The Parables of Christ 3

The Creditor

October 19, 2003

Rev. Brian Kocourek

This evening we will continue looking at the parables and symbols Jesus used in the New Testament. Tonight we will look at…

Luke 7, verses 40 – 43 40: And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41: There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.   42: And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43: Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

Let’s just bow our hearts in prayer. Dear Gracious Father e have come tonight to partake in the communion service and to wash one another’s feet thus fulfilling our role as servants one to another for you have said, whatsoever you have done unto the least of these my brethren you have done so unto me. Father we would ask that you would truly make this occasion one that is special in all our hearts that we might learn to love the unlovable, and that we might learn to get ourselves out of the way that you might have the preeminence in all that we think do and say, for we ask it in the name of your obedient Son, our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Now, as you may recall we had spoken on the parable of the basket where Jesus ha told them not to let their basket hide the light. We found that the basket represented the blessings God had given them, and the success they had in life, and their Life in general. And we found in that parable that the very blessings of God if not kept in their proper light, can become the very thing that curses us in the end.

Now, this evening we will take a short message on this parable that we find in the book of Luke the 7^th chapter. This is one of the first parables Jesus tells and he does so in the city of Capernaum. Now, there is a reason why he told this parable in this city. I do not believe that God wastes His time with bringing messages to the wrong people. A Messenger is one who brings a message and the message is not just some haphazard thing that is spoken, hoping it will find ears to hear. Jesus spoke this parable to the people of Capernaum because it has significance for that city, and as we will see knowing that alpha has become Omega, the very same parable has great significance today as well.

Now, the name Capernaum means "village of comfort" and that name sure represents us here in the United States. Notice also that this city was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, just as America is on the west of the great body of water separating it from the rest of the world.. It was in the "land of Gennesaret". It was of sufficient size to be called a city, had its own synagogue, in which our Lord frequently taught; and there was also a customs station, where the dues were gathered both by stationary and by itinerant officers. Capernaum seemed to become the residence of our Lord and his apostles, and the scene of so many miracles and gracious works. It was when he returned thither that he is said to have been "in the house" Mk. 2:1

Now, we find the first mention of this city in the Book of Matthew chapter 4. MATTHEW 4:12 ¶ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

However in the book of John we get a better understanding how early on in His Ministry He began to work in Capernaum. JOHN 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. 12 ¶ After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

Now, let’s follow the ministry of Jesus at Capernaum to see how it develops before we deal directly with the parable he first preached there.

MARK 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 ¶ And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine [is] this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. 28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

MARK 2:1 ¶ And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit (in other words He discerned what was in their heart) that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. 13 ¶ And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

You know, I was pondering this thought today, and I realized that it was not the sermons that are important but what is being taught in those sermons. We make such a big to do about getting out brother Branham’s sermons, and yet it is not the sermons that are important to us, but the nuggets of doctrine that lay hidden in those sermons. For you see the doctrine is what sets us straight, gives us a back bone, and helps us to grow up in Christ. The sermons are just the vehicle in which the doctrine is laid out in whatever form or format that is available to the one teaching. In Brother Branham’s case he used a lot of parables or stories to bring the doctrine to light. He did not resort to great theological terms but rather to expressions of Life that would give one a better understanding of their relationship with the Father and His Son. In those sermons we have learned of the True understanding of the Godhead, and the Truth that there is an Appearing and a Coming, and we learned to look back on the Alpha in order to understand what is happening in the Omega, and we learned of Twins and how every revival will produce two kinds of believers, one that is spiritual and another that is only carnal. Yet there are very few sermons that have been preached that actually took any one of these doctrinal truths and laid it out so clearly except for perhaps “the anointed Ones at the end time”.

But the main thing is that in those sermons there are tidbits of truth, or shall we call them golden nuggets, or rather seeds of Life that had been hidden since the foundations of the world, but have been revealed to us in this day. And these parables of Jesus are in the same manner. It is not the parable that is important but the hidden truths or seeds of Life that are laid out in these stories that are so important for us to have if we are to come to the stature of a perfect man, or as Ephesians 4 tells us that EPHESIANS 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:

Now, notice when Jesus came home so to speak, back to Nazareth, where He had grown up, the people did not receive His ministry. LUKE 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. (Now, watch how Jesus turns their attention to sovereignty and He lays it out so plain, and yet look at the reaction of the people concerning the sovereignty of God. But you see unless you understand the sovereignty of God you understand nothing concerning God.) 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman [that was] a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 31 ¶ And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word [is] this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

Look at the difference between Nazareth and Capernaum. Look at the reception Jesus received there in comparison to his home town.

Now, in the next time we hear about caopernaum we hear of a Centurion who exercised more faith than any person Jew or gentil up to that point, and it happends in the city of Capernaum.

MATTHEW 8:5 ¶ And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it]. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

And after all these wonderful things we find happening in the city of Capernaum, yet we find something take place that Jesus begins to warn them of. Remember, He had already rebuked them because they were supposed to be The Light of the world, and yet they had allowed the very thing that that had, the Light to become smoked up by their lack of use. The very light that was to give off it’s light, by not being exercised properly and presented in the lamp properly, now becomes that which makes the lamp dull and smoky.

If the lamp is not trimmed regularly, the very fire that brings the light is the very thing that begins to smoke up the vessel. So instead of the vessel being a vessel of light shining froth the light, it becomes a smoked and so dull that it makes the light seem insignificant, and useless. He had done so many miracles in this city and yet what were they doing with such great light? And if you do not use the lamp, the wick will burn over and begin to blacken and once that happens then the fire just begins to smoke and the vessel becomes darkened. And that is what Jesus is rebuking them for in Matthew 11 and Luke 10.

MATTHEW 11:20 (LUKE 10:15) Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. 25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

When Jesus went to his own city where he had been raised they said to him we hear that you have performed many miracles in Capernaum, but what about here? THIRSTING FOR LIFE 57-0613 E-51 Now, no matter what a gift would do here, if there isn't faith out there to receive it, it never would respond. How many knows that? So the man, no matter how much gifted he might be, if the audience doesn't believe, it'll never work. Jesus went into His own city, and they said, "Well, You done this in Capernaum, and You did this over here. Now, let me see You do something here." And Jesus could do no mighty works. And He marveled at their unbelief. Is that right? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Now, there must have been much faith in Capernaum for all the miracles that were performed in that city, and yet in the end what happened to that faith? For Jesus said, “Oh Capernaum, Capernaum,

We have the same thing take place in this day when the Prophet of God had great meetings in Los Angeles, and yet the Spirit of the Lord Spoke through Him and said, “oh, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, though city who is named …

QUEEN OF SHEBA 57-0517 E-18 And Jesus was upbraiding those people and trying to condemn them, which He did condemn them. And many places where His outstanding miracles were performed, He said, "Oh, woe unto you, Capernaum, which is exalted into heaven shall be brought down to hell," and there's not even a sign of it today. And every city that He predicted that would be cursed, every one of them is in ruin today. And the ones that He blessed is still standing today. His Words are infallible; they're the Words of God. Then He turns and says, "Why didn't they believe the sign that was given them?"

QUEEN OF SHEBA 58-0503 E-11 If righteousness is what pleases God, which it does, but all that God requires, the Pharisees were found blameless, but yet Jesus said, "Ye are of your father, the devil," because they did not believe, that horrible thing of unbelief. And Jesus had done many works in the city, and said to them, "Oh, you, Capernaum, who are exalted into heaven, shall be brought down to hell. If the mighty works had been done in you, that--that's been done in you, had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it would've been standing until this day." That great unbelief, self-styled, exalted into heaven, holier than thou, that attitude... And Jesus had done mighty works in Capernaum, and they had called him, Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, and He was upbraiding them because of it. E-12 And I say this with respects: Friends and Christians, if God lets this nation get by... He just can't let him get by with this awful wave of sin that's sweeping our nation. If God would let us go on in the way we are, without judging, then He being just would have to raise Sodom and Gomorrah, and apologize for destroying them, with such a wave of sin of the same kind. E-13 God is no respect of nations or people. He loves the sinner, but He hates sin. And we are doomed; just mark that you who I see are taking notes, that I said it. There is nothing left for America but judgment; that's all. So just get ready for it. But the Church will be gone before the judgment comes. God promised it.

GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE 58-0625 E-24 Now, I would like to say this: Jesus speaking here, said, "Oh, thou Capernaum, thou art exalted into heaven, because you think you have got the best synagogues, all those swell ministers, and everything, and you're very religious. You're so swelled up and so pious, till you are exalted into heaven, but I say unto thee, thou shalt be cast down into hell." Where is Capernaum today? At the bottom of the Dead Sea. Every city that received Jesus, they stand today. Every city that He cursed, is gone today. Sure, He was more than a prophet; He was God manifested in the flesh.

ASHAMED OF HIM 65-0711 49 And while in there Something struck me; I didn't know nothing for about thirty minutes. There was a prophecy went out. First thing I remember, Brother Mosley and Billy; I was out on the street, walking. And It said, "Thou Capernaum, which calls yourself by the name of the Angels," that's Los Angeles, city of angels (See?), the angels, "which are exalted into heaven, will be brought down into hell. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom, that's been done in you, it would've been standing till this day." And that was all unconsciously to me. See? And how I just got through exhorting Christ, exalting Him and telling the church. I said, "You women, no matter how I try to come to you and preach against these things that... And you men, you preachers; you constantly conned all the time, do it just the same. You walk over It as if the Word of God wasn't nothing."

51 And when I understood that, I went; I said, "There is a Scripture about that somewhere." And I went and found it was Jesus rebuking Capernaum by the seacoast. That night I looked up the Scriptures. Come home, got the history book; and Sodom and Gomorrah was once a--a thriving city, a Gentile headquarters of the world. And you know that city by an earthquake sank into the Dead Sea. And Jesus stood, and said, "Capernaum, if Sodom would've had the works done in it that you've had done in you, it would've been standing today. But now you must be brought down to hell." And about two hundred or three hundred years after His prophecy, with all them coastal towns, every one of them still standing but Capernaum, and it lays in the bottom of the sea. A earthquake sunk it into the sea.

52 And then prophesying, "Los Angeles will be in the bottom of the sea." And I come home and went to Africa. And while I was in Africa, they had an earthquake. And scientists... You seen it; it was on a broadcast that some big, fine homes tumbled in in Los Angeles, and a motel, and so forth. And now there is a...Since that earthquake, there is a two or three-inch crack that come in the earth, starting in Alaska, goes around through the Aleutian Islands, comes out about a hundred and fifty or two hundred miles in the sea, comes back up at San Diego; takes in California, or Los Angeles, and comes out again just below the northern part of California there, a little place called San Jose, just below there.

54 And this scientist was speaking, being on a interview. We was watching on television. And he said, "Beneath that is just a churning lava." And he said this; he said, "That is... A chunk will break loose," and said, "and it will..."

And this inter--man on--scientist interviewing this chief scientist, said to him, said, "Well, that could then all sink?" He said, "Could? It's got to." Said, "Well, 'course, will probably be many, many years from now." He said, "It can be in five minutes from now, or it can be in five years from now." He just 'lotted five years. But just as I surely was standing there under that Inspiration, put judgment on that west coast, and then followed it right up here with the sinking of Los Angeles; she's gone! That's right. It will happen. When? I don't know. But, oh, what happened? You know, we only got six continents now. We had seven; that one that sunk between Africa and the United States... Oh, it's historical; you know about it. Now, if that goes down, then I want you to watch when...

TRYING TO DO GOD A SERVICE 65-0718M 20 A few nights ago many of you--just in about a month before going over to Africa... Many of you perhaps has the tape (of you people that get the tapes) on "Choosing a Bride," was preached in California. The last few minutes of that tape, I don't remember of ever being there. But the Spirit of the Lord came in such a way. I'd been condemning them the way they were living and doing, and after the Gospel had been preached and declared before them so much. And all of a sudden the Holy Spirit spoke out and said, "Capernaum (See?), the city that calls yourself by the name of the angels (That's Los Angeles.), thou art exalted into heaven, but be brought down to hell." See? And then after that it was over, why, I was outside. And Brother Mosley and Billy was with me, and they said, went back and looked, and the whole floor was just laying full of people, ministers sobbing.

21 And I went and got the Scripture; I said, "There's something about that in the Bible." And it was Jesus rebuking Capernaum, all those coastal cities that He had visit. Why He said, "Capernaum, thou art exalted into heaven, will be brought down into hell." He said, "For if the works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah that's been done in you, it'd been standing today." And at that time Sodom and Gomorrah was in the bottom of the sea. And just after that, maybe a hundred years or something after Jesus' prophecy, Capernaum, the only coastal city that He'd visit, a earthquake sunk it in the sea. You know, that was a direct answer to California, to Los Angeles.

LUKE 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.