A Guide for Reflecting on the Parables of Jesus
May 1 | The Hidden Treasure
WEEK 1 PARABLE & NOTE SHEET
WEEK 1 SERMON
May 8 | The Sown Seeds
WEEK 2 PARABLE & NOTE SHEET
WEEK 2 SERMON
May 15 | Sheep and Coins and Parties
WEEK 3 PARABLE & NOTE SHEET
WEEK 3 SERMON
May 22 | These Two Guys Went to Pray…
WEEK 4 PARABLE & NOTE SHEET
WEEK 4 SERMON
May 29 | Weeds in the Garden
What is a Parable?
One of the best ways for us to teach someone about something or someone is to compare that thing or person with something the other person already knows. Imagine that you were trying to describe someone. You might say, “She’s a walking encyclopedia.” Or “He’s like a bull in a china shop.” The other person would get an idea about the person you’re describing—She’s really smart and he’s sort of big and clumsy. We call the first way of comparing a metaphor (She is _____). The second way of talking we call a simile (He is like _____). Metaphors and similes are great ways to teach others.
A parable works on the same principle. A parable takes something that is known (often something very common or familiar) and “puts it alongside” something that is unknown or misunderstood (in fact, in Greek, para means “alongside” and bole means “to set.” When we put these two together, we see that the word “parabole” refers to something that is set alongside something else). They are like metaphors and similes but they tend to be in story form—though the story is usually quite short.
Parables are primarily meant to help us understand something. Jesus loved to use them as teaching tools.
Why Did Jesus Use Parables to Teach?
1. Stories and Word Pictures
Stories and word pictures are great at helping us understand things. By telling parables, Jesus was able to create a picture and storyline that people would understand and remember. When we “get” a parable, we say, “Oh. Now I see!”
2. They Have a Way of Surprising Us
They often have a twist in them that makes us stop and wonder. They can draw us in and then turn our world upside down. Take the parable of the Good Samaritan for example. The three good “religious” people all pass by the person who was robbed and beaten. They continue on their way. But a Samaritan (considered unreligious by the Jewish leaders) stops and cares for the injured man. With this twist, Jesus is able to challenge the assumption most of us religious people make that “we” are the good people and “they” are the bad ones. Jesus had to confront a fair number of false beliefs among the religious crowd, and parables were a way to allow Him to do that.
NT Wright says this: “Direct communication is important for conveying information, but learning is more than information intake, especially if the learner is someone who already thinks they understand... But indirect communication finds a way in through the back window to confront a person’s view of reality... A parable’s ultimate aim is to draw in the listener to awaken insight, stimulate the conscience, and move to action.”
3. To Hide What He Was Saying From People Who Weren’t Able to Hear It
The third reason it seems that Jesus taught in parables is a tougher one for us to understand. Jesus seemed to use parables to hide what He was saying from people who weren’t able to hear it. In Matthew 13, the disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables. Jesus answers:
“He replied, ‘Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’”
Some Bible teachers suggest that the reason some couldn’t understand Jesus was because of their pride—they refused to actually listen to what Jesus was saying because they believed they already knew everything. By speaking in parables Jesus was already judging them for their pride.
A Challenge We Face in Studying the Parables
While metaphors, similes and parables are wonderful teaching tools, there is a major challenge we face when we study them. Each one of these tools uses comparison. For us as readers, we need to figure out as best we can what the main point of comparison is. Here’s an example. The Bible says that God is a rock (Psalm 92:15 is an example). But what does that mean? What is the point of comparison? Are we supposed to think that God has no feelings? That God is cold and uncaring? That God never moves? No! The point of comparison is that God is solid. He is trustworthy. He is strong.
This means that we need to chew on the parables. We need to slow down and think carefully about what comparison is being made.
This also means that we must be careful that we don’t push too hard and force meanings on parables they were never intended to have. These parables are not intended to be a stand-alone source of systematic theology or of Christian ethics. While the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man (found in Luke 16:19-31) talks about the rich man (in Hades) being able to see Lazarus (in heaven), we shouldn’t try to draw too many conclusions about how far it is from heaven to hell and if we’ll be able to see across the distance. We shouldn’t push the details too hard in the parables.
What Does Jesus Teach About in the Parables?
Many of the parables teach us about something that was central to the life and teaching of Jesus: The Kingdom of God. Throughout His life, Jesus taught the “good news” that through His life, death, and resurrection, the Kingdom of God has launched here on earth. Jesus Himself described the Kingdom of God through his famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Jesus also brought God’s Kingdom into reality through his healings, exorcisms, and creation of a renewed family of Israel. He would win the ultimate battle for the Kingdom of God with His death and resurrection.
The parables are one among many ways that Jesus confronted Israel with His offer of the Kingdom of God (or Heaven—they refer to the same thing). This is why so many of Jesus’ parables begin with the phrase “the Kingdom of God is like” or contain the phrase “the Kingdom.” This is also why so many of Jesus’ parables have three main character types:
- An authority figure (an owner, king or wealthy person)
- A positive subordinate (one who works hard; trusts the king)
- A negative subordinate (one who refuses the authority of the true king)
In many of the parables, Jesus is announcing the presence of the True King (Himself) and is inviting people to join Him in the overthrow of the powers of the false kingdom. His parables often include examples of those who join in the kingdom as positive subordinates (e.g. The Good Samaritan).
He also provides examples of those who do not join in His kingdom ways (e.g. religious leaders who pass by the injured man in the Good Samaritan). In the parables, Jesus is offering the reader a deeper understanding of His own mission, clarifying what His offer of the Kingdom means and what’s at stake.
What are Some of the Main Themes of the Parables?
Some parables focus on the surprising arrival and nature of God’s kingdom. An example of this would be the parable of the mustard seed. The seed starts small and isn’t really noticeable. But over time it will grow big—into a tree big enough for birds to nest in.
Some parables focus on the upside-down values of God’s Kingdom. Again, think of the Good Samaritan. The religious leaders had always taught that being clean and untouched by sin or brokenness was the highest value. Jesus’ parable teaches that loving those in need is more important to God.
Some parables focus on the decisions we must make in light of Jesus offering us His Kingdom. We see this in the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. When the pearl is found, the merchant has to act—he sells everything to get the pearl—the kingdom of God.
Additional Resources
One of our favorite places to learn about the parables is a website called “the Bible Project.” At this site you can find videos, podcasts, and articles that will provide a great deal of helpful material about reading and understanding parables. Below are some specific recommendations: