THE PROVERBS OF JESUS (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Proverbs are short, pithy statements of truth designed to be easily remembered.

 

B.   When we hear the word “proverbs,” two things usually come to our minds.

1.    The book of Proverbs

2.    The writer of Proverbs, that is, Solomon

 

C.   Solomon, the wisest man of the Old Testament, wrote many proverbs (1 Kings 4:32).

 

And he spake three thousand proverbs:  and his songs were a hundred and five.

 

D.   Some proverbs are so familiar that almost anyone, including non-believers, can quote them.

1.    Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is…

2.    Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction, and…

3.    Proverbs 17:22 – A merry heart doeth good…

4.    Proverbs 22:1 – A good name is rather to be chosen…

5.    Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go…

 

E.   Another wise man, wiser than Solomon (Matt. 12:42), also spoke several proverbs while He was on earth.  That man was Jesus Christ.

 

F.    In this lesson entitled, “The Proverbs of Jesus,” we want to examine some of the Lord’s short, pity statements of truth.

 

I.             MATTHEW 6:21

 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

A.   Jesus taught about money more than any New Testament writer.

 

B.   Here, Jesus ties one’s treasure to his heart.

 

C.   The heart is the inner part of man that thinks, reasons, wills, and manifests trust and confidence in various things.

 

D.   Jesus tells us that if we can find a man’s treasure, we will also find his heart.

1.    Look at a person’s checking account.

2.    Look at the things a person’s investments and assets.

3.    Look at the things a person accumulates to himself.

 

E.   We should want our hearts to be with Christ, His Word, His church, and His mission. 

1.    Question:  Is this where our treasures are found? 

2.    If our treasure is not invested in these things, our hearts are not there according to Jesus.

 

II.           MATTHEW 6:24

 

No man can serve two masters…

 

A.   In the spiritual realm, we can only be subservient to one master at a time.

1.    We are either loyal to Jesus,

2.    Or, we are loyal to Satan.

 

B.   Satan’s trick:  He has delegated other persons and things to serve as masters instead of being one’s master himself.

1.    Riches

2.    Recreation

3.    Relationships

4.    Roles

5.    Responsibilities

6.    Religions

 

C.   When we are serving two masters, one of them comes up on the short end of the stick.

1.    He gets less of our time.

2.    He gets less of our talents.

3.    He gets less of our treasure.

4.    He gets less of our tribute.

5.    He gets less of our talk.

 

D.   Our Master should be Jesus Christ. 

1.    Question:  Are we serving Him alone?  or, is He in competition with something else in our life?

2.    If we are trying to serve two masters, the Lord definitely knows which one we hold to and which one we despise.

 

III.         MATTHEW 6:34

 

Take no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself…

 

A.   Hardly any human being has escaped some form of worry.

 

B.   Worry defined:

1.    Dictionary.com

a.    To torment oneself or suffer from disturbing thoughts

b.    To torment with cares or anxieties

2.    Oxford Dictionary:  give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles

 

C.   Worry has destroyed the mental and physical well-being of many people.

 

D.   Clarke:  “How much good is omitted, how many evils caused, how many duties neglected, how many innocent persons deserted, how many good works destroyed, how many truths suppressed, and how many acts of injustice authorized by those timorous forecasts of what may happen; and those faithless apprehensions concerning the future!” (e-sword).

 

E.   Jesus tells us not to dwell on tomorrow.

1.    Tomorrow might not be ours to enjoy.

2.    Tomorrow’s troubles may never happen.

3.    Tomorrow will come soon enough.   Then, you can dwell on its problems.

4.    Tomorrow God will be there to assists us with our troubles.

 

F.    Listen to how Jesus closes Matthew 6:34.

 

…Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 

IV.         MATTHEW 7:6

 

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine…

 

A.   Dogs and pigs were considered unclean animals to the Jews.

1.    Dogs were yelping animals.  They were kin to wolves and filled the streets of first century cities.

2.    The pig Jesus would have in mind is that of a wild boar.  They were mean, vicious, and destructive.

 

B.   Prohibitions:

1.    Do not give that which is holy to the dogs.

a.    Dogs loved meat.

b.    The meat of sacrifices, however, was not to be fed to them.

c.    If the dogs found the source of such food, they would rend, bite and tear, a person in an attempt to get to it.

2.    Do not cast your pearls before swine.

a.    Some of the pearls of that day looked similar to feed the pigs would eat.

b.    If they fell to the ground, the pigs would try to eat them, find they were not food, and would rend them under their feet.

 

C.   Application

1.    The precious doctrine of Christ is holy and valuable.

2.    There are men in the world who are like unto the dogs of Palestine and the boars of the Judean wilderness.

a.    Some of these individuals are easily spotted.

b.    Others do not reveal themselves until the teachings of Christ are presented to them.

3.    When the Word of God is made known unto them, they seek to destroy the message and the messenger.

4.    Jesus counsels us that we are not obligated to teach such individuals once their identity has been made known to us.

 

V.           MATTHEW 9:12

 

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

 

A.   This statement that Jesus made is so simplistic. 

1.    People go to the doctor when they are sick. 

2.    Those who are well do not seek out a doctor.

 

B.   The context of Jesus’ statement.

1.    Jesus had entered into a house to eat, and “many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples” (Luke 9:10)

2.    “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?”

a.    These Pharisees would not have anything to do with publicans and sinners. 

1.    They were considered unclean.

2.    They did not want them to stain their holiness.

b.    If the Pharisees had been asked:  “Are the publican and Pharisees sick from a spiritual standpoint?”  they would have answered:  “Yes.”

c.    If they were sick, then they stood in need of a physician. 

1)    They stood in need of someone to bring healing into their lives.

2)    As the Great Physician, Jesus could do that.

3.    Two points:

a.    The Jews were now in a conundrum. 

1)    They admitted the publicans and sinners were sick.

2)    Why would anyone refuse the needed attention of a physician if the person is sick?

b.    The Jews were sick as well.  However, they refused to admit their sickness and their need for a Savior.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   We have looked briefly at five proverbs spoken by Jesus.

 

B.   Two questions:

1.    Are you spiritually sick and stand in need of a physician?  Jesus can heal you.

2.    As a child of God are you trying to serve two masters.  Remember, Jesus said that is an impossibility.