In a small village, a weary traveler arrived late at night, hungry and without shelter. He knocked on many doors, but each one turned him away, saying they had no room or food to offer. Finally, he came to a humble house at the edge of the village, where an old woman lived alone.
Without hesitation, the woman welcomed the traveler inside. She offered him the last of her bread and gave him a place to rest. The next morning, the traveler thanked the woman, and as he left, he revealed himself to be an angel sent by Jesus to test the hearts of the villagers.
The old woman’s kindness was rewarded with an abundance of blessings. Her home was filled with food, and she was never in need again. The villagers, having learned of their missed opportunity, were reminded of Jesus’ teaching: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
1. The Lost Coin
A woman in a village had ten silver coins, each of great value. One day, she realized that she had lost one of the coins. Though she still had nine, she was deeply troubled by the loss of that single coin. She lit a lamp, swept her house, and searched carefully until she found it.
Overjoyed, she called her neighbors and said, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin!”
In this parable, Jesus teaches that every soul is precious in the eyes of God. Just as the woman rejoiced over finding her lost coin, so does heaven rejoice when one sinner repents and returns to God.
2. The Good Samaritan
A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They beat him, took everything he had, and left him lying half-dead by the roadside. A priest happened to be going down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. A Levite also came to the place, saw him, and passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, despised by others, came where the man was. When he saw him, he took pity on him. He bandaged his wounds, placed him on his own donkey, and brought him to an inn to take care of him. The next day, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper money and said, “Look after him, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense.”
Through this parable, Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor as ourselves, showing kindness and compassion to all, regardless of their background or status.
3. The Wise and Foolish Builders
Two men set out to build their houses. The first man was wise and built his house on a solid rock. The second man, eager to finish quickly, built his house on sandy ground. When a storm came, the winds blew, and the rain poured down. The house built on the rock stood firm, but the house built on the sand collapsed with a great crash.
Jesus used this story to illustrate the importance of building our lives on a strong foundation—His teachings. Those who hear His words and put them into practice are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. But those who hear His words and ignore them are like the foolish man whose house could not withstand the storm.
