Lesson#16

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #16
THE PARABLE OF FOXES AND BIRDS (MAT 8:18-22)

MEMORY VERSE: PHILIPPIANS 4:12

THE PARABLE OF FOXES AND BIRDS (MAT 8:18-22)

READ MAT 8:14-27 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.

WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS PARABLE?

GENERAL MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE HEAR THIS PARABLE. SOME ARE SICK AND MOST ARE NON-BELIEVERS.

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES IN MAT 8:14-27:

=1= JESUS’ MINISTRY FULFILLED ISA 53. HIS MINISTRY WAS ONE OF SUFFERING.

READ ISA 53 A PROPHECY OF JESUS’ SUFFERINGS IN CRUCIFIXION:

SCRIPTURE	THE VICARIOUS SUFFERING OF JESUS
ISA 53:2	"HE HATH NO FORM NOR COMLINESS…" JESUS SUFFERED BEATINGS AND CRUCIFIXION THAT MARKED HIS BODY TO THE EXTENT THAT HE DID NOT LOOK HUMAN
ISA 53:3	"MAN OF SORROWS" SORROWS = makos = pain, disease, anguish, grief
ISA 53:3	"ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF" GRIEF = choliy OR chalah = MALADY, ANXIETY, CALAMITY, SICKNESS
ISA 53:4	"BORNE OUR GRIEFS" BORNE = nasa = TO BEAR PUNISHMENT FOR SOMETHING; TO LIFT
ISA 53:4	"CARRIED OUR SORROWS" CARRIED = cabal = TO BEAR A BURDEN OF PENALTY OR CHASTISEMENT SORROWS = makob OR ka’ab = ANGUISH, PAIN OF SICKNESS
ISA 53:5	"HEALED" HEALED = rapha = CURED, MENDED FROM SICKNESS JEHOVA RAPHA MEANS = THE LORD WHO HEALS (EXO 15:26)

SCRIPTURE	A SUMMARY OF CHRIST’S ATONEMENT
ISA 53:3,4,10	JESUS BORE OUR PAIN, DISEASE, ANGUISH, GRIEF, MALADY, ANXIETY, CALAMITY, ETC.
ISA 53:4-6,10,12	JESUS BORE OUR PENALTY FOR TRANSGRESSIONS AND INIQUITIES (SINS)
ISA 53:5	THEREFORE, WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE MADE COMPLETE (HEALED) BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT

=2= SOME PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS FOR THE MIRACLES AND THE WARM FUZZIES. (19)
=3= JESUS HAD NO MATERIAL POSSESSIONS. (20)
=4= SOME PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW JESUS ON THEIR OWN TERMS AND CONDITIONS (21)
=5= HOWEVER, TO FOLLOW HIM, JESUS MUST BE THE TOP PRIORITY OF YOUR LIFE. (22)
=6= TO FOLLOW JESUS REQUIRES FAITH, FOR WHICH HE WILL CONTINUALLY TEST US. (23-27)

THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF FOXES AND BIRDS (MAT 8:18-22)

TO BE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS IS NOT EASY AND COMFORTABLE. IT REQUIRES COMMITMENT, SACRIFICE, AND FAITH, TRUSTING HIM TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING WE NEED.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DOES THE FIRST MAN REPRESENT?

THE SCRIBE IS THE TYPE OF PERSON MOVED BY EMOTION AND MAKES A DECISION ON THE WHIM OF THE MOMENT. (19)

HE DOES NOT COUNT THE COST OF HIS DECISION BEFORE MAKING IT, AND HE DOES NOT THINK THROUGH HIS DECISION.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DOES THE SECOND MAN REPRESENT?

THE SECOND MAN REPRESENTS THOSE WHO WANT THE BENEFITS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN BUT ONLY ON THEIR OWN TERMS AND AS LONG AS IT IS CONVENIENT. (21)

THE PHRASE IN VERSE 21, "…GO BURY MY FATHER" IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH MEANING HE WANTED TO GO AND TAKE CARE OF HIS FATHER UNTIL HE DIED, THEN HE WOULD FOLLOW CHRIST.

JESUS’ RESPONSE IN VERSE 22 SEEMS HARSH, BUT IT IS EMPHASIZED FOR CONTRAST AND TO GET OUR ATTENTION.

JESUS MEANS THAT THE WORLD’S HUMAN AFFAIRS WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, AND THAT AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE IS WORTH MUCH MORE.

THIS MAN IS THE PROCRASTINATING KIND, ENTANGLED WITH THE AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD.
THIS MAN GAVE WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE. HOWEVER WHEN HIS FATHER EVENTUALLY DIED, THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER EXCUSE.

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY, "FOXES HAVE HOLES AND BIRDS HAVE NESTS"?

EVEN THE ANIMALS HAVE A HOME AND MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, BUT JESUS HAD NOTHING EXCEPT THE ROBE ON HIS BACK. TO FOLLOW HIM WILL NOT BE COMFORTABLE FOR IT REQUIRES PERSONAL SELF-SACRIFICE.
FOXES DIG THEIR HOMES LOW INTO THE GROUND AND BIRDS MAKE THEIR HOMES HIGH IN THE AIR.

IF GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH A HOME, NO MATTER IF IT IS OF LOW ECONOMIC STATUS OR OF HIGH ECONOMIC STATUS, YOU ARE ONLY A STEWARD OF IT. YOU NEED TO USE IT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:

READ LUK 9:57-62

THE DEMAND OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ABSOLUTE:

THE KINGDOM OF GOD REQUIRES AN ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO SACRIFICE FOR CHRIST.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD REQUIRES AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY TO AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME. WE ARE ONLY PASSING THROUGH.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD REQUIRES AN ABSOLUTE FAITH NO MATTER WHAT.

DISCUSSION: WHY DO CHRISTIANS NOT REGARD SUFFERING AS A PART OF BEING A CHRISTIAN?

READ ROM 8:17-18
READ MAR 10:28-30

GOD REWARDS SELF-SACRIFICE.

READ 1PET 4:12-13

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE PHYSICIAN AND THE SICK (MAT 9:10-13)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

APPLICATION FOR THE PARABLE OF FOXES AND BIRDS (MAT 8:18-22)

WE DISCOVERED THAT THE PARABLE TAUGHT THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR DISCIPLESHIP IS AN ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO THE POINT OF SELF-SACRIFICE, AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY TO AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE, AND AN ABSOLUTE FAITH NO MATTER WHAT.

IN WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING TO BRING YOUR LIFE INTO GOD’S ABSOLUTES?

PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE PHYSICIAN AND THE SICK (MAT 9:10-13)

READ MAT 9:1-13 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.

WHAT IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES DO YOU SEE IN THESE VERSES?

WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE PHYSICIAN AND THE SICK?

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY "A PHYSICIAN"?

REMEMBER ISA 53!

WHO ARE THOSE WHO ARE WELL?

WHO ARE THOSE WHO ARE SICK?

WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED A PHYSICIAN AND THE SICK TO REFER TO SALVATION?

MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 53:5 OR 1PETER 2:24