Matthew 13
Where was Jesus when he taught the crowd and told them the Parable of the Sower?
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
How many bags of gold this each person is the parable of the bags of gold receive?
15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Peter was curious about forgiveness, and just how many times we were expected to forgive people!
How many times did Peter ask Jesus if we should forgive, and what was Jesus' answer?
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
In this passage of scripture, how long did it take for the widow to finally give up?
She never gave up!
What fruit does the Bible tell us that Adam and Eve ate that they were not supposed to in the Garden of Eden?
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Fill in the blanks:
"The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of _ _ _ _ _ _ is _ _ _ _..."
The kingdom of heaven in like...
Pay attention the underlined portions of this passage. Why do you think Jesus emphasized these things? What was he trying to tell the crowd?
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Jesus said the master entrusted his wealth to his servants - not loaned it, not let them borrow it temporarily. He TRUSTED them with something valuable. And each servant received a different amount, not because some were more important than others, but because the master knew exactly what they could handle.
He wasn't saying, "Forgive 77 times, and then stop forgiving." He was giving an example: If you belong to God, you are part of His kingdom. You are to live like him. So, forgiveness isn't something you measure. It's something you live.
When the judge finally gave in and helped the widow, did the judge's heart change at all, which made him want to help her?
No!
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”
Explain how God made woman!
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
Name the 4 places where the seed fell that the farmer was sowing.
“A farmer went out to sow his seed.4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
What did the first two men in the parable do differently than the third man?
The first two servants used what they were given. They didn't hesitate. They didn't compare. They didn't overthink it. They took what the master entrusted to them and put it to work. And it grew.
The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
In this parable, the servant owed the King an amount that was impossible to pay off. After the man begs the King for more time, how much of the man's debt was forgiven by the King?
25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
If a judge who doesn't care about God or what people think will respond to a person who keeps coming back, what does this parable tell us that we should expect from God?
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
How did Noah gather the animals that were taken on the Ark?
18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.
What do the 4 places that the seed fell represent?
Path
Rocky places
Thorns
Good soil
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Explain what happened when the master returned, as he spoke to each servant.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
How did the servant respond after his encounter of forgiveness with the King?
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
Find and recite Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
He was known to have a coat of many colors, and he was his Father, Jacob's favorite, who was eventually despised by his brothers and sold into slavery.
Who is Joseph
In the middle of this passage of scripture, Jesus is describing to the disciples that is very important about the Kingdom of Heaven, and he quotes this prophecy from Isaiah,
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
What does the entire Parable of the Sower explain about the Kingdom of Heaven?
This story wasn't just about farming. It wasn't about gardening. Jesus was talking about God's Kingdom and the kind of heart it takes for His truth to grow.
The Parable of the Gold Bags relates to us as God's children. Some of us are holding on to gifts: abilities, personality, leadership, compassion, creativity. But maybe because of fear, comparison, or uncertainty, we've buried them. Maybe we are hiding what God has entrusted us with.
Ultimately, what is Jesus telling us about God's Kingdom with this parable?
God's kingdom grows when we use what God has given us.
Jesus uses this parable to explain to us how we will be treated by God if we do not forgive our brothers and sisters, not just for show, but from the heart!
How does the parable say we will be treated if we DO NOT forgive?
34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
What did Jesus mean or why did he ask the last question in this passage:
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Because when we come to God in prayer with what we want, it's an act of trust and faith. He wants us to believe that He can answer our prayers.
Who was the only woman to rule Israel in the Bible?
Athaliah and Joash
10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. 12 He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.