Many of Jesus’ teachings were in the form of parables, stories with great truths. As you read these devotions, ask God to give you His wisdom to understand and apply the lessons of each parable to your own life.

A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus throughout the Gospels. Throughout the book of Luke, we see Jesus interacting with individuals, his small group of disciples, the religious leaders, and the huge crowds that followed Him.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.” (Luke 8:4-5)

In this parable, Jesus is teaching us about the need for boldness and persistence when we pray. He reiterates this same principle in Luke 18 when He tells the Parable of the Persistent Widow. The widow keeps approaching a judge for justice.

(Luke 8:15) According to Jesus’ explanation of the parable, those who produce fruit for the kingdom of God are those that upon hearing the Word embrace it with obedience, possessing it with care and interest and persevering with endurance, patience, and consistency under sufferings in faith and duty with a tranquil mind.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7-11) In our verses for today Jesus teaches us not to have a death grip on first place! The key to unlocking this treasure is humility. This is a recurrent theme throughout the Bible! Jesus tells His disciples the same thing again later in Luke:

In this parable Jesus teaches His disciples about their responsibility towards service for His kingdom. We are not to expect special praise for doing those things we have been given by God to accomplish!

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29) This was a “test” given by an “expert” in God’s Law to try and trip up Jesus. The man was trying to justify himself. Big mistake! Those who pursue this strategy always get …

When we are on the receiving end, we are in turn to pass on the blessing to others. Luke tells us: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38) Previous – Next

Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'” (Luke 13:6-9) Jesus’ main point here is that judgment will come to non fruit bearers.