Season 4 Podcast 157 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 20:1-16, Pt 1, “The Laborers in the Vineyard.”

Season 4 Podcast 157 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 20:1-16, Pt 1, “The Laborers in the Vineyard.”Scholars don’t appear to agree on the precise number of parables in the New Testament, but even a cursory reading reveals that the kingdom of heaven is a prominent theme of the parables. The Kingdom of Heaven was a dominant theme of the Savior. Again, the stage is set in the Sermon on the Mount.·      Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.·      Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.·      Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.·      Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.·      Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.·      Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.·      Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.I include the Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Among the Beatitudes relating to the kingdom of heaven because of the writings of John the Revelator as recorded in Revelation 21.“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things anew. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”I include ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy’ because those whose sins are forgiven inherit the kingdom of God. I include, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God’ because only in the Kingdom of heaven can they see God. I include ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God’ because ‘Children of God’ is the title of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven. In John Chapter 1 John informs us“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”In Matthew 20 we are given the parable of the laborers in the vineyard which also deals with the kingdom of heaven.“1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.”Notice he begins the parable with “For the kingdom of heaven is like.” A parable may be literal or figurative. When like or as are used figuratively, we call it a simile. When it is use literally we call it an analogy. An analogy describes two things that are unlike but have similar characteristics. An analogy can be brief or extended, comparing similarities point by point. Parables, analogies, and similes are common elements in the teachings of the Savior. The power of parables is that they make the abstract concrete, the invisible visible, the unknown known.