The Parables of Jesus

What is a parable?

A parable is, literally, something "cast alongside" something else. Jesus' parables were stories that were "cast alongside" a truth in order to illustrate that truth.

When Jesus was with us on earth and ministering to his followers, he often told them stories called parables that would illustrate an important point. His parables were teaching aids and can be thought of as extended analogies or inspired comparisons.

A common description of a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. In other words, a parable is a story that illustrates or delivers a message.

Jesus, as the author and finisher of our faith, knew that by telling engaging and interesting stories, he would draw the crowd to him and communicate difficult or perhaps painful truths in a way they could easily grasp, or at least digest as they went on about their daily lives.

We call the stories that Jesus told "parables" because they illustrate a spiritual lesson in the life of the characters. In this way, parables are different from the fables which also can impart a moral imperative. Fables, like those written by Aesop, often use animals and mythical creatures. Parables are about people and real-life situations.

Why did Jesus teach in parables?

Jesus knew how to get to the heart of a story, and he knew that his listeners would strain an ear to hear the compelling conclusion to his messages. Stories, and in particular parables, have that kind of power; it's just plain more biting to hear the truth about our own sinful selves than it is to hear about someone else who shares our same struggles and sin. We don't mind so much when we hear the truth about someone else, even if it applies to us.

For a time in his ministry, Jesus relied heavily on parables. He told many of them; in fact, according to Mark 4:34 "He did not say anything to them without using a parable..."

There are about 35 of Jesus' parables recorded in three of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Gospel of John does not record any parables.

In the early part of his ministry, Jesus had not used parables. Suddenly, He begins telling parables exclusively, much to the surprise of his disciples, who asked him, "...Why do you speak to the people in parables?" (Matthew 13:10)

Jesus explained that his use of parables had a two-fold purpose; to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who didn't want to know it.

In Matthew 12, the Pharisees had publicly rejected their Messiah and blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32). They fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of a hardhearted, spiritually blind people.

Jesus' response was to begin teaching in parables.

Those who, like the Pharisees, had a preconceived bias against the Lord's teaching would dismiss the parables as irrelevant nonsense. However, those who truly sought the truth would understand. Jesus made sure his disciples understood the meaning of the parables: "...When he was alone with his disciples, explained everything." (Mark 4:34)

Interpreting a parable can present some challenges when studying the Bible. Sometimes interpretation is easy because the Lord himself gave the interpretation - the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares are both explained in Matthew 13.

Here are some principles that help in interpreting the other parables.

1. Determine the scope of the spiritual truth being presented.

Sometimes, a parable is preceded by some introductory words that provide a context. For example, often Jesus preceded with the words "this is what the kingdom of heaven is like."

Also, before the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we read this: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable." (Luke 18:9) This introduction describes the subject matter being illustrated, in this case, self-righteousness and spiritual pride.

2. Distinguish between the "meat" of the story and what is just fluff.

   
   

In other words, not every detail of a parable carries a deep spiritual meaning. Some details are simply there to help the story seem more realistic.

For example, in Jesus' own interpretation of the Parable of the Sower, He does not comment on the fact that there are four (and only four) different types of soil. That detail was meaningless to the overall point Jesus was making.

3. Compare scripture with scripture

   
   

This basic principle of bible teaching is invaluable when studying parables. Jesus' parables will never contradict the rest of the Word of God, which he came to express in John 12:49. "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."

The parables are meant to illustrate doctrine, and the teachings Jesus illuminated are found clearly taught elsewhere in the Bible.

After telling some of his parables, Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear" (Mark 4:9, 23). This was a call to listen to the parables, not just as one would listen to an ordinary story but as one who is seeking the truth of God.

May God grant us all ears to truly "hear".

If we take them at face value, the parables Jesus told can seem like nice takes of morality and read like a "how-to", no more potent than Aesop's fables.

But the parables serve another purpose:

"But suddenly, when the crowds come to hear Him, He hops into a boat and speaks in parables, stories about sowing seeds and gathering wheat." (Matthew 13)

When the disciples ask Him why, since they obviously noticed the change, His answer may seem even more astonishing.

In other words, the parables are meant to divide the crowd. While this may seem as if Jesus denied some people access, the difference He means is not in the message, but in the response.

The parables themselves present clear stories from everyday events that many in the crowd would recognize. Jesus did not code his teaching to prevent some people from understanding, since all equally would understand the imagery. All those gathered there certainly comprehended the aspects of the stories related to their everyday lives. Instead, his teaching divided the listeners into two groups based on their own responses.

His miracles had attracted many, and others had perhaps been astonished by His earlier teaching. But the parables themselves, just as in the story of the seed falling on various places (Matthew 13:3-9), revealed the true nature of their responses and their real decisions.

Those committed to the Kingdom of God would seek and find further understanding. But those uncommitted - perhaps listening only because of the initial excitement - would reject the teaching as unintelligible.

So for those whom Christ was transforming by his life and words, the parables would do their work to soften and instruct, but to those who had merely been awed by, say, Jesus' miracles and reputation, the stories would have no deeper meaning, much as the Bible holds deeper revelation for those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells but not for the lost.

What Can We Learn From Jesus' Parables?

Besides the obvious "moral of the story", there is much to be learned in the parables about the nature of God and the redeeming love of Christ. Here are five things parables and stories tell us:

1. Great stories teach us something about God.

In the parable of the wheat and the weeds, tares, (Matthew 13:24-30), we are reminded how easy it is to judge one another, but so hard for us to know the actual truth about a person. We can be reminded that only God serves as the judge of the hearts of mankind, and that's a freeing truth.

In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells a parable about a lost sheep, which once found, is rejoiced over by the shepherd.

"And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them. "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost". Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need to repentance."

Isn't this a wonderful picture of a loving, tender, merciful God who loves to save the lost and restore them to himself? Look for God as you read the parables because ultimately, every word written in the Bible is a signpost pointing to him.

2. Great stories teach us something about ourselves.

And sometimes the truth hurts. While a story like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, may be the encouragement we need to recognize that we, too, have talents given to us for the glory of God and our fulfillment, a story like that of the beggar at the marriage feast, found in Matthew 22:1-10, might get a personal reaction closer to "OUCH!".

I have never loved the story of the beggar being slighted at the lavish marriage celebration and then given the place of honor because I recognize in my own heart the tendency to ran people and treat them according to my "tiers of importance".

My uncomfortable response to the story of the marriage feast is exactly the reaction the parables are meant to create, for our own betterment.

Yes, the truth hurts, but it's the kind of barb that gets under our skin and causes real, heart-level change.

3. Great stories illustrate our need for something.

Our greatest need, of course, is that of redemption. Our sin guarantees our death without something or someone to stand in our place and make it all right.

The parables illustrate our sinful nature and remind us of our own struggles. Some of these parables include "The Wayward and Reckless Prodigal Son", "The Unforgiving Servant", and "The Sone Who Told His Father One Thing And Did Another".

Jesus told his listeners in a crowd that included both his disciples and the Pharisees that the sinful heart of man is what defiles him, not the things that he chooses to do (or put into his mouth, as it were). This can be found in Matthew 15:10-20. The Pharisees went away grumbling and offended because they could not see that they were sinners in need of a Savior, and they could not, try as they might, add anything to the Savior's work.

The Pharisees were a Jewish religious party and a school of thought; they flourished in Palestine during the second temple period. they insisted on the binding force of oral tradition. They believed in priestly purity for all jews, providence, and resurrection of the dead. They held seats in the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin. They were teachers and pastors, similar to rabbis.

4. Great stories serve as a guide.

In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus tells the parable of the marriage feast. Here, the parable serves to guide us to the truth that there are those who know of Christ but refuse him as Lord and Savior. In the end, he tells us, "For many are invited, but few are chosen." This helps bring us to the decision to follow Christ.

5. Great stories tell us who the hero is.

Ultimately, every story has a hero. A fighter. Someone who comes along and saves the day.

Here, in the parable of the tenant farmers in Mark 12:1-12, we know who that hero is. Jesus makes sure that the Pharisees and chief priests understand that Jesus - the hero, the long-awaited Savior - is the one whom they are rejecting.

The parables, as with all of the stories in the Bible, remind us of our need for the Savior and point us back to him as our ultimate hope.

Isn't it remarkable that God has given us Jesus over and over again in his Word? Even more so, isn't it good and right that the Creator of all things has written a beautiful narrative in which to show us our need of him? Parables are compelling means by which the Good Shepherd gently leads his people to him.

How many parables are in the Bible?

Counts of the parables in the Bible differ because categorizing various teaching tools is a subjective undertaking. Some parables in the Bible are clearly labeled as such. Others are not specified as parables, but they clearly match any reasonable definition of the word.

Some count about 100 parables in the Bible, others see over 250. There are over 30 parables of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). All parables are short, but some are quite brief.

In all, Jesus told 22 parables that were recorded in the book of Matthew, 10 parables in the book of Mark, and 10 in the book of Luke.

the disciples had been given the gift of spiritual discernment by which things of the spirit were made clear to them. Because they accepted truth from Jesus, they were given more and more truth.

The same is true today of believers who have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.

He has opened our eyes to the light of truth, and our ears to the sweet words of eternal life. Our Lord Jesus understood that truth is not sweet music to all ears. Simply put, there are people who don't have any interest in the deep things of God.

So why did he speak in parables? To those with a genuine hunger for God, the parable is both an effective and memorable tool for the telling of divine truths. Our Lord's parables contain great volumes of truth in very few words - and His parables, rich in imagery, are not easily forgotten. So then, the parable is a blessing to those with willing ears. But those with dull hearts and ears that are slow to hear, the parable is also an instrument of both judgement and mercy.

If you have any questions about what you've read here today, please reach out to Pastor Steve.

Email: pastorsteve911@gmail.com

Phone: 660-327-1308