The servant fell at the kings feet and begged him not to sell him or his family. “Please,” he said, “They have done nothing wrong. Just give me time and I will pay back every penny that I owe you.” The king took pity on his servant and said, “Don’t worry I forgive you. We will say no more about it.” The servant was very relieved, but soon got over his fright and went back to his old ways.

There was another servant who owed the first servant a small amount of money lets say £50. The first servant went to the second one and demanded his money back saying, “Give me back the money you owe me now or I will have you thrown in prison.” “Please give me some time and I will pay you back but don’t send me to prison.”

But the servant was hard-hearted and would not give him any time. He had him put in prison. The news of this reached the king. He was very angry. He called the first servant to him. “What is this I hear? What about the mercy I showed you when you could not pay me back? You should have been just as forgiving to the man who owed you money. Now I will punish you as you should have been the first time.”

So the king sold the servant and his wife and children, he sold his house and all this belongings, because the servant had not shown any forgiveness in the way it had been shown to him.

This story shows how Jesus was saying that if we are unkind to other people, we will be judged for it one day. We will be treated as we have treated others. The message of all Jesus’ parables is that God wants us to love others as He loves us.

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One said, “I have bought a piece of land and I need to go and have a look at it.” Another person said, “I have just bought some animals I must go and check on them.” Another said, “I have just got married I want to spend the night with my wife.”

The generous host was very disappointed, “What is the matter with everyone?” he wondered. “They are turning doen a very good party.” He looked at all the food and drink and again sent his servants out.

This time they went into the town and invited all the poor people and those who were lame and blind, and they were all very happy to accept. The rich man’s dining room was filling up, but there was still plenty of room and lots of food and drink still to be eaten.

So this time the rich man sent his servants out to invite the beggars, tramps and homeless people from off the streets. Imagine how pleased they were to have been invited. All the people who came had a very good time and not one of them had been on the original list of people to invite.

This story is about people who are too busy to listen to God’s invitations to join his kingdom. Busy people are often concerned about money and possessions and what other people think of them. But God’s invitation is open to all. Those people who reply to it will be made welcome. And those who don’t turn up are missing the best party in the whole world.

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The had two things against Samson his strengh and his faith in God. The Philistines asked a beautiful young lady by the name of Delilah to help them. Samson loved and trusted Delilah even though she was a Philistine. So when Delilah asked him what made him strong he told her truthfully. “If someone was to cut my hair, I would not be strong anymore.”

That night after Samson fell asleep, Delilah cut his hair. Then the Philistines easily tied Samson up, blinded him and threw him into prison. But as time passed Samson’s hair grew long again. The Philistines later brought Samson to a big feast to mock him and the weak state he was now in. Samson asked a servant to help him put his hands on the two pillars that held up the building’s roof.

Then Samson prayed to God for strengh and pushed on the pillars as hard as he could. The pillars broke and the roof fell in, killing everyone. Samson’s last prayer was answered.

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Some other seeds fell on the stoney path which ran around the edge of the field. They did start to grow putting down little roots. But because of all the stones and not much earth when the sun came up the little seedlings were scorched and shrivelled up because there was no water in their little roots.

Some of the seed fell into a thorny, weedy patch in the corner of the field. These seeds also grew, but so did the weeds and thorns and as they grew at a faster rate they took all the water from the plants. The weeds got taller and the plants died because the sunlight could not gwt through to them.

But the seeds that fell in the field on the good rich ground that the farmer had dug and made ready for the seed grew tall and strong. They made a wonderful field of wheat ready to be harvested and ground into flour to make bread and cakes.

Jesus went on to explain what he meant by this story. The seed is the message of God’s love. When people hear the message but pay no attention to it they are like the seeds that fell on the road and were eaten up by the birds before they could grow. 

Other people hear about God’s love and seem to understand but if they don’t really believe in their hearts they are like the stoney ground where the plants can’t put down strong roots. And the ones who hear the message but forget it because of worrying about things are the ones which fell amongst the thorns and weeds.

But the people who hear the message and believe it and act on it, by loving other people - they are like the ones who are like a field full of wheat and their goodness shows.

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As they approached the River Jordan, Joshua told the priests to lead the people into the river. As soon as the priests did this God parted the water so the Israelites crossed over on dry ground. The next thing the Israelites had to face were the soldiers of Jericho. God gave Joshua instructions on what they should do. “March your people around the city walls for seven days. Carry the Ark in front of you. On the seventh day have the priests blow one long blast of their horns. At the same time, have everyone give a loud shout.”

The Children of Isael did what God had told them to do through Joshua. They marched around the city and on the seventh day, when the priests blew their horns all the people gave a loud shout and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. God had given the city into their hands.

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God carved them on two tablets of stone and said, “These are My Commandments, I want all My people to obey them.” Mose took the tablets and went backdown the mountain. When he arrived at the bottom he saw the Children of Israel worshipping a golden statue of a calf. Moses was very angry he threw the tablets of stone on the ground where they broke into several pieces.

When the people realised that worshipping an idol was wrong they were very sorry. Moses said he would ask God to forgive them. So he went back up the mountain, where God again wrote the 10 Commandments on two new stones.

“Keep My Commandments,” said God, “and I will give you a new land.” When Moses came down form the mountain his face shone. He gave the people the new tablets and told them to always make sure they followed God’s laws.

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At midnight the Children of Israel heard a loud cry coming from the homes of the Egyptians. The oldest son in every Egyptian home was dead, even Pharaoh’s son. Pharaoh finally decided to let the Children of Israel go. But they had not gone far when Pharaoh changed his mind and came charging after them in chariots pulled by fast horses. He bought all his soldiers, some riding in the chariots and some on horseback.

The Children of Israel ran until they came to the Red Sea. They were trapped, there was no way to cross. “Stand firm, ” Moses said, “and see how God will help you.” Moses stretched out his staff over the sea, and God pushed back the water so they could cross.

The Children of Israel walked on a dry path through the sea. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, the walls of water fell in on the soldiers and their horses and drowned them. At last the Children of Israel were free. God had saved them.

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“I am the God of Abraham,” the voice answered. “I want you to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Children of Israel go free.” “I can’t do that,” said Moses. “Pharaoh won’t listen to me.” “You can do it with My help,” said God. “You will use your shepherd’s staff to show Pharaoh that I sent you. Throw your staff on the ground.

Moses followed God’s instructions. When he threw down the staff it turned into a snake. When he picked it up, it became a staff again. Moses knew that God would be with him and help him. So he went to Egypt to ask Pharaoh to let his people go.

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His father was very sorry to see him go but did not want to keep him on the farm if he was not happy. So he gave him his share of the money. At first the son had a wonderful time in the city. He had never had so much money to spend before so he just brought everything he wanted and did everything he wanted to do. Making his fortune had gone straight out of his head he never gave it a thought. But of course there came a time when all his money had gone and he had to look for work.

Work was hard to come by in the city at that time and the young man got hungier and thinner. At last he got work on a farm looking after the pigs. It was not like the farm he had grown up on the farmer hardly paid him anything and did not feed him either. He started to eat what the pigs were given.

Then one day he thought, “What am I doing? The pooret worker on my father’s farm is better looked after than this. I will go home and ask my father for a job.” The young man walked home getting very dirty and his feet were really sore. He looked terrible like a begger, but his father reconised him even when he was far off and came running towards him. Tears were running down his face as he embraced the son he never thought he would see again.

“Father forgive me,” he said, “I have wasted all the money you gave me. Would you let me work for you?” “Work for me,” said his father, “What nonsense, I am so happy to have you home, I never thought I would see you again.”  He took him into the house and gave him a warm bath and gave him new clothes to wear. Then he gave orders to the servants to prepare a big meal even having the calf which was being fatten for a special occassion killed.

The older brother was in the field working hard as usual when he heard that his younger brother had returned home and that a big celebration meal was being prepared for him. He was cross and said, “They needn’t think I am going.” So he stayed out in the fields. The father noticed he had not returned so went out to look for him. “Come and join us in the celebrations, for your younger brother has returned,” he said.

“What’s all the fuss about,” the older son replied, “I have worked hard for you all these years I have been a good son and never caused you any trouble. You have never even given me a small party. My brother has spent all his money and come back to us like a beggar and you put on a big celebaration for him.”

His father throw his arms around him and said, “My dear son, you are always with me and everthing I have is yours. But don’t you see, it’s as if your brother has come back from the dead. Surely that is a good reason to celebrate?”

This story is about God’s love to us. He is such a loving father that he will welcome anyone back who has wondered away from him.

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One harvest day he went out early and found some men looking for work. “Would you like to come and pick grapes for me?” he asked. “I will pay you £60 for a days work.”

The men agreed it was a fair wage for a days work and went to pick the grapes. They worked hard till lunch time, by which time the vineyard owner decided he needed more men. So he went out and found more men looking for work.

“Would you like to come and pick some grapes for me?” he said. “I will pay you £60 if you can work till the end of the day.” The men agreed that was a fair wage and went off to the pick the grapes. All the men worked hard but towards sundown the vineyard owner saw that all the grapes were not going to be picked in time.

So he went out again and found some men who had not been lucky enough to find work that day. “Will you come and help pick the last of the grapes for me?” he said. “There’s about an hours work left to be done and I will pay you each £60.” The men were delighted and followed him to the vineyard.

When the sun set and all the grapes had been harvested, the owner called the men to pay them. He gave the first lot, who had worked all day in the hot sun, £60 each. Then he called the second lot who had worked all afternoon in the hottest part of the day, and paid them £60 each.  Finally he called the last lot who had only worked an hour in the cool of the evening and paid them £60 each.

Well the ones who had worked all day started to grumble, “That’s not fair, we have worked all day in the hot sun and we get the same pay as those who have only worked half the day and those who only worked for one hour.” So they went to the vineyard owner and said, “It’s not fair you are paying us the same wage that you have paid to those who have not worked as long as us. Surely we should get paid more than them?”

The vineyard owner replied, “Did we not agree to £60 for your days work? And haven’t I given you that money? My money is mine to do what I like with and it’s no concern of yours how much the others are paid”

And then he said a very strange thing: “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

This is just as difficult for us to understand today as it was in Jesus time. But I believe Jesus is challanging our ideas on what fair means. He says that God’s idea of fair is letting everyone into the kingdom of heaven, even those who find out about it at the last minute.

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