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In this week’s message, we explore why Jesus so often taught through parables—earthly stories with heavenly meaning that invite us not simply to hear, but to wrestle with God’s truth. Through the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, we discover that these stories challenge our assumptions, reveal the surprising reach of God’s grace, and transform us as we struggle together to see, hear, and understand what Jesus is teaching.


Bible Verses Referenced


The sermon centers primarily on Matthew 13 and Luke 15, with several other passages referenced:

  •  Matthew 13:10–17 — The disciples ask Jesus, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” Jesus explains that the secrets of the Kingdom have been given to them, while others are “ever hearing, but never understanding” and “ever seeing, but never perceiving.” This passage provides the theological foundation for the sermon.
  •  Isaiah 6:9–10 — Quoted by Jesus within Matthew 13: the prophecy about people who hear without understanding and see without perceiving because their hearts have become calloused.
  •  Luke 15:1–7 — The Parable of the Lost Sheep. Jesus describes the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one lost sheep. Pastor Scott emphasizes how deliberately surprising this behavior would have seemed to Jesus’ original audience.
  •  Luke 15:8–10 — The Parable of the Lost Coin. A woman searches her house for one lost coin, another picture of God’s determination to seek what has been lost.
  •  Luke 15:11–32 — The Parable of the Lost/Prodigal Son. Pastor Scott spends significant time on both sons. The father runs to welcome the younger son home, but he also goes outside to plead with the older son, who refuses to join the celebration. The unresolved ending challenges the Pharisees—and us—to decide whether we will enter the celebration of God’s grace.
  •  Luke 16:1–13 — The Parable of the Shrewd Manager. Mentioned as an example of a difficult parable that requires repeated study and wrestling to understand.
  •  Matthew 13:1–23 / Mark 4:1–20 / Luke 8:4–15 — The Parable of the Sower. Pastor Scott uses the seemingly careless scattering of seed to illustrate how Christians are called to spread the Gospel even when we cannot know what kind of “soil” will receive it.
  •  Genesis 32:22–32 — Jacob wrestles with God before meeting Esau and is renamed Israel. This becomes an important image for the sermon: transformation comes through wrestling with God rather than merely accumulating facts.
  •  Matthew 5–7 — The Sermon on the Mount is referenced as an example of Jesus teaching more directly about the coming Kingdom of God.

The sermon also broadly references Jesus’ conflicts with the Pharisees and Sadducees, His identification as the Messiah, His rejection by those who heard Him, and ultimately His crucifixion during Passover.


Plain English with Derek Thompson — Pastor Scott says it is one of his favorite podcasts. He describes listening to an episode featuring David Deming, identified in the sermon as Harvard’s Dean of Students, discussing AI and education. A statement from that conversation becomes an important part of the sermon: “Learning is communal, in part because there is a little bit of suffering required in order for learning to be successful.” Pastor Scott connects this idea of struggling to learn with the way Jesus’ parables require listeners to wrestle with their meaning.