A Suffering Christ Left 43 Parables
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (April 19, 2014)
EASTER SUNDAY (APRIL 20, 2014)
“My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready” (St. John 7:6, King James Version [Jesus reproveth his kinsmen]).
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
Our service modern to our Lord Jesus Christ's gospel teachings peculiar to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John resonates daily for the saving grace that freed households in our community (those God gave to Christ Jesus). The sufferings of Christ Jesus aforementioned prophesied to the people in a Psalm for Solomon (Psalms 72:2), “He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment”. The prophet Isaiah (32:1) told the people, “Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.” More importantly to Christ's sufferings, Isaiah (9:5) said, “For every battle of the warrior is with confusing noise and garments rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.” On this Easter Sunday (2014) by now, we should know by the blood of the lamb we are saved.
Furthermore, Prophet Isaiah (9:6-7) said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Well sir! I know some of you say, “The government took my house, took my job, put my family members in jail, sent my family to the government's prisons, cut me off of welfare, cut down the amount I get with the food stamps program until I barely live and I suffer each day trying to make ends meet. I do not know what to do.” I say to you, “Cast all your cares on the shoulders of Jesus. Give it to Jesus. Give all your cares to Jesus.”
According to Philippians (4:19), “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Jesus should be all you need for it is God who gives you wealth to acquire the lifestyle you choose to live abundantly. Way back in Genesis (27:28), the Lord said when Isaac blessed his son, “Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:” Also, way back in Deuteronomy, the Lord said when Jacob blessed his son,
“And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious
things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for
the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put
forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for
the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth
and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the
blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him
that was separated from his brethren” (Deuteronomy 33:13-16, KJV [The tribes
blessed]).
Well, sir! The people still speak out the hurt in their broken hearts, “Why did they lay me off when I worked circles around all those that I worked with (more than anyone else at the job)? They changed the whole company so no one could file suit or no one could win a civil law suit against them. Then, since I lost my job---my livelihood, someone came to my home and robbed me. Where is the justice?
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Like they used to say, “It's just us.”
I tell you, “Your justice is Christ Jesus. Give it to him---your cares. Cast all your cares on the shoulders of Christ Jesus. HE ALONE SUFFERED FOR YOU.” The lost house, job, jail cells, prison walls, welfare program, food stamp program and broken heart cannot stop the blessings God gives you from pouring down upon the heads of the survivors of those captured and stole away from their country to be sold into slavery. The unfortunate situations of the unforgettable circumstances cannot stop the blessings God gives you from pouring down upon the heads of the survivors of those who risked life and limb to leave their lands for the new life in distant lands. Let us be perfectly clear here, “There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God wherein your blessings are bestowed out of that same love. Why do you permit such contrary actions from those who practice hate to persuade you to leave the love of God?
However, you run your race you must be ready at all times because Jesus says we are always in the ready position, so whether we receive blessings or death and destruction, we must be ready. The gospel of John (2:4; 7:6, 8; 8:20) said, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come?… Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready... Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto the feast; for my time is not yet full come...
These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him for his hour was not yet come.”
I tell you Jesus suffered for you before he hung on the cross. He suffered for you when he turned over the tables of the money changers at the temple. He suffered for you when he healed you and set you free on the Sabbath. He suffered for you and at one point along the way, from the streets to the mountains, throughout the villages he asked you not to tell anyone he was there but yet you still told all to come see, hear and taste of his glory as he walked the streets even to the sea. Jesus suffered for you as he healed those bound by sickness, mental illness; lunatics, deranged and those demon possessed, lead astray, lost lambs, lost from their tribes, lost from their Jesus. Jesus set you free.
Jesus set the captives free. Jesus saved you. Jesus blessed you. He was right to set you free. It is right to set you free.
He was right to save you. It is right to save you. He was right to bless you. It is right to bless you.
And your time that is always ready is just as much a time of opportunity as it is a time of corruption of your heart, death of your heart and destruction of your heart? What is in your heart? What do you think or draw to you in your heart? Are you a slave to the darkness of your thoughts?
Where are you in your mind and in your heart? Jesus raised you up to be more than you ever thought you could be---he maximized you as God said 1,000 fold back in the early days of law before grace. Jesus raised you up on his shoulders. Jesus raised you up on the mountains. Did the sermon on the Mount reach you in your heart, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.... The meek shall inherit the earth...” the beatitudes?
Jesus suffered---he was a suffering Christ as he foretold who would betray him at the Last Supper when he was in His PASSION yet he ate with that same betrayer in fellowship and he washed the betrayer's feet. Yes, he washed the feet of Judas and ate with Judas at the Last Supper. Jesus ate with Peter, his ROCK, his successor, whom would carry on in leadership after he died, even that same Peter denied Jesus trice---three times. Yes, it was three times Peter denied his relationship to Jesus---his love for him. Is that not why, Jesus kept asking Peter, “Do you love me?”
Many of us will not die for the one we say we love but Jesus died for you. He died for you to save you or else your living would be in vain. Jesus gave you the gift of eternal life from God. The food you eat that you rely on to sustain your flesh body cannot save your living soul, the gift God breathed into Adam in the Garden of Eden to create him a man. The food you eat to sustain your flesh body is merely an illusion for the saving of your living soul because that body is dead--- it died with Adam's sin.
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We do not like to think of the conditions placed on contracts, placed on agreements, placed on covenants but “If Jesus had not died for us? Then, we would still be dead. If, Jesus did not die for us? Then, we would still be dead.” We would exist as the living dead; the walking dead just as a man sentenced to death is called the walking dead, so were we, the walking dead for the wages of sin is death. Jesus saved you. Jesus saved us. He paid the blood price for the saving of your soul.
“If Jesus had not---did not finish his Father's business and die for you for the saving of your soul, Where would you be but hell bound? What good is a life bound to hell when salvation is the plan of God for you yet you think your sins are only for your survival: the job, the food and the opportunity that you seek and you sell your soul away in darkness in agreements that bear false fruits---merely an illusion and deception? Well, I say to you, “May God bless you in spite of your wayward stance that separates you from God's love.” Why do you not believe all things are possible?
What about that faith? What about your race as you stand for living. Fight the good fight to the end and fight in the light. Do not fight the darkness in darkness. It is the light that saves you, loves you and died for you even provides for you (Jehovah Jireh), that protects you (Jehovah Ra'ah [Rohi]), that gives you peace (Jehovah Shalom).
Jesus left you 43 parables that light your way to fight the good fight to help you when you cannot think straight or see clearly in the situations and circumstances of life. In Matthew, Jesus used 11 parables to save the households: the parable of the tares (Matthew 13: 24-30, KJV [the enemy sowed tares in the same field where good wheat seed was sown]); the hidden treasure (13:44, KJV [the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure]); the pearl of great price (13:45-46, KJV [the kingdom of heaven is like a man seeking goodly pearls]); the dragnet (13:47, KJV [the kingdom of heaven is like a net}); the unmerciful servant (18:23-34, KJV [the kingdom of heaven is like a king who takes account of his servants]); the laborers in the vineyard (20:1-17, KJV [the kingdom of heaven is like a householder hiring laborers into the vineyard]); the father and the two sons (21:28-32, KJV); the marriage of the king's son (22:1-14, KJV); the ten virgins (25:1-13, KJV); the talents (25:14-30, KJV); the sheep and goats (25:31-46, KJV). In Mark, Jesus used two parables to obtain a far better understanding in the hearts and in the minds of the people than they presented in demonstration when they talked to him and when they asked him questions: the parable of the growth of a seed (St. Mark 4: 26-29, KJV); the household watching (13:34-36, KJV). In Luke, Jesus used 17 parables to answer the questions of the people: the parable of the debtors (7:36-50, KJV); the good Samaritan (10:25-37, KJV); the friend at midnight (11:5-8, KJV); the rich fool (12:16-21, KJV); the servants watching (12:35-40, KJV), the steward on trial (12:42-48, KJV); the barren fig tree (13:6-9, KJV), the great supper (14:16-24, KJV); the tower and the warring king (14:28-33, KJV), the lost piece of money (15: 8-10, KJV), the prodigal son and his elder brother (15: 11-32, KJV); the unjust steward or dishonest land agent (16:1-13); the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31); the master and servant (17:7-10, KJV); the importunate widow (18:1-8, KJV); the Pharisee and the publican (18:9-14, KJV); the pounds (19:12-27, KJV). In John, Jesus used three parables to save. He clarified matters of fact in the law so that those living a more perfect righteous life than they lived before transformed to a new creature could receive, understand and appreciate the messages of the holy scriptures and gospel readings: the parable of the bread of life (St. John 6th chapter, KJV); the shepherd and the sheep (10th chapter, KJV); the vine and the branches (15th chapter, KJV).
More importantly, Jesus used three parables common to Matthew and Luke to save the people: the parable of the house built on a rock and sand (St. Matthew 7:24 and St. Luke 6:48, KJV); the leaven (Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20, KJV); the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12 and Luke 15th chapter). Further to those three parables only common to Matthew and Luke, Jesus used seven parables common to Matthew, Mark and Luke to save the people: the parable of the candle under a bushel (St. Matthew 5th chapter; St. Mark 4th chapter; St. Luke 8th chapter, KJV); the new cloth on old garment (Matthew 9th chapter; Mark 2nd chapter; Luke 5th chapter, KJV); new wine and old bottles (Matthew 9th chapter;
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Mark 2nd chapter; Luke 5th chapter, KJV); the sower (Matthew 13th chapter; Mark 4th chapter; Luke 8th chapter, KJV); the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19, KJV); the vineyard and husband men (Matthew 21st chapter; Mark 12th chapter; Luke 20th chapter); the young leaves of the fig tree (Matthew 24th chapter; Mark 13th chapter; Luke 21st chapter).
In closing, “Ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's (I Corinthians 3:23, KJV). “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (4:2). “Do you look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's (II Corinthians 10:7, KJV). Casting down imaginations; and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (10:5, KJV). May God bless you.
