One story which brought out the meaning of grace, unmerited favour, was that of a vineyard owner. He wanted some workers and he went to the market in the morning and hired some people, promising to give them the standard charge for a day's work. Later he hired some more people at different times of the day, promising to give them whatever was right. He went again just an hour before closing time and saw some people who had not found work till then. He hired them too. At the end of the day when he started paying them he gave this last group a full day's wages. Seeing this, those who had come earlier thought they would get more. But he gave all of them the same one day's wages. The first group began to grumble saying that they had worked the whole day and it wasn't fair to equate them with those who had worked for just one hour. The owner's reply was that he had given them what he had agreed with them, and they had no reason to complain if he was going to be gracious towards others! If we can't be gracious towards others, it would show that we don't appreciate the grace we ourselves have been shown.

Another story was about ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the bridegroom to come, each with an oil lamp to use at night. Five of them had oil and the other five did not. When the bridegroom came suddenly, the foolish ones requested the others to share their oil, but they replied that it wouldn't be enough for all. What Jesus taught was that since we don't know the time of His second coming, it would be wise to be ready at all times.

There was a king who sent out invitations for his son's wedding feast, but those who were invited didn't show any interest. When the time came nearer he sent his servants to remind them that the feast was ready, but they gave various excuses to say they were busy. Some of them even mistreated the servants. The king was angry with them and destroyed all of them. Finally he invited anyone they could find on the roads, and gave them wedding robes. When the king looked around he saw one man without the wedding robe and he had him thrown out. What Israel rejected, the Gentiles got. It also shows us that those who enter the kingdom of God do so only through grace.