Matthew 13: 24-48. The Lord often taught with parables

                A parable is a basic sense is a story. I believe the Savior used them so often because the best way for Him to teach principles to the people was to put it on their level and make it into a comparison. Parables can be linked to our day as well, for example the parable of the mustard seed and the leaven can be linked to the growth in the church. It describes how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was able to grow in and prosper while it is so young and it helps in describing the future growth of the church.  In the parable if the seed is planted in the right place and continually courted it will grow, just like the church. The parable of the gospel net can be related the large missionary effort made by the church. The kingdom needs to be gathered, for this to happen missionary work needs to be occurring so that all can be brought to the true gospel on the earth. The parable of the pearl of great price is the reason many wealthy members of the church sacrifice so much, they know the wonderful gift that the church is and are willing to give all they have to keep that wonderful blessing. The last parable I want to address is that of the wheat and the tares. I believe that this can be compared to why some members choose to leave the church, we are all growing in the same place and it can be really easy to mesh into the wrong crowd and loose ourselves and become a tare.

                In addressing the parable of the pearl of great price we are asked what sacrifices we would be willingly to make for this gospel. I believe that I would sacrifice everything for this gospel because in the long run the true gospel is all that matters. Christ gave His life for me, He bled from every pore for me, how can I not give everything I have to help Him in any way possible? I don’t know of any sacrifice I have made directly but to some not drinking, smoking, and doing other immoral things would be considered a sacrifice. Personally I am so grateful I will never be caught under these influences and can live a life without those evil things.

                In the parable of the net a question has come about of what the net represent. I believe that net is representative of missionary work, because verse 47, of Matthew chapter 13, says that the net will gather every kind; this is done with missionary work. To be gathered means to be brought together, to so everyone is accountable for themselves, and we are gathered before we are judged. From there we will be “sorted” and judged according to our actions, from this we see in the parable where there were some placed in good vessels and the bad cast away.