The Second Parable To Simon

Posted on June 9, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

(Matthew 18:21-23 KJV) Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? [22] Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. [23] Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

Introduction

Last Wednesday we examined a parable that Jesus spoke to Simon the Pharisee. Tonight we’re looking at another parable spoken to a Simon. This time it’s Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ hand picked Apostles.

Jesus had just finished binding the effectiveness of prayer to the necessity of unity with one another in the Kingdom of God.

The Church represents the Kingdom of God on the earth. The Bible says that the Christian is one who is …

Colossians 1:13 (AP) DELIVERED from the power of darkness, and is TRANSLATED INTO THE KINGDOM of GOD’S DEAR SON

When a person is saved by faith in Christ, God moves them into His Kingdom. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside you. Jesus said:

(Luke 17:20-21 LSB) … The kingdom of God is not coming with [signs to be] observed, [21] nor will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘There!’ For BEHOLD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST.

When God’s people come together as the Church, worshiping and glorifying the Lord Who saved us, we are most like the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to save us by His Blood, so that we could, by faith, be adopted and born again into His Kingdom. We are told in:

(Hebrews 12:28-29 LSB) Therefore, since WE ARE RECEIVING A KINGDOM which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; [29] for OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.

It is God’s intent that His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ, come together in one accord with God and in one accord with one another. We are told in Romans 14:17, “The Kingdom of God is NOT MEAT AND DRINK, but RIGHTEOUSNESS, and PEACE, and JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT”. There is nothing that can shake or destroy a Church that is unified in love with God and in love with one another. A Church that is united and following Jesus has power. This is why Jesus said:

(Matthew 18:18-20 KJV) Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say unto you, That if TWO OF YOU SHALL AGREE on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. [20] For where TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME, there am I in the midst of them.

Where there is unity, Biblical unity, there is power. God supports the Church that is unified. BUT when we allow that which is unbiblical and inconsequential to come between us, our prayers are hindered. There is only Jesus in our midst if we are united in our midst. This is why Jesus gave us definitive steps to follow when disagreements arise. These words are very clear, so I have little need to go in depth. Let’s start:

(Matthew 18:15 KJV) Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault BETWEEN THEE AND HIM ALONE: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

If there is a disagreement between Christians, the first thing you do is to “go and tell him his fault BETWEEN THEE AND HIM ALONE”. You don’t tell others. You tell him. You don’t attack him, for it is just possible that you are at fault. But until you both get together in a quiet place and discuss the matter, no resolution comes. What if your brother in Christ will not hear you?

(Matthew 18:16 KJV) But IF HE WILL NOT HEAR THEE [thee, then] TAKE WITH THEE ONE OR TWO MORE, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

If he won’t discuss it, take another person or two with you, and once more try and find resolution. Those you take with you are not your supporters. You’re not ganging up on your brother. The ones accompanying you are witnesses. By taking these witnesses, you are letting your brother know that you want this breech sealed as soon as possible. Why? Because unattended unforgiveness can spread through the congregation, hindering the growth of the entire Church. If peace cannot be found, then:

(Matthew 18:17 KJV) And if he shall NEGLECT TO HEAR THEM, TELL IT UNTO THE CHURCH: but if he NEGLECT TO HEAR THE CHURCH, let him BE UNTO THEE AS A HEATHEN man and a publican.

If one party refuses to forgive, the matter goes to the Church itself. And if the Church rules against the one who refuses to forgive, then that person is regarded as a “heathen” or an unbeliever. They are no longer recognized as a believer in Christ. Beloved,

A Forgiving Nature Is The Mark Of A True Christian

While we walk through the world in fallen bodies, we will err and cause offenses. No one is perfect but Jesus, and even Jesus offended people. Jesus offended Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Politicians, Priests, and even people. Jesus’ offenses were Biblical, and thus needed no forgiveness. But we as humans often stumble as we walk with the Lord. We need to be ready to forgive, and to admit fault when we are at fault.

After hearing this teaching, Simon Peter came to Jesus with the question:

(Matthew 18:21 KJV) Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall MY BROTHER SIN AGAINST ME, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Peter was the natural leader of the Apostles. Jesus told Peter, “When YOU ARE CONVERTED, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). When someone spoke up in the midst of the Apostles, it was usually Peter. It was Peter who preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14). When the Jewish authorities told the Apostles not to preach about Jesus anymore, it was Peter who led the Apostles in saying “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). When God wanted the Church to begin to preach the Gospel among the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter in a dream, saying “What I have cleansed, do not call it unclean” (Acts 10:34-35). And when Gentiles began to be saved and enter the Church, it was Peter who stood up for them (Acts 15:7).

So the leader of the Apostles asks the question, in effect, “Is there a limit on how many times I should forgive my brother in Christ?”. Our Lord Jesus responded immediately:

(Matthew 18:22 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN.

To understand this phrase, we need to
understand Jewish Sabbaths.

The phrase “SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN” would mean little to a Gentile, but to a Jew who knew Jewish history it means a lot. Under the Old Covenant, God gave Israel Sabbaths. Most of us understand the weekly Sabbath, where one day a week is given to God and His worship (Exodus 20:8; 20:10). The Jews practiced this Sabbath on the last day of the week.

Besides WEEKLY Sabbaths, there were ANNUAL Sabbaths. These Sabbaths were not tied to a day of the week, but to a commemorative Feast or Celebration that God wanted Israel to observe. We can liken this to our Federal Holidays in America, with the distinction that our holidays did not focus on honoring God as the Jewish holidays did. There were Sabbaths during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (First and Seventh day, Leviticus 23:7-8), Feast of Weeks (Pentecost – Leviticus 23:21), Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24-25), Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27-32), and Feast of Tabernacles (First and Eighth Day, Leviticus 23:35-36, 39). These were called “High Days”. The day following Jesus’ crucifixion was a “High Day” (see John 19:31).

But the there was something called a Sabbatical Year. God told Israel:

(Leviticus 25:3-7 LSB) ‘Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its produce, [4] but during THE SEVENTH YEAR THE LAND SHALL HAVE A SABBATH REST, a SABBATH TO YAHWEH; you shall NOT SOW your field NOR PRUNE your vineyard. [5] ‘What grows of its own accord from your harvest you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. [6] ‘And the sabbath [produce] of the land shall be for food; for you and your male and female slaves and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who sojourn with you. [7] ‘Even your cattle and the beasts that are in your land shall have all its produce to eat.

The purpose of the Sabbatical Year was to allow the ground to rest. You could eat fruit off of that ground that naturally produced, but were forbidden to till the soil or work the vines that year. When God established the Sabbatical Year, Israel ignored this Sabbath. Not for one year. Not for ten years. But for 490 years Israel refused to honor God by keeping the Sabbatical Year. Do you know what God did? God forgave Israel for 490 years – then put them into Babylonian captivity for 70 years. The Bible says:

(2 Chronicles 36:19-21 LSB) {The Babylonians} burned the house of God and tore down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. [20] And those who had escaped from the sword {the King of Babylon} took away into exile to Babylon; and they were slaves to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, [21] to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, UNTIL THE LAND HAD MADE UP FOR ITS SABBATHS. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath UNTIL 70 YEARS WERE FULFILLED.

How long should I forgive my brother? Just 7 times? Jesus said, “Remember how long GOD HIMSELF forgave Israel before He punished them? 70X7, for 490 years!”

The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant

So let’s look at the parable that Jesus spoke to Simon Peter, and see it’s application to us.

(Matthew 18:23-27 KJV) Therefore is THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKENED unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. [24] And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him TEN THOUSAND TALENTS. [25] But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. [26] The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. [27] Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Jesus said, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKENED”. How does one enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? We must come to God with empty hands. In the parable a “Certain King” is God, and the servant owes the King “TEN THOUSAND TALENTS”. A “TALENT” is equivalent to 6000 days wages. This man owes 10,000 talents, or 60 MILLION days wages. Do you know how old you’d have to be to earn 60 million days wages? You would have to be over 180,000 years old if you started working at age 18! This man owed an impossible amount of money. There was no earthly way he could pay it.

What is true of that man is true of every person on the face of the earth. The Bible tells us that we were created by an infinite, perfect, sinless and wonderful God Who loves us. But our forefather Adam sinned, and brought sin into our lineage. The Bible tells us:

Romans 3:23 ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God

We cannot make ourselves right before God. The Law of God shows us this, for only One Person in all of human history kept the Law of God perfectly. That One Person is Jesus Christ. The Bible says:

1 John 3:5 {Jesus} appeared so that He might TAKE AWAY OUR SINS. And in Jesus IS NO SIN

1 Peter 2:22 {Jesus} COMMITTED NO SIN, and no deceit was found in His mouth …

We all fall short. We all stand deficit before God. We owe a debt we cannot pay. So how do we pay off our Creditor. We REPENT. Jesus preached “REPENT, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17), and “UNLESS YOU REPENT, you ALL WILL PERISH” (Luke 13:3). We throw ourselves on the mercy of God. We receive what Jesus did for us on the Cross, “calling on the Name of the Lord”. We receive Jesus Christ as our Messiah, as our Lord and Savior.

(John 3:16-18 KJV) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

In the parable the servant, representing the saved believer in Christ:

The servant therefore fell down, and WORSHIPED HIM, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I WILL PAY THEE ALL.

The day the Christian is saved, we surrender our lives to the Lord. We worship Him. We pledge to love and serve Him. This will not pay for our forgiveness, no matter how hard we work. Our forgiveness is based on the compassion, the love and mercy of God our Father.

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and FORGAVE HIM THE DEBT.

We cannot pay God what we owe Him. If we poured out our very blood, it would not be enough! Once saved, we serve Him, but not to pay Him back. We serve Him out of love for His mercy.

(Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV) For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, and THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES; [it is] the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Being forgiven completely, when that servant left the presence of the King, he himself should have been generous to whoever he met. But how did he behave?

(Matthew 18:28-30 KJV) But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred PENCE {dēnarion}: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. [29] And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. [30] And he would not: but went and CAST HIM INTO PRISON, TILL HE SHOULD PAY THE DEBT.

The Servant that was forgiven a debt that would have taken him 180,000 years to pay went out and brutalized a man who owed him 100 dēnarion, or 100 days wages. The man he brutalized could have paid this debt off had he been patient with him. But the forgiven Servant “CAST HIM INTO PRISON, TILL HE SHOULD PAY THE DEBT”. You can’t pay a debt from prison. You need to be out working in order to pay the debt. So the forgiven Servant put the fellow servant into a position when he couldn’t repay the debt. Neither he nor the fellow servant got anything out of that arrangement!

But what goes around comes around!

(Matthew 18:31-33 KJV) So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. [32] Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou WICKED SERVANT, I FORGAVE THEE ALL THAT DEBT, because thou desiredst me: [33] Shouldest not thou also HAVE HAD COMPASSION on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

When the King heard what happened, He called the wicked servant to task. He was forgiven an impossible amount. That servant should have forgiven the possible amount. Jesus said that the King sentenced the wicked servant, saying:

(Matthew 18:34 KJV) And his lord was wroth, and DELIVERED HIM TO THE TORMENTORS, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Who are the “TORMENTORS” in the parable? These were prison officials who, in those days, would torture prisoners until they got confessions. When we as Christians fail to forgive unconditionally as we were forgiven, then God the Holy Spirit turns us over to “TORMENTORS”:

Bitterness
Loneliness
Guilt
Anger
Fear
Paranoia
Separation from God’s Presence

Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV) For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if YOU DO NOT FORGIVE men their trespasses, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES.

You cannot walk in light with unforgiveness in your heart.

(Ephesians 4:32 NKJV) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU.

Forgiveness is not optional, but a Kingdom principle, one that we must follow. As “Christ forgave you, SO YOU MUST ALSO DO”. Jesus ends with this:

(Matthew 18:35 KJV) So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye FROM YOUR HEARTS FORGIVE not every one his brother their trespasses.

We are to forgive from our hearts. Whether the other person deserves it or not, regardless as to who is right or wrong, we are to forgive.

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The First Parable To Simon

Posted on June 5, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Roan Lavery on Unsplash

(Luke 7:40-43 KJV) And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. [41] There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. [42] And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? [43] Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

Usually when our Lord spoke Parables (spiritual truths taught through earthly events), He spoke to crowds.

– The Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) was to a crowd.

– The Parable of the Two Sons was spoken to a crowd, but addressed to chief priests and Pharisees (Matthew 21:28-32).

To my knowledge there were only four times that Jesus spoke a parable directed to just one person. I may be wrong – if I am, let me know. I’m always learning, too.

The are two parables addressed to someone named “Simon”. Tonight we’ll look at the parable addressed to a seeking Simon. Next Wednesday we’ll look at a parable addressed to a saved Simon. Both parables deal with forgiveness and self righteousness, both very important concepts in the Bible.

The Parable To A Seeking Simon:
Parable Of Two Debtors

In Luke Chapter 7 Jesus has been very busy traveling and sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus entered Capernaum, a primarily Jewish town. Both Jews and Gentiles got along well in Capernaum, mainly because the Roman Centurion who oversaw the town built the Synagogue and was kind to the Jews there (Luke 7:5). When Jesus came, the elders of the Jews asked Jesus to heal the Centurion’s servant. The man was a seeker of God. Recognizing Who Jesus was, Jesus said of the Centurion:

(Luke 7:9 KJV) … I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Jesus traveled southwest to Nain (lower Galilee), about 30 miles. So a day probably passed depending on the route He walked. Entering Nain, Jesus saw “a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her” (Luke 7:12). Jesus resurrected this dead man, which caused the people all around to talk about Him. At this point, John the Baptists disciples question Jesus,

(Luke 7:20 KJV) {saying} John Baptist hath sent us unto Thee, saying, Art Thou He that should come? or look we for another?

Jesus answered their question by His works. He “cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight”(7:21). The works did not make Jesus the Messiah, but they proved He was the Messiah. In the same way, works do not make the Christian – but they PROVE that you are a genuine Christian.

At this point Jesus began to preach about John the Baptist, and about the Kingdom of God. He chastised the Pharisees for “rejecting the counsel of God” (Luke 7:30), and called the religious leaders of Israel “children sitting in the marketplace pleasing themselves” (Luke 7:32-35). Jesus’ sermon got to one of the Pharisees that were in the crowd of Galileans.

Simon the Pharisee

We don’t know much about Simon the Pharisee other than he had a home in Galilee. The closest towns to Nain in Galilee were Endor (2 miles north) and Nazareth (7 miles northwest). Simon had to be aware of Jesus raising the dead, as well as healing others. So He invited Jesus to eat with him.

(Luke 7:36 KJV) And one of the Pharisees DESIRED {erōtaō} him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.

Word Study: The word translated “DESIRED” is the Greek erōtaō, which means “to ask”. This is in the Imperfect Active Indicative, which refers to continuous or repeated action in past time. The best way to translate this is “one of the Pharisees KEPT URGING {Jesus} to eat with him”.

He didn’t just ask Jesus. Simon was intrigued by Jesus. He was seeking to know Jesus better, so he in effect pled with Jesus repeatedly “Come eat with me”. And Jesus went. Why? Jesus just lambasted the Pharisees and Scribes for their self righteousness and fickle approach to the Kingdom of God. It would be like making a guest appearance on “The View”. The Pharisees hated Jesus. There were exceptions, but very few. Some like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea supported Jesus and His ministry. But most despised Jesus because He told them the truth. When you tell the truth, you’ll be hated by those who love lying and darkness. So why did Jesus go? Because God loves His creation, and wants no one to enter damnation. Jesus said,

John 6:37 whoever comes to Me I will in no wise cast out

So Jesus went, though He knew He was in enemy territory. The Bible says …

went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat

Simon Was A Poor Host To The Son Of God

Normally when invited to someone’s home, the host would at least offer you water to wash your feet with. Jesus has traveled a lot of miles the last two days, serving the Kingdom of God. He isn’t riding a horse or a donkey. He’s walking in more than likely open toed sandals. So Jesus, exhausted and ready to eat supper, comes to Simon’s home. He takes off His shoes, and Simon offers no water nor towel for his Guest.

But God the Holy Spirit has provided a servant of the Kingdom to minister to the King of Kings. That honored servant is a “sinner”.

(Luke 7:37-38 KJV) And, behold, a woman in the city, which WAS A SINNER, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, [38] And stood at His feet BEHIND HIM weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what this woman’s “sin” was. Most commentators believe that she was a prostitute. Prostitution was both legal, and common in the Roman empire.

Some prostitutes were forced as slaves to do what they did. Others were women who lost their homes, and used prostitution as a means of getting an income.

God told His people in (Deuteronomy 23:17-18 LSB) None of the daughters of Israel shall be A CULT PROSTITUTE, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be A CULT PROSTITUTE. [18] You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of Yahweh your God for any votive offering, for BOTH OF THESE ARE AN ABOMINATION TO YAHWEH YOUR GOD.

This woman “WAS A SINNER”. Her identity was known to Simon. He had seen her on the street. When she began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, and dry His feet with her hair, she was supplying what she had to honor our Lord. Simon gave neither basin or towel. She gave her all. The woman stood “BEHIND HIM”. She didn’t want to intrude, but to honor the Lord. She took an “alabaster box of ointment” and once His feet were washed and dried, she “anointed His feet with the ointment”. What was Simon doing while this was going on?

(Luke 7:39 KJV) Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw [it], He spake within himself, saying, This Man, IF HE WERE A PROPHET, WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHO AND WHAT MANNER OF WOMAN THIS IS THAT TOUCHETH HIM: for SHE IS A SINNER.

This is the way that Pharisees always are. The man begged Jesus repeatedly “come and eat with Me”, then when Jesus relented and came he mistreated the Lord. He was not a good host. He didn’t see to the comfort of Jesus – he could have cared less. He was curious about Jesus. He was, in a way, a seeker. But like most seekers he was all about HIMSELF, not about the Kingdom of God. It is God’s will that:

(John 5:23 NKJV) that ALL SHOULD HONOR THE SON AS THEY HONOR THE FATHER. He who DOES NOT HONOR THE SON DOES NOT HONOR THE FATHER who sent Him.

God the Son came to dine with Simon, and he treated the Lord like He was nothing. But this woman, this sinner, she put aside her pride. She knelt at the feet of Jesus and gave Him the honor that Simon denied Him. Why?

The Parable Of Two Debtors

Simon “SPAKE WITHIN HIMSELF”. He didn’t speak out loud, but in his own thoughts he dismissed Jesus as being even a Prophet, much less the Messiah. Simon is like so many “Christians” today who look right at the assembly of the Church, but who hide their sinful thoughts. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 94:11 The LORD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS of man

We are also told in Matthew 9:4, “Jesus knows our thoughts”. Simon has dismissed Jesus as not even being a Prophet. But Jesus is MORE than a Prophet. He is the Son of God, God in the flesh.

(Luke 7:40 KJV) Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, MASTER {didaskalos}, say on.

Simon has relegated Jesus to the position of didaskalos, which means “a master teacher”. And Jesus is going to use a parable to teach Simon. Jesus says:

(Luke 7:41-43 KJV) There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed FIVE HUNDRED PENCE {dēnarion}, and the other FIFTY. [42] And when THEY HAD NOTHING TO PAY, he FRANKLY {charizomai} FORGAVE THEM BOTH. Tell me therefore, WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM MOST? [43] Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he FORGAVE {charizomai} most. And he said unto him, THOU HAST RIGHTLY JUDGED.

Word Study: In this parable Jesus only has three people: the Forgiver, and two debtors. Of the two debtors, one owed fifty days PENCE {Greek dēnarion}. A dēnarion or denarius was the ordinary day’s pay for an unskilled worker (see Matthew 20:2-13). So one debtor owed the equivalent to fifty days of labor – over a month and a half of wages. But the other debtor owed 500 denarius, equivalent to nearly a year and a half of wages. A year and a half wages versus a month and a half wages. Neither person had the means to pay the Owner back, so “he frankly FORGAVE THEM BOTH”. The word translated “FRANKLY” is the Greek charizomai, which means “to freely and without strings attached, to graciously grant forgiveness”.

In the parable, Jesus means the one who owes 50 days labor to be the Pharisee. The one who owes 500 days labor is the woman who was a sinner. These two people are a picture of every seeker of Jesus.

There is the seeking Pharisee. In his eyes he’s not done anything wrong. He is the moral person, the Judge on the bench, the citizen that never openly violates the Law. He is the regular Church goer. He dresses up to go to “The House of the Lord”, watches his language, and tithes regularly. This person would invite Jesus to his home for lunch after Church, but he wouldn’t go out of his way for Jesus. He has a somewhat respect for Jesus, but to him Jesus is not God, nor does Jesus need to forgive him. Yet Jesus forgave this Pharisee. He was part of the party that continually attacked Him, accusing Him of being a child of Satan and a bastard born of fornication. He saw the miracles that Jesus did, heard of the resurrection of the widow of Nain’s son, and attributed it to gossip and black magic.

The Pharisee would attend Church services, but never feels tears coming to his eyes when he thinks of the crucifixion of Christ. You see, the Pharisee feels like he’s just not that bad. Had Jesus not died on the Cross, the Pharisee feels that when he stands before God and his lot is weighed against other people (like this sinning woman), then he will be God’s first choice to go into Heaven. The Pharisee has never done anything offensive to God in his mind. The Pharisee never judges himself, but spends his days judging others again what he thinks is a standard that he emulates, a sainthood secured by his own works.

What the Pharisee doesn’t know and will never get is that God measures us not by our fellow man, but by our relationship to Christ His Son. Do we honor Him?

When the Pharisee begged Jesus to come eat supper with him, Jesus was exercising charizomai, undeserved Grace. The fact that the man invited Jesus was a small repentance, because no other Pharisees would allow Jesus in their homes. Like Nicodemus who visited Jesus by night this man would take a social hit by inviting Jesus. This is perhaps why when he invited Jesus, he played the poor host. He gave Jesus the minimum he could at the visit. But he forgot something.

Both Simon and the woman are debtors that need forgiveness.
Everyone falls short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
We all need Jesus desperately to come and dine with us.

Preach! Jesus tells the the sinners at the Church of Laodicea, a Church that no longer washed Jesus’ feet with their tears and dried his feet with the hair of their head. He tells these assembled saved ones, all those who feel that they only owed 50 denarius, that they have lost their path. Jesus tells the Church:

(Revelation 3:15-21 NKJV) I KNOW YOUR WORKS, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [16] So then, because YOU ARE LUKEWARM, and neither cold nor hot, I WILL VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH. [17] Because you say, ‘I AM RICH, have BECOME WEALTHY, and HAVE NEED OF NOTHING’–and DO NOT KNOW that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked– [18] I counsel you to BUY FROM ME gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. [19] AS MANY AS I LOVE, I REBUKE AND CHASTEN. Therefore be zealous and REPENT. [20] Behold, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. If anyone HEARS MY VOICE and OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, and HE WITH ME. [21] To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

I have often heard verse 20 preached as if it were to sinners like that woman. But Jesus is speaking to the lukewarm Church.

Like Simon the Pharisee, the Church of Laodicea invites Jesus to come and dine – but then plays the poor host to the Son of God. When we come together we should cherish Jesus, and magnify Him in all we do. We, like that woman sinner, should fall at His feet, and minister to Him Who alone is worthy.

Yes, the moral person who was only forgiven 50 denarius because “he wasn’t as bad” as another – well, he wasn’t as bad as the one who owed 500 denarius. But both were forgiven by Grace. That’s what we must all remember, is that salvation is all of Grace. It has been my experience that the greatest workers in the Kingdom of God are not those who were raised in the Church, but those who were forgiven the most. Listen to me:

I think it’s wonderful that you were raised by godly parents. I think it’s a great joy that you willingly work for Jesus. This Church, this Kingdom needs workers for Jesus. I’m not trying to take away from those who faithfully serve. But I have seen those raised in the Church, and those raised in the fire of hell. Of the two, those who were in the deepest pits of sin and the devil’s quicksand, these are the ones who will give the most. Let’s think about this “IS A SINNER” for a moment.

No Pharisee would touch her, no more than he would touch a leper. She was unclean! But Jesus, Who is God the Son, WILL touch the sinner, just as He will touch the leper. Right after Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount the Bible tells us:

(Matthew 8:1-3 NKJV) When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. [2] And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” [3] Then Jesus PUT OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHED HIM, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately HIS LEPROSY WAS CLEANSED.

The Law of Moses required the leper to live apart from others (Leviticus 13:45-46). When the leper came into public he was to cry out “Unclean, Unclean”. The Law did not say that you could not touch the leper, but it did say “whoever touches the leper shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and BE UNCLEAN until evening” (Leviticus 15:7). This is the rule among ordinary humans. This is the rule among the Pharisees. But this is not the rule for the Son of God. Jesus TOUCHED THE LEPER and IMMEDIATELY HEALED THE LEPER.

When Simon saw the woman touch Jesus, he assumed that the sin of the woman now tainted our Lord. He was wrong. This woman came repenting. This woman came humble. This woman owed 500 denarius, and Jesus forgave her just as He forgave Simon the 50n denarius. One of Great Britain’s most famous preachers Alexander Maclaren put it this way:

“You must recognize your insolvency if you expect to be forgiven. God does not accept dividends, so much in the pound, and let you off the rest on consideration thereof. If you are going to pay, you have to pay all; if He is going to forgive, you have to let Him forgive all. It must be one thing or the other. ”

Jesus Brings It Home To Simon The Pharisee

(Luke 7:44-47 KJV) {Jesus} turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I ENTERED INTO THINE HOUSE, thou GAVEST ME NO WATER FOR MY FEET: but SHE HATH WASHED MY FEET WITH TEARS, and WIPED THEM WITH THE HAIRS OF HER HEAD. [45] THOU GAVEST ME NO KISS: but THIS WOMAN since the time I came in HATH NOT CEASED TO KISS MY FEET. [46] MY HEAD WITH OIL THOU DIDST NOT ANOINT: but THIS WOMAN HATH ANOINTED MY FEET WITH OINTMENT. [47] Wherefore I say unto thee, HER SINS, WHICH ARE MANY, ARE FORGIVEN; for SHE LOVED MUCH: but TO WHOM LITTLE IS FORGIVEN, THE SAME LOVETH LITTLE.

Jesus never tells Simon that his sins are forgiven – though in the parable he is represented by the man who owed 50 denarius. Why was the woman forgiven, even though “HER SINS … ARE MANY”? Look at what Jesus said:

HER SINS, WHICH ARE MANY, ARE FORGIVEN; for SHE LOVED MUCH

She loved Jesus more than she loved herself. She was drowning in a sea of sin, swam to Jesus, and gave her life to Him. He lifted her up. She loved Him, but more importantly He loved her. Simon loved Jesus like many American Christians do today – just enough to be respectable. This woman put aside every ounce of pride, humbled herself, and fell at the feet of Jesus. And Jesus forgave her. The Bible says:

(James 4:8-10 LSB) DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU. CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, you SINNERS, and PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, you double-minded. [9] BE MISERABLE AND MOURN AND CRY. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, and HE WILL EXALT YOU.

There is no such thing as a joyful, giggling salvation. The one who repents, repents with bitter tears. We previously studied the Parable Of The Four Soils (Of The Sower), and saw that the one who receives the Gospel on rocky ground:

(Matthew 13:20-21 ESV) As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the ONE WHO HEARS THE WORD and IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES IT WITH JOY, [21] yet he HAS NO ROOT IN HIMSELF, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, IMMEDIATELY HE FALLS AWAY.

Simon the Pharisee received Jesus with joy. He begged the Master to come to his home and eat with him. But once the Master came, Simon spent his time with Jesus judging the Lord and judging the sinner. He was a seeker of Christ, but he never wept bitter tears. Beloved, I want you to know this, for it is all of Scripture and all of the Holy Spirit. If your repentance did not include tears. If you giggled your way down the altar, or considered God to be blessed in saving you,

then you are yet dead in your sins.

The one who is saved grieves that Jesus had to suffer and die as He did for us. The one who is saved hates sin, but wants other sinners like themselves to be saved. The one who is saved does not spend their days judging the unfortunate. But like Jesus, we are not ashamed to reach out and touch the leper.

(Luke 7:48-50 KJV) {Jesus} said unto her, THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN. [49] And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? [50] And he said to the woman, THY FAITH HATH SAVED THEE; GO IN PEACE.

Are you a seeking Simon, or a saved Simon? May God the Holy Spirit convict you and assure you of your salvation this very day. Amen.

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Parables On Prayer

Posted on June 1, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Wietse Jongsma on Unsplash

(Luke 18:1-6 KJV) And {Jesus} spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; [2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: [3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. [4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; [5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. [6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

Jesus, Though God, Made Prayer A Priority

We studied this morning about our Lord Jesus. He is not just a Man, not just a Teacher. Jesus is God Incarnate, God in the Flesh. Jesus is the manifest Word of God:

(John 1:1-3, 14 KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; and WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE. … [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is a mystery to us that God can become Man. Paul wrote, “God was MANIFEST IN THE FLESH” (1 Timothy 3:16), and “In Jesus dwells ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD IN BODY FORM” (1 Colossians 2:9).

God became Man – Perfect Man – to show us how God expects His creation to live. What did Jesus show us? The need to pray.

People in the Church today consider the “Wednesday Prayer Meeting” to be an unnecessary interruption in a busy week. I have seen Christians in this Church get up and leave while prayers are being lifted up to Heaven. According to one survey, “Only 10 percent of Christians aged 18 to 30 pray daily compared to 37 percent of Christians over 50 years old”. When asked “how long do you pray when you pray, most Christians surveyed said less than one minute”.

How did Jesus model praying? After feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish, the Bible says:

(Matthew 14:23 LSB) {Jesus} sent the crowds away, HE WENT UP ON THE MOUNTAIN BY HIMSELF TO PRAY; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

How long did Jesus pray? (Luke 6:12 LSB) {Jesus} went off to the mountain to pray, and HE WAS SPENDING THE WHOLE NIGHT IN PRAYER TO GOD.

Jesus often “rose early in the morning, while still dark, and went out into a desolate place. There Jesus prayed” (Mark 1:35). The disciples saw Jesus praying so often that they came to Him and asked, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). In the Garden of Gethsemane just before His crucifixion, Jesus asked His disciples to pray with Him. Instead, they went to sleep. But Jesus prayed, asking the Father three times:

(Matthew 26:39 LSB) My Father, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME; yet not as I will, but as You will.

If God in the flesh needed to pray, why don’t we think that we need to pray? How can we hope to survive as Christians in this devil’s world without prayer?

There is no power with God without prayer. There is no peace in the storms of life without prayer. The safest place to be is in the room with God our Father, and the only way to get there is through prayer. I have heard it said God has only one Son without sin – but NO SONS without suffering. Life is suffering. Life is painful. How did Jesus deal with the stresses of life among men? Through prayer. The Holy Spirit tells us:

(Hebrews 5:7-8 LSB) {Jesus}, in the days of His flesh, OFFERED UP BOTH PRAYERS AND SUPPLICATIONS WITH LOUD CRYING AND TEARS to the One able to save Him from death, and HE WAS HEARD BECAUSE OF HIS REVERENCE. [8] Although He was a Son, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE FROM THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED.

What Is The Master Teaching Us About Prayer?

(Luke 18:1 KJV) {Jesus} spake a parable unto them [to this end], that MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, and NOT TO FAINT

What is our default position when life is tough, when things do not go our way? How do we respond when we walk “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4)? Sadly, most Christians follow the way of the lost. We “FAINT”. The word rendered “FAINT” is the Greek ekkakeō, which means “to fail in heart, to be utterly spiritless, exhausted, or wearied”. Those who do not pray, who do not build a habit of prayer (“pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18), will eventually fall into absolute despair and possible suicide.

Illustrate: When Elijah was threatened by Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2) he did not go to God in prayer, but surrendered to his fears and began to run for his life. Fleeing into the wilderness Elijah became ekkakeō. Only then he prayed a prayer of dejection and despair, saying

(1 Kings 19:4 LSB) It is enough; now, O Yahweh, TAKE MY LIFE, for I AM NOT BETTER THAN MY FATHERS.

Illustrate: When Moses was at Kadesh and the people rebelled (Numbers 20:1-8) he and Aaron went to God in prayer. God told them to speak to the rock, and water would come out. As Moses stood before the rock he became ekkakeō, and rather than praying and doing as God said he struck the rock … and lost the Promised Land.

Illustrate: But when Nehemiah, the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes I, king of Persia, heard how destroyed Jerusalem was, what did he do? The Bible says:

(Nehemiah 1:4 LSB) … when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I WAS FASTING AND PRAYING BEFORE THE GOD OF HEAVEN.

Nehemiah did not become ekkakeō. He took the burden to God our Father. Nehemiah knew that there was nothing he could do to fix Jerusalem, but he also knew that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27). Meeting with the King the next day God opened the heart of Artaxerxes, who in turn funded a rescue mission headed by Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem.

Jesus said “MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, and NOT TO FAINT”. What did He mean by “MEN OUGHT ALWAYS {pantote} TO PRAY”? Some have read this passage and said that prayer should then be a series of meaningless chants or repetition. No, this is not prayer. Jesus said:

(Matthew 6:7-8 LSB) … when you are praying, DO NOT USE MEANINGLESS REPETITION as the Gentiles do, for THEY SUPPOSE THAT THEY WILL BE HEARD FOR THEIR MANY WORDS. [8] Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

God does not want you to use a rosary, to use memorized by rote prayers, saying these things over and over again. “Pray without ceasing” means to be in a constant state of willingness and openness to prayer.

We should not allow ourselves to get into a state of ekkakeō. We should always be in a spirit of readiness to pray – and to seek opportunities to pray.

When Moses was leading Israel to the Promised Land, he prayed “God, if You will not go with me, please do not take us there” (Exodus 33:15). The Christian should be like this. We should keep our hand on the hilt of the prayer sword, ever ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. We should be praying and praising God as we walk through our daily lives. We praise God for His mercy daily. The Apostle said:

(2 Corinthians 4:1 KJV) Therefore seeing we have this ministry, AS WE HAVE RECEIVED MERCY, we FAINT (ekkakeō) not

It was only by staying in constant contact with God that the Apostles withstood the darkness, and brought the Light of Christ into the bleakest of places. When Paul received the thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to attack him (2 Corinthians 12:7), he prayed THREE TIMES that that thorn be removed. God answered his prayer simply:

2 Corinthians 12:9 … MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: for MY STRENGTH is MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.

We should, like Paul, pray over our trials until we receive an answer from God. If it be God’s will that our suffering not be alleviated, if this is His will, we should know and understand that His answer is from His loving heart. C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

“Daniel prayed with his windows opened daily and at regular intervals. (King David wrote) “Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:164). David declared that at, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17)” We should pray at the birth, and pray at the funeral. We should pray when our soul is glad within us by reason of abundant mercy, and we should pray when our soul draws nigh unto the gates of death by reason of heaviness. We should pray in all transactions, whether secular or religious. Prayer should sanctify everything.”

Jesus Uses A Lesser To Greater Comparison
For Prayer

(Luke 18:2-3 KJV) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: [3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, AVENGE ME OF MINE ADVERSARY.

Jesus often used lesser to greater illustrations to make His point. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and delights to hear our prayers. “The PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS is God’s delight” (Proverbs 15:8). “God HEARS THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS” (Proverbs 15:29). Jesus doesn’t use God the Father in this illustration, but a godless and hateful man of power, a Judge whose job it was to protect the inhabitants of his city. This man got in office by deceit, by lies, and once in office his true colors showed. He is like many politicians we have today who “love Jesus” while on the campaign trail, but once in office they are godless. This man had no fear of God. He had no working conscience. Like those the Apostle condemned, this man delighted in …

(1 Timothy 4:1-2 CSB) … deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, [2] through the hypocrisy of liars WHOSE CONSCIENCES ARE SEARED.

His conscience was dead from sin. He cared nothing for God. And caring nothing for God, he “neither regarded man”. He didn’t care about his charges, his city. He cared about his paycheck. He cared about his comfort. But this wicked judge used his position for his benefit, and for none other.

Then a widow came to him, to his court.

This lonely woman had no son, no daughter, no husband to protect her. She just had the Law. But the Law had abandoned her. In Jesus’ day there were scribes and Pharisees who:

Mark 12:40 (AP) DEVOUR WIDOWS HOUSES while pretending to be prayer warriors

God commanded His people “You shall not afflict a widow, or an orphan” (Exodus 22:22). Yet wickedness creeps in where people do not pray and seek God’s face. This widow lost everything, and now some religious people were looking to rob her of her home. So she has no avenger, no one to count on.

Except a wicked and godless Judge.

The woman shows up in his courtroom one day. “Avenge me of my adversary”. God has said that He “visits the widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). Step in, Judge. Stop the seizure of my property. Help me out. The Judge looks at her and says,

(Luke 18:3-4 KJV) … she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. [4] And HE WOULD NOT FOR A WHILE

“I WILL NOT HELP YOU”. Perhaps the Judge was complicit in the attacks on the widow. Perhaps a friend of his was taking advantage of her, robbing her of her last penny. “Get out of my court!”. And he had the bailiff throw her out.

(Luke 18:4-5 KJV) And {The Judge} WOULD NOT FOR A WHILE: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; [5] Yet BECAUSE THIS WIDOW TROUBLETH ME, I will avenge her, lest BY HER CONTINUAL COMING SHE WEARY ME.

The next day court was in session, here comes the widow. She waits her turn, and when called on repeats, “Avenge me of mine adversary”. Do your job. Take care of the citizens under your care. But the Judge neither fears God nor cares about people. “Toss her out, Bailiff! I ruled on this yesterday! Lock the courthouse doors. I’m tired of this.” When the day is over, and the Judge heads out, who do you think is standing on the courthouse steps? The widow. Her plea, “Avenge me of mine adversary”. Do your job. The Judge hurries home, and the woman follows him, crying out “Avenge me of mine adversary”. He gets home, and slams the door shut in her face. All night long she stands in the street, crying out “Avenge me of mine adversary”. This man is a monster. He knows he is a monster, and doesn’t care. He even brags on how bad he is, saying “I fear not God, nor regard man”. And day after day the widow will not relent. Then one day the Judge says,

Luke 18:5 BECAUSE THIS WIDOW TROUBLETH ME, I will avenge her, lest BY HER CONTINUAL COMING SHE WEARY {hypōpiazō} ME

Word Study: This corrupt Judge would not hear this widow until she persisted. She had no where else to go, and demanded that the Judge do his job. What is amusing about what the Judge says is found in the word “WEARY”. This is the Greek hypōpiazō, which means “to beat with a belt or a fist until it is black and blue, bruised and spotted”. What the Judge was saying is “This woman has WHIPPED me with her pleas. I don’t care about God. I really don’t care about her. But if she keeps coming, I’m going to be black and blue!”

If the widow could change the heart of the godless Judge with her persistent pleas, then God the Father Who loves us will hear us much more readily. The widow was a stranger to the Judge. We are children of the Heavenly Father.

Jesus said:

(Luke 18:6-8 KJV) … the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. [7] And SHALL NOT GOD AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT, which CRY DAY AND NIGHT UNTO HIM, though He bear long with them? [8] I tell you that HE WILL AVENGE THEM SPEEDILY.

Word Study: The godless Judge had to be forced to do what he did, and he was forced by prayers. But our Heavenly Father loves us. We are “HIS OWN ELECT”. The word “ELECT” is the Greek eklektos, which means “those who are chosen, who are appointed”. God died for us on the Cross. God the Son took our sins on Himself, and invited us into His Kingdom. God made a way for us who had no way. And when we received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, we were adopted into His family. When the widow pled with the godless Judge, she provoked him, angered him, inconvenienced him, and infuriated him. But when God’s children cry out to Him, He is pleased and not provoked. God hears us when we pray. The prayers of God’s children are ever before Him. When John was allowed to look into Heaven, what did he see?

(Revelation 5:8 LSB) And when {Jesus} had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and GOLDEN BOWLS FULL OF INCENSE, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.

Incense is a fragrant thing that, when burned, brings a beautiful perfume into the room. The prayers of the saints, of God’s children, is like incense. It’s kind of like those air fresheners you hear people have today, like Febreeze®. Who is it that “smells” the smoke of the incense? We are told in:

(Revelation 8:4 LSB) And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints, out of the angel’s hand, BEFORE GOD.

God the Father loves to hear our prayers. And our prayers do not need to be long. The widow’s request – made in public – was simple and to the point. “Avenge me of mine adversary”. Just five words!

Private prayer can be continuous, but public prayer should be short and to the point. The woman stated her case succinctly, and stayed on point until her request was answered. The woman did not give the Judge reasons to answer her request. She did not refer to herself as better than her adversary. She just asked, “Avenge me of mine adversary”. In like manner, we need to approach our Heavenly Father knowing we deserve nothing, but also knowing that He is infinitely loving and will do that which is best for us. Jesus ends this parable with:

(Luke 18:8 KJV) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMETH, SHALL HE FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?

Jesus defined faith by persistent prayer. It’s not by showy prayer that we please God. It is by persistent prayer that faith grows. Jesus follows this parable with another concerning two men.

Are You A Lost Pharisee, Or A Saved Publican?

(Luke 18:9-14 KJV) And he spake this parable unto certain which TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS, AND DESPISED OTHERS: [10] Two men went up into the temple TO PRAY; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

This parable is very much connected with the parable of the godless Judge. Faith persists in prayer, seeking God’s face. But there a fake faith, a Pharisee’s faith. It looks good. It’s all dressed up. It’s religion, one of the most awful things on the planet earth. Jesus hated religion. It was religious people who hindered Him, and who fought against the spreading of the Gospel. It was religious people who falsely accused Jesus, and turned Him over to the politicians to be crucified. Notice how religion prays:

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus WITH HIMSELF

The religious do not pray to God. They pray to idols. They pray to themselves. They don’t care about God’s Kingdom, but about their own exaltation. Religious people glorify themselves, and seek applause. They are all about spreading how great they are, not how good God is. Notice how religion’s prayer opens:

God, I thank Thee

Religion does not come with repentance, nor does it come with the Grace of God. Religion does not speak to God but god. It is self sufficient, and needs nothing but applause. What does religion thank God for? Grace? No!

I thank thee, that I am NOT AS OTHER MEN ARE, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican

Oh, how it sickens me to see self righteous preachers decry others, saying how good they themselves are, mocking the broken. I have heard preachers set unrealistic standards of religious holier than thou nonsense. Brothers, we are all broken!

Religion will not REPENT, will not BEND the knee to God – but it will BRAG and BOAST.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Religion does the easy things. But religion does not love. Religion does not love the enemy, nor does it love its neighbor. Why? Because religion is not of faith, but of foolishness. But Beloved, how did the elect of God pray? Did he stand up and crow like a rooster with a red comb? No, here’s what the elect look like. Here’s how a sinner saved by Grace prays.

the publican, standing afar off, would NOT LIFT UP SO MUCH AS HIS EYES UNTO HEAVEN, but SMOTE upon his breast, saying, GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER.

The saved person, the elect Child of God is humble in prayer. And notice that his public prayer is full of repentance, short, and to the point. “GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER”. I’m broken. What I want more than anything else is to be part of Your kingdom, O Lord. I want to walk with You, to talk with You, to be in your Presence every single day I live on this earth. Jesus asked, and tied His question to His Second Coming:

Will there be faith on the earth when I, the Son of man, return?

Will there? Will there be faith in America when Jesus returns? Or will America be like those nations that rejected God, nations like the Amorites, the Hittites, the Philistines, the Edomites, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Midianites, the Amalekites, the Assyrians and Babylonians? We will not last as a nation if we do not get serious about prayer. Amen.

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Why Did Jesus Come?

Posted on May 31, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Mauro Gigli on Unsplash

John 1:11-13 {Jesus Christ} came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

What Is The Main Objective?

If you ask a follower of Islam, “What is the main reason Muhammad came?”, they will quote the Quran, saying: “to call people from idolatry to worship Allah alone” (Quran 112:1).

If you ask a follower of Hinduism, “What is the main objective of Hinduism?”, they will quote their sacred texts. “The Bhagavad Gita teaches that attaining God frees a person from repeated birth and death (8:15-16) by bringing you into union with the ultimate reality” (Brahman/god. See Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10).

If you ask a follower of Buddhism, “What is the primary purpose of Buddhism?”, they will tell you “To attain nirvana, which liberates you from suffering, desire, ignorance, and the cycle of rebirth” (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Dhammapada 203).

But if you ask a follower of Jesus Christ, “Why did Jesus come to this earth? What is the primary purpose of the Christian?”, many of the people you ask will answer from a standpoint of self-centeredness. When I ask, “Why are you a Christian?” many will say one of these two statements:

1. So I can go to Heaven and not hell. (Future blessing)
2. So that God can heal me and make my life better. (Temporary blessing)

It’s certain that the Christian will not go to hell. Jesus said:

(John 5:24 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and BELIEVES IN HIM WHO SENT ME HAS EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into judgment, but has PASSED FROM DEATH INTO LIFE.

Those who leave this life without having received Jesus will abide in a state of spiritual death. The spiritually dead go to an eternal place of condemnation – first, to Hell, and after the Great White Throne to a Lake of Fire. But those who receive Jesus are destined not to that place of death, but to a place where life is celebrated, and rejoicing is forever more. So yes, the Christian has a future blessing coming. But this is not the main reason Jesus came from Heaven to this earth.

And I believe that those who receive Jesus will receive temporary blessings. But being a Christian does not free you from temporary suffering. Jesus said:

John 16:33 in the world YOU SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION

2 Timothy 3:12 … ALL THAT LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION

(Philippians 1:29 NKJV) For TO YOU IT HAS BEEN GRANTED on behalf of Christ, NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE IN HIM, but ALSO TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE

Christians suffer, just as unbelievers suffer. So that’s not the reason Jesus came. So WHY did Jesus come?

Jesus Came To This Earth To Make Sons Of God

John 1:11-12 {Jesus Christ} came unto His own, and His own received Him not. 12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD

When Jesus came as the Christ, the Messiah, the Pharisees were constantly attacking Him. The Pharisees thought that they could bring about the Kingdom of God by spreading the Law and requiring people strictly adhere to it. One day ten lepers came to Jesus to be healed. The Bible says they stood far off and cried out to Jesus,

(Luke 17:13-14 NKJV) “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” [14] So when He saw [them], {Jesus} said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that AS THEY WENT, THEY WERE CLEANSED.

Jesus commanded them. The ten lepers believed His command, and went to the priests. But notice what happens next:

(Luke 17:15-16 NKJV) And ONE OF THEM, when he saw that he was healed, RETURNED, and WITH A LOUD VOICE GLORIFIED GOD, [16] and FELL DOWN ON HIS FACE AT JESUS’ FEET, giving Him thanks. And HE WAS A SAMARITAN.

Did you see that? Jesus healed all ten lepers. All ten lepers believed Jesus could heal them, but only ONE came back. Who was the ONE who came back? A Samaritan. A Gentile. The Gentile returned to Jesus. The Gentile glorified God with a LOUD VOICE. The Gentile humbled himself, and worshiped his Savior. The Gentile thanked Jesus for what He did. Our focal text today said:

John 1:11 {Jesus Christ} came unto His own, and HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.

Jesus came to fulfill the promises that God made to Israel. He came to fulfill the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus healed NINE Jewish lepers and ONE Gentile leper. When this one comes back, Jesus says:

(Luke 17:17-18 NKJV) Were there not ten cleansed? But where [are] the nine? [18] Were there not any found who RETURNED TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD EXCEPT THIS FOREIGNER?

Only the Gentile returned. Only the “foreigner” to the promises of Israel came back. Then Jesus says – and please pay attention to this:

(Luke 17:19 NKJV) {Jesus} said to {the Gentile}, “Arise, go your way. YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WHOLE {sōzō}”

Word Study: Most every version of Scripture I find mistranslates the Greek sōzō. The translators look at the healing of the lepers and translate sōzō as:

Your faith has made you WELL
or Your faith has made you WHOLE
or Your faith has HEALED you

Though sōzō can be translated that way, it’s first use in the New Testament is in

Matthew 1:21 … {Mary} will bring forth a Son, and YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS, for HE WILL SAVE {sōzō} HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS

Jesus told this Gentile NOT “your faith has healed you”, for the other nine Jews were healed and DID NOT RETURN TO JESUS. That statement would make no sense. ALL TEN WERE HEALED. But only ONE, the Gentile, returns to Jesus and glorifies God.

Jesus is not telling the Gentile “You faith has HEALED you”, but “Your faith has SAVED you”. This man is not just changed on the outside. He is changed ON THE INSIDE. This is what Jesus came to do, to SAVE us, to CHANGE us from the way the nine behaved, and make us like the Gentile.

Right after Jesus blessed the Gentile ex-leper who returned to glorify God, the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”, Jesus told them:

(Luke 17:20-21 NKJV) … The KINGDOM OF GOD DOES NOT COME WITH OBSERVATION; [21] nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.

Here is why Jesus Christ came to this earth. He came NOT to give us temporary healing (though He will). But Jesus came to do much more. Jesus came to SAVE US FROM OURSELVES. Every one of us are at heart, born into this world self-centered and me first. Every one of us – from the cradle to the grave if we do not find Jesus – are our own gods. We want what we want when we want it. Jesus Christ came to “SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS”. He came to free us from the enslavement of sin. He came to make us “new creations”. The Bible says:

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) Therefore, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

(Galatians 6:15 NKJV) For IN CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, BUT A NEW CREATION.

John 1:12 … as many as RECEIVED {Jesus}, to them gave He power TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, even to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:

Jesus Christ came to this earth to make sons of God, to re-create us from our selfish ways and to bring us into the Kingdom of God. Those who are in the Kingdom of God return to Jesus. Those who are in the kingdom of God are changed from the inside out. The Law cannot do that. We cannot fix ourselves. Jesus told the Pharisees:

(Matthew 23:25-28 NKJV) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For YOU CLEANSE THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH, but INSIDE they are FULL OF EXTORTION AND SELF-INDULGENCE. [26] Blind Pharisee, FIRST CLEANSE THE INSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH, that the outside of them may be clean also. [27] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed APPEAR BEAUTIFUL OUTWARDLY, but INSIDE ARE FULL OF DEAD BONES AND ALL UNCLEANNESS [28] “Even so you also OUTWARDLY appear righteous to men, but INSIDE you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

So many people who profess Christianity do not have Christ. Outwardly – like the Pharisees – they look good. But INWARDLY they are without God. Like the followers of Islam, of Buddha, of Hinduism they have a man made self made religion. And God in His Grace heals them. I have known Jesus to heal many who have no concern or care in following Him. That’s the kindness and mercy of God. God often heals and reaches out to those who have no love for Jesus, because …

(2 Peter 3:9 LSB) The Lord is … PATIENT TOWARD YOU, NOT WILLING FOR ANY TO PERISH but for ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.

Jesus reaches out to every person, no matter who they are, or what state they are in. Jesus offers salvation to whosoever will. Jesus came to this earth to make sons of God. Jesus came to this earth to change us from sin enslaved self -centered monsters into children of the Most High.

Jesus Christ came to make a family on this earth, to bring the Kingdom of God to whosoever will. He suffered not just to save us from a future hell, but to save us from a present hell and detachment from God.

The Bible says:

(Hebrews 2:9-17 LSB) But we do see {Jesus} who was made for a little while lower than the angels—JESUS, BECAUSE OF THE SUFFERING OF DEATH, crowned with glory and honor, so that BY THE GRACE OF GOD HE MIGHT TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYONE. [10] For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. [11] For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One; for which reason HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO CALL THEM BROTHERS, [12] saying, “I WILL RECOUNT YOUR NAME TO MY BROTHERS, IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.” [13] And again, “I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.” And again, “BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.” [14] Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and might free those who through fear of death were SUBJECT TO SLAVERY ALL THEIR LIVES. [16] For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but JESUS GIVES HELP TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM. [17] Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Jesus didn’t just die to bring us to Heaven. He died to bring the kingdom of Heaven to us, to change us internally, to make us new creations, children of God.

What Must WE Do To Become Sons Of God?

John 1:12 … as many as RECEIVED {Jesus}, to them gave He power TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, even to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:

To become a new creature, a child of God, we “RECEIVE” Jesus. We do not receive what we think Jesus is. We receive Jesus as He actually is. The Gentile Leper that came back to Jesus was declared saved by our Lord. What did that Leper do? He returned to Jesus. He glorified God unashamedly and loudly. He humbled himself before Jesus, worshiping Him. He tanked Jesus and was grateful for what the Lord did for Him.

Who is the Jesus YOU believe in? Is it the Jesus of the Bible, or the Jesus of your imagination? The Bible tells us Who Jesus is in this very chapter.

(John 1:1 KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God.

Jesus is called “THE Word of God”. Not A Word of God, but THE Word of God. When God speaks to man, He speaks to us through Jesus. God does not speak to us through Muhammad. God does not speak to us through Hinduism, nor Buddhism. God does not speak to us through Joseph Smith, or Mary Baker Eddy. God does not speak to us through some Papal Bull. God speaks to us THROUGH JESUS.

(John 1:18 KJV) No man hath seen God at any time; the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, which IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER, HE HATH DECLARED {THE FATHER}.

Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son. He was in the beginning with God. He was there at the creation of this earth. The Father planned creation. The Son spoke creation. The Holy Spirit moved on creation.

(John 1:3 KJV) All things were made by {Jesus}; and WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE.

The Father planned, and Jesus made it happen. Jesus is The Word of God. When God said “Let there be Light”, it was Jesus speaking – and “there was light” (Genesis 1:3). When God said “let there be a division in the midst of the waters” (Genesis 1:6), it was Jesus speaking. At every step of creation, when God spoke, the WORD WAS GOD. As creatures were formed, it was Jesus Who made them by the Voice of His mouth. The Bible is clear:

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV) For BY {JESUS} ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. And HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, and IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER.

To receive Jesus is to receive Him as He is. The Leper on seeing Jesus upon his return fell on his face and worshiped Him. Jesus Christ is the One and Only God the Son, God in the flesh. He was there at creation. It was Jesus that walked in the Garden every evening with Adam and Eve. It was Jesus Who commanded, “You may eat of every tree BUT THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL – for in the day you do it, YOU WILL DIE”. Adam heard Jesus, disobeyed Jesus, and plunged humanity into a sea of sin. The Bible says:

(Hebrews 1:1-2 NKJV) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, [2] has in these last days SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, whom He has appointed heir of all things, THROUGH WHOM HE ALSO MADE THE WORLDS

The Prophets heard the Voice of God, the Word of God, and shared that Word with the Old Testament Saints. When Jesus came He spoke the Word of God DIRECTLY to us. Jesus is Lord.

Saving faith believes Jesus is Lord, that He is God. The Nine Lepers believed Jesus could heal, but the Tenth Leper believed and received Jesus as God in the flesh. He is the Word of God. Jesus is:

God’s self expression
The One Who manifests God
The One through Whom all things are created, and
God’s will made flesh.

A Centurion came to Jesus one day and asked that Jesus heal his servant (Matthew 8:6). Jesus told this Gentile General, “I will come and heal him”. But the Centurion said:

(Matthew 8:8-10, 13 NKJV) … Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But ONLY SPEAK A WORD, and MY SERVANT WILL BE HEALED. [9] For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this [one], ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does [it].” [10] When Jesus heard [it], He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I HAVE NOT FOUND SUCH GREAT FAITH, not even in Israel! … [13] Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and AS YOU HAVE BELIEVED, SO LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

The Centurion saw Jesus as the Word of God. Not just a teacher, not just a rabbi, but the Living Word of God. The Centurion RECEIVED Jesus as He is. He is Lord.

John 1:12 as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:

Only God can make a Christian. Only God can change us from the inside out. Our part in salvation is to “BELIEVE ON HIS NAME”. To believe that Jesus is the One and Only Son of God. To believe that, as God, Jesus can re-create us. Jesus is the Living Word of God, the Scripture the written Word of God.

Beloved, You Must Be Born Again

John 1:12-13 But as many as received {Jesus}, to them gave He POWER TO BECOME SONS OF GOD, even to them that believe on His name: 13 Which were born, NOT OF BLOOD, NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.

Dear ones, we cannot make ourselves Christians. God must make us Christians. And God will, if you believe and receive Jesus Christ as He is. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In our first birth we were born spiritually dead and disconnected from God. But Jesus came to change that. God became man so He could take the penalty of man’s sin on Himself.

(1 Peter 2:22-24 NKJV) Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; [23] who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; [24] who Himself BORE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.

Sinless God died for us. When we repent, turning away from our sins and selfishness, and turn toward Jesus receiving Him as He is, He gives us POWER TO BECOME SONS OF GOD. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit of God to us. He causes us to be “BORN AGAIN”. We are born again “NOT OF BLOOD”. It has nothing to do with your earthly family. It has nothing to do with your color, your race, your tribe. It doesn’t matter whether you are from riches or from poverty. Jesus died for whosoever will. Your new birth is “NOR OF THE WILL OF THE FLESH”. You cannot will yourself born again. You cannot do a DIY type of Christianity, like the Pharisees do. You must admit and acknowledge your brokenness, your leprosy of sin, and cry out to Jesus. Your new birth is also “NOT OF THE WILL OF MAN”.

As much as I would like to save you, I cannot.
No Catholic priest can save you.
No Church of Christ water baptism will save you.
No good thing you would do can save you.
If you save yourself, you are no more than a Pharisee.
And Pharisees are hypocrites.

Jesus told us in …

(Matthew 5:20 NKJV) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, you will by NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

The only thing that will get you into the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, is a flawless righteousness. You must have the righteousness that you receive by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When you do, Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to your life. You will receive “POWER TO BECOME SONS OF GOD”.

Jesus came to make sons of God. He came to not just bring us to an eventual Heaven, but to bring the kingdom of God into our hearts. Do you know Him? Oh, how I pray you do! If the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to your inability and your brokenness, I pray you will receive Jesus – the Word of God – as He is. He is Lord. He is Savior. And He came to bring you into the Family of God. Amen.

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The Parable Of The Marriage Feast

Posted on May 25, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

I love the parables of Jesus! I remember when I was a little boy, my mama or my grandma telling me stories of the Bible. When I look at a parable, I’m taken back to that time in my life. Jesus used parables to explain Bible truths. He also used parables to explain the errors of His enemies. Jesus came to this earth on a mission, and His mission was to fulfill the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus came to explain that He is the Messiah, the King of Kings, and that where He is received and believed there is the Kingdom of God. Today we’ll be looking at Jesus’ Parable of the Marriage Feast. Read with me:

(Matthew 22:1-2 KJV) And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, [2] The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son

The “Parable of the Wedding Feast” in Matthew (which we’ll study next week) was given by Jesus in Jerusalem during the final week of His life on this earth. We are told in:

Matthew 21:23 (KJV) And when {Jesus} WAS COME INTO THE TEMPLE, the CHIEF PRIESTS and the ELDERS {the Sanhedrin, Ruling Council of the Jews} of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? and who gave thee this authority?

Jesus had just cleansed the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13) casting out the money changers and the profiteers. Right after this Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and the leaders of Israel “The Parable of Two Sons” (Matthew 21:28-32) and “The Parable of the Landowner” (Matthew 21:33-44).

It’s important that you understand this, because our text tells us:

(Matthew 22:1 KJV) And Jesus ANSWERED {apokrinomai} and SPAKE UNTO THEM again by parables

Word Study: When you read “Jesus ANSWERED”, this is the Greek apokrinomai which means “to give an answer to a question that was proposed”. Someone asked Jesus a question. So we look back in our context to see who asked Jesus a question. And we read:

Matthew 21:45-46 (KJV) And when the CHIEF PRIESTS and PHARISEES had heard His parables, THEY PERCEIVED THAT HE SPAKE OF THEM. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they FEARED THE MULTITUDE, because THEY TOOK HIM FOR A PROPHET {prophētēs}.

The question the Priests and Pharisees asked Jesus was “How DARE YOU speak to us like this!?” But the multitude also has a question, which is, “Jesus, are You a Prophet?”

In the previous chapter the people limited Jesus, saying:

Matthew 21:11 This is Jesus the PROPHET of Nazareth of Galilee.

So to the crowd, Jesus was just a Prophet from a little town in Galilee. But to the Pharisees and Priests, Jesus was a nuisance, a usurper, Someone who was ruining their reputations and their business. So Jesus answered them. He answered what was in their hearts.

(Matthew 22:2 KJV) The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE unto a certain KING, which MADE A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON

Jesus is not just a lowly Prophet. He is the Son of the King of Heaven. Jesus used the phrases “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Kingdom of God” interchangeably (see Matthew 19:23-24). So in this parable Jesus is going to explain WHY He is on the earth. Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of God) to us. That’s what He’s here for. And Jesus uses a Marriage Feast of a King’s Son to describe the Kingdom of God. The “KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” is LIKENED TO A MARRIAGE FEAST.

In our world today, marriage is much more different than it was in Jesus’ day. In Jesus’ world marriages were arranged for the children by the adults. In Genesis chapter 24 Abraham arranged a marriage for his son Isaac. He told his servant:

(Genesis 24:4 NKJV) … but you (my servant) shall go to my country and to my family, and TAKE A WIFE FOR MY SON ISAAC.

We get married today when the man falls in love with a woman, asks her, and she agrees to the marriage (at least, that’s how my wife and I did it). But among the ancients marriages were arranged through the parents. Abraham had his servant find Rebekah (Genesis 24:15-16) for Isaac. Isaac took her as wife, and was comforted by her (Genesis 24:67). When Samson wanted a wife, he demanded his parents bring him a Philistine woman (Judges 14:1-2).

In Biblical and ancient Eastern culture, marriages were family arranged. They were not primary individual romantic choices.

That’s what Jesus means by “The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE unto a certain KING, which MADE {poieō} A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON”. The King is the AUTHOR of the marriage. Marriage is a COVENANT, a BOND between two parties. The Son didn’t arrange this marriage. The KING, the Father of the Son, arranged the marriage.

When Jesus came to this world, He came because the Heavenly Father arranged for Him to come. Both Jesus and the Father are equally God. We are all familiar with the Scripture:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the WORD WAS WITH GOD, and the WORD WAS GOD.

Jesus Christ is both WITH God and IS God. We’re told later in the text:

John 1:14 And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH and dwelt among us …

God the Son took upon Himself flesh. God became man. The Father said to Jesus, “Thy THRONE, O GOD, is forever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8). Jesus Christ is not just a small town prophet. He is, as Thomas declared, “My LORD and my GOD” (John 20:28). Jesus said,

John 10:30 I and My Father ARE ONE

So we have in this parable a King arranging a MARRIAGE for His Son. This is what the Father did with Jesus. The Father sent the Son to arrange a marriage, a covenant to another. Jesus was SENT to this earth by the Father. The Scripture says:

John 3:17 GOD SENT NOT HIS SON into the world to condemn the world; but that THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED.

John 6:38 I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, not to do mine own will, but the WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME.

The Father arranged the coming of Jesus Christ. The Father had the Holy Spirit create the humanity of Christ. Jesus, as all good Sons of that day, would heed His Father.

The Marriage Was Only Part Of The Marriage Feast

Marriage in ancient world was not only arranged by the Fathers, but it was also accompanied with a time of celebration. In our world there’s the marriage, then the reception afterwards – then the Bride and Groom go off. But among those of Jesus’ day celebrations lasted anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. In this parable this is a royal wedding – so it will last for a long time!

The KING in this parable the the Heavenly Father, the SON is Jesus Christ. The MARRIAGE is the union that occurs when the invitation of the Gospel is received and believed.

The Heavenly Father sends out servants to call people to the wedding.

(Matthew 22:3 KJV) And {the King} SENT FORTH {apostellō} His servants to CALL THEM THAT WERE BIDDEN to the wedding: and THEY WOULD NOT COME.

Word Study: I want you to read this very carefully with me. The King did not send out an invitation with the servants. He “SENT FORTH” the servants to “CALL THEM THAT WERE BIDDEN”. In other words, an invitation had already been sent out. The invitation was hand delivered to them that there was a wedding that was going to occur. They knew it was coming. When the King “SENT OUT” the servants, this is the Greek apostellō which means “to send an authoritative message, a demand from the King”. Notice how close the Greek verb apostellō is to the noun apostolos, which means “An Apostle”. These servants are going out with an Apostolic Message. The message is, “The Wedding is ready! You’ve known about it in advance, and now it is time for you to come.”

Israel knew all about the coming of the Messiah. God promised the Messiah in the Old Testament, in the Bible that the Jews of that day read and knew. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He said:

(John 5:39-47 NKJV) You SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, for in them you think you have eternal life; and THESE ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME. [40] But YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO COME TO ME THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE. [41] I do not receive honor from men. [42] But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. [43] I HAVE COME IN MY FATHER’S NAME, and YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ME; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. [44] How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that [comes] from the only God? [45] Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is [one] who accuses you–Moses, in whom you trust. [46] IF YOU BELIEVED MOSES, YOU WOULD BELIEVE ME; for HE WROTE ABOUT ME. [47] But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

God gave us the Old Testament writings that foretold the coming of the Son, and the marriage that Jesus would offer us. Jesus told Israel, “All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). God did not keep the wedding feast secret. For hundreds of years Israel knew of the coming Messiah. The Old Testament scriptures, the prophecies, the types and shadows, the promises God made, the animal sacrifices … all these things made the coming of the Messiah clear.

When Jesus came, He came miraculously born. He ministered miracles that only God could do. He taught masters of theology the Bible, having had no formal training. To any who would open their heart, Jesus is the Messiah. Would they come?

(Matthew 22:3 KJV) … THEY WOULD NOT COME.

The King of Heaven told them that He was bringing His Son to this earth, and inviting them into a close personal relationship with Him. And THEY WOULD NOT COME.

(Matthew 22:4 KJV) Again, He (God the Father) sent forth OTHER SERVANTS, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I HAVE PREPARED MY DINNER: My oxen and [My] fatlings [are] killed, and ALL THINGS ARE READY: COME UNTO THE MARRIAGE.

Israel ignored the Old Testament prophets. They ignored the clear invitation. So God sent “OTHER SERVANTS”. He sent John the Baptist who called people to follow the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Jesus called Apostles, who preached about Jesus. God sent Evangelists, Pastors, Gospel Messengers who spoke and bid all come to Christ. The message is very clear. God the Father tells us, “I HAVE PREPARED MY DINNER”. The sacrifices have been made. “ALL THINGS ARE READY”. You don’t need to bring anything with you. You need to,

RESPOND to the invitation. REPENT, and come to Jesus.
RECEIVE Jesus Christ in a personal, covenantal way.
He is Savior and Lord.

In today’s weddings we bring gifts, sometimes beverages and other things. But the Father of the Son tells the guests, “All I want you to bring IS YOURSELVES”. Bring your brokenness to the wedding. Bring your weakness. REPENT of your sinful life, and COMMIT to coming to the wedding. Jesus said:

John 6:40 This is the will of Him that sent Me, that EVERYONE WHO SEES THE SON, and BELIEVES ON HIM, MAY HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

“ALL THINGS ARE READY”. Jesus has come to save you. Will you “marry” Him? Will you enter into a covenant relationship with Him? You need not bring Jesus anything but your brokenness. The Scripture says:

(Titus 3:3-7 NKJV) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. [4] But when the KINDNESS AND THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR toward man appeared, [5] NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, [6] whom HE POURED OUT ON US ABUNDANTLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, [7] that having been JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE we should BECOME HEIRS according to the hope of eternal life.

When you hear that Jesus Christ died from your sins, and rose from the grave for your justification, you have an invitation from the Father through the Holy Spirit to come to the Wedding Feast. To come to Jesus by faith. To cast your life out on Him. To give Him your heart, your all. The wages of sin is DEATH, dear friends. But …

Romans 6:23 the GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

We cannot save ourselves – we must be wed to Christ by faith.

(Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV) For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; [it is] the gift of God, [9] NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Everything is ready. Just come. The Father has made all things certain.

(Matthew 22:5-6 KJV) But THEY MADE LIGHT OF IT, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: [6] And the REMNANT TOOK HIS SERVANTS, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them].

They wouldn’t come to the wedding. They wouldn’t come to Jesus. They mocked the servants, the Prophets. They killed the messengers who wrote the Scripture, and mocked the preachers. This is what Israel did, and what people do today.

And they angered the King of Heaven.

(Matthew 22:7-8 KJV) But when the King {God the Father} heard [thereof], HE WAS WROTH {orgizō} : and He sent forth His ARMIES, and DESTROYED THOSE MURDERERS, and BURNED UP THEIR CITY. [8] Then saith He to his servants, The WEDDING IS READY, but they which were bidden WERE NOT WORTHY.

It is very possible to anger God. I wish you all understood this. Most of the preaching that is popular today is of the “God is Love” kind. Yes, “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). In the parable when they rejected the call the first time, the King sent another wave of servants with another call. So yes, God is love. But God is not one dimensional. God is HOLY, the Ruler of the armies of Heaven. “HOLY, HOLY, HOLD is the LORD OF HOSTS” (Isaiah 6:3). And those who would be the enemy of God, “God is a CONSUMING FIRE” (Hebrews 12:29). God does not tolerate what He considers sinful. God determines what is right and wrong, not us, BUT GOD.

(1 John 1:5-7 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and WALK IN DARKNESS, WE LIE and do not practice the truth. [7] But if WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Israel rejected Jesus. The Pharisees and Priests rejected Jesus. They had Him nailed to a Cross with two thieves. They rejected any covenantal relationship with Him. They mocked the Son. “HIS BLOOD BE ON US, AND ON OUR CHILDREN” (Matthew 27:25). Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He told them:

(Luke 19:41-44 NKJV) Now as {Jesus} drew near, HE SAW THE CITY AND WEPT OVER IT, [42] saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things [that make] for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. [43] For DAYS WILL COME UPON YOU WHEN YOUR ENEMIES WILL BUILD AN EMBANKMENT AROUND YOU, surround you and close you in on every side, [44] AND LEVEL YOU, and YOUR CHILDREN WITHIN YOU, to the ground; and THEY WILL NOT LEAVE IN YOU ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

God will avenge His Son. Beloved, when you reject Jesus, you reject the love of God. If you mock or make light of Him, if you refuse His invitation, judgment and condemnation will come. There are many who mock Christ today, making light of the Son of God. Israel did. And God destroyed the Temple, and leveled Israel in 70 AD – just as Jesus said.

The King of Heaven said “Those I previously invited, THEY WERE NOT WORTHY” (vs 8). What did the King, the Father, mean by that? They were unworthy BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT COME. You’ve heard the invitation. All things are prepared. Just come. Just receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Believe on Him. All is ready.

So The King Went Outside Israel To Invite The Worthy

(Matthew 22:9-10 KJV) Go ye therefore into the highways, and AS MANY AS YE SHALL FIND, BID TO THE MARRIAGE. [10] So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, BOTH BAD AND GOOD: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

The Bible tells us “Jesus came UNTO HIS OWN PEOPLE, and HIS OWN PEOPLE would not receive Him” (John 1:11). So the Father sent the messengers out into the highways and hedges. The Bible promises:

(John 1:12-13 KJV) But as many as received {Jesus}, to them gave He POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, [even] to them that BELIEVE ON HIS NAME: [13] Which were BORN, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but OF GOD.

The servants made no distinction. They told “whosoever will respond” that they were welcome to the wedding feast. Notice the ones who came were:

BOTH BAD {ponēros} AND GOOD {agathos}

Word Study: The invitation to the wedding wasn’t based on your current state. The ones who were invited were the “BAD” and the “GOOD”. What does that mean? The “BAD” are the ponēros, which means “those who were full of hardship, painful people, those who were diseased or ethically wicked people”. These weren’t the best of people. Yet they received the invitation – and were blessed by Jesus. Jesus told the Pharisees and Priests:

(Matthew 21:31-32 LSB) Truly I say to you that the TAX COLLECTORS AND PROSTITUTES WILL GET INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEFORE YOU. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness and YOU DID NOT BELIEVE HIM; but the TAX COLLECTORS AND PROSTITUTES DID BELIEVE HIM; and you, seeing [this], did not even regret afterward so as to believe him.

The Pharisees were always asking Jesus, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners”? Jesus told them:

(Luke 5:31-32 LSB) [It is] not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. [32] I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

You are – none of you – worthy in yourself. But if you receive Jesus’ invitation, He will make you worthy.

Has The King Of Heaven Given You Your Righteousness?

But Jesus isn’t done with this parable. We read:

(Matthew 22:11-14 KJV) And when the King {the Father} came in to see the guests, HE SAW THERE A MAN WHICH HAD NOT ON A WEDDING GARMENT: [12] And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither NOT HAVING A WEDDING GARMENT? And he was speechless. [13] Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and CAST HIM INTO OUTER DARKNESS; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [14] For MANY ARE CALLED, but FEW ARE CHOSEN.

Think back what the King said before:

Matthew 22:4 ALL THINGS ARE READY: come unto the marriage

The guests were to bring nothing but themselves. C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

“I have already told you that all the expense lies with Him. It was a very sumptuous festival, there were oxen, and there were fatlings, but none of these were taken from the pastures, or stalls of the guests. The Gospel is an expensive business; the very heart of Christ was drained to find the price for this great festival; but it costs the sinner nothing, nothing of money, nothing of merit, nothing of preparation. You rosy come as you are to the Gospel feast, for THE ONLY WEDDING DRESS REQUIRED IS FREELY PROVIDED FOR YOU. Just as you are, you are bidden to believe in Jesus. You have nothing to do but to RECEIVE OF HIS FULLNESS, for to “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” You are not asked to contribute to the provision, but to be a feaster at the divine banquet of infinite compassion”

This man did not have a wedding dress, not because it was not provided, but because it was provided and he refused to put it on. There are many like this. “I’m good enough for Heaven. I do not need the white robe of glory. I have it on already through my good works.”

These are the words of a fool, a godless person. Your morality does not impress God. You need a white robe. The only way you can get it is to REPENT and RECEIVE Jesus as He is. The Psalmist said:

(Psalm 2:12 LSB) Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and YOU PERISH IN THE WAY, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Your only refuge is in Christ. You must “PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST” (Romans 13:14). You must put on the wedding dress if you expect to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. You must be in “washed robes made WHITE in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB” (Revelation 7:14). Who shall be with Jesus eternally? Only to those who “have WHITE ROBES GIVEN UNTO EVERY ONE OF THEM” (Revelation 6:11).

You must have Jesus. If you do not have Jesus NOW, you are in a state of condemnation NOW. If you leave this life without Jesus, you will be rejected of Heaven, and hell’s darling.

May the Holy Spirit guide you to call upon the name of Jesus and thus be saved.

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Render Right

Posted on May 15, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Walter Martin on Unsplash

(Matthew 22:15-17 KJV) Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in [his] talk. [16] And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any [man]: for thou regardest not the person of men. [17] Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus Loved His Father, Loved His People,
and Hated Corruption

Our Lord Jesus has entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cheers of the people. Jesus cleansed the Temple:

(Matthew 21:12-13 KJV) And JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and CAST OUT ALL THAT SOLD AND BOUGHT in the temple, and OVERTHREW THE TABLES OF THE MONEYCHANGERS, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, {here Jesus quoted Jeremiah 7:11 and Isaiah 56:7} My house shall be called the house of prayer; but YE HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF THIEVES.

The Pharisees and the Ruling Council of Israel, the Sanhedrin, had turned the Court of the Gentiles into a place for buying and selling. Of note were the moneychangers. When people came to worship God, Jewish men were expected to pay a Temple Tax. In effect, the Temple Tax was paid by the sons of Abraham, half a shekel going to the Kingdom of God. This was instituted in:

(Exodus 30:11-16 LSB) Yahweh also spoke to Moses, saying, [12] When YOU TAKE A CENSUS OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL TO NUMBER THEM, then each one of them shall GIVE A PRICE OF ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF to Yahweh when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. [13] This is what EVERYONE WHO IS NUMBERED SHALL GIVE: HALF A SHEKEL ACCORDING TO THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel AS A CONTRIBUTION TO YAHWEH. [14] Everyone who is numbered, from TWENTY YEARS OLD AND OVER, shall give the contribution to Yahweh. [15] The RICH SHALL NOT PAY MORE AND THE POOR SHALL NOT PAY LESS THAN THE HALF SHEKEL when you give the contribution to Yahweh to make atonement for your souls. [16] And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall GIVE IT FOR THE SERVICE OF THE TENT OF MEETING, that it may be a remembrance for the sons of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.

The purpose of the Temple Tax (called “A PRICE OF ATONEMENT”) was to pay for the services of the Levites and serving Priests. Levites were not given land when they went into the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 10:9 LEVI HATH NO PART NOR INHERITANCE with his brethren; THE LORD IS HIS INHERITANCE, according as the LORD thy God promised him.

The Levites served God, and God made sure that they were compensated. Therefore each Jewish adult male 20 years old and up gave a half shekel, about 2 days wages, to help support those who served God in the Temple.

Now, here’s where the moneychanger come in. God told Israel that the “HALF A SHEKEL” was to be “ACCORDING TO THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY”. The “SHEKEL IS 20 GERAHS”, which is about 6/10th of a gram of silver. A shekel would be 12 grams of silver, about 30$ today. So each male Jew gave the equivalent of two days labor, or $15 toward support of the Levites.

BUT the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin refused to allow foreign currency to be applied as the Temple Tax. Why? Because most of the foreign coins had images of false gods on them. The Roman Denarii (worth about 1 days wage) had the Roman Caesar’s face on it. Under the image of Caesar were the words:

High Priest

On the back of the coin was the words:

Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus

So the coin was regarded by the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin as an idol. The coin itself said that Caesar was both High Priest and the Son of God. So they decreed that all foreign coins be exchanged for the Tyrian Shekel, or a half shekel that had no image on it. And the moneychangers charged a fee for this – charging people far more than they should for the exchange. The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin made money on the proposition. And Jesus called them on it.

Hitting the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin in the wallet hurt – BAD!
And they were BAD MAD at Jesus!

(Matthew 22:15-16 KJV) Then WENT THE PHARISEES, and took counsel how THEY MIGHT ENTANGLE JESUS IN HIS TALK. [16] And THEY SENT UNTO JESUS their disciples WITH THE HERODIANS …

The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin were very anti-Rome. But the Herodians were very pro-Rome. Both groups were Jews. The Herodians were political, supporters of Rome and of Herod.

The Herods were a dynasty of Edomites, the descendants of Esau. You remember the story of Jacob and Esau. The Israelites came from Jacob, but the Edomites were their cousins. Herod Antipas ruled in the north with the permission of Rome, whereas Pilate ruled in the south. The Romans left Herod in charge in the north because he was useful, and did not seek to overthrow Pilate. The Herodians supported Herod and his northern rule. They believed that at least a cousin of Israel was on the throne of David. The Herodians also hated Jesus. Why? Because of John the Baptist.

Herod Antipas married his brother Phillip’s wife contrary to the Law of God:

Leviticus 20:21 … if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing… they shall be childless.

Leviticus 18:16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife…

John the Baptist PUBLICLY chastised Herod Antipas for taking his brother’s wife (Mark 6:18), which was a vile, shameful thing. Herod had John imprisoned, and eventually beheaded. And John the Baptist endorsed Jesus as the Messiah. Oh, how the Herodians hated Jesus.

There’s an old saying: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. The two sides that hated one another, the Pharisees and the Herodians, united to destroy Jesus.

The Weapon The Devil Chooses Is Flattery

How best to destroy Jesus? The devil has a choice tool he loves to use when he wants to destroy an obstacle. He uses flattery. The devil loves flattery. He used it in the Garden of Eden, when he told Adam and Eve:

“You will not die if you eat the fruit of the forbidden tree! God knows that the day you eat of it, YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD. You will be able to determine right and wrong!”
(Genesis 3:4-5, AP)

The devil has found that flattery is the best way to trip up a human. “You’ll be like gods. Go ahead, you deserve it!” So here’s what they say to Jesus:

(Matthew 22:16 KJV) … MASTER, {didaskalos} we know that thou art TRUE {alēthēs}, and teachest the way of God IN TRUTH {alētheia}, neither carest Thou for any [man]: for Thou REGARDEST NOT THE PERSON OF MAN.

Word Study: They don’t just call Jesus a “TEACHER” or rabbi, but a didaskalos, a master teacher. Then they say that “Jesus is a man of integrity” (alēthēs), and that Jesus is always scripturally accurate (alētheia). Finally they say, “Jesus, You don’t teach to please people – you are not swayed by important people. You are no respecter of persons!”. Then they spring the trap:

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus listens to these Herodians and Pharisees – but He doesn’t take the bait. First of all, Jesus sees Herodians with Pharisees, and He isn’t stupid. These people are sworn enemies. They’re not here on a friendly quest. They are here, like snakes, trying to slither up and bite Him.

Beloved, if we would be wise, we would RUN from the flatterer. The flatterer is insincere:

(Psalm 12:1-2 NKJV) Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For THE FAITHFUL DISAPPEAR from among the sons of men. [2] They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; WITH FLATTERING LIPS AND A DOUBLE HEART THEY SPEAK.

The flatterer uses smooth words. “His speech is as smooth as butter, YET WAR IS IN HIS HEART; his words are more soothing than oil, YET THEY ARE DRAWN SWORDS” (Psalm 55:21). “With their mouths THEY BLESS, but IN THEIR HEARTS, THEY CURSE” (Psalm 62:4). I knew a man several years ago who loved to exclaim loudly whenever he saw me coming,

“We’ve got a real MAN OF GOD as our Pastor!”

And yet he and his wife worked behind the scene to destroy my pastorate. These Pharisees and Herodians are doing this with Jesus. Out loud they are buttering Him up, trying to feed his pride. What does the Bible say about pride:

(Proverbs 16:18-19 CSB) PRIDE COMES BEFORE DESTRUCTION, and an ARROGANT SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL. [19] Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.

When a person becomes enamored of themselves, it isn’t long before they slip, crash, and burn. The flatterer doesn’t want what’s best for you. The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

(Jude 1:16 CSB) These people are discontented grumblers, LIVING ACCORDING TO THEIR DESIRES; their mouths utter arrogant words, FLATTERING PEOPLE FOR THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE.

It is fine to compliment someone, to encourage them in doing good. But the flatterer does not do what they do for encouragement. They want YOUR place, YOUR stuff, YOU job. They want what YOU have, and will get it if they can trick you into falling into their snare. Here’s the snare that they put before Jesus:

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Is it LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus always kept in mind the brokenness of people. The Bible tells us:

(John 2:23-25 CSB) While He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in His name when they saw the signs he was doing. [24] Jesus, however, WOULD NOT ENTRUST HIMSELF TO THEM, since HE KNEW THEM ALL[25] and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN.

Jesus came to this earth because “HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN”. He knew that mankind is terribly broken, and that we all need a Savior. He is that Savior. So rather than recognize the flattering words the Pharisees and Sadducees say, Jesus confronts them directly and to the point. The Bible says,

(Proverbs 28:23 LSB) He who reproves a man will afterward find [more] favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.

(Matthew 22:18 KJV) But JESUS PERCEIVED THEIR WICKEDNESS, and said, Why tempt ye me, YE HYPOCRITES?

Jesus calls them “HYPOCRITES”, people with two faces. He wants them to know that HE KNOWS what they are trying to do.

Should We Pay Taxes?

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Is it LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE {kēnsos} unto Caesar, or not?

Word Study: In the question these clowns bring to Jesus, they ask Him if it is “LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE” to Caesar. The word TRIBUTE is the Greek kēnsos, which is where we get our word “census” from. We talked earlier about the Temple Tax, which was a type of kēnsos. Each Jewish male 20 years old and upward paid a Temple Tax of two days wages. Now the Romans also had taxes. The Romans had …

Land Taxes – 1/10th of your produce was given to Rome
Import or Customs Taxes – taxes were paid on goods that came to Rome
Income Tax – 1% of your income went to Rome
Kēnsos or Census Tax – Each citizen paid one denarius, one day’s wage

What did Rome do with the taxes received? What did the Levites do with their taxes received. They maintained the Temple. The Romans maintained Rome. While Rome occupied Israel, Rome looked after Israel. The great Roman Aqueduct brought water to the citizens. The Romans made and maintained roads. The Roman government provided protection from highway robbers and invading armies. In short, Rome offered all the peace of the Roman Empire.

The Jews paid the other taxes, but hated to pay the Kēnsos or Census Tax. They believed that they were the people of God, not of Rome. They didn’t think they were citizens, so why would they pay the Kēnsos?

In 6 AD when Pilate was made Governor of Southern Israel, a rebellion was led by Judas of Galilee. Judas told those who followed him, “God is our only God; God is our Lord, and God is our Ruler. We will not pay the Kēnsos to Rome!” Those who followed Judas thought that their fight was just, and that God would give them victory.

God didn’t. They lost the battle miserably because God did not back it.

In the early Church when the Sanhedrin wanted to kill all the Apostles, Gamaliel, a Teacher of God’s Law, warned the Sanhedrin:

(Acts 5:35, 37-39 LSB) {Gamaliel} said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. … JUDAS THE GALILEAN ROSE UP IN THE DAYS OF THE CENSUS and drew away people after him. HE TOO PERISHED, and all those who were following him were scattered. [38] “So in the present case, I also say to you, STAY AWAY FROM THESE MEN and let them alone, for IDF THIS PLAN OR ACTION IS OF MEN, IT WILL BE OVERTHROWN; [39] but IF IT IS OF GOD, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OVERTHROW THEM; or you may even be found fighting against God.”

How would Jesus answer?

(Matthew 22:19-21 KJV) {Jesus said} Shew me the TRIBUTE {kēnsos} money. And they brought unto him a PENNY {dēnarion, Denarius}. [20] And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? [21] They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR’S; and UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S.

Had Jesus said just “Pay the tax”, a bunch of Jews on the Pharisee’s side would be mad at Him. They don’t think they are citizens of Rome. But had Jesus said, “Don’t pay the tax”, the Herodians would have went back to both Pilate and Herod and said, “Do you remember that mess with Judas the Galilean? Jesus of Galilee is starting the same thing all over again!”. They thought they had Jesus. He would either be an enemy of the state, or an enemy of God’s people.

So Jesus shows them a coin. “Who made this coin? Who put the inscription on it, the face on it? In whose image is it?” Well, it’s Caesar’s. It’s made by the government.

In the Temple you give a coin for services rendered according to the Law of God. The coin you give in the Temple is worth two days wages. But in this land you also have services rendered. You give a coin once a year according to the Law of Rome. The coin you give Rome is worth one days wage. It is for services rendered. John MacArthur put it this way:

“Notice {Jesus’ use of} the word “render” … It is the word apodidōmi, meaning “to pay back, to give back”. It speaks of a debt; it speaks of an obligation; it speaks of a responsibility. It is not something you have a choice about. “Give back”, Jesus says. “Give it back. He made it, He minted it; it belongs to His economy. Give it back to him. You’re not giving Caesar a gift. You’re giving to him what belongs to him. It is a debt, and it must be paid.”

Rome may have been a pagan government. Rome will drive the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, ram a spear into His side, and watch Him die though Pilate declares Him an innocent man. But Jesus tells them, “Pay your taxes”. God institutes governments for His purposes. Governments exist in order to help God carry out His plan in this world. If you don’t pay your taxes, even if you don’t agree with your government, then you resist the ordinance of God. This is why Judas of Galilee failed in his armed revolt against Rome.

The Apostle Paul – imprisoned for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and destined to be beheaded in Rome, wrote:

(Romans 13:1-6 LSB) EVERY PERSON IS TO BE IN SUBJECTION TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. For there is NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, and THOSE WHICH EXIST HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY GOD. [2] Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. [3] For rulers are not [a cause of] fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; [4] for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. [5] Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of conscience. [6] FOR BECAUSE OF THIS YOU ALSO PAY TAXES, for [rulers] are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

The Christian is to obey the Law of the land as long as the Law of the land does not conflict with the Law of God. When the Apostles were told not to preach Christ, they said “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Peter led the Apostles in saying this. But Peter also wrote:

(1 Peter 2:13 NKJV) Therefore SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO EVERY ORDINANCE OF MAN for the Lord’s sake…

Christians should be good citizens. We should pray for our government (1 Timothy 2:2). We receive services from the government. We should support our government. That is, until the government oversteps it’s boundary. Then we stay with God. But we must not become like Judas of Galilee. If we are using the state’s resources, we owe it to the state to help pay for those resources.

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The Most Important Thing In Life

Posted on May 12, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

(Luke 14:25-33 KJV) And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them, [26] If any [man] come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an {ambassador}, and desireth conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that FORSAKETH NOT ALL THAT HE HATH, he cannot be My disciple.

What Is The Most Important Thing In Your Life?

If Jesus were a modern day preacher, He would have the greatest thing in His life. If Jesus were a Joel Osteen or a Creflo Dollar or Benny Hinn, or one of these charismatic preachers in a modern American Church, He would have all He wanted. Did you read that?

there went GREAT MULTITUDES with Him

Jesus had a huge following. He could be a MEGACHURCH Pastor. Cities are emptying out. People hear that Jesus is coming, and they pour out to be with Him. But Jesus didn’t care about the crowd. He cared about the people, cared about their souls. But for Jesus – He was more about saving souls and growing the Kingdom of God than He was about packing stadiums.

What Jesus said next would be arrogant if someone else said it. Jesus said:

If any [man] come to Me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

What in the world is Jesus saying? There are a lot of people following Jesus. These people believe in Jesus. Ask any one of those following. They would tell you.

“We saw Jesus feed 5000 with just two little fish and five tiny loaves of bread. I believe in Him”.

“We saw Jesus heal a leper, a blind man, a cripple. I believe in Him.”

“Jesus raised a little girl from the dead. I saw it. I believe in Him”.

Crowds are following Him and every single person following says,

I BELIEVE IN JESUS! I want to see what He’s going to do next. And then Jesus tosses ice water on the whole crowd!

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

Word Study: Now I’ve heard preachers try to explain away what Jesus was saying. Let’s look at the word “HATE”. This is the Greek miseō, which means “to hate, pursue with hatred, detest”. In every place I find this word in the New Testament, the word means “to hate”. Look at where else the word is used:

(John 12:25 KJV) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth {miseō} HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD shall keep it unto life eternal.

(John 15:18-20 KJV) If the world HATE {miseō} you, ye know that it HATED {miseō} Me before [it hated] you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world HATETH {miseō} you. [20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have PERSECUTED ME, they will also PERSECUTE YOU; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.

The word miseō means simply “to HATE”. So what is Jesus doing here? He said, in effect, you must “HATE YOUR MOTHER”. Well, Jesus didn’t hate His mother. He loved her dearly. As He hung on the Cross, Jesus spoke seven times. As He hung on Calvary in terrible pain, Mary and John stood at the foot of the Cross. As Joseph had passed away, Jesus was the eldest son of the family. In agony He pulled Himself up on the nails, and we read:

John 19:26-27 (KJV) … saith unto his mother, WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON! Then saith he to the disciple, BEHOLD THY MOTHER! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Jesus loved His mother! So what did He mean by:

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

True Salvation Will Strive To Put God First

Jesus is using the word to show us that genuine salvation is marked by a Covenant Love for God, a love that supersedes all other loves. Jesus demands that we love Him more than anyone else. Jesus is NOT just another Teacher. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is God in the flesh. To be saved, you must receive Him as FIRST in your life. We put Him first, even when we regard our own family members. In fact, we are to love Jesus more than our earthly life. What is the Prime Directive of Christianity? God told His Old Covenant believers …

(Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV) And thou shalt LOVE the LORD thy God with ALL THINE HEART, and with ALL THY SOUL, and with ALL THY MIGHT.

You cannot love God halfway. God demands primacy. When Jesus was asked, “What is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT in the Law?”, He replied:

(Mark 12:30 KJV) And thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, and WITH ALL THY SOUL, and WITH ALL THY MIND, and WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: this [is] the first commandment.

Let’s illustrate this using the Bible that Jesus used, the Old Testament.

Abraham is approached by God, and God promises Abraham a son, a nation, and that his lineage will bless ALL THE WORLD. So Abraham follows God. God told Abraham,

Genesis 21:12 … In ISAAC shall THY SEED BE CALLED

The Apostle Paul quotes this in Romans 9:7. But Paul also explains this further in

(Galatians 3:16 LSB) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham AND TO HIS SEED. He does not say, “AND TO SEEDS,” as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, “AND TO YOUR SEED” THAT IS, CHRIST.

What God was telling Abraham – and we should understand – that from Isaac the Christ, the Messiah would come. God would make Isaac, from Isaac would come Israel, from Israel would come the Messiah.

Illustrate: So one day God comes to Abraham and says, “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go forth to the land of Moriah, and OFFER HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (Genesis 22:2). Imagine this. Abraham gets up the next morning, and has breakfast. Sarah asks Abraham, “Where are you going? I saw Isaac outside loading the wagon, and the servants getting ready to go with you.” Abraham says, “I’ve got to go to Moriah. God told me I have to sacrifice Isaac on the mountain there.” What does Sarah do? What does any mother do? “Absolutely not! You’re not going to kill my boy, I don’t care WHAT you think God said. IF YOU LOVE ME YOU WILL FORGET THIS FOOLISHNESS.”

Abraham goes anyway. Isaac must die, because Jesus said so. To Sarah, it looks like Abraham HATES her, and HATES Isaac. When Isaac is put on the altar, perhaps he thinks his daddy hates him. He doesn’t. But Abraham loves God, regardless as to how it looks.

True and saving faith doesn’t care what the world thinks or says. True and saving faith trusts in God. Abraham knew God, and loved God. God had told him that the Messiah Jesus Christ would come through Isaac. So even though he didn’t understand, Abraham obeyed. The believer in Christ trusts Christ no matter what life may bring your way.

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his FATHER, and MOTHER, and WIFE, and CHILDREN, and BRETHREN, and SISTERS, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

Illustrate: Or consider the man known as Job. Job loved the Lord. The Lord allowed Job’s children to die. The Lord allowed Job’s farm to suffer destruction. Job even suffered poor health because God allowed it to come into his life. After all this his wife said:

(Job 2:9 LSB) Do you still hold fast your integrity? CURSE GOD AND DIE!”

This woman – a mother who lost her children – is in effect telling her husband, “If you love me, YOU WILL HATE GOD. Curse Him! Curse Him for what we are going through. Curse Him for the pain, the suffering. Curse Him for taking my babies. Curse Him, and rest in hatred with me”. But Job told her:

(Job 2:10 LSB) You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. SHALL WE INDEED ACCEPT GOOD FROM GOD AND NOT ACCEPT CALAMITY?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Preach! Wicked people do not rest in their salvation. Wicked people speak well of God when things go their way, but doubt and curse Him when tried. Beloved, life is hard. Christians get diseases. Christians suffer loss. Being a Christian is no assurance that life will go your way. You will be hated of the world. You will suffer diseases. You will go through valleys. Yet what does the Christian do? The Christian loves God anyway. Jesus commands us to …

(Luke 14:27 KJV) And whosoever doth not BEAR HIS CROSS, and COME AFTER ME, cannot be My disciple.

The Gospel demands the primacy of Christ. Being a Christian is a free gift. Salvation is a free gift. But you cannot join hands with Jesus and join hands with Satan. Your allegiance must be with Jesus and Jesus alone. You have to “BEAR HIS CROSS”.

The Cross is HARD. The Cross is BLOODY. The Cross is LONELY. The Cross is SHAMEFUL. The Cross is HEARTBREAKING. The Cross is INCONVENIENT. You “BEAR HIS CROSS”. The world will mock you. The world will try and shame you.

There are many false Gospels out there. There are many “free gifts” offered in the guise of salvation. The Apostle Paul spoke of two free gifts, the free gift you get from Adam, and the free gift offered by Jesus. We read:

(Romans 5:15-16, 18 NKJV) But the FREE GIFT {charisma} [is] NO LIKE THE OFFENSE. For if BY ONE MAN’S OFFENSE MANY DIED, much more the grace of God and the GIFT BY THE GRACE OF ONE MAN, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. [16] And the GIFT {dōrēma} [is] not like [that which came] through the one who sinned. For the judgment [which came] from one [offense resulted] in condemnation, but the FREE GIFT {charisma} [which came] from many offenses [resulted] in justification. … [18] Therefore, as through one man’s offense [judgment came] to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act [the FREE GIFT {charisma} came] to all men, resulting in justification of life.

The “free gift” you get from Adam when you’re born is a sin nature, a nature that makes YOU god and God nothing. But the “free gift” offered by Jesus saves us from sin – but it makes Jesus first in our lives. HE IS LORD.

Once you are saved, you automatically become Jesus’ disciple, Jesus’ workmanship. God will work in you to destroy the old you. He will work in you to give you a desire for Jesus. Will God give you the “desires of your heart?” Absolutely. The desire of your heart will be a desire for Jesus, to know Him in as Paul said:

(Philippians 3:9-10 NKJV) to be found in Him, NOT HAVING MY OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which [is] from the law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS FROM GOD BY FAITH; [10] that I may KNOW HIM and THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, being CONFORMED to His death

True salvation does not make YOU a better YOU. True salvation kills you. It starts with the humbled heart. It starts with your collapse on Damascus Road, where you stop following YOUR agenda and begin to follow Jesus. To put HIM first in all you do. To where you will, like Paul, look up from the dirt and say,

LORD, what do YOU want ME TO DO?

If you’re not in that spot, dear friend, you may not be saved. “Work out your OWN SALVATION with FEAR AND TREMBLING” (Philippians 2:12). Is Jesus in your life? Is Jesus “working in you to will and to do OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE” (Philippians 2:13). Or are you just part of the crowd?

Dear Friend, Have You Counted The Cost?

(Luke 14:28-30 KJV) For which of you, intending to BUILD A TOWER {pyrgos}, sitteth not down first, and COUNTETH THE COST, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? [29] Lest haply, after HE HATH LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT, all that behold [it] begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Word Study: The word “TOWER”, the Greek word pyrgos which means “a fortified structure high in the air, enabling someone to watch for the enemy in all directions”. Towers were placed strategically around the walls of large cities. Their function was to be a place where a watchman stood to guard the city from the enemy. If the watchman saw someone coming, an invading army, he would sound the alarm. The people would grab their weapons and rally to the walls, shutting the gates, so as to repel the enemy.

When I first read this text the Holy Spirit directed my mind to The Tower of Babel. God had told mankind to “multiple and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28; 9:1; 9:7). But sinful humanity decided they wouldn’t do that. Instead, they disobeyed the command of God (as sinners will do) and said:

(Genesis 11:4 NKJV) Come, let us BUILD OURSELVES A CITY, and a TOWER WHOSE TOP IS IN THE HEAVENS; let us make a name for ourselves, LEST WE BE SCATTERED ABROAD OVER THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH.

God scattered them by confusing their languages. The reason we have 7000 known living languages in the world today is because of this place called Babel. They sought to work their way to Heaven by ignoring the most important thing.

If you love Jesus, you will do as Jesus says.

Jesus spoke of those who “LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT”, how stupid they look to the world when they fail. Do you know what the FOUNDATION of Christianity is? The Bible says:

(1 Corinthians 3:11 LSB) For NO ONE CAN LAY A FOUNDATION OTHER THAN THE ONE WHICH IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.

You can’t lay the foundation of the Christian way of life. You must be born again (John 3:3, 5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23). You can’t make yourself “born again”. You must “repent, and be CONVERTED that your sins may be BLOTTED OUT” (Acts 3:19). God wants you to repent. The Bible says:

(2 Peter 3:9 LSB) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but IS PATIENT TOWARD YOU, not willing for any to perish but FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.

God must build the tower to Heaven. God must lay the foundation. That foundation is Jesus Christ. You cannot be saved by your own power. Jesus must save you. He calls you to cast your life at His feet. To let Him be your Shepherd (John 10:10). To give Him your brokenness, and to love Him more than you love anybody or anything else. The COST of salvation is SURRENDER TO JESUS, and YOU MUST SURRENDER!

Jesus again illustrates what He means by saying:

(Luke 14:31-32 KJV) Or what king, GOING TO MAKE WAR AGAINST ANOTHER KING, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he BE ABLE WITH TEN THOUSAND to meet him that cometh AGAINST HIM WITH TWENTY THOUSAND? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an {ambassador}, and DESIRETH CONDITIONS OF PEACE.

In this illustration Jesus mentions two kings. One king has an army of 10,000. But the king he is going against has an army of 20,000. Two to one. So let’s put it this way. Life is hard. Times are tough. As you go through this life, are YOU THE KING of your life – or is JESUS THE KING? If you’re the king of your life, brother, YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED TWO TO ONE. All you false Christians who are saved by your own goodness and your own abilities, in time that which you are following will fall apart. The Apostle talks about false faith and false salvation in:

(1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV) Moreover, brethren, I declare to you THE GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also YOU RECEIVED {paralambanō} and IN WHICH YOU STAND, [2] by which ALSO YOU ARE SAVED, IF YOU HOLD FAST THAT WORD which I preached to you—UNLESS YOU BELIEVED IN VAIN.

You have “BELIEVED IN VAIN” if you have put your life under the control of anything or anyone outside of Jesus. The Christian’s life is “built on the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST being the CHIEF CORNERSTONE”(Ephesians 2:20). If you are a Christian you love Jesus. If you are a Christian you love the Bible. Your standard of life is not based on what culture says, not on what your best friend says, not on what your “father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters” says. Your standard is complete surrender to the Lord Jesus, and what the Bible says.

And brothers and sisters, you do not try and explain the Bible away.You just DO it. Jesus said,

(John 14:15 LSB) If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

(John 8:42 LSB) Jesus said to them, “IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER, YOU WOULD LOVE ME, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come of Myself, but He sent Me.

John 8:31 If ye CONTINUE IN MY WORD, then are ye My disciples indeed.

Count the cost before coming to Christ. Jesus demands your all, not your part. He came to “Save HIS PEOPLE from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). To receive Jesus as Savior, He must ALSO be your LORD. Count the cost. Are you saved? If not, TODAY is the day to give your life to Jesus.

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Parable Of The Wheat And Tares

Posted on May 12, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash

(Matthew 13:24-30 KJV) Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

What did Jesus come to this earth to do? In Matthew chapter 12 Jesus had just been through a series of battles with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the organized Church in Israel. They didn’t call it a “Church”. They called it a Synagogue (synagōgē), which meant “a formal gathering of Jews that offered prayers and listened to the exposition of the Old Testament Scriptures. Assemblies were held on the Sabbath, the last day of the week”. In other words, it was a Church – except they did not worship Jesus. The Pharisees criticized Jesus because:

He allowed His disciples to pick, shuck, and eat corn on the Sabbath
Jesus healed people on the Sabbath
The Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub
Jesus chastised them for committing the unpardonable sin
Jesus claimed the Pharisees were a generation of evil vipers
Jesus refused to satisfy their demand for “a sign”
Jesus said they were wicked, demon possessed houses
And Jesus claimed only those who love Him were His family

Everything Jesus did, the Pharisees attacked. So as we come to this chapter, Jesus begins to speak in parables:

(Matthew 13:1-2 KJV) The SAME DAY went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. [2] And GREAT MULTITUDES were gathered together unto Him, so that HE WENT INTO A SHIP, and sat; and the WHOLE MULTITUDE STOOD ON THE SHORE.

Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee, got on the boat, had them take Him out a little ways into the water, and a “GREAT MULTITUDE” gathered on the bank to hear Jesus. Jesus’ choice of where to preach was ideal because,

(1) The Pharisees couldn’t interrupt Him as He preached,
(2) The crowd couldn’t hinder Him as He preached, and because the Sea acted as an amphitheater,
(3) Every person could hear His every word.

This message from Jesus was very important. Great crowds of people are following Him, all with this question in mind:

What is the Messiah here to do?

Some thought He was here to run Rome out of Israel. Others thought Jesus would purge all iniquity from Israel and the earth. They thought that the Messiah would bring in the fulfillment of what the Prophet said in …

(Jeremiah 31:33-34 LSB) But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, and ON THEIR HEART I WILL WRITE IT; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [34] And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for THEY WILL ALL KNOW ME, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

They thought that Jesus was going to bring in a utopia, a wonderful world in which everyone, both Jew and Gentile, would know the Lord. But here we see Jesus in battle with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel. So what is going on?

So Jesus begins to speak parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. Is Jesus the Messiah, or is there another to come? Why is it that not every heart is turning to Jesus, IF He is the Messiah?

Is There Something Wrong With Jesus’ Gospel?

Perhaps there’s something wrong with what Jesus is preaching. After all, if the Pharisees, the Chief Priest, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Scribes all seem united against Jesus, maybe His Gospel is tainted. Jesus addressed the Gospel of the Kingdom first. He said:

(Matthew 13:3-9 KJV) 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. [9] WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.

Jesus came preaching “The Kingdom of Heaven”, also known as “The Kingdom of God”. In Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus calls the Kingdom of Heaven the Kingdom of God. They are the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14). He is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. So why is there so much resistance.

The resistance to the Gospel seed has nothing to do with the goodness of the seed. It has to do with the soil of the human heart.

Jesus explains the four types of human heart, or the four soils. And Jesus explains why His Gospel is not spreading so as to correct the entire world they live in. Jesus said that Isaiah (6:9-10) prophesied this would be the case:

(Matthew 13:14-15 KJV) … IN THEM IS FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND; and seeing ye shall see, and SHALL NOT PERCEIVE: [15] For this PEOPLE’S HEART IS WAXED GROSS, and [their] EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING, and their EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and SHOULD BE CONVERTED, and I should heal them.

The religious leaders who rejected Jesus had hardened their hearts to the Gospel. They saw the miracles of Jesus. They saw Him raise the dead. They saw Him feed thousands with a pittance. They heard Him speak with authority. All the evidence was there, but they rejected it all, demanding “show us a sign”. And once Jesus showed them a sign, they rejected it, saying “He does what He does because Satan backs Him”.

Jesus explained the Parable of the Soils (the four types of heart). He said:

(Matthew 13:19 KJV) When any one HEARETH THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM, and understandeth [it] not, then COMETH THE WICKED ONE, and CATCHETH AWAY THAT WHICH WAS SOWN IN HIS HEART. This is he which received seed by the way side.

One heart hears the Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom. But they don’t understand, and don’t want to understand. These people have a set of beliefs in place that they have walked for a long time. They have a well trodden path following the world. The ground is packed tight. The seed cannot get in. Jesus is the Sower, and the seed is perfectly good. But they have hardened their hearts so that Satan sends “the fowls to devour the seed”.

Then Jesus sows the Kingdom Gospel on some called “STONY PLACES” (Matthew 13:5-6). It looks like these people will be converted. They receive the Word. But Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:20-21 KJV) But he that RECEIVED THE SEED INTO STONY PLACES, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon WITH JOY RECEIVES IT; [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for WHEN TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD, by and by he is offended.

There are a lot of people who apparently receive the Gospel WITH JOY. They don’t repent. They don’t weep over their sin, or realize their brokenness. But they were told “You can receive Jesus as SAVIOR and go to Heaven – but you don’t have to listen to Him at all. Salvation is a TOTALLY FREE gift. Be saved, then live your life the way you want to”. Of course, these people “WITH JOY RECEIVE IT”. But when the world comes up and challenges them, when “TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD”, then these people “deconstruct their faith”. I see this all the time, preachers trying to explain away the difficult passages of Scripture, lest they offend their audience. Beloved, the Gospel is offensive. The Gospel says,

We are all sinners.
We are all broken.
We all deserve to be damned.
Even little babies!
We all fall short of the glory of God.
We all need the Word of the Kingdom.
God calls us to an ABSOLUTE SURRENDER.
Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings
and WE ARE NOT!

It is BY GRACE we are saved, and that not of ourselves. It is the GIFT OF GOD, not of works, for NO ONE CAN BOAST (Ephesians 2:8-10).

(Matthew 13:22 KJV) He also that RECEIVED SEED AMONG THE THORNS is he that HEARETH THE WORD; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Then there are those who love riches, and covetousness. They hear the Kingdom Gospel, but they reject that Gospel and choose instead to follow after earthly riches. Jesus spoke of these people when He said:

(Matthew 6:24 KJV) NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

Oh, there are so many who hear the Gospel of the Kingdom. They receive the seed only on a temporary surface basis. But their heart is with the money. You cannot follow Jesus and the money.

But then there is the fourth heart, the fourth soil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:23 KJV) But he that RECEIVED SEED INTO THE GOOD GROUND is he that HEARETH THE WORD, and UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Preach! There’s nothing wrong with the Gospel of the Kingdom. Those who “HEAR THE WORD” understand that Jesus came as BOTH Lord and Savior. It is a KINGDOM Gospel. Those who HEAR and RECEIVE the Gospel realize they are broken. They realize that God Himself is calling them to a complete and total surrender. It’s not a truce. It’s a surrender. We give ourselves to Jesus, and Jesus gives himself to us.

Since The Problem Is The Ground And Not The Seed

Now Jesus is a Master Teacher. I am sure some of the questions you have all asked is,

“Why is there evil in the world? Why are there so many religions? Why are there so many denominations? Why can’t the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10 be fulfilled right now??

Jesus answers this question with another parable, The Parable of Tares Among Wheat.

(Matthew 13:24-26 KJV) Another parable put {Jesus} forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a Man which SOWED GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD: [25] But while MEN slept, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES AMONG THE WHEAT, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, THEN APPEARED THE TARES ALSO.

I’m sure you’re wondering what a “TARE” is. I’m sure you’ve all seen it. It goes by different names. It’s scientific name is Lolium temulentum, also called poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle. It grows in the same zones that wheat grows in. In fact, while green it looks like wheat. It’s head looks like wheat. When I was a boy (and even now), I’d pull a stalk of it and pop the stem in my mouth. That won’t hurt you. But you don’t want to eat its head! When wheat matures, the head turns BROWN. But when Poison Darnel matures, the head turns BLACK. If you eat the head, it will cause a drunken nausea which can be fatal.

The genius of Jesus’ parable is that both Wheat and Tares look alike. But the FRUIT of each is different. The FRUIT of wheat is a blessing. The FRUIT of tares is a curse!

When Jesus gave us the Parable of the Soils, the SEED was the GOSPEL. But the SEED this time is not the Gospel, but what the Gospel creates. The Gospel brings forth wheat. It brings forth a life that does good, not evil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:37-39 KJV) {Jesus} answered and said unto them, HE THAT SOWETH THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN; [38] The FIELD IS THE WORLD; the GOOD SEED ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; but the TARES ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE; [39] The ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL; the harvest is the end of the world; and the REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS.

In this Parable, “THE FIELD IS THE WORLD”. In this world that we live in there are “GOOD SEED THAT ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM”. The Gospel Seed that Jesus gave us brings Christians into the world. Jesus is the Sower, the Maker of Christians. We do not make ourselves. He makes us. In this world Christians are sown all over the world. But guess what. The devil sows the bad seed, the tares, into the world.

And the wheat and the tares look alike.

The Pharisees, Chief Priests, Herodians, Sadducees, and Scribes all look like men of God. They have religious titles. They are called “Father”, “Pontiff”, “Priest”, “Pope”, “Preacher”, “Apostle”, “Pastor”, “Elder”, “Evangelist”. They dress the part. They know all the right words. There is tares among the wheat. Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:27-30 KJV) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

“What shall we do with the tares?” Shall they be torn up? Shall we burn the field? What shall we do? There is nothing we can do but be patient, and wait on God. Jesus is in control of the field, the world. Yes, Satan sows tares, and they look just like wheat. But what does Jesus tell us?

(Matthew 13:40-43 KJV) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and THEY SHALL GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM THE THINGS THAT OFFEND, and THEM WHICH DO INIQUITY; [42] And shall CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS SHINE FORTH as the sun in the KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

One will SHINE. One will BURN.
Both will serve Jesus’ purpose.

It is not the wheat’s job to cast out the tares. If you are wheat, it is your job to produce fruit that glorifies Jesus. There’s going to be tares, false believers, in this world. There’s going to be people who pretend to be good ground, but are poison. “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). The world will not be a utopia until prophecy is completely fulfilled. Think about Judas Iscariot. Jesus chose him as one of the Apostles in His Church, but Jesus knew he was a tare. Jesus said:

(John 6:70 KJV) Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and ONE OF YOU A DEVIL?

(John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and NONE OF THEM IS LOST, BUT THE SON OF PERDITION; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus knows them that are His (2 Timothy 2:19). He allowed Judas to infiltrate the Apostles, knowing he was a tare. God knows. Jesus did this to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah (Psalm 109:6-19; Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 69:25).

What are we to do? Understand that there will be tares that look like wheat. By their fruit you will know them. Rather than worry about the tares, let us sow the seed of the Kingdom. Let us not be discouraged. One commentary I read put it this way:

“Even though the field is the world, recognize that it is among the wheat that the tares are sown. They are intertwined with the wheat. That’s how close they are to the wheat. If the wheat are the sons of the kingdom – the members of the visible and invisible church – then the tares are members of the visible church who are not members of the invisible church. In other words, they made a confession, but the reality of Christ is not in them. But, they’re intertwined with those who are truly believers. … it is our experience – and it has been from the beginning of time – that we see people who make professions of faith in the Lord who do not in fact believe in Him; even amongst Jesus’ inner circle, the twelve, there was one who was reprobate. ”

How do we recognize tares? By their fruit. Do they live their lives by the Word of God? Or do they make statements like, “MY God, the God I love, wouldn’t send anyone to hell”. Or “MY God, the One I trust, wouldn’t send a good person to hell because they didn’t believe in Jesus alone”.

If someone professes Christ as Savior and Lord, professes to be wheat, but does not return to the hand of the Master Who sowed him – then that person is in reality a tare. And I can’t fix a tare. Neither can you.

Until the day that Jesus returns there will be wheat and tares. Let us examine ourselves. Are we children of God by faith in Christ? Do we love His Word? The Gospel Seed is good, and effective. Let us trust in Him and His Word. Amen.

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His Mercy Endures Forever

Posted on May 8, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

The last time I was in this Psalm, it was in 2016 – and on a Wednesday night – about 10 years ago. I think it’s time we looked at this Psalm again. I was reading it the other day with a friend, and it struck me how great this Psalm is. In fact, the Jews called this “The Great Hallel Psalm”. It is written like a responsive reading. Every single one of the 26 verses ends with:

His MERCY endureth forever

Word Study: The word translated MERCYis the Hebrew ḥeseḏ (pronounced kheh’-sed). It is translated 149 times as “mercy”, but 30 times as “lovingkindness” and 40 times as “kindness”. The New American Standard translates the word as “faithfulness”, and the Legacy Standard as “lovingkindness”. One source notes that ḥeseḏ refers to faithful, enduring love rooted in commitment, not emotion. A loyal devotion expressed through proper action.

The Christian – like ancient Israel – is in a Covenant Relationship with God. God takes His covenant relationship seriously – and expects us to do the same. As we break this Psalm down, I’m going to ask you to do as Israel would have done. In Israel, the Cantor or the ḥazzan (Hebrew, pronounced khah-ZAHN) would sing

or chant the first part of the verse. Then the congregation would TOGETHER say:

His MERCY endureth forever

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The True God

(Psalm 136:1-3 KJV) O give thanks unto the LORD; for [He is] good: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [2] O give thanks unto the God of gods: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [3] O give thanks to the Lord of lords: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

The Apostle Paul said:

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6 KJV) For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (AS THERE BE GODS MANY, AND LORDS MANY,) [6] But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of Whom [are] all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom [are] all things, and we by Him.

There are many gods that this world follows, and all of these gods stem from the fallen angel who would be God, Lucifer. Lucifer, created by God to be an Archangel, a General among the angels, forgot who his Creator was. The Bible says that he stood up against God, saying “I will ascend to Heaven. I will exalt my own throne above the angels of God. I will be just like God Himself!” (Isaiah 14:12-14). He became puffed up with pride, and led a heavenly revolt against God. When Lucifer came to this earth, he entered into the Garden of Eden as “that old serpent, the devil, the deceiver of the world” (Revelation 12:9). A god has to have a follower. Satan enticed Adam to follow him – and the whole world fell into sin.

In the first three verses the Psalmist pleads with God’s people with an “O GIVE THANKS”.

But our God is the True God, and there is no other. He is “the God of gods”. Though Lucifer led the world away from God, God is Lucifer’s God. Pastor C.H. Spurgeon said:

“gods who have a God over them cannot possibly be gods themselves”

God is the Source of all authority and power. “There is NO POWER but OF GOD: the powers that be are ORDAINED OF GOD” (Romans 13:1). Satan believes himself to be god, but he is deluded. Man creates gods of things, and they are deluded. There is but one God, one Lord, and Jehovah is the Lord over all lords, the God over all gods. They have no more power than what God allows them to have. They operate as His pleasure, and are like puppies in a kennel, and He the Master. We who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior are in a Covenant Relationship with the BOSS of everything. Nothing happens without His permission.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Creator God

(Psalm 136:4-7 KJV) To Him who ALONE doeth great wonders: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [5] To Him that BY WISDOM MADE THE HEAVENS: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [6] To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [7] To Him that made great lights: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

Our God ALONE does great wonders. God did not use evolution or time to create the universe, to create our planet. The evolutionist says that everything just happened over millions or billions of years, that life is an accident. If you believe that everything is an accident, just something that luckily came together, then how can you even believe this is true. If your mind is the result of chaos and accident, then how can your thoughts even be reliable? Yet the Bible says that “God BY WISDOM MADE the Heavens”. The word “MADE” is the Hebrew ʿāśâ (pronounced aw-saw’), which means “to fashion, to shape, to work with, to press or squeeze”. The same word is used in:

(Genesis 1:7 KJV) And God MADE [ʿāśâ] the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.

God ALONE shaped the earth, the land masses. God put the continents where they are by Himself. Then God created trees that would make (ʿāśâ) fruit (Genesis 1:11). God made the animals (Genesis 1:25), giving them the ability to reproduce. God made humanity (Genesis 1:26), and gave us the ability to reproduce. Creation did not just happen. God “stretched out the earth”. God “made the great lights”, the sun and the moon (Genesis 1:16), as God is the Source of Light:

1 John 1:5 God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL

(Psalm 136:8-9 KJV) The sun to rule by day: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [9] The moon and stars to rule by night: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

He is “The Father of Lights” (James 1:17). And all these things were not evolved, but made by God, wisely made, from a heart driven by lovingkindness.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Redeeming God

When God made the heavens and the earth, the earth was WITHOUT FORM and VOID. It was lifeless. Anything or anyone without God’s touch is lifeless and empty. The same is true of His people Israel. When Israel first entered Egypt under the reign of Joseph, God was honored. But in time Israel drifted from God. Drifting from God, Israel lost her status and privilege as the people of God, and became slaves to the Egyptians.

But God did not forget His people.

God told Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people… and have heard their cry… for I know their sorrows.” (Exodus 3:7). When Israel drifted into the world, they lost sight of God. But when His people cried out, God responded and delivered them from slavery.

(Psalm 136:10-15 KJV) To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [11] And brought out Israel from among them: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [12] With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [13] To him which divided the Red sea into parts: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [14] And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [15] But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

God loves us even when we mess up. We are His children by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He redeems us from darkness and damnation. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Oh, how He loves us!

Illustrate: I recently heard the comedian Jeff Foxworthy tell this story. He was witnessing to some men when one said, “The Bible is just a book of rules”. His buddy who was with him picked up the Bible and said, “Really? It’s just a book of rules?” Then he threw the Bible in the trashcan. A big, huge guy named Wayne got up, walked to the trashcan, and pulled the Bible out. He said, “Don’t ever do that again!” Jeff said, “Wayne, if it’s just a book of rules, why does that bother you so much?” Wayne told him, “When my mother died, I inherited 70,000$ from my mother’s insurance policy, along with my mother’s Bible”. Wayne took the money and started a life of addiction, smoking crack cocaine. He lost all his money on drugs. Shortly, in jst a few months, he was homeless and on the street. He started losing his stuff, piece by piece. Then he lost his mother’s Bible. Inside of the Bible was a love letter his mother wrote to him, and he lost it. His mother wrote how Jesus was the answer to all his needs. He lost the backpack that had the Bible in it. He’s on the street for a year and a half, when one day a guy comes by and asks two of the homeless if they wanted a job. Wayne went with him. The man took the two men to a place about 100 miles away, where the man had an old apartment building he was renovating. Wayne started cleaning up, and carrying trash out to the dumpster, and his buddy did the same. Wayne went upstairs to where his buddy was working, and his buddy had a pile of stuff that had not yet been bagged to throw away. Wayne goes over to the pile, starts looking through it, and finds his mother’s Bible. Wayne said, “I collapsed to the floor and started crying”. He said “I figured if God is going to chase me that hard, I would finally quit running”.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Reigning God

(Psalm 136:16-22 KJV) To him which led his people through the wilderness: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [17] To him which smote great kings: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [18] And slew famous kings: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [19] Sihon king of the Amorites: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [20] And Og the king of Bashan: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [21] And gave their land for an heritage: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [22] [Even] an heritage unto Israel his servant: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

When God led His people from Egypt, to the entrance of the Promised Land, His people rebelled again Him. Joshua and Caleb told Israel:

(Numbers 14:7-9 LSB) … The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. [8] If Yahweh is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us–a land which flows with milk and honey. [9] “But as for you, only DO NOT REBEL AGAINST YAHWEH; and do not fear the people of the land, for THEY ARE OUR BREAD. THEIR PROTECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THEM, and Yahweh is with us; do not fear them.

But Israel would not hear. This is what we need to understand about our Covenant Relationship with God. He is LORD. He is the BOSS. Not us, but HIM. They were to go into the Promised Land because God said so. I heard a preacher say this the other day. I don’t know his name, but I love what he said.

“God’s not interested in you being a better you. He came to do away with you. He is not interested in you achieving your goals and dreams and desires and ambitions. Jesus came to destroy your dreams and goals and desires and ambitions. He came to give you a desire for Him and Him alone. If you trust God, He will give you the desires of your heart. And the desire of your heart will be to know Him in the power of His resurrection, the likeness of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. … The Word of Faith message and the Prosperity message, which are one and the same, is a doctrine of demons. They are all about manipulating and maneuvering God so you can get what you want. Jesus Christ did not come to this earth so you can be successful. He came so that you can die to you and be alive unto Christ.”

The God Who saved us is the God Who reigns. When Israel refused to go into the Promised Land, God could have killed the entire nation. Instead, He had the wander in the wilderness for forty years. As they wandered, Israel came up against great kings and great warrior nations. “Sihon king of the Amorites” came against Israel. The Bible says,

Deuteronomy 2:33 And THE LORD OUR GOD DELIVERED HIM BEFORE US; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

And “Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land” (Numbers 21:24). Our God’s MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. And as Israel traveled, “Og the king of Bashan” went out against them to battle. God told Israel,

Deuteronomy 3:3 So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan… and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

For the 40 years that Israel wandered in the wilderness, they never suffered defeat in battle while they trusted in and obeyed God. God wanted the disobedient generation to die in the wilderness, so that the next generation could go into the Promised Land. Our God’s MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.

Israel would go into the Promised Land, because the God Who redeems us is the God Who reigns. We will do His will. Period.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Remembering God

(Psalm 136:23-26 KJV) Who remembered us in our low estate: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [24] And hath redeemed us from our enemies: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [25] Who giveth food to all flesh: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [26] O give thanks unto the God of heaven: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

I read this passage, and thought of the thief who died next to Jesus on Calvary. Not the one who mocked Jesus, but the one who said:

(Luke 23:42 LSB) Jesus, REMEMBER ME when You come in Your kingdom!

That thief did not pray that his torment be removed. Nor did he even ask that Jesus allow him into Heaven. The repentant thief just asked our Lord to remember him. And Jesus told him, “Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” (Luke 23:43). Our God does not forget us when we are in a low place. We may forget Him when we are in a high place, but He doesn’t forget us. That thief was asking what the Psalmist asked:

(Psalm 106:4 LSB) REMEMBER ME, O Yahweh, in [Your] favor toward Your people; Visit me with Your salvation

God will not forget His people. We who have called on Him in the name of Jesus are saved by grace, and kept by His lovingkindness. Our God is faithful. Praise Him, He is faithful to those who love Him.

Let us pray.

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Lazarus And The Rich Man

Posted on May 5, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Lazarus and the Rich Man Jacopo Bassano
(Italian, c. 1510–1592)

In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells us a story about two men. One is rich, the other is poor. If this is a parable (some say it is, some say it’s not), then this is the only parable where Jesus uses a person’s name (Lazarus). Regardless as to whether it is a parable or a true story, this text tells us what Jesus believed about life and death.

Physical death is not the end of life, but the entrance into another life. Your next life can be a great life, or a miserable life. The decisions you make in this life will effect what happens in your next chapter!

Let’s read the parable:

(Luke 16:19-23 KJV) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Everyone Must Die, But Not All Go To Heaven

Who goes to Heaven? Not everybody. We see that clearly in this parable. There are two characters, the rich man and Lazarus. Both die. When Lazarus dies we read, “he was carried by the angels into ABRAHAM’S BOSOM”. Abraham is the father of faith, the one that God made His Covenant with. God asked Abraham to follow Him, and promised:

(Genesis 12:2-3 KJV) And I will MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.

Abraham is the first person that the Bible says

(Genesis 15:6 KJV) And ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN THE LORD; and THE LORD COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

God imputed or credited righteousness to Abraham because he believed the Lord, and walked with the Lord in faith. Every person who is saved is saved after the pattern of Abraham. God makes a promise. We believe the promise. We walk daily with God according to that promise.

When a believer in Christ dies, that believer goes to the same place father Abraham is. Abraham believed God (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23) and God credited him with righteousness. When Abraham left this life, he did not sleep in the grave. Because Abraham believed God, Abraham went to where God is. When a believer dies in this life, our bodies sleep on this earth awaiting the resurrection, but our souls are transported to where God is. Let’s look at some texts:

(2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV) So we are always of good courage. We know that WHILE WE ARE AT HOME IN THE BODY we are AWAY FROM THE LORD, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would RATHER BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD.

Now it is certain that Jesus said “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), and He stays with us through this life if we are His. But while you are in this body, you are not in the direct presence of God. Every Christian should feel as Paul did, saying “I would RATHER BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD”. Home is where the Lord is. Christian, Heaven is your home. While we who are saved are on this earth, we should, as all God’s children want, produce fruit for the Master. We are to do good, not evil. The Apostle wrote:

(Philippians 1:22-25 ESV) If I am to LIVE IN THE FLESH, that means FRUITFUL LABOR FOR ME. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. MY DESIRE IS TO DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, FOR YOUR PROGRESS AND JOY IN THE FAITH

While on this earth the Christian should want to follow Jesus, to produce “FRUITFUL LABOR” for the glory of God. Paul wanted to do that. But he also said that he “DESIRED TO DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST”. To leave this body, and be where father Abraham is. Oh what a joy that will be when we get to Heaven!

When we all get to Heaven,
what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory

At the Second Coming of Christ, those who have gone on to be with Jesus will return with Him to receive their glorified bodies.

(1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV) For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP.

When a Christian leaves this life, the Bible calls this “FALLING ASLEEP”. The body sleeps in the dust of the earth (see Daniel 12:2),, but the soul goes to where Abraham’s children gather, where Jesus is. “Do you not know that THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH LIKE ABRAHAM, THE SAME ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM?” (Galatians 3:7). When that good Christian Stephen was stoned to death, the Bible says “He FELL ASLEEP” (Acts 7:60). In Acts 13:36 we see that King David “FELL ASLEEP and was laid with his fathers and SAW CORRUPTION” (Acts 13:36). The body “sleeps” and decays, returning to the dust that God made it from. But the soul that loves Jesus goes to be with Jesus, with Abraham, with those who love the Lord.

Illustrate: I was at my bank the other day when I got in a conversation with a teller there about Jesus. This dear woman said she was driving with her young daughter in the back seat about a year ago. The little girl was singing, then she said “Mama, I’m not afraid to die.” Startled, she asked her daughter what she meant. The little girl said “I’m not afraid to die, because I’m going to Heaven. Mama, are YOU going to Heaven?” The woman said she examined her life, and realized that no, she wasn’t going to Heaven. She had gotten far away from Jesus, away from His Church. She told me that last year not long after that she was baptized – along with her daughter – and is following the Lord Jesus. She’s going to Heaven. Heaven is the home of those who love Jesus. Jesus said,

John 12:26 … where I AM, THERE shall also My servant be …

Those who are saved are servants of Christ. You may be in a low spot. You may be going through a trial. But if you are saved by faith in Christ, Jesus is with you, and …

Jesus Knows Your Name If You Are His

Luke 16:19-21 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and FARED SUMPTUOUSLY every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And DESIRING TO BE FED with the CRUMBS which FELL FROM THE RICH MAN’S TABLE: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Does Jesus know your name? The first man mentioned in this story is the rich man. Look at his outfit. He was “clothed in PURPLE and FINE LINEN”. Linen is very durable, stronger than cotton. It stays cool in hot weather, and as it’s fibers are hollow, it helps moisture evaporate quickly. The linen was PURPLE, which was harvested from a tiny snail from the city of Tyre. It’s a very rare color, and very costly. This rich man “FARED SUMPTUOUSLY” every day. He had the best of everything. He had the best home. He had a full belly. He had the finest clothing money could buy. But …

The man didn’t have Jesus. God didn’t know his name. The rich man didn’t know Lazarus’ name. To him, Lazarus was a human dog. He was nothing.

When I hear these people on television and social media gleefully wishing that our President die, I know these people are lost. When I hear women who get on Facebook or TikTok who joyfully report their abortions, or brag about the number of men they have slept with, I know these people are lost. Lost people care nothing for others. Lazarus is a man that God created. Every person has value because of that. No person is garbage. All people are sinners who will one day die. After death, we will be judged by God. That judgment is instantaneous. The Bible says:

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed unto men once TO DIE, but AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT: 28 So CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MAN

Jesus came to make payment for our sins. God blesses us with life. This rich man had the very best life. What did he do? He worshiped himself. He mistreated Lazarus. The rich man sold his soul, and lost it, to demonic gods. There are people on Facebook and YouTube and TikTok and Instagram selling their souls so they can be known as a “social influencer”. They are exchanging a glorious eternity with God for something diabolical (Matthew 16:26).

But what of Lazarus? It looks like God doesn’t know who he is. God knows who he is. Jesus knows his name. Look at Lazarus’ life. He was laid at the rich man’s gate, “FULL OF SORES”. When I was on mission in Southern Belize, I found out the greatest need of the poor people was not necessarily food, but SOAP. Lack of soap and access to clean water causes so many diseases. Lazarus ate the CRUMBS from the rich man’s table. And the only medical plan Lazarus had was dogs licking his sores.

The rich man had ample opportunity to help poor Lazarus. The Bible says:

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath PITY UPON THE POOR LENDETH UNTO THE LORD; and that which he hath given will THE LORD pay him again.

Those who are Christ’s children should love. We are called to LOVE GOD with all our hearts, and to LOVE OTHERS as we would be loved. To see someone suffering like Lazarus, and yet do nothing to alleviate it, is horrible!

The way you treat people is an outward show of your inward spiritual condition. In Matthew 25:35-46 in the Parable of the Final Judgment, those who are cast into hell are those who did as the rich man. Those who loved others and treated them accordingly were called “blessed by My Father”, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God. But those who hardened their hearts were told to “GO AWAY INTO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT”.

If God knows your name, when you die in this life you go to be with Abraham and the other children of faith.

Luke 16:22-23 And it came to pass, that THE BEGGAR DIED, and was CARRIED BY THE ANGELS INTO ABRAHAM’S BOSOM: the RICH MAN ALSO DIED, and was buried; 23 And IN HELL HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, being in TORMENTS, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Both men died. The rich man had everything. When he died, he went unaccompanied to hell. He had no one around him, not even the so called “Grim Reaper”. He just died. But Lazarus, oh, how things changed for Lazarus. Lazarus was not welcomed at the table of the rich man. But Lazarus dies, and is carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus is embraced by God. He is cradled. He is comforted. The Bible says:

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD IS THE MAKER OF THEM ALL

God makes everybody. He made the rich man. He made Lazarus. God makes everybody to walk with Him. Those who walk with God are ultimately rich. Those who admit their brokenness, and give their lives to Jesus, are genuinely rich. We may go through bad moments. We may be in a Lazarus state. Ask yourself, “Why would the God Who loves us so, let us be in a Lazarus state?” The Bible says:

(Romans 8:28 ESV) And we know that for THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, for those who are CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

If that is true (and I believe it is), why let Lazarus suffer on earth like he did? Because Lazarus laid at the rich man’s gate. Lazarus was a witness to this man. Lazarus was an opportunity for this man to repent, to turn his faith from money and power, to loving God by loving others. God uses us as His children to try and reach others.

The rich man never repented. He never sought God.
God was his money, and pleasure his mistress.

And “IN HELL, HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, BEING IN TORMENTS”.

Keep Rejecting Jesus, And See What Happens

Oh my friend, there is a hell. Jesus believed in Hell. Our Jesus is no liar, no deceiver. What did Jesus say about Hell?

Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that THY WHOLE BODY should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that THY WHOLE BODY should be cast into hell.

Our Lord Jesus saw hell as a horrible, torturous place. The final destination of the lost, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:13-14), is called “the second death”. Oh, how horrible that place! “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they HAVE NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT” (Revelation 14:10-11). It is a place that Jesus said “it is outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus warned that Hell is a place where the fire never stops, and the soul does not die:

(Mark 9:47-48 ESV) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with TWO EYES TO BE THROWN INTO HELL, [48] ‘where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE and THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.’

Not everybody goes to Heaven. Only those who love Jesus. Only those who cherish God’s creation. How does the rich man respond in the midst of suffering?

Luke 16:24 the rich man … cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and SEND LAZARUS, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man doesn’t repent. When people leave this life and go to hell, they don’t repent. Their souls are hardened to sin. The rich man doesn’t call out to Jesus. He doesn’t call out to God. He calls out to Abraham, asking Abraham to “SEND LAZARUS, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue”. The rich man’s not sorry for the life he lived. He just wants to use Lazarus once more. Send that dog Lazarus. Let him cool my tongue!

This is the problem of sin. When sin enters a life, if it is not repented of it becomes more persistent, harder to eradicate. Abraham tries to reason with the rich man:

Luke 16:25-26 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but NOW HE IS COMFORTED, and THOU ART TORMENTED. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a GREAT GULF FIXED: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

What you do in THIS life will echo into eternity. There is a gulf between Heaven and Hell. There is no purgatory, no second chance. And if the lost were given a second chance, they wouldn’t take it. They would curse God and demand. The rich man lived a life devoid of God on this earth. Now he will live a life devoid of God in eternity.

But there is a tiny speck of compassion for the rich man. It’s for his family. He says:

Luke 16:27-29 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest SEND LAZARUS TO MY FATHER’S HOUSE: 28 for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; let them hear them.

There is no second chance after you leave this life. God has given us ample evidence for us to believe in “MOSES AND THE PROPHETS”, a term Jesus used for the Bible. The Bible tells us that “CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS” (1 Corinthians 15:3). The rich man said:

(Luke 16:30-31 KJV) … Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, THEY WILL REPENT. [31] And he said unto him, IF THEY WILL NOT HEAR MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, though one rose from the dead.

Moses wrote of Jesus (John 5:46). Abraham saw Jesus and His coming (John 8:56). The Old Testament Prophets foretold the coming of Christ (Luke 24:27; Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Peter 1:10-11). If you won’t believe the Book, the Bible, you wouldn’t believe a resurrected Lazarus. You must receive Jesus NOW.

2 Corinthians 6:2 NOW is the accepted time. LOOK. TODAY is the day of salvation.

Do you know Him? Have you given your life to Jesus? If you have, you need not fear death. When you die in this life, you’re just going home. But if you have not received Jesus as Lord and Savior, today is the day to give your life to Him.

(John 3:16-18 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Oh, please come! Do not delay! If you are Christ’s, love. If you are not, come to His love. In Jesus’ name I ask, amen.

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