This article is not primarily about the meaning of Parables or the story about Peter I will cite. However, as an introduction, I will offer an overview of the true nature of Jesus’ teaching of Parables before I divert from it.
about Parables
The Biblical purpose of the Parables is so that humans can begin conceptualizing the ways of God and divine principles that we can begin to apply of how salvation is achieved in what would be an otherwise crap shoot of self-righteously inspired human imagination.
Jesus taught, “If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” – John 14:7. In other words, Jesus thoughts are God’s thoughts and His teachings can be treated as reliable and true as coming from the Divine Creator of the Universe and the author of life and salvation.
The Parables help people get practical, if not actionable information about the invisible kingdom, how people may enter or not be allowed entrance into the heavenly realm. What is God looking at when people go about trying to find the entrance to heaven? What are people like who prioritize their own will apart from God’s wisdom? The Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate, used much of His ministry to help humans understand the truths to a degree that the realities are made plain to the human mind that would otherwise venture to imagine anything, not the least of which would be subject to our predispositions to cultural-centric idolatry.
Jesus Christ’s teachings are exhortative, illustrative and authoritative as only One could be who is one with the Father could in ways that dispatch the wisdom of man.
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Jesus taught in simple ways that people could related to in the times in which He ministered on earth. and yet, there are those who are predisposed to not accept the truth, or even act in vehement opposition to preserve their self-righteousness. We all hate to be wrong after holding biases to years or decades of life, usually over estimating the our version of the facts.
Jesus also emphasized the truth and the ultimate fulfillment of all that has been preserved in the Old Testament Law and the Prophets.
44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures … – Luke 24:44-45
God chooses to bless with his resources in different ways and times and there’s a consistency in the Old and New Testament that is extraordinary. Sin is sin. The Law convicts. God offers Grace and Humans are saved by Grace by faith in the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Again, the focus of this article is not the primary meaning of the Parable or story cited below.
Wealth Creation using Stocks (cautions)
I’m going to depart from the intended focus of a story and parable and correlate it to an aspect of greed and jealousy in a world of stock idolatry. In this culture, broaching the subject of stocks is never too irrelevant so here it goes…
How can one stay invested in the market yet be sensitive to how God is sovereign, infinite, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Many of us struggle with the need and desire for wealth. This is particularly relevant for a place like Silicon Valley where the frequent news of instant millionaires is sensationalized in headlines. It causes people to crave more wealth and the kind of freedom that is alluring but often elusive while triggering discontentment.
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 And about the eleventh hourhe went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
8 “Now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 And when those hired first came, they supposed that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 Now when they received it, they were grumbling at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.”– Matthew 20:1-16
Acts 10. Peter discovers reality is in plain sight
9 And on the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance 11 and *saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longerconsider defiled.” 16 And this happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. -Acts 10:9-16
So, you may ask, what does this have to do with ISO stock? Not startups per se, because the motivation to work a startup is in a different realm than simply living for a stock to be worth something. So the following perspective is looking specifically at our relationship from the inside and outside regarding ISO stocks and stocks in general (since so many people will lose gambling rather than investing in the market).
It’s often the case that the most important reason people apply themselves to extremes in a startup company or the potential of a stock is for the “promises” that could be achieved by stock that achieves public status.
Thousands of shares of ISO stock that was worth the paper it’s printed on one day becomes ten, hundreds of thousands the next. That drives a world hope, a hope that is without assurances.
Presumably, with loads of cash at hand, people, conceivably, can escape the slavery to corporations and venture out on their own to do the same thing if they choose, or set out on a different lifestyle altogether.
Money is a tool, it is not evil per se. As Jesus aptly taught, one cannot serve both God and mammon (material wealth).
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. – Matthew 6:24.
A common problem with most stock holders is the stock itself becomes an idol, the greater the monetary amount, the greater the amount of greed enters the heart of its owner. What is often a substantial gain is paradoxically often treated as “not enough.” As a result, substantial amounts of wealth are lost when markets and stocks eventually correct or in the worst cases, lose all its value. It’s at that moment, the time lost on the hope of a financial windfall rears its ugly head. Unless one has an excellent entry point on a stock that has strong fundamentals and not hype, the losses of principle and time are more destructive.
Time cannot be underestimated. The amount of time it takes for a worker to accumulate a savings can take decades, but stock potentially accelerates that process. The acceleration is not without a certain bending of the non stock wealth accumulation, hence a huge gain in a short perdio of time, often gages by percentage moves, strongly portends a need to convert the stock to cash. Once it is connected to cash through a sale, the cash is no longer at the mercy of the volatility of the market (though be alert for paying taxes), AND, if someone is so inclined, they can reinvest into the market when the same or higher quality stock suffers a deep discount.
The wealth and freedom that we chase may be closer (and often is) than we can see. Pursuing healthier and more rewarding relationships with people pays spiritual dividends and blessings that money cannot buy.
Time spent watching rather than studying solid stocks, if not disciplined, is time wasted. It is better spend time making yourself a more based person. If you have a longer time horizon, investing in long term, buying at low points before the parabolic growth, in a solid company (ones that have solid growth prospects and are well managed). The amount of money a solid growth company makes over time can rival the average person betting on their ISO stock in a start up. A public company’s stock is already worth something, whereas the private company has yet to make that leap.
Wishing you were the person who received a full days pay at the last moment is simply ingratitude for what you have already established and achieved for yourself. Who is to say that you couldn’t have invested earlier, because you were not unemployed like the guy who came in at the last minute into a hot startup and made some money in a flash? (That’s an immeasurable risk to plan things out like that). However, you could play both sides (not excluding the spiritual sides) as long as you are getting paid and saving money in the meantime.
Now, are you beginning to see why I pulled these two stories from the Bible?
One: Don’t waste time idolizing what you don’t have, optimize what you do have. Make time work for you and stop wasting obsessed with stock fluctuations and rapid wealth creation. If you want to invest, do it in such a way that does not drive anxiety. If you are suffering from stock anxiety, it’s a strong indication that you need to choose a different more stable method of investing that affords you to take responsibility for your core duties in your family and relationships. (this does not mean settle for a poor investment, but a more consistent with longer term growth potential. In others words, discover a smarter way to invest).
Two: Look for opportunities to make your professional life more manageable, strengthen family and Church ties, look for ways to serve how God wants you to serve and work the way God wants you to work. Look for ways of spreading the Gospel to those around you, like Peter, consider even people who were off your radar before or opportunities that were previously off limits. Then with patient expectations, see God provide.
In this unique passage from the last book of the Old Testament, God speaks in almost a conversational tone about the lack of faith shown by the Israelites, but most notably about His willingness to bless and provide. What God says if the Israelites will act in faith in worship, obedience and relationship, He will provide beyond their needs. God provides abundantly the blessings that truly make a difference. Instead of FAFO, it TGFO, Trust God and Find Out.
9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and empty out for you a blessing until it is beyond enough. 11 Then I will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not corrupt the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field fail to bear,” says Yahweh of hosts. – Malachi 3:9-11
(DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an investment professional and I am not certified to issue investment advice. Do not take my investment strategies without yourself doing your due diligence. My current philosophy on investment strategy is influenced by Warren Buffet which can be roughly summarized by investing long term in solid growth stocks).
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
ACT LIKE MEN a short talk given by John MacArthur (click on the link)
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
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Before 25 July 2024