12. Parables about Caring for the Lost

Bonus: Slavery in Jesus' Day

Several of Jesus' parables picture "servants" in first century Palestine. Our English Bibles usually translate Greek doulos as "servant," though the word actually describes a slave in most cases. Describes the nature of slavery in first century Galilee and Judea.

Bonus: The Great Messianic Banquet

Several of Jesus' parables about the Last Days and the Second Coming of Christ related to the Jewish expectation of the blessedness of the afterlife in Abraham's Bosom and feasting in the Kingdom of God. The Last Supper relates to this theme, as do the Parables of the Narrow Door, the Wedding Feast, the Great Banquet, and the Watching Servants.

Bonus: Miscellaneous Parables, Analogies, and Sayings

About 14 parables, analogies, and sayings don't fit easily into my main topics for parables, but are mentioned briefly here: Walking in Light and Darkness, Light of the World, Physician Heal Yourself, the Temple of Jesus' Body, the Sign of Jonah, the Bridegroom's Friend, Children in the Marketplace, Rescuing from a Well, the Blind Leading the Blind, the Brood of Vipers, the Den of Robbers, Peter the Rock, and the Keys of the Kingdom.

Bonus: A Vocabulary for Parables and Analogies

Explores the Greek and Hebrew words for parables, allegories, sayings, riddles, etc. Defines various synonyms for sayings, comparisons, and stories,

12. Parables about Caring for the Lost

A number of Jesus' parables deal with his heart for lost people, seeking to instill that love in his disciples. These include the Parables of the Doctor and the Sick, the Lost Sheep, the Harvest and the Laborers, Fields White for Harvest, the Sowers and Reapers, Sheep and Wolves, Serpents and Doves, Fishers of Men, Savorless Salt, the City on a Hill, the Lamp under a Bushel, and the Scribes of the Kingdom.