The Lost Coin

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

Jerusalem, Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. I am a disciple of Jesus.


Jesus told this story shortly after a group of Pharisees grumbled about his last story. You can read it in my last post. 

Jesus began his story with this: "Suppose a woman had ten silver coins. One day she counts the coins and finds only nine. 

Wouldn't she light all the lamps and look in every corner of her home? Take her broom and sweep the whole house? Open cupboards and drawers? Move furniture, checking every inch of her home, searching for the one lost coin?

And when she finds it, wouldn't you suppose she would call her friends and neighbors and say, "Look! Rejoice with me! I have found my lost coin!

In the same way, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

You Are The One Special Sheep

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

Jerusalem, Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. 


Today's story started shortly after a group of tax collectors and "sinners" gathered around him. 

When Jesus began to teach, the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who were also there, muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." They scowled.

Jesus heard what they said. In response, he told this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them."

The men stopped grumbling and listened.

"Wouldn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"

Others standing in the crowd nodded.

"And when he finds the lost sheep, wouldn't he joyfully put it on his shoulder and go home calling out to his neighbors and friends along the way saying, "Look! Be happy with me. I have found my lost sheep!"

Jesus looked to the hills where a flock of sheep followed their shepherd. "In the same way, there will be more celebrating in heaven because of of sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

I wasn't surprised that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law grumbled and left. But the other men and women in the crowd stayed to hear more of what Jesus would say. 

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Can Salt Be Made Salty Again?

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

A road north of Nazareth, Israel
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. 

I am here to tell you some stories recently told by Jesus. 

I and the other disciples walked with Jesus from village to village. Most of the time, curious crowds came and followed Jesus with us. 

Jesus often stopped and let the people gather near while he spoke. Jesus frequently explained new teachings with stories. 

Here is one of the stories told by Jesus. This one is called the Parable of Salt.

"Salt is good, right?" Jesus asked those listening.

The people in the crowd quickly agreed. Salt preserves, enhances flavors, and much more. True.

"If the salt loses saltiness, how can it be made salty again?" He asked.

This was a difficult question. One no one from the crowd seemed to have considered in the past. If the salt loses saltiness, we simply get rid of it. But Jesus asked how can it be made salty again. This, the people in the crowd didn't know. And in truth, neither did I.

"The bad salt can't be used for the soil or the manure pile. It has to be thrown out."

Jesus told each story for a reason. So the people would understand, He often ended the parable with "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

I remember Jesus saying His disciples are the salt of the earth. From this, I think He meant we are to teach others what we've learned from Him. If we don't study His word, or follow His ways we can lose our salt. 

Well, I can figure out what this parable of the salt means from this. 

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Jesus, The Master Storyteller, Infusing Truth into Story

Jesus spent much of His three-year ministry walking from one city/village to another, teaching and preaching. The truths He taught were at times complicated to understand.

He spoke with many men, women, and children who met Him for the first time. People from all economical stations, genders, ages, and cultures.

Today, when we meet someone for the first time, the person who tends to intrigue us the most and earns our listening ear is the person who tells us about themself through a story. A telling of something that happened to them. This opening to the real person invites us to listen and want to know more about the person.

Jesus told parables to those who came to meet Him. A parable is a special type of story. It is a short story using a setting that is meaningful to the listeners. Characters in the story are people the listeners could relate to. For example, if several in the crowd were farmers, Jesus put a farmer in the story.

Typical stories that we find in the library or bookstore focus on one main character, a single problem, and their journey to find the answer.

In Jesus' parables, though, the story illustrated a heavenly teaching. A concept God the Father directed Him to present. The story was always timely, exactly what the listeners needed to hear. The story was always told plainly. I imagine Jesus sitting comfortably or unfolding the story while walking. 

Jesus the master storyteller knew how to convey His message. He explained truths in such a way the crowds came back to hear more. Sometimes the men, women, and children walked for days then sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him teach.

The last post shared a few of Jesus' parables. You can scroll down to read them.

The next parable told by Jesus is a lengthy one, but a wonderful one. Come back next week to read the Parable of the Lost Son.


Photo taken by Mary Vee in Samaria, Israel

Mary Vee is a Bible College graduate majoring in Biblical Studies and Christian Education. She has also traveled to Israel. Mary has served as a missionary in Honduras, Mexico, and the Crow Indian Tribe in Montana.

In God's Eyes, We Are All Important

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

Sun setting in Israel
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. 

Large crowds traveled with Jesus today. When it came time to rest He turned and spoke with the people. "If anyone comes to me and does not place his devotion to me above his father, mother, wife, and children, even his brothers and sisters, and yes, his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

"I will explain. If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn't you first sit down and figure the cost to see if you had enough money to complete the project?

"If you laid the foundation and could not finish the work you would be ridiculed by everyone who walks by. They'd laugh and say, 'Look, this fellow began to build and was not able to finish.

"Now consider a king who is about to go to war against another king. Wouldn't he sit down and determine if the ten thousand men in his army could conquer the twenty thousand coming against him? If his answer is no, he might send a delegation asking for peace while the other army is still far away. In the same way, you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciple."

Jesus broke from his rest. While He walked farther, He told those who still walked with him several parables. 

The Parable of the Salt:
Jesus said, "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, it can't be made salty again. It becomes useless and is thrown out. He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Lost Coin:
Jesus sat at a table for a meal with tax collectors and sinners. There also happened to be Pharisees and teachers there. The Pharisees grumbled saying "This man is terrible. He welcomes sinners and eats with them. He should know better." In response Jesus said:

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you joyfully put it on your shoulders and go home. Once there you will call your neighbors and friends and tell them,'Rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep.' In the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Sometimes we think we are the most important. But in God's eyes, we are all important.

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Great Sorting At the End of Time

By Mary Vee
Matthew 13

From Matthew's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee where Peter, Andrew, and others fished.
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Matthew, I am a follower of Jesus. I have recorded some of what I witnessed in this post. 

The other disciples and I have listened to Jesus teach. He uses short stories called parables to communicate His lesson.  

In each parable, Jesus talked about people like us, living in places like we do, working as we do and such a situation that taught the lesson. 

Other parables have been written In previous posts and sent to you from Mark and Luke. You can scroll down and read them. 

These were the last three parables Jesus shared on this day:

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a large commercial fishing net that is let down into the lake and catches all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fishermen pull it up on the shore. With the fish spread across the ground, the fishermen sit down and separate the good fish, placing them in baskets. The bad fish that remain are thrown away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw the evil ones into the fiery furnace, where there will be terrible weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Have you understood all these things I have taught you?"

The other disciples and I looked at each other and nodded. "Yes. We have."

Jesus said, "All right then. Every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom the new and the old treasure to examine. He then decides which is good and keeps those items and which truly did not have value and should be thrown away."

There are many similar parables that Jesus shared with us. He did this to help us understand His teachings. In the days he spent with the crowds, He did not say anything without using a parable.

But when Jesus was alone with us, the chosen twelve, he explained everything so clearly we could not possibly misunderstand. Because He did this, Jesus fulfilled prophecies spoken by the prophets who said:

I will open my mouth in parables. I will say things hidden since the creation of the world. 



If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.


Next time I will write about amazing miracles performed by Jesus.

 Come back to read the next story.

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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Jesus Tells A Story

By Mary Vee
Matthew 13

From Matthew's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee.

My name is Matthew, I am a follower of Jesus. I have recorded in this post some of what I witnessed. 

Jesus gathered the twelve chosen disciples and others who followed him. He chose to teach us using short stories that are call parables to communicate the lesson.  

In each parable, Jesus talked about people like us, living in places like we do, working as we do and in a situation that taught the lesson. 

Other parables have been written In previous posts and sent to you from Mark and Luke. You can scroll down and read them. 

Here are three new short parables Jesus shared with us on this day:

Jesus said to us, "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is added to flour and water. The cook works the yeast through the dough, kneading, pressing, and pounding the ingredients in a bowl. The dough is left alone to rest. While it rests the yeast works, multiplying and growing. The dough rises above the top of the bowl. At this time, the cook repeats the process, needing, pressing, and pounding then allows the dough to rest, again, for three times. At the end of the time, the dough is of a good quality, ready to be baked."

Jesus told another parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like a great treasure hidden in an abandoned field. When a man happened into the field and discovered it, he immediately rejoiced! He hid it in the same place then went home, and sold everything he had. He took all the money and bought the field.

Jesus then told another parable describing the kingdom of heaven. "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who traveled far and wide searching for fine pearls. He found many small ones. But one day he found one of great value. He went home, sold everything he owned then took the money back to the owner and bought the pearl.  

There are more parables that Jesus shared, which will be told to you in the next posts. But for now, think about these three stories. The yeast. The man who found a treasure and sold all he had to purchase the field. And the merchant who searched for a pearl of great value. 

What do you think the meaning of these parables are?

If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.


I will share more of what Jesus taught next time.

 Come back to read the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Jesus Tells Three Parables

By Mary Vee
Mark 4

From Mark's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee.

My name is Mark, I am a follower of Jesus. I have recorded in this post some of what I witnessed. 

Jesus gathered the twelve chosen disciples and others who followed him for a time to hear short stories that are call parables. He used these parables to teach truths. 

In each parable, Jesus talked about people like us, living in places like we do, working as we do and in a situation that teaches the lesson. 

Other parables have been sent In previous posts sent to you by Matthew and Luke. You can scroll down and read them. 

Here are three short parables Jesus shared with us on this day:

Jesus said to us, "Do you bring in a lamp and set it under a bowl or a bed where no one can see the light?"

He paused and let us respond. Obviously we said no.

Jesus said, "Of course not. You put it on the stand and let the light shine in the whole room. There will come a day when the truth behind these parables will shine brightly. 

I, Mark, am going to interrupt here, because Jesus is about to say something that needs to be thought about carefully. Ready?

"Put into practice what you area able to understand from these parables. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you. To him who has understood and practiced the teachings, more will be given. To him who does not practice, the understanding will be taken away."

Jesus said, "Here is another parable, This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man went out to his field one day and scattered his seed on the ground. During the next nights and days, whether the man slept or rose from his bed, the seed sprouted and grew even though he didn't understand how this happened. 

"All by itself the soil produces grain: first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, the man takes his sickle and reaps the wheat, because the harvest has come."

Jesus gave us a few moments to think about these words.

Jesus then told us another parable. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though this seed is the smallest of all your seeds it grows to be the largest of the garden plants, turning into a tree and a place where birds of the air can perch in its branches."

There are more parables that Jesus shared, which will be told to you in the next posts. But for now, think about these three stories. The lamp. The seed that grows into a plant when the farmer is away. The tiny mustard seed that grows into a large plant. What do you think the meaning of these parables are?

If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.


I will share more of what Jesus taught next time.

 Come back to read the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Wheat and Weeds

By Mary Vee
Matthew 13

From Matthew's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee.

My name is Matthew, I am a disciple of Jesus. I have recorded what I witnessed. 

What I found very interesting were the short stories Jesus told when teaching the people. These are called parables. 

The parable is a way to teach a concept in story form using a setting familiar to the listener. The intended meaning is usually hidden in the story.

This is the second parable Jesus told this group of people who came to hear him speak.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field after carefully preparing the land.

"He sent his servants out daily to care for the field. Somewhere in the days that followed, before the wheat plants sprouted, the man's enemy sneaked into the field during the night. He sowed weeds throughout the field then left. 

"One day, the servants who cared for the field walked among the rows. They saw the wheat that had sprouted and formed heads. They also saw weeds sprouting between the wheat plants.

The head servant ran to the house and asked to speak to the owner. He said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field?' 

"'Yes,' the owner answered. 'You were with me when I did.'

"'Then where did the weeds come from?'

"'An enemy has done this,'" the owner replied.

"The servant asked, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'

"The owner answered, 'No. Because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters to first collect the weeds and tie them into bundles to be burned. Next I will tell them to gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"

Jesus stood and walked away from the crowd. He walked inside a house where we disciples were invited to join Him. We asked, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

Jesus answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 
"The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. 
"The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. 
"The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

"They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."



This is a powerful parable. If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.


I will share more of what Jesus taught next time.

 Come back to read the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Sower, A Parable Jesus Told in a Natural Amphitheater

By Mary Vee
Matthew 13

From Matthew's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee
Standing on the rocky northern shore
of the Sea of Galilee where
the crowds sat,listening to Jesus
speak from the boat.
This shore is steep. But notice the huge
rocks. The area is like an
amphitheater. The sound reflecting
off the water, amplifying so all the
people could hear. his words The rocks,
like chairs. A great place for the
masses to hear Jesus speak.

My name is Matthew, I am a disciple of Jesus. I have recorded what I witnessed. 

What I found very interesting were the short stories Jesus told when teaching the people. 

On this day, He told one.

We followed Jesus out of the house and sat with him by the lake. Not long had passed before such a large crowd gathered around him that he stood and asked for a boat. 

We brought one to him and held it while he climbed inside. A few of us sat with him in the boat while other disciples stayed on the rocky shore with the crowds.

Jesus faced the people and told this parable story:

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he tossed the seed across the ground, some fell on rocks where it there was little soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched. They withered because their roots had no space to grow.

"Other seeds fell on thorns. The plants grew but were soon choked by the thorns and died."

"Some seed fell on good soil. The rich, strong crop grew a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.

"He who has ears, let him hear."

Later, when we disciples were alone with Jesus, he said, "Listen and I will tell you the meaning of the parable of the sower. 

"When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, this is the seed sown among the path. The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. 

"The one who hears the message about the kingdom and rejoices right away, this is the seed that fell on rocky places. This joy only lasts a short time for this person because he has no root. When trouble or persecution comes and he has nothing to draw on, he walks away.

"The one who hears the message about the kingdom but worries about this life and what he has, this is the seed that fell among the thorns. The deceitfulness of wealth chokes it, making it unfruitful. 

"The one who hears the message about the kingdom and understands it, this is the seed that fell on good soil. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.


I will share more of what Jesus taught next time.

 Come back to read the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.