Lang The Parables of Jesus

The Parables of Jesus
By the Right Reverend
Cosmo Gordon Lang, D.D., D.C.L.
Archbishop of York
APRIL, 1918

This work by Lang is a very detailed study of just a few parables: The Sower, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, the Hid Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price, the Ten Virgins, the Talents, the Good Samaritan, the Barren Fig-Tree, the Unjust Steward, the Unprofitable Servants, the Friend at Midnight and the Unjust Judge (Importunate Widow), the Pharisee and the Publican, the Progidal Son, and the Lost Sheep.

CONTENTS

The use of Parables in the Teaching of Jesus 3

THE SOWER

I. The seed is the word . . . 13
II. The wayside soil . . . . 17
III. The thin-surfaced soil . . 2O
IV. The choked soil …. 26
V. The good soil 35

THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN

I. The characteristics of the kingdom…… 41
II. The mustard seed … 47
III. The leaven 53
IV. The kingdom in the soil . . 54
V. The kingdom in the world . 56

THE HID TREASURE AND THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

I. The truth possessed … 63
II. The truth attained by sacrifice 65
III. The nature of the sacrifice . 68
IV. The hid treasure . . . . 71
V. The treasure at our feet . . 73
VI. The treasure found and hidden 75
VII. The pearl of great price . -76
VIII. The quest of the pearl . . 77
IX. The value of the pearl . .78

THE TEN VIRGINS

I. The divine advent … 83
II. The lamp an outward sign . . 89
III. The inward spirit 90
IV. The times of sleep 9
V. The awakening …. 94
VI. The exhausted oil … 96
VII. Vain is the help of man . . 97
VIII. The close of opportunity . . 99

THE TALENTS

I. The strict account . . . 103
II. The use of natural gifts . . 107
III. The use of spiritual endowments 109
IV. The use of opportunities of service 113
V. The labour not in vain . . 1l8

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

I. Who is my neighbour? . . ‘ . 123
II. The spirit of neighbourliness . 127
III. Priest and Samaritan . . . 131
IV. Unselfish service . . .136
V. Thorough service . . . .138
VI. Personal service . . . 139

THE BARREN FIG-TREE

I. The divine disappointment . . 143
II. Conventional Christianity . 145
III. The pleading of Christ . . 149
IV. Abiding in Christ . . . .150

THE UNJUST STEWARD

I. A story of worldly acuteness . 159
II. God or mammon . . . 16o
III. The secret of religious success . 164
IV. The use of the mammon of unrighteousness . . . .166
V. A discipline of fidelity . . 168
VI. A friend in the eternal tabernacles … . . . 172

THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS

I. The sense of duty . . . 177
II. The limitations of the sense of duty 182
III. The need of an inward ideal . 185
IV. The infinite claim of God . . 1 86
V. The perfect sense of duty . . 189

THE FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT AND THE UNJUST JUDGE

I. From man to God . . . .193
II. The justice of God . . . 197
III. The fatherhood of God . . 199
V. The importunity of prayer . . 2OO
V. The need of intercessory prayer 2O7
VI. The cry of the tempted . . 211
VII. The cry of the church militant 214

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN

I. The sense of sin . . . . 220
II. Our Lord’s treatment of sin . 222
III. God as law 225
IV. God as Life 227
V. God as Love . . . . . 228

PRODIGAL SON

I. The gospel within the gospel . 235
II. The departure from home . . 237
III. The sojourn in the far country 241
IV. The return 245
V. The reconciliation . . . 249
VI. The elder son …. 255

THE LOST SHEEP

I. The severity of the parables . 263
II. The eternal compassion . . 265
III. The shepherd seeks . . . 268
IV. The shepherd finds . . .271
V. The shepherd rejoices . . 273