The Parables Of Jesus-(Part 05)-Rewards and Punishments in Jesus' Parables

Today, in our study of the parables of Jesus, we will be considering the rewards and punishments described in them.

Below are two tables with the list of punishments and rewards as Jesus described them in his parables.

PUNISHMENT	VICTIM
1. Thrown away	Bad fish, the wicked (Parable of Wheat and Tares—Mat 13:47-50)
2. Thrown Outside	Improperly Dressed Invitee (The Marriage Feast—Mat 22:11-13)
	Unprofitable, wicked and lazy servant who made no profit with his master’s money (Mat 25:14-30 cf. Mar 13:32-37)
	Five foolish virgins (Mat 25:)
	Salt that has lost its saltiness (Mat 5:13; Luk 14:34-35)
3. Unquenchable Fire, Furnace of Fire	Every tree that does not produce good fruit (Mat 3:10)
	Chaff (Mat 3:12)
	Tares, All things that offend, and them which do iniquity (Parable of Wheat and Tares—Mat 13:24-30, 37-43)
	Goats (Mat 25:33,41)
	The devil and his angels (Mat 25:41)
	Rich man (Luk 16:19-31)
	Branch that does not remain in the Vine (Vine and the Branches—Joh 15:1-8)
	Bad fish, wicked (Parable of Wheat and Tares—Mat 13:47-50)
4. Darkness	Children of the kingdom (Jews, children of Abraham) who do not have faith in Jesus Christ (Mat 8:12)
5. Uprooting	Plants not planted by the Father, Bad fish, the Pharisees and their followers (Parable of Meats defiling Not—Mat 15:13)
6. Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth	All things that offend, and them which do iniquity (Mat 13:41-42)
6. Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth	The Improperly dressed Invitee (The Marriage Feast—Mat 22:11-13)
7. Falling into Pit	The blind—the Pharisees and their followers (Meats Defiling Not—Mat 15:14)
8. Tormentors, Jailers, Tormenting	Unmerciful Servant of the King (Meats Defiling Not—Mat 18:34)
9. Wretched end and renting of vineyard to others	Wicked Tenants maltreating and killing the Landlords servants and Son (Parable of Wicked Tenants—Mat 21)
10. Death	Rich fool (Luk 12:16-21)
11. Destruction at the Lord’s coming	As in the days of Noah, men and women unprepared for the coming of the Lord (Mat 24:37-42)

REWARD	BENEFICIARY
1. Light	Outside is darkness, therefore, inside is light
2. entering Kingdom of Heaven	Disciple who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ and does the will of the Father in Heaven (Mat 7:21)
3. Gathered into the Master’s Barn	Wheat (Parable of Wheat and Tares—Mat 13:30)
4. Glory and Immortality—Shining like the Sun/Stars	The Righteous (Parable of Wheat and Tares—Mat 13:43)
4. Glory and Immortality—Shining like the Sun/Stars	Those who turn many to righteousness (Dan 12:3)
5. Entering into Master’s Joy	Good and faithful servants who made profit with their master’s money (Mat 25:14-30)
6. Authority over Many Cities	Good and faithful servants who made profit with their masters money (Mat 25:14-30) Profitable servants
7. Entering in with the Bridegroom	Five Wise Virgins (Mat 25:10)
8. Admittance to the Marriage Feast	All properly dressed invitees, i.e., disciples with righteous works (The Marriage Feast—Mat 22:11-13)
9. Equal Reward (Penny, Denarius)	Workers in vineyard (Hired Vineyard Labourers—Mat 20:14)

Key Points

Times of Reward

Rewards in Jesus’ parables are generally found at the end of the age when Jesus comes. This period is also called the regeneration or the renewal of all things [Mat 19:28 cf. Isa 65:17; 66:22; Act 3:21; 2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:5 consider also 1Co 15:25-28]

Nevertheless, before the end of the age, there are rewards the faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ are entitled to, primarily, the answer to prayers [Joh 15:7,16]. Jesus taught us to pray for the forgiveness of sins, which not only concerns the age to come but even this present age, our daily bread, exemption from trials and deliverance from all evil, etc. Apart from these, there is a request that Jesus particularly asks us to persistently ask for till we receive it. This request is for the giftsof the Holy Spirit [Mat 7:11 cf. Luk 11:13; we are to ask for the gift of God Joh 4:10 which is the Holy Spirit Joh 7:38-39; Act 1:4-5; 2:38].

Two Periods of Punishment

Just as with rewards, we can group the times in which punishments occur in Jesus’ parables (and teachings) into two,

Before the end of the age

e.g., the rich fool whose life God required because of his pride, the rich man who was tormented in Hades [Luk 16:19-31, the unmerciful servant [Mat 18:32-35]

At the end of the age

e.g., the weeds or the unrighteous that will cast into the fiery furnace [Mat 13:40-42, 49-50], the goats separated from the sheep [Mat 25:31,41]

Requirements for Reward

Everyone who faithfully serves the Lord Jesus in accordance with his will can be sure of a reward. However, our rewards will not be the same but will be dependent on God’s call and our labour and sacrifice. As long as we are not hypocrites and are forgiving of our brothers, our righteous works and labour in the tasks the Lord assigns to us will all be rewarded.

In other words, we are servants and what our Lord will reward is our loyalty and devotion to him, and our sacrifice and diligent hard work in the tasks he assigns us to. Our Lord Jesus has no reward but shameful rejection for hypocritical and unserious Christians.

The following are some of the requirements for reward as described in Jesus’ parables.

God’s choice [Hired Labourers Mat 20:16,23 although our labour matters, it is God who will determine our reward]
Invitation through the gospel [Mat 22:3-4,9]
Faith in Christ Jesus as Lord [Mat 7:21; 8:10-11]
Righteousness (works) that surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law; obeying the teachings and commands of the Lord Jesus [Mat 5:19]
Hard work and diligence, you cannot be lazy and expect a reward, you must be faithful to the task the Lord Jesus commits to you [Mar 13:32-37]
Spiritual maturity, not being worldly [the ground with thorns vs. the good soil Luk 8:14-15] but loving the Lord above our needs, money and pleasure [Mat 6:24; Luk 14:33]
Loving our brothers in Christ [feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and those in prison Mat 25:40,45]
Generosity [Luk 18:22]
Forgiveness and mercy [Mat 18:32-35]
Persistence in prayer [importunate friend Luk 11:5-9]

Rewards in Jesus' Parables

The following are some of the rewards and benefits described in the parables and teachings of our Lord Jesus for God’s people,

Adoption as God’s children [Wheat, the righteous Mat 13:43]
Glory, shinning like the sun [Wheat, the righteous Mat 13:43]
Immortality [the body Jesus will give us Mat 6:25,28-30,33]
Seeing God [the pure in heart Mat 5:8]
Eternal life [the sheep Mat 19:29; 25:46],
A new and larger family [those who have forsaken all to follow Christ Mat 19:29],
Lands [those who have forsaken all to follow Christ Mat 19:29]]
Entry into the kingdom of heaven [righteousness surpassing the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law Mat 5:10]
Admittance to the Marriage feast [Well-dressed invitees, disciples of Christ with righteous works Mat 22:2-14]
Entry into the New Jerusalem, heavenly citizenship [Well-dressed invitees, disciples of Christ with righteous works Mat 22:2-14]
Authority to rule and to judge [Servants faithful to their assigned tasks Luk 19:16-19; the overcoming saints will have authority of the nations Rev 2:26-27; 3:21]
The twelve apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel [Mat 19:28; Luk 22:28-30]
Abraham’s bosom in/and paradise (before the end of the age)
Attendance by angels at death [poor Lazarus, a Jew Luk 16:22]
Answer to prayers [importunate friend Luk 11:1,8]
The Holy Spirit [Mat 7:11 Luk 11:13; Joh 4:10; 7:38-39]

Reasons for Punishments

Punishments in Jesus’ parables are especially reserved for those who reject and oppose the Gospel and the kingdom of God and for hypocrites, those who call Jesus Lord but are disobedient to him.

Rejection and opposition to the gospel [First invitees to the royal wedding feast Mat 22:7]
Righteousness not surpassing that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law [Mat 5:20 loving money Luk 16:14, hypocrisy Mat 23:14]
Laziness in the task committed to you [Mar 13:34]
Maltreating fellow servants, the Lord’s servants under our care [Mat 25:48-51]
Not showing love to your brothers in the Lord [feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and those in prison Mat 25:40,45]
Fellowshipping with drunkards, [feasting on false doctrines Mat 25:48-51]
Spiritual immaturity, worldliness [the ground with thorns vs. the good soil Luk 8:14-15], not loving the Lord above our needs, money and pleasure [Mat 6:24; Luk 14:33]
Unforgiveness [the unmerciful servant Mat 18:32-35]

Punishments in Jesus' Parables

Loss of forgiveness [unmerciful servant Mat 18:32-35]
Death [unfriendly subjects of the man of noble birth Luk 19:14, 27]
Untimely death [rich fool Luk 12:20]
Casting into fiery furnace [False disciples, hypocrites, weeds, bad fish Mat 13: 40-42, 49-50]
Torment in Hades [Rich man who did not care for poor Lazarus Luk 16:]
Destruction of cities [the first invitees who rejected the Gospel and maltreated God’s messengers Mat 22:7]
Loss of place in the Kingdom of Heaven [wicked tenants Mat 21:43; lazy servant who lost all he had and was thrown outside Mat 25:28-30; Luk 19:24-26]

Summary

Ultimately, our reward is eternal life, glory and full citizenship and access to heaven, authority and dominion. If we want these, we must love our brothers and be forgiving from the heart. We must be spiritual mature, rejecting this world and its ways and loving our Lord more than we love comfort and pleasures and our very own lives—we must be ready to give up for him anything we may have to.

We must take whatever task we are given seriously, for failure and to depart from any of these, is to be sure of total and eternal loss.

Table of Punishment and Rewards in Jesus' Parables

PARABLE	PUNISHMENT	VICTIM	REWARD	BENEFICIARY	EXTRA NOTES
Wise and Foolish Builders [Mat 7:21-27]	a). Not allowed into the kingdom of heaven b). Not acknowledged by the Lord		(a)
Wheat and Tares [Mat 13:36-43]	a). Burned up, i.e., cast into fiery furnace b). Weeping and gnashing of teeth	Tares: children of the devil, the unrighteous disciples/believers in Christ	(a) Brought into the barn—enter into Heaven, (b) Shine like the sun in the Father’s kingdom (c) Are sons of God	Wheat: the righteous in the church
Net Cast into the Lake [Mat 13:47-50]	a). Thrown away: cast into fiery furnace	Bad fish: the wicked, unrighteous	(a) Put in baskets	Good fish: the righteous
Meats Defiling Not and Blind Leading the Blind [Mat 15:10-14,15-20; Luk 6:39]	a). Every false institution are destroyed b). Falling into pit	Trees the Father did not plant: Pharisees and all institutions of men posing to be from God The blind: all, leaders and followers alike, who are ignorant of the word of God	(a)
Unmerciful Servant [Mat 18:23-35]	a). Lost forgiveness, the pardon of his debts b). Put in prison, handed over to the torturers till he would pay up his debt	Unmerciful servant	(a)		This judgment is before the end of the age
Hired Labourers [Mat 20:1-16]			(a) Each labourer is paid a denarius (b) Labourers hired last are paid first	Labourers hired at different times: servants of the Lord Jesus called at different times of the age preceding the kingdom	Our rewards and positions in the Kingdom of heaven is not simply going to be based on our labour but on the choice of God [Mat 20:16]. Jesus’ response to the request of the sons of Zebedee [Mat 20:20-*23], a story which significantly follows this parable, aptly illustrates this truth. Labour is required but is not the final determinant of one’s reward.
Wicked Tenants [Mat 21:33-44]	a). Brought to a wretched end	Wicked tenants: leaders of Jerusalem who failed to produce the fruits of righteousness [vs. 43] and who murdered the prophets and servants of God including Jesus Christ; Wicked tenants: principalities and powers of this world who promote darkness in this world and murdered the Son of God so as to keep their grip on power	(a)
Royal Marriage Feast [Mat 22:2-14]	a). Murders destroyed and their city burned: Jerusalem was punished for rejecting the Gospel and for killing the servants of Christ sent to preach the gospel to her This happened in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple	First group of Invitees: the Jews	(a)		This judgment is before the end of the age
Royal Marriage Feast [Mat 22:2-14]	a). Tied hand and foot and b). thrown into the darkness where there is c). weeping and gnashing of teeth	Improperly Dressed Invitee: those who respond to the gospel and join the church but do not produce righteous fruits	(a) admitted into the kings palace and partake of the feast: access into heaven and the New Jerusalem	Properly Dressed Guests: the righteous in the church; those who respond to the gospel invitation and produce righteous fruits	This judgment is at the end of the age
The Days of Noah [Mat 24:36-42]	a). Taken away: destruction, just as Noah’s flood destroyed those who were not in the ark b). Unaware and unprepared for the coming destruction	The unrighteous, non-members of the church and unrighteous members of the church.	(a) Not taken away: preserved, just as Noah and all in the ark were saved from the flood (b) Aware and prepared for the coming wrath	The righteous	To be ‘taken away’ is a good thing, it is not going to heaven for it is the flood that took away men in Noah’s day, and this meant their death and destruction. It was Noah that God found righteous; his family was saved on his account. Christ is equivalent to Noah. The family of Christ, his church will be saved on his account.
Servants in charge of their master’s servants [Mat 24:45-51]	a). Unprepared for the Lord’s coming b). Cut in pieces c). Assigned a place with the hypocrites d). Weeping and gnashing of teeth	Irresponsible servant: Pastors, prophets and other church leaders who maltreat their fellow servants and feast on false doctrine	(a) Put in charge of all their master’s possessions; they will reign with Christ as kings and Lords	Faithful and Wise Servant: Pastors, prophets and other church leaders who feed their flock with the word of God and who do not fellowship with false prophets	Food in this parable is the word of God. There are those to whom Jesus has entrusted the task of teaching and preaching the word, they must be faithful. To be drunk results in stupor, a dulling of the senses and an inability see clearly and make sound judgment [Isa 29:10; Rom 11:8]
Five Foolish and Five Wise Virgins [Mat 25:1-13]	a). Door was closed against them b). They were not allowed into the wedding banquet c). The bridegroom denied knowing them	Foolish virgins, with no oil in their lamps and therefore with no light: churches unprepared for the coming of Christ	(a) Door opened for them (b) Went with the bridegroom into wedding banquet	Wise virgins, with oil in their lamps and therefore with light: Churches prepared for the coming of Christ
Talents [Mat 25:14-30 cf. Mar 13:32-37 talent is assigned tasks]	a). Loss of everything b). Thrown outside c). Into the darkness where there is d). Weeping and gnashing of teeth	Wicked and Lazy Servant who made no profit with his talent: Christians who are unfaithful in their callings, big or small	(a) Put in charge of many things (b) Shared in his master’s happiness	Good and faithful Servants who made profit with their talents: Christians who are faithful in their callings big or small	Comparing this to Mar 13:32-37 we can see that the talents are the tasks Jesus assigns every member of the church. To make profit is to be wise and faithful.
The Separation of Sheep and Goats [Mat 25:31-46]	a). Cast into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels	Goats who did not take care of the Lord’s brothers: Christians who do not love their brothers in the Lord	(a) Eternal life (b) Inherit the kingdom of God prepared for them since the creation of the world	Sheep who took care of the Lord’s brothers: Christians who love their brothers in the Lord	Since Christ is the shepherd of the church and not of the world, this parable is not about the judgment of the world but of the church. Also, the kingdom which the sheep inherit is only for the disciples of Christ. This shows that the sheep are servant of God
Importunate Friend [Luk 11:5-9]	a).		(a) Answer to prayer	Importunate friend: a Christian who is bold and persistent in prayer.
Rich Fool [Luk 12:16-21]	a). He died	Rich Fool: he was not rich towards God; he wasn’t generous to those in need	(a)		This judgment is before the end of the age
Fruitless Fig Tree [Luk 13:6-9]	a). To be cut down if it remains fruitless after a year		(a)
Men Bidden to a Feast [Luk 14:7-11]	a). Humiliated—given a lower position than he gave himself b).	Presumptions guest: Believers who think too much of themselves	(a)
Salt Without Saltiness [Mat 5:13; Luk 14:34-35]	a). Thrown out and b). Trampled on by men—the false disciple of Jesus will be totally degraded	Salt that has lost its saltiness: disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ who are only Christians by name who is not willing to give up everything he has	(a)
Rich Man and Poor Lazarus [Luk 16:19-31]	a). Cast into the place of torment in Hades b). In agony in fire	Rich man: children of Abraham who are stingy and do not take care of the poor and needy within their reach	(a) Angels attended him at death (b) In Abraham’s bosom (c) In Paradise	Lazarus, a child of Abraham—the Jews and all children of Abraham through Christ	The judgment in this story is before the end of the age · Bosom is a dwelling place. For example, heaven is God’s bosom [Joh 1:18; 13:23]
Pounds [Luk 19:12-27]	a). Loses everything	Wicked servant: Disciples of the Lord Jesus who are unfaithful to the tasks committed to them	(a) Given authority over cities	Faithful servant: Disciples of the Lord Jesus who are faithful to the tasks committed to them
Pounds [Luk 19:12-27]	b). They are killed before him	Citizens who do not want the noble man to be king and seek to stop his kingdom from coming	(b)
The Vine and His Branches [Joh 15:1-8]	a). Cut off from the Vine b). Thrown into the fire and burned up	Fruitless branch Branch disconnected from the Vine [cf. Col 2:18-19 unspiritual Christian joining strange doctrines with the doctrines of Christ]	(a) Fruitfulness	Fruitful branch: brings God glory by bearing much fruit and showing himself to be Jesus’ disciple	Col 2:18-19 gives clarity to what it means to be joined or disconnected from Christ. The disconnected man is unspiritual and joins strange doctrines with the doctrines of Christ]