Truly Well and Joyful: What the Parables Promise

By Paula M. S. Paquette MTS MPA

In the parables, Jesus of Nazareth taught many lessons. The wisdom he gives us is timeless and certain to help us find happiness, joy, peace, purpose, and fulfillment. We look for fulfillment and meaning on a daily basis in the lives we lead. We search for peace and restoration when the events of life are difficult. Jesus teachings give us everything we need to know in order to gain and maintain a steadfast, ever-present calm in the storms of life. In Truly Well and Joyful: What the Parables Promise, all of Jesus parables are presented and discussed. Taken as a whole, the parables tell us all we need to know in order to live truly well and joyful lives. They also teach us how to overcome grief, how to live in the holy present moment, how to find joy in service to others, how to find peace in responsibility, how to live, love, and create more fully. This book will be a timeless resource that you can refer to again and again to refresh and strengthen yourself through the truest words ever spoken: the parables.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490886619

Paula M. S. Paquette MTS MPA

Paula M. Salonen Paquette resides in Florida and is a principal of Community Homes & Hearts, Inc. which provides services to adults with developmental disabilities. Paula is a graduate of Applewild School in Fitchburg, MA, and St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University, a master of theological studies degree from Harvard Divinity School, and a master of public administration degree from the University of New Hampshire. Paula has also published Truly Well and Joyful, Devotions from Hope, and Poems for Your Brave Heart. These are all part of Paula’s ongoing work to support and assist those seeking healing and hope in this world through connection with the divine. For information, please e-mail [e-mail].

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 Paula M. S. Paquette, MTS, MPA.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-8663-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-8662-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-8661-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015910468

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/4/2015

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1   Jesus lived; Jesus lives

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection – Matthew 16:21-23

The Parable of the Growing Seed – Mark 4:26-29

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene; Jesus Appears to Two Disciples; Jesus Commissions the Disciples; The Ascension of Jesus – Mark 16:9-20

Chapter 2   Jesus is with me all the time

The Parable of the Lost Sheep – Matthew 18:10-14

Chapter 3   I am one breath away from God

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother – Luke 15:11-32

Chapter 4   I can take full responsibility for myself

The Cross and Self-Denial – Matthew 16:24-26

The Rich Man and Lazarus – Luke 16:19-31

Matthew 13:47-50

Chapter 5   Every day, my life starts again

True Greatness – Matthew 18:1-5

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge – Luke 18:1-8

Chapter 6   I can forgive others and myself

Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-22

Matthew 6:14-15

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids – Matthew 25:1-13

Chapter 7   I’m not bound to the past

The Rich Man – Mark 10:7-31

The Parable of the Lost Coin – Luke 15:8-9

Chapter 8   I can live in the present moment

Do Not Worry – Matthew 6:25-33

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat – Matthew 13:24-30

The Parable of the Yeast – Luke 13:20-21

Chapter 9   I don’t judge others

Love for Enemies – Luke 6:27-36

Concerning Retaliation – Matthew 5:38-42

Judging Others – Matthew 7:1-5

The Laborers in the Vineyard – Matthew 20:1-16

Chapter 10   I can only change myself

Matthew 6:9-13

Luke 18:10-14

Chapter 11   I can let go of anger and resentment

Concerning Anger – Matthew 5:21-24

Luke 14:28-33

Chapter 12   I can make different decisions

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree – Luke 13:6-9

The Parable of the Great Dinner – Luke 14:15-24

Chapter 13   When I change my thinking, brightness follows

Ask, Search, Knock – Matthew 6:7-11

Concerning Treasures – Mark 6:19-21

Mark 4:3-9

Matthew 13:44

Chapter 14   I need to live my own life

The Sound Eye – Matthew 6:22-23

Hearers and Doers – Matthew 7:24-27

Chapter 15   I don’t need to compare myself to others

The Parable of the Two Sons – Matthew 21:28-32

Chapter 16   Effort is required; I’ll get one thing done and then the next

The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Mark 4:30-32

Chapter 17   I need to do what’s right; I need to do what I love

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant – Matthew 18:23-35

Chapter 18   All that I need is within me

Luke 12:16-21

Chapter 19   I believe; I can move mountains

The Lesson of the Fig Tree – Luke 21:29-33

Chapter 20   I don’t need to fear anything; God sets a table for me in the wilderness

Humility and Hospitality – Luke 14:7-14

Luke 19:12-27

Chapter 21   I will live with discipline, clarity, nourishment, and balance

The Narrow Gate – Matthew 6:13-14

Luke 17:7-10

Mark 2:21-22

Chapter 22   Truth is always the best policy; I will separate fact from fiction

Whom to Fear – Matthew 10:26-28

A Tree and Its Fruit – Matthew 6:15-20

A Lamp under a Jar – Luke 8:16-18

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager – Luke 16:1-13

Chapter 23   My thoughts, words, and actions are deeply powerful

The Golden Rule – Matthew 6:12

Luke 10:30-37

Luke 7:41-43

Chapter 24   Love is the best way; love is a choice

The Greatest Commandment – Matthew 22:34-40

The Judgment of the Nations – Matthew 25:31-46

Chapter 25   Life is hard; God will make good out of what the fallen has meant for evil

The Beatitudes – Matthew 5:1-12

Luke 11:21-22

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants – Mark 12:1-9

Chapter 26   Half measures won’t accomplish the task at hand

Concerning Self-Deception – Matthew 6:21-23

Matthew 13:45-46

Perseverance in Prayer – Luke 11:5-8

Chapter 27   The time for my transformation is now, not tomorrow

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave – Matthew 24:42-51

Conclusion   Jesus, the Christ, is with me

Jesus Thanks His Father – Matthew 11:25-30

Bibliography

Endnotes

"Strive to give back the Divine in yourselves

to the Divine in the All."

Plotinus, 270CE

¹

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Hebrews 6:19

²

Dedication

I write in honor of my Finnish parents.

I write with appreciation for friends.

Your kindness is what created this book.

-PMSP

Introduction

This is a book about the relevance of Jesus for the modern person.

This is also a book about happiness.

This is a book about the availability of Jesus to be the foundation and framework for a truly happy life. This is a book about what Jesus did and what he said through his Parables and the confidence this can give us through all the times of our life – both good and bad.

This is a book about the real Jesus and his teachings, not the Jesus we’ve re-created at various points in history. It’s the real Jesus that gives us happiness and peace and confidence about living in the kingdom now. We can live a truly well and joyful life as we learn about and live into an understanding of Jesus’ message which first came to us 2,000 years ago and which continues to be written every day.

This isn’t a book about organized religion and the differences among churches, church services, and faith traditions. This is a book about the origin of it all – Jesus the Christ.

Jesus was here on earth and he taught us wisdom and heart truth that surpasses all of our human ability to comprehend the great mysteries of why we’re here, what we should do, and what happens to us when we die. Jesus gives us the answers and assures us of life always. In Jesus’ teachings called Parables, he gives us wisdom lessons through stories that we can relate to. He says we accomplish much by keeping to the narrow path. He says all is revealed in its fruit. He says we shouldn’t hide our light from the world. He says the smallest seed can become a mighty tree. He says we can persevere. He says happiness is found in love. The lessons are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago.

Religion – or theology – is about our beliefs in God, the meaning of life, and things to come. Religion is about why we’re here and what the point of this life is. It’s about belief in some organizing force, creator, or universal truth. We all suffer at points and we all encounter joyful times at points. We all seek a foundation – something to hold onto that helps us make it through. Even if we don’t actively seek to understand God or life or why all of this is, there’s nonetheless something in everyone that yearns to know or to understand a reason bigger than ourselves. Eternity is written on our hearts. We all wonder about it. We’re all looking for some way of understanding things and something to hang onto when the going gets tough. And the going does get tough for all of us.

The life example and teachings of Jesus can be something to anchor to so we don’t needlessly and endlessly bash around the seas without direction or protection. Knowing what Jesus told us helps us understand the point of it all and helps us become joyful co-creators of great things. Jesus’ message brings happiness for every today and an optimistic attitude about the future because we know positive things are here to stay. Jesus, having been here, tells us how to successfully be here and the truth of our creator and our creation.

Faith – which we hear so much about – is a strong belief that certain things are true. While some of the finer details of what we know about Jesus require faith, we nonetheless have many historical sources that prove Jesus was really here and really real. So, we know some things and we have faith in others.

For our journey of understanding, faith is followed by hope. Hope is the next step. Hope is an active embrace of faith. Hope is the filling of our heart with a joy that surpasses all understanding. Hope is a knowing smile that leads to the actions we take every day with our confident and sure hearts. Hope lets us live in certainty that what God has promised will in fact come true. Because I hope, I can’t help but confidently and happily live my life of service to this creation.

Faith is a noun. Hope is both a noun and a verb. I have hope and I hope. When hope becomes and remains a verb, we can overcome any challenge and we can live in lasting happiness. I Corinthians 13:13 tells us: And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. The love described is agape: selfless spiritual love which wills good for others. Faith is the first strong belief. Hope becomes our action. Love is the result. Love is God. This is where happiness lies. From Jesus, we received great teachings in the form of the Parables. In these timeless stories, wisdom lives.

No matter who we are, what we do, what we accomplish, where we visit, who we associate with, no matter how many moments in the sun we have, we are all still in the human condition and, eventually, we address the mortality of a loved one, or our own mortality. Every day is a challenge for some of us as we try to understand what is and what has happened and why we are born who we are. We see enough news to know that not all of it is good news. Times will come when we tremble and ache. We can keep the news of Jesus firm in our hearts. When we know him, the reserve is always filling. The Parables remind us of a firm foundation.

We don’t need to know the Jesus of any particular church, faith, or tradition although the denominations available to us all have their own wonderful histories and beautiful styles. We want to know the simple, first, original Jesus who was here, told people a lot of helpful and sometimes mysterious things, and passed on ahead of us to (what we like to call) heaven.

This book begins with looking at how we know that Jesus – the historical Jesus – was real and that the events reported to us through the centuries are real. While we understand some of this through a walk of faith and while some of the story we’re taught in Sunday School is embellished, we can at least begin this journey toward daily, steady happiness at the point where we know confidently that Jesus was a real person and the essential biography we’ve been given is true. This book is not a full review of all the historical sources available to us. It’s not a work of Christian apologetics, comparing sources and matching up possible dates. There are events reported in a few reliable sources (in addition to the New Testament of the Bible) that have been authenticated by historians, archeologists, and linguists. These events tell us simply that Jesus was here. And that’s good news! The sources also witness that he rose from death.

For me, to know that Jesus was fully human and really here, I’m then compelled to do something with it. I can’t just leave it to the side as if it never happened. I don’t need to prove it; others have. I don’t have to do anything with it; it’s not mandatory. But, so, what about it? Is Jesus helpful and relevant to our lives? Can it help me now to know that Jesus has been here, too? I think the wisdom Jesus offered us in his living and in his dieing is a gift for our lives just waiting to be accepted and overlaid on our modern circumstances. These modern circumstances we live in seem to get more and more challenging as the complexity of human interactions, geographies, communication, and technologies increases. I fear that people seem to care less and less about others, more and more about themselves and gathering possessions, less and less about volunteering and sharing, and more and more about smart phones, video games and entertainment. We compete. We take from others. We find no value in sharing. We turn our backs, not the other cheek. As life gets harder, we suffer to find happiness. As life gets harder, the wisdom of Jesus seems to offer even more balm.

How Jesus lived and what he did, what Jesus said and what he taught provide a beautiful model by which to live today. It’s a beautiful assurance of what is truly real and useful. It’s a hopeful narrative. It’s the framework of a theology of happiness. I surely think we can use and appreciate good guidance and solid hope. Jesus’ life example and his teachings are every bit as relevant today as they were in his day. To stay relevant for more than 2,000 years, the message must be worthwhile.

Jesus presents a timeless truth that we can hold onto in order to find happiness during this lifetime and in order to have a next and real life after we pass from this world. If happiness in the here and now and heaven after this life sound appealing and important, read on.

If you’re a seeker of truth, if you’re experiencing troubling times, if you want to deepen the relevance of Jesus in your life, or if you want to see if this Jesus person that so many people continue to talk about might have something useful to say to you, read on. Jesus offers us a reality and a peace of heart that never need to change. He tells us why we’re here. He tells us how to live great and confident lives. He tells us what happens after we die.

I hope the ideas in this book will shore up your faith: a strong belief that certain things are true.

I hope this book will give you lasting hope: an optimistic attitude based on an expectation that positive things will come.

Finally, I hope the action of your hope causes you to do good things. Doing good things, big and small, will certainly create great happiness for you. Hearing the truth in the Parables is certainly happiness-creating.

The discussions in this book emerged directly from the sayings and teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament. I include conversation on all of the Parables included in the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). The chapters of this book are reflections on topics which are happiness- and contentment-creating ideas.

The topics presented in this book were developed from my own years of reflection about: What on earth is going on? We’d all agree that there are many and various things that bother and vex us human people. And, we’d all agree that there are many, many ancient and modern philosophies that seem to offer guidance for sounder and happier living. So, why can’t we find happiness? And, if we ever think we do, why doesn’t it last? I suppose the simple answer is because we are in the human condition. And the human condition is challenging – if that’s all that we’re counting on.

As I looked at the myriad things that pop up in this life and seem to block our ability to find happiness, and then the list of things that Jesus addresses that he says will create a happy and fulfilling life, I find the topics completely intertwined. In other words, what we grouse about, what we worry about, and what hurts us, Jesus really already solved for us. The 2,000-year-old teachings of Jesus are completely relevant to our situations today. Jesus’ teachings, most especially in the Parables, give us a roadmap to happiness.

Self-helpers and spiritualists, psychologists and persons of religious traditions, ancient and new philosophers, and social strategists keep finding the same causes for our unhappiness: selfishness, greed, lack of love and compassion, hurtful competition, focus on possessions and not people, lack of communication, lives driven by ego, fear of loss, inability to be content and grateful, addiction, unresolved issues perpetuated from one generation to the next. Jesus gives us the answer for all these things.

When I have the understanding that Jesus was here and rose from death, I have hope that, ultimately, I can have the same positive outcome too. I want to live in positive and glad action because good things are coming. I want to tell other people they need not worry that this is all there is. They, too, can have hope that the future is secure. The events of here and now may not be what we think we want. There will be pain in this physical realm. This physical realm is affected by evil. But, ultimately, the final outcome is very positive when we turn from self-interest to living in the kingdom now. When we step away from an obsessive reliance on physical comforts and possessions, we’ll stop suffering over the challenges, losses, compromises, and emotional wounds that we’ll all face at some point. I don’t want to place my happiness and security in things that will rust, rot, fade, run out, get lost, or get stolen. I want to place my happiness and security in something better, something I can truly count on, something that won’t die away.

But let’s not think that the message of Jesus is only about what happens when we die. Good to know that there’s such a thing as life after death. Good to know we have it if we just believe. Good to know. But, the message of Jesus of Nazareth is so much more than that. He tells us how to love genuinely and to meet others in their full humanness. When we can see others as human and doing the best they can, we don’t get as mad when they hurt our feelings. When we encounter illness and accident, while we don’t understand it, we can offer a loving presence. When we listen to the fact that God does take care of all the details (like the birds in the sky and the lilies in the field), we can worry a little less. In the stories Jesus tells us, we can see our neighbors and ourselves. In acts of kindness and in our presence with babies and elders, we give gifts to the world that are permanent. Our love for others will never be forgotten.

Jesus has invited us to lay aside everything else and follow him. He told us the path is narrow and hard to stay on, but it will lead to inestimable happiness and reward. Great wisdom is available from the example and messages of Jesus and he does, indeed, speak to what ailed us then, what has ailed us since then, and what can still ail us today. In Jesus’ teachings, there’s a promise of peaceful contentment today and a marvelous future to come.

And, please understand: Jesus doesn’t ask us to give up every comfort and give away every dime and walk without sandals or a smartphone. Jesus asks us to be thoughtful, to share, and to care. Jesus doesn’t promise a life free from pain and challenge. We’re here, after all, in a world which continues to be made manifest through the free will we all have.

How I Came to This Place

I’ll never forget