put on the finger of the, of the Son. So is that the sacraments? You know, and being welcomed back into the family or how do we approach.
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Bob Hiller
So how do. So how do we not go nuts on allegory? Is that what you.
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Host/Announcer
Yeah, yeah.
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Walter Strickland
So there's, there is a. There's an appropriate sort of. This is gonna be great, Justin. There's a helpful sort of way of going about this. But then there could be the excessive and it could be relative. I don't know. Justin, I'm very curious about where you're going with this.
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Michael Horton
I was just having fun saying. Yes, I was just being annoying.
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Walter Strickland
So what sort of interpretive principles can help us to appropriately interpret these without sort of going way into the weeds and sort of isogening all kinds of stuff?
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Bob Hiller
Well, again, I think it helps to say it's not primarily a lesson.
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Justin Holcomb
Right.
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Bob Hiller
It's primarily an enacting of the kingdom. He is actually bringing the kingdom into existence by speaking these parables. What he is saying in the parable is actually coming to pass. So one example to me is the Pharisee and the tax collector. I think that's key to understanding many of these parables. And the prodigal Son, when Jesus is speaking this parable, if I understand, I get it. Five minutes later I'm eating my lunch and then it suddenly hits me what that parable means. Jesus just cast me into the character of the tax collector, the prodigal son. Go down the list. He has made me that by his speech and with others. The more they hear this, the more they say, no, I am the Pharisee. No, I am the older brother.
- [18:18]
Michael Horton
Brother we were talking about. And this is connected what Mike was saying. We talked about the disciples saying, why are you doing this? And I went and looked up the passage. When his disciples ask why he speaks in parables, he responds, this is Matthew 13:11. To you. It has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. And so there's this. There is a revealing concealing that the law is. If God uses his law to pierce our hearts and we respond in repentance, that's one use. The law also hardens. And so there's a similarity of what Mike's saying here, is that this is not just teaching. It's not simply and only instructive. Sometimes he seems to be doing that. Faith is like a mustard seed. Good. It's a good description.
- [19:05]
Justin Holcomb
Yeah, right.
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Bob Hiller
Yeah.
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Michael Horton
This kind of speech act type of way of thinking through that's what I got from Mike was the way he unpacks Van Hooser's speech act theory and how he applies it to the prophet stuff. So going through, like the parable of the sower, the different parables, like the. So Mike's saying there are some key parables. So the thing that I'm looking for when I'm looking at these parables and I didn't notice how many there were until Mike started saying that is there's those who have faith where the mysteries of the kingdom are unveiled and then those where the parable almost reinforces their blindness. That's not the stereotype we think Jesus is trying to do, but that clearly is what he's doing as the kingdom come. He's enacting the kingdom. And what's happening is, is that those who are actually recipients of the kingdom and now, you know, they citizens of the kingdom, they respond to the king.
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Bob Hiller
Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
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Justin Holcomb
And it's. It's always interesting too. No, it's. I was just going to. I mean, this is very. Follow right up on that. It's interesting who he in the parables who does seem to be on the outs, but also what he does that's so shocking and offensive is who he puts as either the hero of the parable or the positive picture. So if you look at Mark 4, which starts off with the parable of the sower and the seed, there are those who are rejecting because they. For a variety of reasons. But at the end of the parables in Mark, chapter four, and Mike, you referenced this one earlier, he talks about the kingdom of heaven being like a seed that's sown and it grows up and has so many branches that all the birds land on it. Well, what's going on there? He's talking about the gentiles coming into the kingdom of God. I mean, if you look at the Old Testament, wild animals, birds represent gentiles. Like, he's talking about this shocking move where the kingdom's gonna be far bigger and far more diverse than you're possibly comfortable with. Think of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Good Samaritan is not a phrase you heard a whole lot in Jerusalem. Jesus day. Yeah. Like, these are things that are happening and the younger brother is celebrated while the older brother, who's faithful and pious and doing all the right things, like he's the one who's. Who's kept out or keeping himself out.
- [21:12]
Michael Horton
After he defiled himself in numerous ways and not just slopping around with pigs and sit.
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Justin Holcomb
Yeah, yeah. Like, who did everything? It's offensive to his ears, doubling down on the offense and so he's telling these things. I mean, people who are offended by it, they're actually probably getting it in a fascinating way. Like, Jesus is not doing these things to make you comfortable. Absolutely not. Yeah.
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Walter Strickland
And so to that point, Bob, I love the parable of the mustard seed. You know, if we are people who are trying to uphold the entirety of the law and putting, you know, parameters around the law to sort of prop ourselves up in our own righteousness, to hear that, you know, faith the size of a mustard seed saves, that is also offensive.
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Justin Holcomb
Yeah, yeah, right, right. Very good.
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Bob Hiller
We've done all this and you're saying that a person can.
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Michael Horton
Can.
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Bob Hiller
Even a murderer on death row can embrace Jesus Christ at the end and he's saved. Yeah, it's that same kind of offense that we hear today, I think, too, the Good Samaritan. It's one of my. Well, go ahead and mention one of my favorites, Luke 10. I checked out what AI would say. The ChatGPT version, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is a story about helping others in need, especially those who are different from us.
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Michael Horton
Okay.
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Bob Hiller
But here is an evangelical scholar closer to home who says the parable is much more than a story about doing good to strangers.
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Michael Horton
Okay.
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Bob Hiller
Good Jesus exposes the lawyer's self righteousness and prejudice in the same way the parable can expose our own prejudices. Who's the Samaritan in your life? Who's the person you want to dismiss that you don't want to admit can be the hero and do good? If you identify the person you have a hard time accepting, you have found your Samaritan and have understood Jesus parable. No, actually, you have not.
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Justin Holcomb
I love that the goal of this parable is for you, bleeding and dying, bloody pulp on the ground, to go find your Good Samaritan. That's.
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Bob Hiller
That's right. That's right. Good. Good news. Good.
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Michael Horton
I asked ChatGPT to summarize the Good Samaritan and the tone and theology of Michael Horton. And it says Jesus tells this parable not just to encourage kindness, but to expose our inability to fulfill the law's demands. Just like the priests and Levite who failed to love their neighbor, the good Samaritan, the unexpected hero reflects the radical mercy of Christ who rescues sinners when they are helpless and pays the cost for their restoration. Rather than being merely a moral lesson, this parable ultimately drives us to see that Jesus is the true Good Samaritan who fulfills the law on our behalf.
- [24:01]
Bob Hiller
Wow.
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Michael Horton
You just have to tell it what to say.
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Bob Hiller
That's better than anything I wrote. That's great.
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Michael Horton
Wow.
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Walter Strickland
That is unbelievable.
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Justin Holcomb
The Horton 2.0 is pretty good. That's all right.
- [24:12]
Walter Strickland
Oh man.
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Michael Horton
Isn't that amazing though? That is the opposite direction.
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Justin Holcomb
Two different things, two different parables.
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Michael Horton
We're joking about this. But if there's certain reads a law gospel, mercy of God not trying to make you just be a better version of you. But, but seeing our inability and our need as opposed to get up. I mean that's. And that's how these parables get read too often is. Is it turns into an imperative parade.
- [24:39]
Justin Holcomb
And let's. I think this is very important. I do think these kind of parameters are helpful because what we don't want to say is this, that both chat GPTs have something correct like that it'. Parable. So it's a story so you can kind of do what you want with it. Massage it into your own kind of meat. No, no. Each parable has a meaning. It's not told in this manner so that you can sort of fill in the meaning. This is not some postmodern strange way of teaching that Jesus is doing here. This parable has a meaning. And what it's meaning is, is that the self righteous do not love or even obey the law at all. There's only one in this account who actually does obey the law. That's the Samaritan. And frankly he is a picture of the ministry of Christ. I mean that's. Yep.
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Bob Hiller
And if folks think that we're just kind of shoehorning law and gospel into this, just take a look at the verses. Just before the parable you have the rich young ruler saying, what must I do to be saved? Jesus says fulfill the law. And he says, well, I've done all that stuff since I was a kid. Oh really? Really. Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor. He ends up asking the question, the lawyer ends up asking the well, who is my neighbor? You know, just deflecting the whole thing. Love my neighbor with everything I've got. But really, who is my neighbor? And you think, Adam, who is my neighbor? It's not this woman you gave me. You think of Cain. It's not this brother you gave me. And whoever neighbor is, the the lawyer is saying, it's not someone I have to sacrifice for. Then Jesus tells the parable. So this is the setting for the parable is self righteousness. The setting for the parable is you don't know how great your sin is.
- [26:45]
Host/Announcer
The Jesus we know today is the risen Jesus. While people once knew him as a teacher and a miracle worker, it's the empty tomb that defines him. For every believer this Easter rediscover the significance of meeting Jesus after the Resurrection. Our free five day devotional, written by Jonathan Landry Cruz, explores key moments when Christ met his followers, showing us how he meets us in our fears, our doubts, our failures, and ultimately that he is alive, faithful, and for us. Get your free Easter Devotional today at SoloMedia.org offers.
- [27:31]
Michael Horton
What you said Mike was saying, there's certain parables that seem to be the key. And then Bob, you saying how Jesus, kind of outsider, insider gets flipped. He flips the script on this. I'm just making a quick list. And this is not comprehensive, but we just talked about the tax collector and the pharisee. That's Luke 18. The Good Samaritan's another one where the script is flipped. The prodigal son, we talked about that one. The son who says, hey Dad, I wish you were dead, give me your money, I'm going to go defile myself numerous ways. And then you have two debtors in Luke 7, you have the wedding banquet, which we've talked about. The undeserving guests are welcomed in while the original guests are shut. Then you have the workers in the vineyard who are like, wait a second, we've been here, we've been faithful. I mean, we know what's happening there. The unforgiving, the older brother, the unforgiving servant, which we just talked about. And so it's this great reversal. This is the scandal of the kingdom and who's in, who's not. I think that's important to highlight those, your two points put together. And when we're preaching and reading these, that's the lens through which we need to see.
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Bob Hiller
Can you imagine the Pharisees, the religious elites, the leaders, the theologians, and scholars and pastors, could you imagine them standing there hearing, like, about five minutes later, they get it. Jesus is saying, the riffraff are going to sit at the table of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and I'll be pouring the wine, and you religious leaders are going to be cast into outer darkness where there is only weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- [29:21]
Walter Strickland
Yeah. And to that point, if we're talking about our favorite parables, mine is the parable of the workers in the vineyards. And it's because of that very point, I can very easily slip into being a very pharisaical person. And the fact that God is the one who has the resources to do whatever he wants with them, however he wants to dole out his love and forgiveness. I love the fact that there's those several different sort of shifts of workers that come in and. And those first workers, they get what they were, you know, they get their agreement, they, hey, come here, work and you'll get this. But then the people who come after them, they come and they work and they also get paid. And it just drives the people who came first insane. And so that right there demonstrates to me just how gracious our God is. And it just makes people livid who were trying to work their way thought it was somehow in their actions or they would somehow merit the goodness of God. And so all I have to say, I just find it very powerful. And I'm even lost for words as I'm thinking about how that picture in that parable has even corrected my assumptions about God and how he doles out grace to people.
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Bob Hiller
And isn't it interesting, the connection there between threes? You have one shift, two shift, three shift. The first shift being the people who were originally entitled to it, so the Jews and who more than the Jewish leaders. And then the second shift, then the third shift being the people who seemed least deserving of it. And the same is true of the invitation to the wedding feast. 3 set of invitations go out to one audience, the people who. Who were originally entitled to it, who said, I gotta wash my hair that day. And then finally you get to the third group, the people who least deserve it, living in the homeless people who are brought in. There's a thing going on here, and it really is summarized, I think, in the older brother and the younger brother, in the tenants wanting to. First they wanted to kill the prophets, then they wanted to kill Jesus himself, the son of the house, so on and so forth. They're just. Jesus is really planting an explosive inside the hearts and minds of the people he's talking to.
- [32:08]
Justin Holcomb
It's all those parables. People are far too busy with their own work to come and celebrate the gospel. I mean, it's just what happens. They're far too common up in this. How dare you? I've been working all day. It's not fair that you're giving the same thing to me that you're giving to them. And the master says, look, I'm being true to my word. I'm doing exactly what I said I would do. And he I'm going to stick to my word. I'm sorry you don't like it. It's just phenomenal. And the way in which the Lord. I think that the danger we run into with these parables, though, and I do worry about this, about myself, is how quickly I find myself siding with the good guys in the parable when I. I've got to really do a good job of reminding myself I happen to be a pastor and a guy who likes to, to know what the scriptures say and likes to be correct about my theology. And I love to correct other people in their wrong theology and their wrong way of life. And how, how, how blessed is God to have someone like me in his kingdom.
- [33:07]
Michael Horton
Right.
- [33:08]
Justin Holcomb
I mean, you start to do this and you start to recognize that's why the parable of the Pharisee in the tax collection, tax collector always nails me to the wall. Because as soon as I start saying to myself, I thank you, God, that I'm not like that Pharisee up front, I realize, like, I'm actually echoing the Pharisees and not the religion. The tax collector in the back, when the text preaches at us, when it's starting to do the work to us. There is. You've got to be very aware of what the Lord is actually saying to you through this parable. It's convicting stuff and it's driving you to repent. You don't want to end up on the other side of it like the Pharisees and turning against Christ as a result.
- [33:46]
Bob Hiller
Yep, yep. And that's a good example, isn't it, of how the parables can be law or gospel, depending on how you're hearing it.
- [33:56]
Justin Holcomb
Yep. Yeah. If you're the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus is there talking to. There's a group of people there with him. There's the religious leaders, and then there's the prostitutes and tax collectors over there. And Jesus tells three parables there. One of the lost sheep. One of the lost sheep Lost coin and lost brother. All of those are describing the sinners in the midst. Like, if you're sitting there, this has got to be the most delightful thing you've ever heard in your life. No one's ever spoken to them in this way. And the religious leaders are just getting mad. And Jesus sees them getting mad and he's like, you know what?
- [34:32]
Walter Strickland
It.
- [34:32]
Justin Holcomb
I got a story for you, too. It's called the Older Brother. Here we go. I mean, it's. It just levels everybody.
- [34:38]
Michael Horton
I like how we just did public collective ignorance right there.
- [34:44]
Justin Holcomb
I got one for you. The pearl of great price. Treasure in the field. What do you guys think those parables are about? I'm curious because I've heard two explanations, and there's. There's one I like, but I'd be curious. So Guy goes and he finds.
- [34:58]
Michael Horton
What are the options?
- [35:00]
Justin Holcomb
Matthew 13:45 and 46. Right. So what you have here is guy goes out, finds a field, there's a treasure he discovers in the field, sells all he has to buy the field. What's that?
- [35:13]
Bob Hiller
Christ is the treasure.
- [35:15]
Justin Holcomb
Christ is a treasure.
- [35:16]
Bob Hiller
Sell everything to just have him. Philippians 3.
- [35:20]
Walter Strickland
See?
- [35:21]
Justin Holcomb
Okay, so that's one option. The other option is that you're the treasure and Christ has sold all he has to purchase you. I think it's the latter, and here's why. Because Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like this. And typically when he's describing the kingdom of heaven, the. The main actor in the parable is going to be God. And so here is what God is doing. He's selling all because he values you. Is that too much of a Lutheran move there? I don't know. I think that might be right.
- [35:58]
Bob Hiller
Yeah.
- [35:59]
Michael Horton
I like to add the conditional there.
- [36:01]
Bob Hiller
I've got to rethink. I've got to rethink it, Bob.
- [36:04]
Walter Strickland
Yeah. Because I would have taken the first interpretive move before hearing your explanation. So that's something I'll rethink as well. Because basically, selling everything for the kingdom, it's worth giving up everything for is the idea that I came into this with. But, you know, that's a. That's. That's. That's plausible.
- [36:23]
Justin Holcomb
Thanks. That's what I was hoping for. That's. I think that's interesting. Like, I, I go back and forth on it, and if you look at the commentaries, they go back and forth on it, too. But I. I'm. I don't know. I think that's a. I think it's actually a very joyful parable when you think of it that way.
- [36:39]
Bob Hiller
Well, either way, it's a joyful parable. But, but, but yeah, definitely the focus in your interpretation is God buying the field or God giving away everything is best in order to purchase us a treasure hidden in the field. We are the kingdom. I have to rethink my view on that.
- [37:06]
Michael Horton
And the problem is it is so brief. You don't have other things. To give you a hint because I'm looking at three verses, very short. Yeah, you're. And it fits with like Zechariah 2, 8. Like whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. Like the preciousness of who we are. The. It all. It fits with the whole idea of being the bride of God, the bride of Christ. But Old Testament, the bride languages throughout of like the you're worth everything. I'm laying my life down for my treasured bride type of like it has. So, yeah, that'd be fun to preach because you can. You can actually say, see both as possibilities.
- [37:42]
Justin Holcomb
Yeah. Well, then the next parable is the parable of the net and where the net is thrown out and all sorts of fish are drawn in. And again, it's. It's the nature of the ministry to draw in those who are. Who are just to find those. The things that are found in that parable are the people who come into the kingdom of God. The thing that is found in the field, the thing that is found at the merchant stand. These are the things that are. Are being brought in, so to speak.
- [38:09]
Michael Horton
And there's a field right before it with the parable of the weeds in the field. And then it goes right into the parable as like a hidden treasure in a field also.
- [38:19]
Walter Strickland
Yeah. So also to Bob's point, if we just think about one of the major issues that. Not issues. One of the major objectives of Matthew's Gospel is to present this Messiah as the Messiah of Israel. And so if we're looking at the themes that we see in the parable surrounding it does actually lend itself towards that interpretation. The net after and then the hidden treasure, the. The weeds before and even the mustard seed and the leaven as well. So I think it's. I think it's plausible we're all talking.
- [38:50]
Michael Horton
About kind of favorite parables. And my favorite favorite is the Pharisee and the tax collector. Just because we. I think we all. For various reasons. Another one that has jumped out to me is right before that in Luke 18 the. And it says. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose Heart. Then he tells the story of the city where there's a certain judge who neither feared God nor respected man. There's a widow who kept coming to him and saying, give me justice against my adversaries. And then he said, though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.
- [39:32]
Justin Holcomb
It's just great.
- [39:33]
Walter Strickland
It is.
- [39:34]
Michael Horton
The reason I like that one for me is I grew up thinking, I feel like a failure with prayer. Never feel like a pray enough. I'm not crying because of that. It's the beauty behind this passage that this disrupts. Part of this is telling me about the character of God, because I love this because it has an almost like, well, you know, how much more is what I'm waiting for. Like this judge who doesn't even care about God and respect anyone will respond. How much more will your heavenly Father who gave everything for you? How it disrupts distorted visions of prayer is amazing. So I'm thinking of first Peter 5, 7, no, submit yourself under the mighty hand of God, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. Like that. That's. That one Peter 5:7 is like the opposite of this judge in the disposition. And then the fact that Jesus is interceding for us now, like he's praying. And so it's like, so I always need this. And then go, go boldly with confidence to God asking for help and he'll give you help in time of need. And so for all of us who wrestle with we don't pray enough, let this disrupt you. Let this invite. This is an invitation of like, oh, this makes it a lot easier to pray. And Adriel has his book out on the Lord's Prayer. I mean, just the gift of that. The way he talks about the Lord's Prayer and he shows us how to pray, we get to join in and participate. I mean, the fact that he's praying for us was the biggest thing for me, that he's always interceding and the Father's not waiting for me to come in and do it right. His son's praying for me and gets his prayers answered.
- [41:29]
Walter Strickland
It's just.
- [41:29]
Michael Horton
Love it.
- [41:31]
Bob Hiller
Yeah, he's praying for me and the Spirit is praying with me. What happens when the king comes back and the citizens of his kingdom say, we will not have this king to reign over us? Well, the gospel goes out to the world. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. It's not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. That's what the parables are about. Jesus puts the beat up Wayfarer on his own dime in the hotel and promises to come back. And the church is his hotel. That's what the kingdom is about. Look forward to being with you next time on the White Horse Inn.
- [42:27]
Michael Horton
Introducing Tell Me A Story, a brand new podcast for children and families. Each episode brings scripture to life with immersive storytelling followed by a short devotional to spark meaningful conversations.
- [42:40]
Bob Hiller
Let there be light. The serpent. He tricked me.
- [42:53]
Host/Announcer
It is I, Joseph. I am the brother you sold to the traitors.
- [43:04]
Michael Horton
In a world filled with distractions and declining biblical literacy, our children need stories that anchor them in truth. Tell Me a Story weaves the rich narratives of God's promises shown in His Word and the world, equipping parents for discipleship and helping families reflect on the greatest story ever told. Episode one is available now wherever you listen to podcasts.