Gail Petherick

Q6. (Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24) Who do the excuse-makers represent? The ones who made excuses to not attend the banquet represented the Jewish hearers who listened to Jesus speak in the synagogue and around the Lake of Galilee and in the fields. Mostly the hearers were Pharisees (who hoped to 'trip him up' or prove Jesus wasn't sent by God) but we know others listened to Jesus eagerly, such as Matthew the Tax collector, and those such as the fishermen whom Jesus found by the Lake. What are the potential results of excusing ourselves from carrying out God’s will as we know it? The excuses given by the main 3 were to do with everyday life- e.g. buying a field, attending to oxen and getting married. All these are acceptable things to do but when the 3 men concerned were invited they lied about the answer - since a wedding date is foreknown, a field is seen in advance-not after its bought, and the oxen would be examined well before they were bought, so the deeper truth Jesus is exposing is that each man could have responded to His call to come and dine with Him and hear his teaching (and join His kingdom and learn how to be a disciple) but they invented an excuse as they were not really ready in their heart to receive the word of God/The Messiah or to put the Kingdom of God first. In reality, they were not ready to make a commitment to Jesus or to leave the things of this world that took first place in their heart...The results of avoiding a commitment to Jesus would mean the men (Jewish leaders) lost their chance to follow Jesus and the way of the cross and so forfeited a place in heaven. Since someone else (the poor, the blind and lame) were given the chance to attend the banquet instead, it is suggested that their place at the table was taken by another. (The gentiles who were underserving) This suggests the Jews probably would not get another chance to receive Jesus. (I am not 100% sure of this fact though). For those of us who are gentiles some so us don't respond to Jesus on our first hearing and some read the word of God years later and find out its true and then turn to Him...(which I did in my early 20's). Another interpretation is possible: The Jewish leaders and Pharisees who rejected Jesus entirely and accused him of being an imposter would be the ones who have lost their only chance to enter the kingdom of God and be saved, and instead the gentiles were offered a place (the poor, lame and blind who were not originally entitled to receive an offer but God allowed this to happen and grafted/added them into the Jewish branches. They lost the chance to be saved since the Jews on the whole rejected Jesus was the Son of God mostly due to pride or unbelief.

Q5. (Luke 13:6-9) What caused Israel’s barrenness in Jesus’ time? The main cause of barrenness was unbelief- and Israel not acknowledging that Jesus was the Son of God. This caused much sorrow to Jesus who came to find those who would believe in the Word of God respond to His teaching. (First the message had to fall on good soil and then it could grow 100 fold and produce good fruit). An open heart was needed and faith so the word could find a believer who would go forward with the gospel and multiply. Q What keeps the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) from growing and maturing in our lives? The Holy Sport can only work in a humble heart and where there is faith. Once a person repents of their sin and recognizes Jesus took our sin on the cross, then the Holy spirit can come in and live in that person. We are then earthen vessels carrying His holy spirit and we will show fruit such as love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience and understanding), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. It though we harden our heart towards Gods word and don't read it or obey it and choose our own way, and sin against God then we will not bear fruit for God's glory, nor will we show others the love of Christ. If we have sins such as conceit, self-righteousness, or are judgmental or self-centred, or try to show off or compete with others and don't have a pure heart, then God can't use us and we will bear 'bad fruit'. Neglect of the bible, neglect of prayer, of fellowship and outreach will lead to barrenness and not please God and sin will enter in and as Paul says in Galatians we will be deceived. "If anyone thinks he is something when he is not, he will be self deceived' ...'each one should test their own actions.' (Gal 6.3-4) Q. What can we disciples learn from the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree? The Fig tree was given 3 year to bear fruit and when Jesus came by and found it was barren he said 'cut it down' and it withered up. In the parable of the fig tree he made it clear the tree (spiritual life of the person) was barren and the branches would be cut ff and thrown int eh fire and it would never bear fruit again. We, Like the disciples, can learn from this that no second chance would be given. We have our life on earth here to bear fruit since we receive Jesus into our life and turn from our sin and wicked ways, and we inherit instead His Holy spirit and His divine and precious promises to help us walk through his world without sinning and instead we are to share the gospel and win others to Christ and helping them become disciples. The disciples saw the tree had no fruit and saw it wither and leant from Jesus that the whole tree would be tossed into the fire -implying it was bound for judgement on the last day when God would give rewards or judge our works and he would show what were genuine works of faith guided by the Holy spirit and bearing fruit and separate what were dead works (i.e works of the flesh done without the Holy spirit's power.) The disciples would have learnt the truth of John 15.5 "Without me you can do nothing' and 'I am the Vine you are the branches..abide in Me and my words in you and you shall bear fruit.

Q2. (Luke 15:11-32) What does this parable have in common with the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin? The Shepherd and the widow did all they could to find the missing sheep and coin/s whilst int eh Prodigal parable, The father waited for the son to come home and always was looking down the driveway, with great longing and hoping his lost son would come home. What does the parable tell us about our Father’s way of operating and his values? The Father never gave up loving his son and never disowned him or judged him for his failures. Instead he kept his arms open in love, waiting for the son to realise he had chosen the wrong way in life (the way of sin and waste) and that he needed to come back to rejoin his true family and repent. In what ways does the older son hold his father’s values? The older son was dutiful and faithful to his father and values of hard work and leading an honest life, which were righteous values. In what ways does he lack them? The older brother lacked empathy a and understanding and forgiveness. Instead of showing g forgiveness to his younger brother he was very angry and judged him for his wrong doing (legalism) and didn't forgive. The eldest brother was following the example of the pharisees and showed no mercy. Whereas the father wanted his son to be safe ad home and forgiven, the eldest son would have been glad to see his younger bother shut out and suffering (I think his heart was hardened towards the younger brother) What should disciples learn from this parable to equip them for ministry? We should never judge others as God says 'judge not, les ye be judged' and 'do unto others as you want done to you.' That means g forgive others and let God do any judging at the end of the persons life and don't take Gods place. Also this parable taught the disciples to do all they could to see just one should saved and never give up on anyone. The disciples were being shown what true compassion is like in action ad also were seeing how sacrifice is needed should be when serving others, and how its wrong to judge anyone at all. (I have a nephew who is just off drugs for 8 months and pray on for him - he has been in hospital over 80 times and this has been the mercy of God. God wont give up on him; I wont either. His brother is still on ice and now approx 50yr and has gone to live in t he street. I pray on for him too. These parables reminded me to have compassion and never judge and leave each one in God's hands as He loves them and Jesus died for them) ...Gods ways are not our ways but we learn how to be like Jesus from these parables.