Parable of the Leaven

The Parable of the Leaven, also called the Parable of the Yeast, is found in Matthew 13 and Luke 13. We are going to look at this parable from two perspectives. One considers the gospel of the kingdom of heaven in a positive sense, and the other considers the effects of a false gospel.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened (Matthew 13:33).

Meaning of the Parable of the Leaven

In this parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven, or yeast in modern terms. When used in the right amounts and under the right conditions, leaven causes dough to rise. Similarly, when the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached properly and when it is well received, there is a spiritual leavening that takes place—the resurrection from the dead.

The truth of Jesus Christ brings us a promise of a kingdom in which our God lives among us, and as such, our broken relationship with God is fully restored. Like the three measures of meal, there are three applications of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven—all of which work together to bring us to that place of complete restoration.

First, there was God incarnate through the Son, Jesus Christ. Like leaven hidden among the meal, Jesus brought life to those whose hearts could receive His teachings. His words brought life because they revealed the true nature of sin, of righteousness, and of the character of the Father, which was perfectly embodied in the Son.

Those who would follow His teachings and strive to live as He lived would participate in this same “leavening,” particularly after the Holy Spirit came and dwelled within those who would keep the commandment of Jesus Christ (See John 14). Through the Holy Spirit, who “writes the laws of the kingdom of God on the fleshly tables of the heart,” we can receive “the engrafted word that saves our souls.” This is the “kingdom of God within you.” It is through the working of the Holy Spirit that we are transformed, helping us to repent, get to know God, and by grace learn to walk with Him—which is to experience the kingdom of heaven in this present life.  

These are the first two applications. There is the leaven of Jesus living in this present world, and there is the leaven of the Holy Spirit Who dwells within the followers of Jesus Christ. The third is resurrection from the dead and life eternal in the kingdom of heaven to come, when all who are in Christ are fully joined together in Him.

There could be an opposing side to this parable as well.

In Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, he states, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” In Luke 21, Jesus states, “Beware of the leaven of the scribes, which is hypocrisy.”

Just as there is a true gospel and a true Christ that provides us with the power of resurrection, there are many false gospels and false christs that corrupt and lead to death. Even a small corruption of these truths inflates the whole. So, we must be careful to follow the true gospel and the true Christ.

There are acceptable areas of disagreement when it comes to the things of God, and there are areas in which there is no room for error.

Jesus is the Son of God incarnate who physically lived, physically died, and physically rose. He will return as the judge of all creation, and those who have put their faith in Him find mercy at this judgment. They will also live with God forever in a relationship that fully restores mankind after their fall in Eden. This is a gospel that heals and transforms inwardly, and that which proceeds outwardly is true and sincere.

On the other hand, legalistic gospels that replace the work of the Spirit with carnal rules corrupt. Gospels that use the grace of God to excuse a life of sin without repentance corrupt. Gospels that deny the divinity of Christ corrupt. Gospels that deny the cross and the resurrection corrupt. Gospels that preach worldly wisdom and prosperity corrupt. These are just some examples. The online book, These Things Saith He details my limited understanding on this subject.

Let’s put our faith in Jesus Christ our God, trusting that if we place our souls into His care and strive to know Him, then He will work in us experiential knowledge of the kingdom of heaven. Over time, the Holy Spirit will teach us all things if we commit ourselves to Christ.

To have faith in Him means to believe in what He says and to strive to live accordingly. When we fail, we ask for forgiveness, and we find mercy. The grace of God is for those who fear Him, who show mercy to others, and with humility strive to live a life that conforms to the Son. By the grace of God, we can experience the kingdom of God in some measure even now—more and more until we are fully leavened—even resurrected from the dead!

Considering Proverbs 12:12

The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit (Proverbs 12:12).

Sometimes the ways of sin seem attractive to us. We look at how the wicked conduct themselves brazenly without shame, and how they prosper because of it. In our weakness, we might envy them and feel tempted to imitate them. Desiring the ways of evil is a net, enslaving us to Satan. If we do not return to God, then the net we are trapped in becomes a net for others as well, because our conduct has a negative influence on them.

On the other hand, if we are firmly rooted in the good things of God, then the result is far better—not just for ourselves, but for others as well. It is better to produce things that help ourselves and others grow in the things of the Spirit of God, like humility, brotherly love, self-control, joy in the Lord, and an unshakable peace that is based on our faith in God and obedience to Him. These are far better than the nets of wickedness that bring things like vain glory, pride, ungodly competitiveness and envy, self-indulgence and addictions that never bring true happiness, and temporary joys rooted in love of self and love of pleasure.

Jesus once said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If we are rooted in the good things of God, then we will see heavenly results, namely growing in our knowledge and love of God and our love of mankind in general. In proportion to our growth in these areas, we will do all things with upright intentions, and the results bring good to others and glory to God.

However, if our heart is bound up in wicked desires that are rooted in self-love, then we will see hellish results, such as growing in our knowledge of how to bring evil to others and to disregard the ways of God, thereby distancing ourselves from Him. In proportion to our growth in these areas, we will do all things out of prideful intentions, and the results are sure to bring harm to others and to ourselves.

Most of us fall someplace in the middle, because as Christians we are in a constant fight between the old man and the new man. However, if we remember our goal to be crucified with Christ and raised with Him, then the old man continues to weaken and the roots that we have in Christ get stronger—and out of these roots our new man continues to grow until Christ is fully formed in us by the grace of God.

As James said, a double-minded person cannot expect to receive anything from God. So, though we struggle to put to death our sinful nature and see Christ formed, we should frequently check ourselves prayerfully to see if we are in-fact double-minded.

Do we try to hold on to the net of sin with one hand while holding the other up toward God?

Drop the net and don’t look back to it, and do not envy those who seem to use this net to prosper in this life because that is a temporary life that has no real goodness or value. If we pick the net up, then drop it again and go to God for mercy. Keep dropping the net until you’re completely repulsed by it as your love for the things of God take over.

Then, there are new nets—nets we never knew existed, and again we are tempted. Maybe we pick them up for a time and are entrapped or worse yet entrap others, then we drop the nets and run to God. If we keep faith with Jesus and do not give up on living a righteous life that hates all sin within ourselves, then we are sure to be fruitful because His grace will teach us how to deny all ungodliness and to grow in the good things of God.

We can always ask Him to help us hate sin and to love righteousness, knowing that all good things come from Him and without His grace we would only desire evil and there would be nothing good in us. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Every branch that abides in me brings forth fruit, and without me, you can do nothing.” Let Jesus be the root of our lives, and all good things pertaining to everlasting life will follow.

This article is part of a bible study series, Considering the Proverbs. The purpose is to consider present-day events from a Christian perspective and to offer practical lessons that we can apply to ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.

Previous Post Within This Series: Considering Provers 12:11 – “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of Jesus’s Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is found in Mark Chapter 4. When considering any teaching that deals with the Kingdom of Heaven, it might be a good idea to think of this on multiple levels, including the Kingdom of God that is present in the earth through his church and the Kingdom of God that lives within the hearts of those who belong to Jesus Christ.

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it (Mark 4:30-32).

Meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed

Before considering the meaning, it might be helpful to have a little background information about the mustard seed and mustard tree. The mustard tree begins as a very small seed that is about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter. This small seed grows into a tree that is 20 to 30 feet tall. What’s notable about the tree isn’t its height, but the branches that reach a span of about 20 feet.

When Jesus, the Son of God lived in the earth, He taught many things about the Kingdom of Heaven. Some of these teachings were hard to hear, like the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. It seems as if the way to the Kingdom of Heaven is in-fact narrow, as He taught. However, this parable provides another take.

This parable is one of hope, letting His to-be church know that though in their infancy they are going to be the smallest of all, they will not remain so. In the beginning, the rebel sect of Jesus followers were vehemently hated, and the church endured a lot of hardship for the sake of the gospel—a gospel that was planted in the earth when Jesus died, but just as He rose, so did His church. As His church grew, so was the gospel spread throughout the nations—and within His church there is rest for the weary, just as the mustard tree provides rest for the birds.

When we accept the gospel of the Kingdom of God, we embark on our own journey toward that Kingdom. In-part, we find that through fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. When we gather in worship, we are participating in the Kingdom. There is another way that we participate in the Kingdom of God, and that is through the Holy Spirit, Who “writes the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven on the fleshly tables of the heart.”

The Holy Spirit, Who “leads us to all truth” reveals the truth of Jesus to us, makes His teachings alive within us, and provides us with strength to face our sin honestly and repentantly so that we can be forgiven and find healing. The Holy Spirit is also compared to a seed—a seed of the Kingdom of God. This seed also grows overtime, and as this growth takes place, we can start doing the work that Jesus would want us to do. This work can take various forms depending on the gifts we are given, but the aim is the same, and that is to point people to Jesus, to help them grow in Him, and to live as He did. As we grow in this, our lives can also bring a measure of rest to the weary.

Striving in the Christian faith is hard, and sometimes it seems as if we have nothing more than a small, mustard-sized amount of faith. If we persist, then our faith will increase. It is through consistent pursuit of a relationship with God that we are given grace enough to grow, because without grace and faith it is impossible for us to do any good thing.

As we grow in faith, sometimes all we have are small efforts at living out that faith. We might have small efforts at prayer. Small efforts at reading the scriptures. Small efforts at showing kindness to others. Small efforts at trusting in God during hard times. Small efforts in dying to our love of this world and growing in our love for God. However, all of these small efforts, when mingled with faith and watered by the Holy Spirit, will eventually result in everlasting life in the Kingdom of God eternal.

Let’s not forget the humble and seemingly impossible difficulties that our brothers and sisters of the past and present have to endure in faith, and what their efforts mean for us. Let’s not forget the humility of our Lord and God Jesus Christ Who died so that His church could be planted, and rose so that His church could live—and because He lives, no effort that we make is too small to amount to great things in the Kingdom of God now and forever.

This is a series of articles focusing on the Parables of Jesus.

PREVIOUS PARABLE POST: The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

This article originally appeared at thelordalone.com. Please share, and leave a comment if you’d like to have a discussion.

Considering Proverbs 12:11

He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding (Proverbs 12:11).

Life is hard work, and God said it would be so. When Adam and Even disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, God said to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”  To Eve God said, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” See Genesis Chapter 3.

It takes a lot of work to provide for oneself and for a family, and it takes a lot of work to raise children and to maintain a healthy marriage. There is no way around it. However, mankind makes many empty and futile attempts at getting around God’s words—and there is no way to do so without disobeying God.

This disobedience can take many forms. For some, this means scamming people with “get-rich-quick” ploys. For others, it’s misuse of social welfare programs or the creation of unjust governments. Many people also fail to take up responsibilities in general, thereby neglecting themselves and their families while leaving others to hold up their end of things. Society also degrades the roles of women and men, and motherhood is not only undervalued, but attacked. Children suffer as a result, and society collapses.

When we try to live in this world without submitting to God, we are going to run into trouble. We will find that our lives are empty and meaningless, and we might turn to all kinds of harmful distractions that only make matters worse.

It is better to accept the work that we are given to do. If we accept that life is work, and we do our best in all things, then we can find purpose. We can have healthy relationships and find ways to make life a little easier for everyone.

For example, through hard work, mankind has come up with many useful inventions. We have all kinds of things that make the daily grind easier, many of which we take for granted. Still, no matter how much we innovate, we should never think that we are going to undo the word of God that was stated so long ago.

In a world that is technologically advanced and continues to advance, I wonder what futile attempts are in store. For example, we see many industries being affected by AI. Maybe there is some usefulness to this technology, but for the most part this seems to be another example of man trying to circumvent God’s word, even if they do not realize it.

Whether we are talking about social systems of economics and governments that lean communist or socialist, degrading of families and marriage, or innovations that promise easy answers and solutions to all our problems—there is no way that these vain attempts of evading God’s will can work out for our good.

In this fallen world, it is good for us to work, not just physically but also spiritually. This isn’t just some harsh punishment of a God who wants us to suffer. All things that God does are for our benefit because He loves us.

For example, working hard to sustain our lives, our families, and our society in general requires us to serve other people instead of serving ourselves. Because of the fall, we are selfish and in our vain ambitions we do a lot of harm to others and to our souls. Serving others brings us closer to God, while serving self is what it means to serve Satan.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” If we are busy with work, then we have less time to get wrapped up in things that destructive. Hard work also keeps us humble, and humility makes it possible for us to seek God and grow in Him. Pride, on the other hand, makes us blind to our destructive natures and our need for the Savior.

These are just some ideas that come to mind about why the justice of God rendered in Eden is for our good, but I’m sure much more can be said.

On another note, I want to mention that while working in this world, we should strive to do so in Christ. Jesus mentions in the Parable of the Sower that there is a hazard associated with the “cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches.” We don’t want to get so consumed with daily cares that we don’t seek God.

Thankfully, in Christ, we can live in this fallen world without losing sight of what matters most: pursuing the Kingdom of Heaven. If we put God first, then He will provide us with all things. This does not mean that we do not work—but if we work in Him, then we will have what we need, not just materially, but spiritually which is far more important.

There is a balance here, it seems. We accept the state of this fallen world. When follow vain ideas to the contrary, we are only going to get into trouble. On the other hand, Christ provides the remedy for the fallen state of mankind. So, we labor in Christ, and in Him, we find rest for our souls. It’s challenging to live in this world, but He gives us the guidance and strength that we need to find meaning in it all—and in the end, life everlasting.

So, we can either labor in the ways of man which are vain and only lead to the death that was pronounced for mankind in the Garden of Eden, or we can labor in Jesus and find life. In this present world, it means finding contentment with the basics without becoming greedy or overly consumed with cares. It also means discipline of body and spirit that brings us closer to God.

It is only through the Son of God that we can find real rest, and it is only through Him that we can evade the curse of mankind. Any attempt to the contrary is antichrist, and following these vanities is a sure path toward our destruction.

This article is part of a bible study series, Considering the Proverbs. The purpose is to consider present-day events from a Christian perspective and to offer practical lessons that we can apply to ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.

Previous Post Within This Series: Considering Proverbs 12:10 – A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, also called The Parable of the Weeds Among Wheat, is found in Matthew 13. This is one of Jesus’s parables of the kingdom of heaven, and this comes after the Parable of the Sower. This is one of the parables for which Jesus provides an explanation. Both sections of scripture are included below:

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…

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He 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.

40 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 all 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.

Meaning of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

The main ideas of this parable are straightforward. There are the true children of God through Jesus Christ, symbolized as wheat. Then, there are the children of Satan, who live among the children of God, symbolized as tares. Since they look the same until they are fully grown, it’s impossible to remove the children of Satan without also removing some children of God. However, when both are fully grown, then a distinction between them is made and the angles of God gather the children of Satan together and all that remains are the children of God.

There are a lot of tares in the world that corrupt the gospel of Jesus Christ, but God allows them to grow right alongside those who are truly in the faith.

This is a topic that’s difficult for me to write about, and I don’t know how to approach this without talking about my experience. So, for this article, that will be the focus. Maybe something of value will be gained from sharing.

When I first became serious about the Christian faith as an adult, the biggest challenge was trying to sort through the tares myself. I wanted to know what true Christian teaching was, who Jesus really was, and what it really meant to live a Christian life. As I tried prayerfully to sort it all out, I also did a lot of writing about the things that I believed were true—as well as a lot of things that I believed were false.

The danger of accusing true Christians weighed more heavily on me overtime, and so I understand the importance of the parable. Sometimes I wonder if some of my writings removed wheat along with tares in the sense of removing some good teachings that I thought were false, thereby offending the faith of sincere Christians and children of God. I trust that God will keep all who belong to Him, but He did say, “woe to those by whom offenses come.”

God forgive me for my offenses, and I hope my readers will also if I have given offense. It’s a dangerous thing to teach the things of the Christian faith in any measure. I pray for mercy for all of us who had times of carelessness. May God open our blind eyes, like He did for Paul.

I’m thankful that in the end, it is God and His angels who will do the ultimate sorting. I wonder what truly distinguishes a child of God from a child of Satan. I’ve long believed that God will show a lot of mercy for some of the things that we judge one another for. Specifically for misunderstandings of doctrine that are not matters of salvation. However, it seems to me that if we judge others wrongly because of these disagreements, then we might be in danger of judgment ourselves.

I think it is good for Christians to be careful not to condemn people who fall outside their version of the faith because there could be the risk of falsely accusing our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet, I also think it is good to find out the truth and stand up for it. It is also good to find out the bad and stand against it. However, if we are not being led by the Spirit of God, then we are in dangerous territory.

There is one way that we are always safe, and that is looking to our own salvation. If we are doing this, then we are going to grow in Christ, and it will be more apparent overtime that we are the children of God. While I fully understand the importance of true Christian teaching, it seems to me that what makes a true Christian has more to do with their love toward God and toward other people, as well as having a broken heart over one’s own sin.

Elsewhere, Jesus compares the children of God and the children of Satan to sheep and goats. The children of God (sheep) are those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, minister to the imprisoned, care for the sick, and so on. The children of Satan (goats) are those who do not care for other people. We will get to that parable too, but I wanted to mention it briefly here because it goes along with this idea.

If we want to be good children of God, then we definitely need to know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It also helps tremendously to have true Christian doctrine and to spend time with other Christians. However, we can have true doctrine and even go to a good church regularly and still neglect the inner, Christian life.

Since it is the inner life that really matters, and the inner life that I believe will be judged, it is all the more difficult and even impossible at times to judge other people as being real Christians or not. Jesus did say that we would know false prophets by their fruit, but I think this has more to do with protecting ourselves from following false teachers or prophets than it is about condemning them. Maybe some of them will repent too.

In the end, we know that God will judge all things justly—and more than justly—He will judge things with mercy for those who believe in the Son, Jesus Christ. Since we believe in Him, let’s not get overly distracted by the tares. It seems that the tares are going to be the ones doing the accusing and condemning of others while they neglect their own growth.

If we focus on our own growth, then God will reveal more of Himself to us, and we can share what we receive in love and faith. It seems this will focus mostly on cultivating humility by keeping a heart of repentance for our own sin while showing mercy towards others, serving God and others, and putting our trust in God instead of in man or in ourselves. If we do this, then He will show us how to judge the good from the bad. Then, we are helping the wheat to grow rather than rooting up the tares—and God forbid, also rooting up some wheat.

This is a series of articles focusing on the Parables of Jesus.

PREVIOUS PARABLE POST: The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree

This article originally appeared at thelordalone.com. Please share and leave a comment.

Considering Proverbs 12:10

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel (Proverbs 12:10).

When this proverb was written, a lot of work was accomplished using animals, and the Old Testament laws stated that these animals should not be mistreated. For example, Deuteronomy 25:4 states that you should not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. Let the working animal eat.

I don’t think many of us use animals for labor today, but if we have pets or farm animals, then it’s good to take care of them. This also makes me think of the awful conditions surrounding factory farming, but that’s a topic that I don’t know enough about. I do think it’s a good idea to buy from local butchers, but not everyone has the ability, and many of us have a hard time feeding our families as it is. The last thing we need is a guilt trip.

In any case, as much as it is in our power to do so, we should treat all life with respect. What really stands out is the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous take care for the lowliest of creatures, but the wicked are so ruthless that even their supposed acts of mercy are cruel.

There are many “tender mercies” of the wicked that are cruel. Some people think that is kind and merciful to promote body-altering, gender-affirming surgeries that have been proven to lead to high suicide rates. Some people think that it is kind and merciful to give women the “right to choose” to end the life of their unborn child. Some people think that it is kind and merciful to let our country become overrun by illegal immigrants. Some people think that it is kind and merciful to slaughter tens of thousands in political wars.

There are the “tender mercies” of communism and socialism, failed welfare programs that encourage single family homes and generational poverty, public school systems that fail to educate children properly and brainwash them with “tender mercy” propaganda. How many more “tender mercies” of the wicked might we think about? What about “tender mercies” of assisted suicide? What about population reduction to supposedly save the planet? The list goes on and on, and there is nothing truly tender or merciful—only cruelty.

The thing is, the wicked cannot accomplish any real good because goodness only comes from God, and they hate Him. Sometimes they might think that they are doing right, but what they think is right is what benefits them and their elite friends. They know that these “mercies” are not truly good for any of us, but they present us with lies so that they can get away with their plans. All their evils are disguised as kindness, love, justice, and so on. Thankfully, many people are aware of this.

Yet, despite all of this, let us not lose sight of the first half of this proverb. While there are many cruelties in this world, we can still take the time to show true love and kindness—even in small ways and toward those who we might be tempted to view as nothing more than a beast.

As difficult as it can be, we cannot let the corruptions of this world corrupt us. It’s hard to keep a tender and merciful heart in a time of such hatred and evil—but with the love of God within us we will make it through.

This article is part of a bible study series, Considering the Proverbs. The purpose is to consider present-day events from a Christian perspective and to offer practical lessons that we can apply to ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.

Previous Post Within This Series: Considering Proverbs 12:8-9 – A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread (Proverbs 12:8-9).

What Weeding My Garden Taught Me

Weeds in a garden are annoying. They grow way too fast, sometimes overnight. If left alone, it’s not long before they take over. Then, all the work of tilling, planting, and watering is for nothing.

I try to keep up with our family’s small garden. Each morning, while the ground is still wet, I try to spend half an hour or so picking out the weeds. It’s not much, and some days I get busy with other things and don’t weed the garden at all. If this goes on for more than a few days, I pay for it by having to spend more time getting caught back up.

This morning, I went outside for my usual half-hour weed removal, and I thought to myself how frustrating it is that I can never be totally caught up. Even if I work at it a little each day, there are too many weeds for me to get them all.

As I looked at my garden this morning, it seemed like a good metaphor for life. Though I try each day to do what I can, there are those persistent weeds that keep sprouting up. The most frustrating are my own character flaws and sins. I try to fight them, but it seems like they never fully go away, and it is a daily battle trying to keep them under control.

As I thought about how useless it all feels, another thought came to me. Whether this came from the Holy Spirit or my own mind, I can’t always tell. But the thought was this: “What would the garden look like if you didn’t weed it at all?”

It would be a total mess, and we would be lucky to get anything out of the garden.

Like the weeds in the garden, when I am persistent and daily fight against sin, it’s easier to manage and there is a small “harvest” that comes from these efforts. However, if I let that fight go even for a short time, it isn’t long before things get out of hand, and it takes even more effort to make things right again.

Sometimes we never get rid of the weeds completely. Whether we are talking about our struggles with sin or just the daily challenges of life, things aren’t as futile as they seem. Sometimes we have to think about what life would be like if we didn’t try at all. Sometimes we have to think about what the Lord has done for us rather than become impatient with the work in us that remains to be completed.

Most importantly, we keep going on with our daily struggles to do the small things with patience, because without them there would be nothing but chaos and true futility.

The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree

The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree is found in Luke 13. I’ve also seen this called The Parable of the Cursed Fig Tree and The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. Below is the parable in context, and we will see what we might learn from this parable.

There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Meaning of The Parable of the Unfruitful, Barren Fig Tree

As an introduction to the parable, Jesus references historical accounts in which people were killed tragically. It seems that there was a common belief that these people were killed because they were great sinners. Jesus does not seem to support this idea, but instead He says, “unless you repent, you will also perish.” Next, He teaches the people with a parable.

The Parable of the Unfruitful, Barren Fig Tree describes a fig tree that was planted in a vineyard. The man who planted the fig tree came to the tree, expecting to find fruit, but there was none. This occurs consistently for three years.

The man who planted the tree decides that he might as well cut it down because not only is this tree failing to produce, but it is taking up nutrients from the soil that could be taken in by other plants in the vineyard.

The caretaker of the vineyard convinces the man to give the fig tree one last chance. The caretaker will fertilize the tree, and if it still does not produce within the year, then it will be cut down.

There is no conclusion given about this fig tree. Was it fruitful and spared, or was it unfruitful and cut down? What is the meaning of this parable?

First, let’s think about what Jesus said before teaching this parable. It can be easy for the people of God to get hung up on the sins of others, thinking that any bad thing that happens to them is deserved. Meanwhile, they do not take proper care for their own soul. If they are not repenting of their sins and growing in obedience to God, then they will die along with the people they condemn.

When Jesus spoke this parable, it’s likely that He had the Jewish people in mind, particularly those who rejected Him. Many of them, especially among the Scribes and Pharisees, thought highly of themselves while they were quick to condemn others for their sins. Many of these sinners repented and received Jesus, but those who did not were cut off when the Old Covenant passed away and the New Covenant was established.

Although there was a meaning to the parable that spoke directly to the people in Jesus’s day, we can learn from it now.

I think the greatest thing that we can take away from this parable is to take care of our own souls first before we get too hung up on the sins of other people. If we don’t, then while we are focusing on the coming destruction of others, we fail to see that our own destruction could be just around the corner.

We live in a time that can greatly tempt us to become distracted by the sins of other people. This can include individuals in our lives, but also greater matters socially, politically, and nationally. While there is a time to help people repent, if we have a lot of our own sins to deal with, then what good is it doing us to worry about everyone else?

Paul the Apostle wrote about this idea in his first letter to the Corinthians. He said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” If Paul could have such a humble mindset, arguably being the greatest of the apostles, then how much more should we have the same attitude?

As Christians, we want to be found “fruitful,” which means our lives are bringing forth “fruits of the Spirit,” which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits demonstrate that we have true faith, and that our faith causes us to follow Jesus and become transformed by Him.

Though we are transformed, I think we should always consider ourselves to be as the unfruitful fig tree. Like the scriptures say, “I am an unprofitable servant.” If we always consider ourselves to be lacking, then this motivates us to seek God in humility and with contrition. God gives us more grace because we do not think much of our progress. Also, when we do not think much of our progress, then we are less likely to get hung up on the sins of others.

There are a couple other ideas that come to mind when reading this parable. The first is the plea of the caretaker of the vineyard. When the master wanted to cut down the tree, the caretaker asked for one last chance. He said that he would do his best to nourish the tree so that it becomes fruitful. This seems like a good symbol for the ministers of God.

Faithful ministers are motivated by a healthy fear of the Lord, and with this fear they do all that they can to encourage their fellow servants in Christ to become “fruitful.” They fertilize people with the word of God, and with encouragement on living out their faith by acknowledging their sins, repenting, and seeking the grace of God to help them live according to the teachings of Jesus.

I also like that the parable has an open-ended conclusion. We do not know what happened to the fig tree. Likewise, we do not know what the Lord will do with any of us. Not only is Jesus the master of the vineyard, but He is also the caretaker. When we put our trust in Him, He will fertilize us and help us to grow. He does have His servants who can help us, but the job of these ministers is to point us to Jesus, encourage us to pray and to fight against sin, and to pick us back up when we have fallen. If we are putting our faith in Jesus, and we truly want to live for Him, then He will cause us to be fruitful. Yet, this is no light matter.

There are going to be many people who claimed to be Christian, but they do not truly have salvation. I think this has a lot to do with failure to “bring forth fruits of repentance” that keeps us in the correct state of mind. This mindset helps us to rely on Jesus and not ourselves, knowing that any good thing we are able to do is from Him.

So, we seek Him often. As we seek and see our weakness, how can we become overly worried about the sins of others in a hypocritical manner? Such a state is one of deadly pride, and there is no fruit in it. However, it seems normal for us to battle these kinds of prideful attitudes. Especially in a time of such great sin. The Lord knows this temptation, and He can forgive us and help us to be sober minded, knowing that without Him, we would die.

Knowing this, let’s do what we can to be more fruitful, but without thinking too much of our progress. Then, we can be like the caretaker of the vineyard who tries to help unfruitful trees produce, because we know that those who do not produce are cursed.

On a final note, there is no such thing as an easy grace gospel that is not fruitful. Grace empowers us to fight sin and gain victory in Christ, who is God with us, unto everlasting life. This is the gospel. Any other gospel is accursed because there is no fruit in it. This does not mean that we never sin, but it does mean that we repent of our sins as they occur, not just once, but continually. It means that we seek Jesus for His mercy, and we do what we can in faith to live in obedience to Him because we truly love Him.

If we love Him, then this means He first loved us. So, we do not give up or become too hard on ourselves. Instead, we trust in Him even more and humble ourselves before Him. In so doing, we will learn to discern right from wrong, and with this knowledge we will become acutely aware over time of how much mercy we truly need. With this knowledge, our heart is softened, and we learn to love God and love others more. We find freedom from a condemning heart towards mankind and instead do what we can to lead them to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

PREVIOUS PARABLE POST: The Parable of the Watchful Servants

The online book, These Things Saith He is one attempt at encouraging fruitful faith. There are some ideas within this book that I am rethinking, so there might be another version coming out in the future. However, the main ideas are not going to change. It’s more of a change of focus that takes in some Christian teaching and history that I have learned since. Take it for what it’s worth, and at the least I hope it encourages the readers to pursue a life lived in Jesus Christ.

This article originally appeared at thelordalone.com. Feel free to share and leave a comment.

Considering Proverbs 12:8-9

A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread (Proverbs 12:8-9).

Sometimes we see contradicting ideas within the Proverbs, such as with Proverbs 12:8-9. However, these two ideas provide a contradiction that goes together nicely, with the second expanding the idea proposed in the first.

In Proverbs 12:8, it states that a man gains positive recognition for his wisdom, while a man that has a perverse, or we could say crooked, unjust, or unrighteous heart, is despised.

When all things work as they should, presuming we do not live in a culture that calls evil good and good evil, this proverb rings true. The upright appreciates men and women of wisdom because their wisdom brings good things to those around them.

In Proverbs 12:9, it states that a despised man with a servant is better than a man that honors himself yet lacks bread.

Maybe I’m not looking at this correctly, but it seems to me that in the second case, the despised man is actually a man of virtue. Perhaps, he is despised because of his virtue. Yet he retains some measure of honor that is given to him from his servant.

On the other hand, it does not matter how much honor a person gives themselves, because this honor does nothing to truly sustain him. Just as he lacks bread, which is necessary for sustaining his physical life, his prideful self-honor points to a spiritual lack which does nothing to sustain his soul.

As Christians, we know that all wisdom comes from God, and the wisdom that He grants us will be recognized and appreciated by those who value the good things of God. However, we also know that we can be despised for these virtues by those who hate God. Jesus said, “If you were of the world, the world would love you, but because I have called you out of the world, the world hates you.”

While many might brag about their own wisdom—which is not the wisdom of God but of this world—the glory gained is empty. As Christians, we do not want to trouble ourselves with gaining recognition from people, but from God. The scriptures also teach us that we should not make a big deal about ourselves, but rather, “let another man’s lips praise you.” Rather, we should “glory in our weakness.” Meaning, we should highlight our faults rather than highlight our virtues.

Sometimes we do honor one another, and this is right so long as that honor is given in Christ. For example, we might praise a fellow servant while giving all glory to God for the gifts given to them. If we receive such honor, then we should always direct that praise to God because we cannot do anything without Him, and any praise of men—even if it is well-placed—can tempt us to vanity.

In the world today, it seems that those who honor themselves are honored. Our present-day culture of self-love is a great sickness that leads to so much emptiness, because when a person is full of themselves, they cannot be filled with Christ.

Self-love is pride, which is the root of all sin. The only form of self-love that is acceptable is that which appreciates the fact that we are made in the image of God, yet because of our sin we are separated from Him. Because we love our soul—in the sense that we want our soul to live—we care for our soul by submitting our will to the will of God. So, in one sense we die to ourselves, but in another sense, we are being made alive. There is a godly form of self-love and there is a corrupted version of it.

How sad it is that many confuse the two. Many choose to pursue pleasure and gratification of their basic and animalistic desires—desires that might seem good at first but lead to a lot of pain. For the Christian, it is the opposite. We choose temporary pain as we let go of our self-gratifying behaviors so that we can find lasting pleasure in the Kingdom of Heaven.

This process takes time, and it is not easy to do. It is not easy to deny ourselves and follow Christ, but with His grace we can. As we do this, we gain more wisdom that enables us to serve God and serve others, and those who value these good things will commend us while those who value self-love will think we are foolish.

Unfortunately, the culture of self-love is not exclusive to the unbelieving world. What’s worse is when Christian culture adopts these views, thereby hindering the faith those of us who are trying to die to self and live in Christ as He commands. This is something that I have experienced, and the temptation to double mindedness is no easy thing to deal with.

It’s hard to let go of covetousness when popular Christian culture condemns you for living a simple life, void of desires to enrich yourself.

It’s hard to forgive others and bear their sins with patience when popular Christian culture encourages self-righteousness and hypocrisy.

It is hard to forego temptations to participate in worldly entertainments when many Christians do so unashamedly.

It is hard to stand by the truth of a transformative gospel when the popular view of the gospel of “faith plus nothing” states that a person is saved no matter what after they make a one-time declaration of faith, even if they go on to live like unbelievers.

It is hard to worship God as He intends when modern worship tempts to vanity, accepting God’s forgiveness unfaithfully, and is generally self-focused instead of God-focused.

Is this not a falling away of the true Christian faith? If it is not explicitly, it is certainly leading to such a falling away, and it certainly leaves many lacking. Jesus is the bread of life, and if we are living for ourselves and not Him, then we are starved in the most detrimental sense.

Let’s not fall for self-honor, either outside of the realm of Christian culture or inside of it. Instead, let’s honor Jesus Christ our God, and in Him be made wise so that we can be useful for Him and for those who want to follow Him faithfully.

Assuming we agree so far, how is this done? How do we die to self and live in Christ? Christians have some difference of opinion about this.

From what I know as one who still needs to die, this is accomplished by continuing to pursue Jesus above all things. This means learning about what He teaches and accepting the truth of these things, even if many within the faith gloss over those teachings that contradict a life of self-gratification.

This means devoting time to prayer every day, and seeking the Lord to teach us how to pray in a manner that He accepts. We can begin by praying for our enemies, asking God to help us see our sin, and in faith asking for His grace by the Holy Spirit to work His goodness in us. Pursue humility and love. Humility keeps us grounded as we grow in the good things of God, and all the good things of God are summarized as loving God and loving others. We cannot love God and love others if we love ourselves, and He can help us overcome the self for His sake.

This also means separating yourself from people who tempt you to deny Christ, even those who claim to be Christian. This does not mean you think you are better, but out of a godly self-love, you keep yourself from unnecessary temptation. This also means asking God to help you find other faithful Christians who can mentor you and walk alongside you.

As you grow in your knowledge of God, He will teach you how to go through your life in a way that pleases Him. Try to be faithful, but if you fail, trust in His mercy. We fail many times, and it is no strange thing if the Enemy of your soul starts testing you. Expect his opposition, and learn to rely on Jesus all the more so that these hard times make you stronger. As you learn to be faithful in small, everyday things, which is what living as a Christian is all about, He will give you more. Then you are tested again. You might fall again. Then, you go to God and get up again. We are always dying and being reborn, and we will continue in this so long as we live.

In all things, keep faith with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for you and now lives, and in Whom you can overcome all things. When we are weak, He is strong. When we honor Him and not ourselves, He honors us by revealing more of Himself to us. The more we see Him, the more we see our lack, thus keeping us grounded and humble while allowing us to grow in our love for Him and others.

This article is part of a bible study series, Considering the Proverbs. The purpose is to consider present-day events from a Christian perspective and to offer practical lessons that we can apply to ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.

Previous Post Within This Series: Considering Proverbs 12:5-7 – The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

Parable of the Watchful Servants

The Parable of the Watchful Servants is found in Luke 12:35-14. This parable is told after the Parable of the Rich Fool. Below is the parable in its entirety, then I will get into my interpretation. In this interpretation, I consider what the coming of Jesus could mean (and I look at this in three ways). Then, I go into more detail, comparing the wise servants with those who are “drunken.”

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:35-48).

Meaning of the Parable of the Watchful Servants

The parable opens with instruction to have our lights burning. We could compare this to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins because the theme is similar. As Christians, we are waiting for Jesus to return, and we want to be prepared to meet Him when this time comes.

We can see the coming of Christ a few ways. We can think of this as the second coming of Jesus when He overthrows the false prophet anti-Christ. We can think of this as being the end of our life, because after we die we will stand before Jesus and give an account of ourselves to Him. We can also think of this as encounters with Christ while we are yet alive. With these three ideas of the coming of Christ in mind, let’s see what we can say about the rest of this parable.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The topic of the coming of Jesus Christ is one that we are all familiar with. There have been many predictions, but Jesus said that we “do not know the day or the hour” when He will return. We are also told that Jesus will not come at just anytime, and we should not be fooled by false claims of His arrival.

Jesus says that “false Christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to lead many astray, even the chosen if it were possible.” He tells us that He will not come until there is a great “falling away” of the church, and the Son of Perdition or Destruction is revealed (he who exalts himself above all that is worshiped, so that he as God, sits in the temple of God, making a show of himself as God).

If we are not kept by Jesus, then we might mistake this false Christ for God. This is speculation on my part, but I wonder if many will think that this false god is Jesus. It concerns me to hear about many who think that Jesus will return anytime. I’ve read comments to the effect of, “for the Jews, they will be welcoming their Messiah, but for us, it is the second coming.”

What a terrible deception this could be, and it saddens me to think that many are primed and ready for such a deception.

When Jesus returns, the dead will rise, and there will be none opposing Him. When the false Christ comes, many will oppose him, and the dead will remain in their graves. These are some ways that we can know that this is not Jesus. Plus, if we are as “wise virgins” who have experiential knowledge of the Lord gained by the grace of God given of the Holy Spirit, then we will recognize the corrupted and inverted ways of this false Christ.

The Coming of Jesus at the End of Our Life

When we die, the next thing that we will experience is the judgement seat of Christ. We will have to stand before Him, and we are then held accountable for what we did with the faith that was given to us. How sad it would be if we are counted among those who were unfaithful, hearing those dreadful words, “depart from me, you who work iniquity, I never knew you.”

If we have a real relationship with Jesus, then this relationship is going to be transformative as we are being healed from our sins in this present life. We will not hear these words because He knows us. He knows us through our prayers, our repentance, and by the Holy Spirit given to us that enables us to overcome sin and live in a way that brings us into a greater relationship with Him overtime. Caring for this relationship with Jesus is critical to the Christian life and should never be rejected or neglected.

Encounters with Christ in the Present Life

As Christians, there are going to be times when we encounter the Lord, and these encounters will reveal to us our areas of weakness that need to be repented of. These encounters should be frequent through prayer and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that leads us to repentance and empowers us to “walk even as He walked” in this present life. We grow in this ability over time, if we do not resist His correction.

The coming of the Lord in this present life can also take the form of encounters with fellow servants of God who are vessels of the Holy Spirit. These encounters can help us find correction, guidance, and comfort. We might also “entertain angels unawares.” Sometimes we are tested by His angels, and we do not even know it.

Encounters with Christ as “a Thief”

Jesus says that He comes “as a thief,” and if we were watchful, then we would not allow our house to be broken into. What does this mean? If we are not always looking for Jesus and preparing for His coming—in any meaning of this coming we might consider as above—then when He does come, we will not be prepared for it.

When Jesus came to this earth, many were not prepared for Him. In-fact, many rejected Him, and as a result, they “lost what they seemed to have.” The religious leaders in those days thought that they had authority from God and considered themselves to be His favored servants. They did not really have this favor, and what they seemed to have was taken from them and given to those who were more worthy.

How might this apply to us today? If we are not truly living a life in Christ, then our fate will be very similar. We should never take our Christian heritage for granted, thereby corrupting our Covenant of Christ, or else we might find that we too “lose what we seemed to have.” In this way, Jesus comes as a thief, taking what many think that they have and giving it to others who are more worthy of Him.

Whether we are thinking about the second coming, the end of our life, or encounters with Christ in this present life, we want to be found faithful. As for the latter, there are times when we are found lacking, but thank God that these instances are times of correction that make us stronger if we remain in Christ through sincere faith, repentance, and grace-given determination and strength to meet future encounters more faithfully.

Blessed is The Wise Servant

When the Lord finds us watchful, which means we are living our lives in expectation of His coming in all of the forms mentioned here, then we are blessed. Jesus will make us ruler over many things. As the scriptures say, “he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in much.” If we strive to be faithful according to what we have, then when Jesus comes, He will give us even more. However, if we are not faithful, then Jesus will come when we are not aware. Sometimes, this means chastisement.

This chastisement is proportional to what we have received. If we knew what Jesus wanted us to do, and we did not do it, then we will be chastened more severely than those who were blind to His will. As Christians, we have greater responsibility therefore to take great care for all that Jesus commands us to do.

For this reason, it is always best for us to be mindful of our own sin, because when we sin, we are greater sinners than those who sin without Jesus because they are ignorant of Him. If we are not humbled by this mindset, then we might be deceived into being among those who are found in the worst state of all: “beating the menservants and maidens, and eating and drinking with the drunken.”

Those Found Drunken and Smiting Their Fellow Servants

If we are not watchful, which means we are actively caring for our own state in Christ as those who expect to encounter Jesus, then we can fall into many forms of sin. It seems that the greatest of all these is to be found “drunken and smiting our fellow servants.” What does this mean?

There are many ways that we can apply this. For example, there are many ways that Christians begin to falsely accuse and condemn one another because of their failure to fall in line with our favored Christian denomination and their legalistic practices.

We can also think about the way we treat people in general. Jesus says that vengeance is His. If we lose our patience with others and become “drunken” with ungodly, self-righteous indignation and thereby excuse ourselves for hating and condemning others, then we are not in a state that is pleasing to Jesus.

We can also think about all the temptations in our world to join various movements that justify that actual slaughter of many. We have to remember to wait on Jesus who will judge all things and set all things right. Mankind will never be able to achieve this. No matter how righteous a cause seems to be, we should be very careful about our allegiances, remembering that our first allegiance is to Jesus Christ and to our fellow servants who are scatted all around the world, even in countries that are at war with our own. We need to be on guard against hating those who hate us also, remembering what Jesus teaches about blessing our enemies and overcoming evil with good.

I believe that the temptation to being “drunken and smiting your fellow servants” is one of the greatest temptations of our time, and one that will only get worse—especially when the false Christ comes.

We need to be watchful so that we are not overtaken by any false Christ, and there are many.

There is the false Christ of the self, which we strive to crucify daily so that we can live in obedience to Jesus. There are false Christs in the faith that cause us to deal with other Christians in accusatory, slanderous, and destructive ways, and there are false Christs in the faith that cause us to neglect living a faithful, transformative Christian life. There are false Christs in politics, social movements, and among all forms of the elite who claim to have the solutions for all the world’s problems.

There will one day be an ultimate false Christ, and we prepare ourselves for resisting him then by resisting him now as we form a true relationship with Jesus that enables us to stand against all the ways of the Enemy—without and within—by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who Watch for God Find Him

Jesus is not some God that is far away. He is always with us, and He showed this expressly when He became a man and lived among us and died for us. The Holy Spirit moves throughout all the world, watching and testifying faithfully about all things. The Holy Spirit also lives within us, teaching us about Jesus and empowering us to live for Him. Look for Him, and you will find Him.

Be watchful. Prepare your heart for meeting our God because everyone will meet Him one day. Our God is a “consuming fire”, and no unrighteousness can stand His presence. So, we prepare ourselves by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness and healing of our sins. We prepare ourselves through prayer, repentance, and learning what it means to live a Christian life. We should always be looking for Jesus, because His coming is always just around the corner, and often He comes in ways that we least expect.

NOTE: Just after publishing, I remembered something Jesus said about His return to the earth. “Just as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” He says this so that when many say, “Lo here is Christ, or Lo, he is there” we will not believe them. When I say, “He comes in ways that we least expect,” I mean in this present life experientially. I say this as exortation to be watchful always.

This is part of a series of articles discussing the Parables of Jesus. You can visit the link for quick access to more articles within this series.

Previous Article Within This Series: The Parable of the Rich Fool

More about the idea of being “drunken and smiting your fellow servants” can be found in the online book, These Things Saith He.

This article originally appeared at thelordalone.com. Feel free to share.