Parables: Be Prepared

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Parables are stories or riddles designed to explain a concept or situation in a way that can be understood.
Jesus used parables to mask his teachings, so that those who took time to try and understood the parables learned what he was trying to say, while those who didn’t bother to understand would miss the point entirely.
We’ve learned a lot through reading the parables. How God promises growth so long as the church is faithful in sharing the Word with others, How we are called to share the love of Jesus with everyone, because God is the one who will judge who is in and out in the end, how God treasures each and every person and celebrates when a lost soul finds its way back to him. We have seen How the kingdom of God is equated to a party, and God wants everyone to take part, but some people get too caught up in themselves to take part and so their place is given to others. We have seen how Jesus rejected the religious leaders of his day, and instead reaches out to us, sinners and gentiles, and that as stewards of his gifts to us we are called to build a return on his investment in us, something that he promises will happen so long as we are faithful.
Last week we saw a parable that explains that Jesus is going away, he is preparing a place for us, and he will come back. This week we are going to look at parables that warn us to be ready for his return.
Church we do not know the day that Jesus is going to return. We don’t know when he is coming back.
We see signs.
War in Israel
Plauges (Covid)
Famines
Earthquakes
These may mean that Jesus is coming soon, I cannot say for sure, he might not be coming yet, but church we need to be ready.
English Standard Version (Chapter 24)
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Church this is the best description we have of the rapture, it will happen when least expected. And so Jesus tells us all to be alert before he says this parable:
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
If we are the servant in this parable, then we should seek to be doing God’s will until he returns, we cannot get lazy, we cannot say “oh he’s not coming yet, I still have time to slack off”
Would you do that at work?

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Ten Young women, bride’smaids
The groom would come to take the bride and her entourage to the party
the foolish women only had enough oil for when they thought the groom was coming
The needed more
Its midnight the oil merchant is probably asleep
Church the oil represents the holy spirit, which lives in all believers.
There will come a time when it is too late to repent
That might be when Jesus comes back - OR it might be because you yourself run out of time

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

This parable is about not seeking wealth on earth, but focusing on building up treasure in heaven, but look at its warning!
We can work to make sure we are financially secure, we could build wealth, but when the time comes for us to die, it was all for nothing!
Church: Let us use the reasources we have at our disposal to help others while we still can.

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

This is the only parable where a character is given a name:
Lazarus
Jesus raised lazarus from the dead
Did anyone ask lazarus what death was like?
It doesn’t describe what lazarus’s experience was like while he was dead, and people didn’t want to listen to hims
They tried to kill him afterwards.
The rich man dies and cannot be helped, and he begs for people to warn his loved ones, but they will not listen.
They have “moses and the prophets” - that means they have the old testament, they have the bible
If they wont believe the bible, they wont believe the words of someone who has come back from the dead.
Church while you have time, your friends and loved ones also have you.
Church when death comes it is too late, and we dont know when death will come
When Christ comes it is too late, and we dont know when Christ will come.
Church, make sure you have the Oil in your lantern - the holy spirit.
Church make sure you are not so focused on building wealth in this life that you fail to help others.
Church make sure your friends and loved ones are aware of the love of Jesus, and what awaits them if they refuse, because when the time comes it will be too late.
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