Parables Of The Kingdom JSS2 Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Lesson Note

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM

Types of Parables of the Kingdom

The parables of the kingdom are special stories that Jesus told to help people understand what God’s kingdom is like. These parables teach us how God’s kingdom works, how it grows, and who belongs to it. Jesus used simple stories about farming and everyday life so that everyone could understand His teaching.

The main parables of the kingdom that we will study are:

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23 and Mark 4:1-20)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-34, and Luke 13:18-19)

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-40)

These three parables are very important because they teach us different lessons about how God’s kingdom comes into the world and grows in our lives.

1. Narration of Each Parable
2. The Parable of the Sower

The Story:

One day, Jesus was teaching beside the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd of people gathered around Him. There were so many people that Jesus got into a boat and sat down to teach while the crowd stood on the shore. He began to teach them many things using parables.

Jesus said, “Listen! A farmer went out to plant seeds. As he scattered the seeds across his field, different things happened to the seeds.

Some seeds fell on the hard footpath beside the field. The ground was packed down and hard. The seeds could not go into the soil. Soon, birds came flying down from the sky. They saw the seeds lying on top of the ground and quickly ate them all up.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground. This ground had only a thin layer of soil covering large rocks underneath. The seeds sprouted very quickly because the soil was warm and shallow. The little plants pushed up through the soil and began to grow. But when the hot sun came out and beat down on them, the plants could not survive. They had very shallow roots because of the rocks below. The plants could not get enough water from deep in the ground. So they dried up and died under the burning sun.

Some seeds fell among thorny bushes and weeds. These seeds also began to grow into plants. But the thorny weeds were already big and strong in that spot. As the good plants tried to grow, the weeds grew faster and taller. The weeds crowded around the good plants. They blocked the sunlight and took all the water and nutrients from the soil. The good plants were choked by the weeds. They could not grow properly or produce any grain.

But some seeds fell on good, fertile soil. This soil was deep, soft, and rich with nutrients. The seeds sank into the good earth. They sprouted and grew into strong, healthy plants. These plants had deep roots that reached down to find water. They grew tall and strong. When harvest time came, these plants produced a wonderful crop of grain. Some plants produced thirty grains for every one seed planted. Some produced sixty grains. And some produced one hundred grains for each seed! The farmer was very happy with this good harvest.”

Jesus ended by saying, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear and understand!”

Later, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, they asked Him to explain the parable. Jesus told them the meaning, which we will discuss in the interpretation section.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The Story:

Jesus told another parable to help people understand the kingdom of heaven. He asked the crowd, “What is the kingdom of God like? What story can I use to explain it?”

Then Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny mustard seed that a farmer took and planted in his field. Now, the mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds you can plant. It is so tiny that you can barely see it. It is smaller than many other seeds. If you put it in your hand, it looks like just a tiny speck.

But something amazing happens when you plant this tiny seed in the ground. After the farmer plants it, the seed begins to grow. Day by day, week by week, it grows bigger and bigger. It does not stay small. It keeps growing until it becomes the largest plant in the garden.

In fact, the mustard plant grows so big that it becomes like a tree! It grows tall branches that spread out wide. Birds from all around see this big plant. They fly to it and make their nests in its branches. The birds rest in its shade. They raise their baby birds there. The tiny seed has become a home for many birds.

Even though the mustard seed started very small, it ended up giving shelter and protection to many creatures. This is what the kingdom of heaven is like!”

Jesus told this parable to encourage His followers and help them understand that great things can come from small beginnings.

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

The Story:

Jesus told the people another parable about the kingdom of heaven. He said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who owned a large field. This farmer was a good man. One day, he went out to his field and planted good wheat seeds. He carefully scattered the best wheat seeds all across his field. He wanted to grow a wonderful crop of wheat. After planting the seeds, the farmer went home to rest.

But the farmer had an enemy. This enemy did not like the farmer and wanted to hurt him. That night, while everyone in the farmer’s house was sleeping, the enemy quietly came to the field. He brought a bag of weed seeds with him. These were not good seeds – they were seeds of darnel, a plant that looks like wheat but is actually a harmful weed. The enemy scattered these bad seeds among the good wheat seeds. Then he sneaked away in the darkness. Nobody saw what he had done.

Time passed, and the seeds began to grow. The wheat seeds that the farmer planted sprouted and grew into wheat plants. But the weed seeds that the enemy planted also sprouted and grew. Both the wheat and the weeds were growing together in the same field.

When the wheat plants started to form heads of grain, the weeds also became visible. The farmer’s servants were working in the field one day when they noticed something wrong. They saw weeds growing everywhere among the good wheat plants. The servants were surprised and confused.

They went to the farmer and said, ‘Sir, did you not plant good seed in your field? Where did all these weeds come from?’

The farmer understood what had happened. He answered, ‘An enemy has done this. My enemy came and planted weed seeds in my field.’

The servants wanted to help their master. They asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up all the weeds right now?’

But the wise farmer said, ‘No, do not pull up the weeds now. If you try to pull up the weeds, you might accidentally pull up the wheat plants too, because their roots are growing together in the soil. Leave both the wheat and the weeds to grow together until harvest time.

When harvest time comes, I will tell the workers what to do. First, they will gather up all the weeds. They will tie the weeds in bundles and burn them in the fire. Then they will gather the good wheat and bring it into my barn where it will be safe.’

This is what will happen at harvest time.”

The disciples did not fully understand this parable at first. Later, they asked Jesus to explain it to them, and He told them the deep meaning.

III. Interpretation and Moral Lessons of Each Parable

The Parable of the Sower – Interpretation and Lessons

Jesus’s Interpretation:

Jesus explained this parable to His disciples. He said:

The Sower is someone who shares God’s message. This could be Jesus Himself, a preacher, a teacher, or any Christian who tells others about God.

The Seed is the word of God. The seed represents God’s message, the gospel, and the teachings about God’s kingdom. This word is planted in people’s hearts.

The Different Soils represent different types of people and how they respond when they hear God’s word:

1. The Hard Path represents people who hear God’s word but do not understand it. Their hearts are hard like packed-down soil. They do not let the message sink in. Satan (represented by the birds) comes quickly and takes away the word from their hearts. These people hear the message but it makes no difference in their lives.
2. The Rocky Ground represents people who hear the word and receive it with joy at first. They are excited about God! But their faith is shallow, like the shallow soil. When trouble comes, when people laugh at them for believing, or when following Jesus becomes difficult, they give up quickly. They fall away because their roots are not deep.
3. The Thorny Ground represents people who hear the word, and it starts to grow in their hearts. But they have too many other things competing for their attention. The worries of everyday life choke their faith. The love of money and the desire for things pull them away from God. They are too busy or too distracted to let their faith grow strong. Their faith gets choked out, and they do not produce fruit for God.
4. The Good Soil represents people who hear God’s word, understand it, and accept it with honest and good hearts. They obey what they learn. They let the word grow deep roots in their lives. These people produce good fruit – their lives change, they become more like Jesus, and they help others know God too. Some produce a lot of fruit, some produce even more, and some produce an amazing amount!

Moral Lessons:

The Condition of Our Heart Matters: The same seed (God’s word) was planted in all four places, but it only grew in the good soil. This teaches us that having the right heart attitude is very important. We must prepare our hearts to receive God’s word.

We Must Protect Our Faith: We need to guard our hearts against Satan (the birds), against giving up when things are hard (the sun), and against letting other things distract us from God (the thorns).

Understanding is Important: We should not just hear God’s word but truly understand it. We should ask questions, study the Bible, and think deeply about what God is teaching us.

Perseverance is Necessary: Real faith continues even when times are tough. We should not be like the rocky ground that gives up quickly. We need to develop deep roots through prayer, reading the Bible, and staying close to God.

We Must Choose God Over Everything Else: We cannot let money, possessions, or worries become more important than God. We must make God our first priority.

God Wants Us to Produce Fruit: It is not enough to just believe in God. Our faith should produce good results – love, kindness, joy, peace, and helping others know Jesus.

Different People Respond Differently: Not everyone who hears about God will accept the message. We should keep sharing God’s word and let God work in people’s hearts.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Interpretation and Lessons

Interpretation:

Jesus used the mustard seed to teach about the kingdom of God because of its unique characteristics:

The Tiny Seed represents the small beginnings of God’s kingdom. When Jesus started His ministry, He had only a few followers – just twelve disciples. The kingdom seemed very small. The church started with just a handful of believers on the day of Pentecost. Many great things in God’s kingdom start small.

The Growth of the Plant represents how God’s kingdom grows and spreads. Just like the tiny seed grows into a large plant, God’s kingdom started small but has spread all over the world. Today, there are Christians in every country!

The Large Tree represents the full expansion of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom becomes big enough to bless and shelter many people, just like the tree provides shelter for the birds.

The Birds represent people from all nations who find rest, safety, and blessing in God’s kingdom.

Moral Lessons:

Do Not Despise Small Beginnings: Even if something starts very small, it can become great if God is in it. We should not think that small things are unimportant. Your faith might seem small now, but it can grow big and strong.

God’s Kingdom Grows: The kingdom of God is always growing. It started with Jesus and a few disciples, but now millions of people follow Jesus around the world. This should encourage us that God’s work continues to spread.

Growth Takes Time: The mustard seed does not become a tree overnight. It takes time. In the same way, our faith grows gradually. The church grows over time. We must be patient and keep trusting God.

Small Efforts Can Make a Big Difference: When we do small acts of kindness, say a short prayer, or share a simple Bible verse with someone, it might seem small. But God can use these small things to make a big impact in someone’s life.

God’s Kingdom Provides Shelter and Blessing: Just like birds find shelter in the tree, people find peace, safety, love, and hope in God’s kingdom. When we belong to God, we have a place to rest and be protected.

We Should Invite Others In: The tree welcomes the birds. In the same way, God’s kingdom is open to everyone. We should welcome people from all backgrounds and tell them about Jesus.

Have Faith in God’s Power: If God can make a huge tree grow from a tiny seed, He can do amazing things in our lives too. We should have faith that God can take our small prayers, our small gifts, and our small efforts and make them grow into something wonderful.