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The Parables

The Parables #105

The sheep and the goats, Pt2.

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left,” 31-33.

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You will recall that when we studied the parable of the Tares and the Wheat, we noted how the Saviour said: “He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn,” Matt 13:28-30.

Here then is the harvest of the ‘field’ and the separating of the ‘tares’ from the ‘wheat’.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” verse 34.
Christ speaks first to His sheep.
Note the invitation. ‘Come’. Those who have rejected the invitation of the gospel will never hear this invitation!

Note the title they are given. ‘Ye blessed of my Father.’ Heaven is the result of the Father’s eternal blessing. Chosen by Him. Ephs 1:3-4. Called by Him. Romans 1:7.

The Parables #104

The sheep and the goats, Pt1. 

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Stream or download The Parables #104

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left,” 31-33.

This is the final parable told by the Saviour and its is fitting that we look at it for I feel that it will occupy us until the end of this school year.

The time indicated. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him.” This is the end of this age.

The event that takes place. “Before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.”

“All nations”: this is an example of a general term which has a very specific and limited meaning. We commonly used a general, all embracing term when we actually means something much more limited. Consider how we see in the Bible general expressions which actually meant something much smaller or less than what it appears to be saying.

• “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me,” John 12:32. Only ALL of God’s elect come to Christ in response to the gospel.

• “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” Luke 2:1. It was only a small part of the world that heard this decree!

• “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth,” Col 1:6. Likewise, only a small part of the world had heard the gospel.

Here are general terms with a limited meaning as we have in this parable.

Who then are ‘all the nations? It is a reference to ALL those who profess in some form the Christian religion. The professing church is made up of  either ‘sheep’ or goats. Some are sheep and others only look like sheep, they are in truth, ‘goats’ false professors!!

The Parables #103

The Pharisee and the Publican, # 11. 

Scripture: Luke 18:10-14.

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“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.”

How important prayer is boys and girls! There is no hope of heaven for someone who does not pray. We can obtain salvation ONLY by asking God! Matthew 7:7-11.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” Romans 10:13.

Let us go a little further in this matter.

How a person prays tell us much about them!

In the case of the Pharisee . . . .
The Pharisee thought little of God. See how he addresses God! “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God . . . . ” There is not much reverence in such a beginning! No expression of fear, or of love or any awareness of the majesty of the person he addressed!
The Pharisee thought much of himself! “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican,” verse 11.

How blind he was to God’s glory when he speaks thus of himself so!

How different was Paul’s view of himself, 1 Corinthians 15:10.

The Publican had a very different attitude.

He thought much of God but little of himself! “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner,” verse 13.

Note his attitude toward the Lord. “ . . standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.”

Note his view of himself. “ . . . smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Greek ‘THE sinner.’

The Saviour says that God heard his prayer and saved him. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other,” verse 14. He was set free from from his guilt and counted righteous by God. He was seen by God as ‘just if he had never sinned!’