12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given,
and he will have an abundance; but whoever does
not have, even what he has shall be taken away
from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because
while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they
do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being
fulfilled, which says,

‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL
NOT UNDERSTAND;

YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT
PERCEIVE;

15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS
BECOME DULL,

WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,

AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,

OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR
EYES,

HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,

AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART
AND RETURN,

AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

What was the unpardonable sin?

Matthew 12:22-24

22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and
mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so
that the mute man spoke and saw.

23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying,
“This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said,
“This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the
ruler of the demons.”

The parable of the lost sheep:

Luke 15:1-7

1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were
coming near Him to listen to Him.

2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to
grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and
eats with them.”

3 So He told them this parable, saying,

4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep
and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-
nine in the open pasture and go after the one which
is lost until he finds it?

5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing.

6 And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice
with me, for I have found my sheep which was
lost!’

7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more
joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no
repentance.

Three Lessons:

Some of God’s sheep are lost.

God wants his lost sheep found.

Someone must go after God’s lost sheep.

A focus on rejoicing.

Jim Shepherd

Topics: Parables