Week 4: Intro to the parables + Parables of the kingdom

Objective: 

• Learn the parables and their meanings
• How can we apply what we learned in our lives

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary on Matthew
• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary on Luke
• Catena Bible Commentary (Matthew)
  
• Catena Bible Commentary (Luke)
• HEMY's Bible study on Matthew
• HEMY's Bible study on Luke

Reading:

• Matthew 13

Key verse(s):

• "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Matthew 13:9

Comments:

• A parable is a story in which a special meaning or a spiritual lesson is embedded
• A way to deliver the message in a simple way
• Parables are found only in the synoptic Gospels
• They are often stories based on the agricultural life that was familiar to His audience
• Some unfamiliar concepts, such as the kingdom of God, were compared to something from everyday life that could easily be understood
• It is the lesson of a parable that is important to us.
• "It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning"

• Parable	Matthew	Mark	Luke
  The Sower	13:3-23	4:2–20	8:4-15
  The Hidden Treasure	13:44
  The Pearl of Great Price	13:45, 46
  The Growing Seed		4:26–29
  The Mustard Seed	13:31, 32	4:30-32	13:18, 19
  The Leaven	13:33		13:20, 21
  The Hidden Treasure	13:44
  The Tares*	13:24–30
  The Dragnet*	13:47-50

  Like the seed (Mk 4:26) Fruits based soil. Like the leaven, & mustard seed (Mt 13:31; Mk 4:30) Starts small, invisible but grows by God's grace Like hidden treasure, & Pearl of great price (Mt 13:44) valuable, worth the sacrifice, joy for the finder! Like wheat & tares, net (Mt 13:24) Opposition to the Kingdom Co-existence of good and evil until judgment (harvest, net cast).

• "Hear" occurs 19 times in Mt 13, 7 times in the parable. "Seed" – Word of God: (1) has life, (2) must be planted, (3) nurtured, (4) bears fruit. "Soil #1"– Hard, on rocky path, stolen by bird (Satan) "Soil #2" – shallow root, withers under persecution (flesh). "Soil #3" – Crowded, choked by thorns of the world (riches). "Soil #4" – Good. fruitful. Hears, receives, believes, & obeys. Which soil are you? Which soil do you want to be?

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions