The Gospel of John wastes no time in diving into the deep waters of truth. In John 1:1-18, the author presents Jesus as the divine Word who became a human, the Light that came into the darkness, and the One and Only who is himself God and with God the Father. Although these are elevated ideas, they provide us with simple answers to some of the biggest questions in life: From where did everything come? If there is a God, how can I know him? If there is darkness in the world and in me, how can I be in a right relationship with God? (Here are Larry’s complete sermon notes.)

One of the most difficult parables to interpret is in Luke 16:1-17, which relates the underhanded dealings of a dishonest manager who got fired from his job. Whom does the manager represent? In what ways might we be like the dishonest manager? Listen to Dr. Tim Sansbury as he takes us through this unusual parable, which ends up challenging us to stay true to the gospel message.

In Ruth 4, we come to the conclusion of the story of Ruth. However, the author has several surprises in store for us readers with not one, but three conclusions. These three conclusions satisfy the three problems presented in chapter one and three problems that we all face: distance from God, bitterness about life, and chaos in our lives. It turns out that the solution to all of these problems is a son who was born in Bethlehem.

At the beginning of Ruth 3, Naomi took matters into her own hands to secure a husband for Ruth. Her plan was risky, but it worked perfectly (until a complication arose). At the end of the chapter, Boaz determined to take matters into his own hands. Both of them had previously prayed for Ruth, and the time had come for them to act. Because he was a kinsman, he could act as a redeemer. His actions point toward God’s supreme act of kindness in providing a kinsman who could redeem us.

As we ended the first chapter of Ruth, there was a ray of hope for the two widows. Maybe they would not starve to death after all, since they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. In Ruth 2, Ruth proposed to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters and found her way into the field of a man named Boaz. The interaction between Ruth and Boaz on the day they met ended up providing bread for the widows for months to come. Also, they both exhibited a combination of characteristics that we find irresistible, because it reveals the longings of our hearts and points to the one who can satisfy those longings.

In Ruth 1, we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her life has taken tragic turns. As we face suffering in our own lives, we also can conclude that God is against us, unless we consider what he did by sending his own Son.

The final parable in our summer series appears in Luke 18:1-8. Like last week’s parable, the Parable of the Unjust Judge focuses on the period between Jesus’ first and second comings. It too tells us what to do as we await his return, especially if he seems to delay, and especially if we are suffering unjustly. Things really will turn out well in the end as we persevere in faith until the end.

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and in the two preceding parables, Jesus prepared his followers for his absence. He wanted us to know what to do until he returns, even if he delays a long time. As it turns out, he didn’t ask all of us to do great things, but he does expect us to do something with what he had given us. However, before we do something for him, we first need to grasp what he has already done for us.

Although we may overlook occasions when others receive unfair treatment, we become indignant when we think people treat us unfairly. In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of God in which he described a situation that doesn’t look fair to us. As it turns out, Jesus used this apparent unfairness to teach us about God’s generosity, which we mistake for unfairness. By exposing our mistake, Jesus reminds us again of our need to receive God’s most generous gift. Listen to Dr. Tim Sansbury of Knox Theological Seminary on this fascinating and disconcerting parable.

In the earlier parables, Jesus left people wondering what he meant. In the latter parables, Jesus was often very direct. For example, in Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus spoke a parable directly against the leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem. They had no problem understanding the parable, but they trapped themselves by their reaction to it. We too need to be careful not to fall into the same trap.