34. Jesus Teaches Other Stories

What the Story Says

1. What was Jesus talking about when he told his stories?

   He was talking about the kingdom of God (#33-01).

2. What did Jesus say the mustard seed was like?

   The mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds (#33-01).

3. What happens to the mustard see when it grows?

   The mustard see becomes bigger than other garden plants, so that even birds nest in its branches (#33-02).

4. What happens to the yeast that a woman mixes into bread dough?

   It spreads throughout the dough (#33-03).

5. What did the man do when he found the treasure in a field?

   He was filled with joy, and went and sold everything he had so he could buy that field (#33-04).

6. What did the merchant do when he found a perfect pearl?

   He sold all that he had so he could buy that pearl (#33-05).

7. How did the religious leader pray?

   He thanked God that he was not a sinner like other men (#33-07).

8. How did the tax collector pray?

   He asked God to be merciful to him because he was a sinner (#33-09).

9. Which man did God declare to be righteous?

   Jesus said that God declared the tax collector to be righteous (#33-10).

What the Story Means to Us

1. In what way is the kingdom of God like a mustard seed?

   The kingdom of God will be small when it begins, but it will grow to become larger than all other kingdoms of the world.

2. In what way is the kingdom of God like yeast?

   The kingdom of God will spread throughout the world.

3. In what way is the kingdom of God like a treasure hidden in a field?

   The kingdom of God is so valuable that a person should be willing to sell everything they own in order to obtain it, and then rejoice.

4. In what way is the kingdom of God like a treasure hidden in a field?

   The kingdom of God is so valuable that a person should be willing to sell everything they own in order to obtain it.

5. What wrong understanding did some people have about who God would accept?

   Some people thought God would accept them because they did good things. Jesus told the story of the two men in order to correct their wrong understanding.

6. Why might the people who heard the story of the two men be surprised about who God accepted?

   The people of that time thought tax collectors were evil and religious rulers were good. They did not understand that everyone is a sinner, and that God only accepts the people who humble themselves and confess that they are sinners.

Summary

Jesus told five stories to explain what the kingdom of God is like. The stories of the mustard seed and the yeast showed that the kingdom of God will begin small, but will become larger than all other kingdoms, filling the whole earth. The stories of the treasure and the perfect pearl showed that the kingdom of God is so valuable that people should be willing to sell all they own in order to obtain it. And the story of the two men who prayed showed that God will only accept people who confess their sins into his kingdom. He will not accept proud people who trust in their good works instead of confessing their sins.