Sermon for February 8, 2004 Back to Study Guide 020804o Back to Study Guide Home Page Back to Sermon Home Page
The English word, "parable" is from the Greek parabolê, "a comparison," "an illustration, "a proverb," "a juxtaposition," from a verb meaning "to put one thing by the side of another [for comparison]," "to throw beside." The Greek parabolê is broader in meaning than the English word parable. According to the English definition a parable is a narrative whose primary purpose is to teach truth. In literary form it is an extended metaphor. Many of Jesus' parables were brief to the point of being metaphors or proverbs.
In the Gospels a parable is a narrative "placed alongside" a specific spiritual teaching for the purposes of "comparison." The parables of Jesus were usually based on common experiences of everyday life familiar to his hearers, and often on current incidents that had recently occurred so that the people could understand more clearly what he was trying to teach them. The story was simple and brief, and its conclusion usually so obvious as to involve no uncertainty. Placed alongside the spiritual truth that Jesus was attempting to teach, the parable became a bridge by which the listeners could understand and appreciate Jesus' truth. The parable met people where they were and, by a pleasant and familiar path, led their thoughts to where Jesus sought to direct them. It was a window through which the person might see the beauty and truthfulness of his teachings.
By parables Jesus sought to: (1) arouse interest, attention, and inquiry; (2) reveal the true nature of the people's condition without arousing hostility; (3) evade the spies that relentlessly pursued him; (4) create in the minds of his listeners lasting impressions that would be renewed and intensified when the scenes presented in the parables again came to mind or to view; (5) restore nature as a means for knowing God. Parables revealed truth to those who were willing to receive it, and at times parables concealed the truth from others.
In studying the parables of Jesus it is most important to follow sound principles of interpretation. These principles may be briefly summarized as:
A parable is a mirror by which truth can be seen; it is not truth itself.
The context in which a parables is given--the place, circumstances, persons to whom it was spoken, and the situation under discussion--must be taken into consideration and made the key for understanding.
Jesus' own introduction and conclusion to the parable generally make its fundamental purpose clear.
Every parable illustrates one basic point of spiritual truth. Details of a parable are important only as they contribute to the clarification of that particular point of truth.
Before the meaning of a parable in the biblical material can be understood it is necessary to have some understanding of the situation described in the parable, in terms of Oriental customs and ways of thinking and expression. Parables are vivid word pictures that must be seen, so to speak, before they can be understood.
In view of the fundamental fact that a parable is given to illustrate truth, and usually one particular truth, no doctrine may be based upon the incidental details of a parable.
The parable, in whole and in part, must be understood in terms of the truth it is designed to reveal, as set forth in the literal language of the immediate context and elsewhere in Scripture.
Parables may be group topically in several categories such as:
A revelation of divine love, mercy and justice.
The principles of God's plan to rescue human beings from the bondage of sin and selfishness.
How people listen to and receive the truth of God.
How an individuals character may be transformed from one that is basically selfish to one that is basically loving.
Principles of prayer.
The danger of false personal pride and the need for humility.
How to take advantage of opportunities for personal growth.
Personal relationships between the Christian and all other life.
The necessity of waiting and preparing for Jesus' return.
The final judgment and eternal rewards.
Parables are Jesus' stories that help us to learn more about ourselves, our world, and our God.
Sermon for February 8, 2004 Back to Study Guide 020804o Back to Study Guide Home Page Back to Sermon Home Page