The Lord Often Taught with Parables: Matthew 13: 24-48

I wanted to understand parables better because the Lord uses parables throughout his ministry. I want to understand what truths the Lord is trying to teach so I need to understand parables.

I studied under "parables" in the Bible Dictionary and learned these great things:

• What is a parable?
• After my studying I feel that a parable is a story that uses everyday events or objects that everyone is familiar with to convey a deeper meaning that is a specific interpretation but can be applied so many different ways.
• Why did the Lord Often Teach with parables?
• In the bible dictionary under “Parables” it says, “The parable conveys to the hearer religious truth in proportion to his faith and intelligence” or in other words “only he who seeks finds.”
• Seeks=not just reading but pondering and applying

• I also feel like the Lord was being merciful so that only those that were ready to live a higher law would understand how to. That way others wouldn’t be under greater condemnation for not living what they knew. If they don’t understand then they won’t be judge on that.
• Interpretation of parables 
• Interpretation= “the meaning the parable conveyed, or was meant to convey, when first spoken” (bible dictionary)
• “if the original meaning is to be grasped , it is important to consider its context and setting.” (bible dictionary)
•  “the thought to which it is linked, the connection in which it is placed, the persons to whom it was addressed…” (bible dictionary)

• Application of parables
• “may vary in every age and circumstance” (bible dictionary)
•  Example: On Sunday talking about the creation of the world and how the Lord created each thing one at a time and in a certain order. I felt that the principle that was being taught to me from this was that I don’t have to do everything right now. There is a time and season for everything. Right now in my season of life, taking care of my kids and keeping them alive is good. I don’t have to worry about going to the temple everyday right now. Even the Lord did things in order so it’s okay for me to not do everything right now.  That was how I applied this story of the creation to my life but someone else in a different season of life might not see it that way.

Next I read the following parables: parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24–30); parables of the mustard seed and the leaven (Matthew 13:31–33); parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44–46); parable of the gospel net (Matthew 13:47–50). Next to each of the following questions I matched the name of the parable that best answers that question.

1. What describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 
• Parable of the tares in Matt 13:24-30
2. Why does the Church send out so many missionaries? 
• Parables of the mustard seed and the leaven in Matt 13:31-33 and parable of the net in Matt 13:47-50
3.  How do you explain the remarkable growth of the Church, considering that it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier? 
• Parables of the mustard seed and the leaven in Matt 13:31-33 
• Parable of the net in Matt 13:47-50
4. Why are some members of the Church willing to sacrifice so much worldly wealth and recognition in order to maintain membership in the Church? 
• Parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price in Matt 13:44-46
5. Why do some Church members choose to leave the Church? 
• Parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price in Matt 13:44-46

Considering the parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (see Mattthew 13:44–46), what sacrifices would you be willing to make to obtain the treasure of the gospel? What sacrifices have you or those you know already made for the gospel?

• Personally I haven’t had to sacrifice much to obtain the treasure of the gospel. My ancestors, family and I have been members of the church for a long time. I do know though that one of my ancestors, Amasa Mason Lyman, had to sacrifice a lot to join the church back in England. He traveled to meet with the Saints in Nauvoo and even was jailed with Joseph Smith and other church leaders.

What does the net represent in the parable of the net cast into the sea? (See Matthew 13:47). What does it mean to be gathered into the net? What is represented by the action of gathering the good into vessels and casting the bad away? (See Matthew 13:48–50).

• I believe this net symbolizes all the missionary efforts done by both full time missionaries and members alike. All are gathered into the net if they want to be, meaning that all are invited to be members of the church but they have to choose to be or not. At the final judgment, the Lord will gather the truly converted and cast the unconverted away.